My Craft
by OnTheCobb
Summary: Devoid of memory or purpose, a new Crafter is pushed forth into the unforgiving land of Minecraftia. Armed with nothing but his wits, he must…well…actually he's pretty witless. Hopefully he won't get killed in the first week. Hopefully.
1. Blank

***== Part I==***

 **Devoid of memory or purpose, a new Crafter is pushed forth into the unforgiving land of Minecraftia. Armed with nothing but his wits, he must...well...actually he's pretty witless. Hopefully he won't get killed in the first week. _Hopefully_.**

* * *

 _Where am I?_ I thought to myself.

I need to get my bearings. That's basic getting-out-of-lost-situations 101. To my left there's…a black void. To my right…same thing. Above? More void. Below? I can see my legs and after that…Alright I'm pretty much in a black void.

That's good! I've effectively discovered my current position. Now what?

Maybe I should try walking to somewhere that's NOT a void. But…which way do I go?

 _Actually, can I even walk?_ I ponder silently. I try moving my legs. It's hard to tell if I'm falling through this void or moving in any general direction at all. Some identifying landmarks would be nice, but of course that would imply that I _wasn't_ trapped in a void.

 _How'd I even get here anyway?_ I thought as I tried to feel around for anything in the void. I couldn't remember anything useful. Hell, I couldn't remember ANYTHING! Including…

"Who am I?" I asked aloud. I don't know why I did that. After all, I'm the only thing in this void that I could see. I must have progressed into the first stages of insanity: talking to oneself. It wouldn't be long until I start seeing things and making friends with volleyballs. Huh? Where did THAT come from?

 _GAH! Focus self! There's gotta be a way out of this void, right? Maybe, if I close my eyes and wish real hard, I'll escape this blank, boring place._

I close my eyes and click the heels of my sneakers together three times for good measure. Again, where did that come from? But as it turns out, closing your eyes and wishing for things DOESN'T actually work.

I sigh dejectedly before attempting to sit down. I can't exactly feel anything beneath me so I suspect that I am still falling through the void. _This really sucks._

"Can anyone help me out?" I call out. No response. _Well, of course there's nothing. Why would there be any inhabitants of Voidland? No wait, that name sucks. I can do better. Voidberg has a better sound to it._

"I hereby declare myself the King of this plane!" I shout to the nothingness surrounding me. _Aaaaaand there's the craziness talking. But better to be crazy to alleviate the boredom than to be normal in a dull world._

"But wait. If I'm the King, then what's my name?" I question. It's gotta be a good name. Something that I won't hate for the rest of my life in this void. And DEFINITELY not Keith. Also it has to be a man's name since women can't be Kings. Not to be sexist or anything.

Something short would be good too. A sharp name for a sharp King. Then again, my clothes aren't exactly sharp. A black and white hoodie with a blue undershirt and navy blue jeans. Socks. White sneakers. No royal garbs to speak of. Not even a cape.

 _Whatever. Nobody's here to judge me or dispute my mediocre wardrobe. I could be naked for all I cared and tell the nothingness around me that I'm simply wearing clothing that only intelligent people can see. They would be so embarrassed not seeing my clothes that they would pretend to see them just to not look silly. Huh? Where did THAT come from?_

But back to the name. I think I got a decent name. Yeah, it sounds good with my title.

"My name is King Cobb! And if you have a problem with it, you can…GAK!"

I'm cut off from my declaration as my body stops abruptly. I'm painfully aware of making contact with something that ISN'T a void of nothingness.

 _Hooray, I escaped the void! Hooray, I can feel my surroundings! Hooray,…I think I broke my everything!_

* * *

 **AN: This is future OnTheCobb looking at past OnTheCobb's work...I've really come a long way.**

 **To any old viewers reading this, I only added this author note and the Part I summary. None of the content has changed so you don't have to scour it for any plot-importance.**

 **And to any new viewers reading this for the first time, I know the first chapter is slow...hell it's the chapter with the least amount of words...but it gets better...at least...that's what my old viewers keep telling me. And I believe them.**


	2. Welcome

_Even though I'm in a world of pain right now, it's still better than the insanity of that nothingness._ I thought to myself as I slowly rose from my position on the ground. The actual _existing_ ground.

I checked myself for injuries. No broken bones. No blood. Everything intact. _Neat._ The only noticeable difference was a series of tattoos on my outer arms. My left arm had a row of hearts and a black bar below that while my right arm had a row of circles and a row of what looked like corn dogs.

 _Those weren't there before. Or were they? I didn't really check my arms while in that void. But now that I'm out, I better get my bearings…again._

I looked up from my arms only to be blinded by the sheer brightness of my current location in comparison to the black-as-night void. It took a couple of minutes for my eyes to adjust. And when they did, I was awed by the sight in front of me. In all directions was a vast meadow extending for several hundred meters. At the brink of the meadow was a line of trees. Past that was a tall mountain which seemed to tower above the puffy clouds freely drifting through the azure sky. The sweet fragrance of flowers was wafting through the…

 _Geez, I sound like a poet! Snap out of your daydreaming Cobb! You got bearings to bear!_

I looked at my current location. The ground I was laying on was actually stone with intricate designs etched into it. The stone made up a small circular platform with me at the center and several marble like pillars at the edges. I had somehow landed on the very center of this stone platform, without dying, after escaping an unknown void.

 _I doubt landing on the center of this thing was a coincidence. Maybe someone actually DID hear me when I asked for help and sent me here. Or more likely the heel clicking had a 5-minute delay. Yeah, that was probably it._

I looked behind me and noticed a structure a few meters away from the platform. It looked like a small wooden house with a fenced garden.

 _I wonder if anyone is in that thing?_ I thought. I picked myself off the ground and slowly walked towards the house. As I got closer, I noticed some green sprouts from the garden. _Maybe some vegetables?_

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement through the window of the house. Not wanting to be rude, I decided to knock on the door with my foot before attempting to enter.

*Knock Knock* "Hello? Anyone home?" I called out. I heard some noises behind the door before it opened revealing a big-nosed man clad in a brown tunic and brown pants. He had a uni-brow and emerald eyes and his hands were clasped in front of his chest. But Holy Hamburgers was that nose big! It was like a sausage dangling from his face! _UGH!_

"Greetings, number 999,999,999! My name is Helena. I'm sure you have many questions about your location and I'll try my best to answer them."

 _Wait, what did he just say? Crap! I was so preoccupied with his nose that I tuned him out! But how could I not focus on that thing!? It's as big as a whale!_ I thought to myself.

"Speechless I see. I know you must be confused and panicked right now, but I need to ask you to calm down." Continued Big Nose.

 _Of course I'm speechless! I've never seen a nose that big! Then again, all my prior knowledge up to this point has been a blank void. So why do I have such expectations of proper nose sizes? It's like I know things that should be and things that shouldn't, but I can't remember why I know them. Like this guy, for instance, has a feminine voice and an abnormally large nose. That's not normal._

"Just take some deep breaths King Cobb and come inside. It's getting dark." Big Nose urged.

"Um…okay sir." I replied awkwardly as I couldn't remember if he introduced himself or not. I shuffled inside the house while Big Nose closed the door.

"It's ma'am actually." Stated Big Nose hurtfully.

 _Wait…Big Nose is a she?_ _Oooooh that's gonna make this conversation pretty awkward. Whelp, better ask her for her name and apologize._

"Oh, I'm sorry I just…look, what was the first thing you told me? I was um…lost in your gorgeous emerald eyes and didn't hear you properly."

 _Corny sure, but it might just make up for my earlier mistake_.

"O-oh! W-well, of course I can repeat mys-s-self." She stuttered out while blushing. "My name is Helena, and you, Cobb, are the nine-hundredth and ninety-nine millionth, nine-hundredth and ninety-nine thousandth, nine-hundredth and ninety-ninth person to enter this world."

"That's a lot of nines. Wait! How did you know my name? Have we met before?" I asked perplexed.

"No. I know your name because it's above your head." She answered. I quickly looked up, but could only notice a wooden ceiling and an unsurprising lack of a name above my head. "No, no. You cannot see your own name. Only others can."

"Others?" I questioned. _This is tripping all kinds of weird alarms in my head. Nobody has names written above their heads. That doesn't sound normal to me._

"Other people. Crafters or Testificates can read your name, and like them, you can read the names above other Crafters." Helena walked over to a chest in the corner of the room and rummaged in it while I wondered what on Earth a Crafter was. And also what on Earth, Earth was.

 _Helena says I can read names above other Crafters, so she must not be one of those since I don't see any name above her head. Or she's just tripping on drugs and is spouting nonsense. Still beats hanging around an empty void. But what was Earth. It sounds so familiar and nostalgic, but nothing comes to mind when I try and picture it._

"Are…you a Testificate?" I tentatively venture.

She turns around from the chest with a smile on her face and a loaf of bread in her hand. "Correct! You're learning faster than the last Crafter that was here. Have some bread, you must be getting hungry."

As if on cue my stomach growled. "Uh…thanks." Accepting the bread from her I greedily took a bite only to discover that the whole loaf had vanished from my hand. "What the...!"

"Yes, yes I know. 'Where did the bread go?' 'Why did the bread vanish completely after one bite?'" Helena drawled in a lower voice. "I've heard it all before. Almost everyone is shocked when that happens."

"Well, I'm pretty sure bread is supposed to stay with you until _after_ you finish it." I explained. I could still taste the bread and my stomach was no longer growling, but that didn't change the fact that the bread up and vanished.

"Maybe that's the case from wherever you're from, but here it's a different story." Helena fished a bottle of water out of the same chest and tossed it to me.

"And where is here?" I asked taking a swig from the bottle.

"Minecraftia." Helena stated dramatically.

Suddenly, a clap of lightning shook the house. A torrential downpour shortly followed.

I looked out the window at the rain and realized how quickly night came. The sun was up mere minutes ago.

"Where did this weather come from?" I finished the water and handed her the empty bottle. "And wasn't the sun up just a minute ago?"

"The weather comes from the sky." Helena explained slowly as if talking to a child. "And what is this 'minute' you speak of?"

"A minute. You know, a unit of time. Seconds, minutes, hours." Was time a foreign concept to this woman?

"I don't know about seconds or minutes, but our unit of time is measured in ticks." She explained with a raised uni-brow. She deposited the empty water bottle into the chest and closed it with a click.

"Forget it, I have a more important question. Before I landed on that stone platform outside…" I began.

"The Origin." She corrected.

"Whatever…I was stuck in a…"

"Black void, I know." She interrupted as she walked over to the window to gaze at the rain. "Every Crafter in existence started out from the Origin and experienced the empty expanse known as the Void. Some were trapped for much longer than others before they discovered the secret to escaping."

 _Please tell me it was the heel clicking, please tell me it was the heel clicking, PLEASE TELL ME IT WAS THE HEEL CLICKING!_

"Speaking a name."

 _DAMNIT!_

"Ha! Knew it all along." I lied without looking Helena in the eye.

"The story is more or less the same for every Crafter. After picking a name, they got teleported to the Origin and began their existence." Helena stated. "None of them could remember their lives before the Void or how they ended up there to begin with. But each one of them had a degree of familiarity to judge normalcy."

When she didn't continue I realized she was waiting for me to ask her another question. But I was getting tired of playing twenty questions so instead I took a look around her house.

It was relatively small with only one room. A bed was set up against the left wall and a chest was situated in the corner. The right wall had a couple of bookcases and an oven along with a weird looking table. The back of the house had a small table with a few chairs next to it. And on each wall was a torch to serve as lightning.

 _Whelp, looks like I'm stuck here until the rain lets up. And there's only one bed…and there's two of us…and she's a woman…and she thinks I'm attracted to her eyes._

"Well, if you have no more questions I suppose it's time for bed." She stated lamely.

"Yeah, about that." I began. "There's only one bed."

"Oh, don't worry yourself love." She began "I can't sleep."

"Huh?" I blushed a bit at her 'love' statement. "Why not?"

"Because I'm a Testificate. That bed was here when I moved in." Helena took a seat at the table. "After all I can't craft things like that."

"Craft things?" I asked as a tentatively approached the bed.

"I'll go over more of that tomorrow. It's pretty basic stuff for a Crafter like you to know. But if you want your existence to last as long as possible, you'll need to learn it well." She explained as she kicked up her legs.

 _Great more explanations. Maybe that Void wasn't so bad after all. There was a lot less to explain there, that's for sure. But not knowing what to do next means I should listen to Helena for now. Plus she fed me and gave me shelter so she must be good._

"In that case, good night." I slipped under the covers of the bed and laid my head in the fluffy pillow. The calm drumming of the rain against the house lulling me to sleep.


	3. Tutorial

**AN: Testing, testing. I'm trying to see if I can make an author's note at the beginning of my story. Again, this is all new to me so please bear with it.**

 **It's pretty cool that people are actually viewing my story. Even though I have no idea if I'm properly using quotation marks or commas. My Grammar classes were not _that_ in depth.**

 **Also, I've uploaded a picture! Yay! I wanted to go for an image that effectively captured the gritty adventure and silly humor of my story. Then I thought, 'why not corn?' So corn it was.**

 **Also, looking at other fanfics I realized a crucial error in my writing. No disclaimers! Up until now everyone was probably thinking I owned Minecraft or something. Well it's time to set the record straight!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be a better use for Rotten Flesh.

* * *

"Alright, wake up Cobb." Helena shook me awake.

"Whuzzat?" I replied groggily. _Either time goes by really fast when you sleep, or that night only lasted 10 minutes tops because I can't believe the sun shining through that window._

"By the way, you snore REALLY loudly. I was banging my head against the wall just to drown the noise out." Helena got up from her seat at the table and walked over to the same chest she retrieved the food and water last night. "But enough of that. Today is a day of learning for you."

 _UGH. More learning. This whole Minecraftica or…Amince Crafticia…what was it again? Minecraftia, that was it! It was starting to feel like a place where all you do is learn stuff. Possibly with a lunch period in the middle of the day. But what would I call that?_

"So you're gonna teach me a craft or something?" I asked.

"In a way, yes. I'm gonna teach you a craft or two. Just some basic survival tips and tricks you'll need to make an existence in this world." From the chest, Helena withdrew several items and tossed them to me. "Think fast!"

"Whoa, whoa! Too much stuff!" The first thing I caught was an empty glass bottle followed by a gold disk with markings on it. After that, a carrot and a book nailed me in the face and left shoulder. "Ow! Couldn't you have just handed them over to me one at a time?"

"That was your first lesson: To think fast. In this world, you need to make split-tick decisions or get killed." Helena explained grimly as she walked to the door. "If this was the real deal, you would be dead."

I shuddered at that. _Dead? What would that mean for me? Would I cease to exist or would I be transported back to that Void area? Although really isn't that the same thing as not existing. As much as I hated learning stuff, I'd much rather pick up some tips to help me exist than go back to that nothingness._ I stooped down to pick up my supplies before noticing they disappeared right in front of me.

"Oh not again!" I groaned. _Why were things always disappearing in front of me?_ I fumbled around the floor searching for them.

"Check your belt!" Helena shouted from outside.

 _My belt? But I'm not wearing any…_ Sure enough, at my waist was a belt with nine pouches. Four of which were filled with the empty glass bottle, the carrot, the gold disk, and the book. _When did I get a belt?_ I quickly checked the rest of myself for any other articles of clothing or additions before noticing a black single strap backpack slung across my shoulder. I didn't notice it at first because the thing felt weightless, almost as if it wasn't there. I tried to take it off to see what was inside, but the backpack wouldn't let go of me. _Is it super glued or something?!_

"Hurry up, we're burning daylight!" Helena shouted from outside.

"Ugh, coming." Leaving the backpack alone, I sprinted out the door and followed Helena's voice to the garden. Upon closer inspection, I saw carrots growing from within the fenced area. "So, any reason why things go flying into my belt when I try to pick them up?"

"That's lesson two: Item Interaction. Any item you can pick up will fly into your belt. Once your belt is full, they will instead fly into your backpack and once _that's_ filled, you can no longer carry anything on your person." Helena motioned me over to the garden. "Now for lesson three: Quests!"

"A quest?" I asked with barely restrained excitement. _The prospect of actually_ doing _something rather than just hear Helena Big Nose babble on is a welcome change of pace._

"Farm my garden!" She commanded dramatically.

"…"

"…"

"…ewhat?" I deadpanned.

"I'm running low on carrots so farm my garden!" She explained. "They should all be fully grown by now so just punch the crops and they should zoom into your belt."

"Um…alright then." I began as I hesitantly punched the crops. Carrots shot out like a geyser and flew into my belt. "Whoa cool!"

"Very good now keep it up."

Several punches later I had 25 carrots on me and the farm was barren. "Done!"

"Not yet love. You need to replant some of those carrots so that the farm can re-grow." Helena explained with a smile.

"Tch, okay." I planted as many carrots in the garden as I could until the plots were all filled. I still had 17 carrots on me. "Now am I done?"

"Almost." _UGH, what now!?_ "Now give me 15 of those carrots, and I will give you one emerald."

"Emeralds?" I asked interested. She pulled out a green gem from her pocket that could only be the emerald she was referring to. It had a brilliant luster to it and reflected the light in ways that made it sparkle vibrantly. _I want it!_

I quickly handed her the carrots and snatched the emerald from her hand. My reflection was staring back at me from its surface and I could see the greed and lust in my eyes before I snapped back to reality. The emerald and what little carrots I had left flew into my belt.

"Transaction completed!" Helena declared with a smile. "Testificates can offer trades and quests for Crafters to complete in exchange for powerful items, emeralds, or useless garbage."

"Oh, I see. How much are these emerald's worth?" I asked.

"That's up to the traders to decide." Helena began as she motioned me to follow her around the house. "Each Testificate has a preference to certain items and will want certain items depending on their occupation. Since I'm clad in brown, I'm a farmer and crops or food are my preference."

"You mean your clothes determine your occupation?" I asked as I followed her around the house.

"Yes. Brown means Farmer, Fletcher, Fisherman, or Shepherd. White means Librarian. Purple is Cleric. Black is Armorer, Weapon Smith, or Tool Smith. And White Apron is a Butcher or Leatherworker." She stopped at a metal basin filled with water. "Looks like the rain filled it up pretty well. Alright you still have that bottle?"

"Yeah, is this another quest?" I withdrew the bottle.

"No, just some water for the next person who shows up at my doorstep. Don't punch this time; just imagine scooping some water into that bottle." She moved aside as I approached the basin.

I held the bottle above the basin and imagined filling it with the water. To my surprise the bottle instantly filled with water.

 _Man everything here seems instant. Food is instantly eaten, crops are instantly harvested, and items instantly fly into your belt. It's like time for all these things is…sped up. Wait. Maybe that sleep I had wasn't short because I had a dream and couldn't verify if I was asleep or awake. Maybe it was because time in Minecraftia is a lot shorter than time on…wherever I came from before. Gah! This is bugging me. I vaguely remember being from somewhere, but…WHERE?_

"See? Easy." Helena broke my train of thought and snatched the filled water bottle from my grasp. "You mind checking the time while I put this back in the chest?"

 _Check the time? How am I supposed to do that when I don't even know how time works in this place?_ Before I could voice my thoughts Helena walks away, water bottle in tow. _Great. Alright Cobb. You're a smart guy. You can figure this out. It probably has something to do with the items she gave me at the beginning of these stupid lessons._ I quickly check my belt for something of use.

 _Carrots. Maybe I could stick them in the ground and make a sundial? Nah, that can't be it. Emerald. Last I checked, gems can't tell time. Book. No. Gold Thing-a-ma-jig. Maybe?_ I look at the markings on the gold disk. An arrow was pointing towards a semicircle with a yellow orb and a blue sky. _Guess that means it's day time._ I was about to put the newly discovered clock away before I noticed a sliver of black come into view from the left side of the disk. _Does that mean night is approaching?_

 _Wait! This is just what I need to get a grasp on time in this world. I just need to count how many seconds it takes for this clock to make one full revolution. Man, I'm smart!_

I begin counting inside my head. 1…2…3…4…5…

"Hey, Cobb! What time is it?!" Helena calls out, once again interrupting me.

"Um…it's daytime, but night is approaching." I answered before cursing under my breath as I lost track of counting.

"Alright, then we have time for the final lesson: Crafting." Helena appeared from around the house and beckoned me over. "But we need to be quick so follow me."

I followed her as she walked away from the house and away from the Origin towards the dense line of trees. The meadows had yellow and red flowers and I could spot a rabbit or two frolicking around. After a minute of walking, I noticed something odd about the area in front of us. _Are those…craters?_

"Once we cross this line, we'll be vulnerable to the world around us." Helena explained as she stopped in front of a stone line in the meadow. The stone had circular etchings in it, just like the stone from the Origin. Only this stone seemed to stretch in a circle around the Origin to form an outer circle. Steeling herself, Helena crossed the line and motioned me to follow her. "Stay close."

I was about to follow her across the line when I stopped mid-step. _I don't know what it is about that line, but I feel like I'm better off behind it than in front of it. Maybe it's the eeriness of those craters. It feels like a no-man's-land._

"Today, Cobb! I swear the last 500 Crafters were _not_ this wimpy." Helena urged.

"Okay, keep your shirt on!" I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and took the step. Immediately, I felt a shift in the atmosphere. The meadow behind me felt calm and peaceful. It had frolicking bunnies for God's sake! But this place, with the mysterious craters and disturbed landscape, felt dangerous. Like anything could jump out and kill me. Like everything was watching me move. Like _something_ was ready to end me. "Let's just hurry this up. This place feels…weird. Bad weird!"

"That's because this area is beyond the Origin's protection. Out here, you can die." Helena hurriedly maneuvered past the craters towards the tree line with me following closely.

 _I want to ask her more about this place, more about how many Crafters are in existence. But maybe I should focus more on my surroundings. Like what could've made those large craters in the ground? Were meteors a concern?_

We finally made our way to the tree line and walked up to a regular tree. "Now quickly. Punch the tree."

 _It's funny how 10 minutes ago I would think she was weird for telling me to punch a tree, but now I'm more experienced with this world and how things work. Punching solves everything!_

I ready my fist and deliver a right hook to the center of the tree. Nothing happens. _How did I possibly screw that up?_

"Trees are more durable than crops love." Helena sighed exhaustively. "Just keep punching."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." I waved her off as I resumed my punching. "And stop calling me 'love.' I don't have a thing for big-nosed women."

Helena angrily twitched at that. She opened her mouth to retort, but closed it upon spotting a green figure moving amongst the trees. She smiled to herself and took a step away from Cobb.

"Come…on…you…darn…TREE!" After several moments, I finally punched through a section of the tree.

"TIMBER!" I gasped as I dove to the ground with my hands covering my head. Nothing happened.

I looked up to see that half of the tree was hovering over the ground as if gravity didn't exist.

 _Ok,_ that _is definitely not normal. What's holding this thing up?_ I waved my hand through the section of tree I destroyed only to discover the section in my belt. Holding it in my hand, I automatically thought of the word [OAK LOG]. I guess I have an oak log now. "Hey, Helena now what do I…"

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a green creature approach me. I jerked my head in its direction and watched as it slowly walked towards me. It had four legs, was speckled green, and had a deep frown set into its face. "What the heck are you?"

"Don't worry Cobb. Those are harmless creatures called Huggers." Helena called out from a safe distance away. "All they want is a hug from another being."

"Well, find a tree to hug buddy, because I'm kind of busy right now." I explained to the creature. The Hugger, however, ignored my words and kept approaching me.

 _Geez, first Big Nose, now this thing. Why am I always a magnet to wierdos? Well, I guess one hug can't hurt. Then maybe it will leave me alone…_ The Hugger got closer. _But wait, I have arms, but the Hugger doesn't so…how is it supposed to hug anything?_ And closer. _Seems like a stupid design flaw considering these things are called Huggers._ I opened my arms to embrace the creature mere feet away. _And why is Helena moving away from me?_

*sssssssSSSSS!*

 _Why is it hissing? Why is it flashing?! WHY IS IT…crap._

 _Lesson one: Think fast._ I remember. *BOOM!*

I jump back a split-second before the creature expands and explodes in a cloud of dust and fire. Despite my reflexes I get caught by the blast radius and am sent flying backwards before tumbling upon the ground in a heap. Right in front of where Helena is standing. I look up to see a crater where I was standing, with a few pieces of dirt and wood remaining.

"Nice reflexes." Helena nods as if impressed.

I groan as I try to stand up. "The Hell was that!? You said it was a Hugger! HARMLESS MY ASS!

"That's what you get for being disrespectful to your elders." Helena replies with her big nose held high. "I'm offering you the skills you'll need to survive in this world and you respond with insensitive comments about my nose? I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart. All I ask for is a little _respect_."

I glare at her angrily while silently thinking to myself. _She was willing to let me die to that…THING…just because of harmless name-calling? That's stupid! But…I still need more information about how to survive. And…she has been nice to me so far. So I guess I was out of line with those comments. I'll just have to swallow my anger on this._

"You…you're…r-right." I stammer out lamely as I take a calming breath. Helena seems surprised at my statement. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings with those words. And I appreciate everything you're teaching me. I'm sorry." I hang my head dejectedly for added effect.

"I forgive you." Helena responds. "That creature was actually known as a Creeper. One of the most dangerous Mobs in Minecraftia."

"What's a Mob?" I asked as I slowly approached the smoldering crater.

"A monster with the capability to inflict harm upon people." Helena explains. "That book I gave you earlier has a list of basic Mobs you're sure to encounter. Why don't you read it while your health recovers?"

"Um…what do you mean by recover?" I asked as I collected the dirt and oak logs caught in the Creeper explosion.

"On your left arm is two meters. A Health Meter and an Experience Meter. The one with the Hearts is the Health Meter." I glance at the tattoos on my left arm before noticing that several of the hearts, which were previously red, were now black. The bar below it, that could only be the Experience Meter, was still black.

"I only have 3 hearts left…wait…what happens when the hearts hit zero?" I asked suddenly scared.

"What do you think?" Helena replied with a smirk.

 _Note to self: AVOID CREEPERS!_ I collect a total of 5 oak logs, including the one I punched, and 11 dirt. "Do you think anyone would be willing to trade for dirt?" I ask Helena.

"…No." She deadpans.

"Well, I'm keeping it anyw…*THONK!* GAH!" I cursed as something red nailed me in the head. "What the…?" I stooped down to pick up what had bonked me in the head: An apple.

 _Now I know how Isaac Newton felt…Wait. Who's Isaac Newton, again? Why does this keep happening?!_

"Nice going. Apples rarely fall from the leaves of fallen oak trees. Also, how's your Hunger Meter doing? That's the one on your…"

"Right arm?" I finish for her as I place the apple in my belt and examine the tattoos. _I guess the corndog one is hunger, but what's the circle one for?_

"Yes…your Health will slowly increase if your Hunger Meter is filled or if you are full. The hungrier you get, the less health will increase and the less you'll be able to exert yourself. And if your Hunger Meter hits zero, you will begin to starve to death."

 _Yay…more weird stuff._ I note as I spot 2 black corndogs on my arm. _Tattoos aren't supposed to change based on hunger or injury. But I suppose in Minecraftia, the laws of nature, physics, and time don't apply in the same way as what I'm used to._

"So the Health Meter and Hunger Meter are the most important meters." I affirm as I eat my last two carrots and refill my Hunger Meter.

"Indeed. But enough about that. We need to get you started on crafting!"

"And we couldn't have done this at your house because…?" I venture.

"Because the Origin Zone is a safe area where nothing can be harmed or destroyed, except crops of course." I was about to ask why that was a thing, but Helena shushed me with her hand. "I'll explain it when we get back, but for now, I want you to take out the oak log and make planks from it. Just picture the log splitting into four different pieces."

"That's it? No punching?" I ask jokingly as I do as she says. Sure enough the log splits into 4 wooden planks. I do the same for the other 4 logs and soon I have 20 [OAK WOOD PLANKS].

"Good, now let's move closer to the Origin Zone for this next part." Helena walked away from the line of trees and I followed. "The next thing we'll make will probably be the single most important item of your existence."

 _Oooh, that sounds super important! I better listen closely._

"This looks close enough. Now arrange 4 planks into a 2x2 square."

I followed her instructions and arranged the planks in my hand before being greeted by an item I saw before. The item read [CRAFTING TABLE].

"That, is a crafting table." She pointed dramatically. "Usually, a Crafter can only craft things from a 2x2 grid standpoint. But the table pushes past those limits and enables a 3x3 crafting grid."

"Wait, so you can't craft one of these things? But I saw one in your house." I set the newly made table on the ground and gazed at its perplexity. It had a 3x3 grid on the top and several tools on the surrounding sides.

"That house was there when I moved in. After all, almost nothing in the Origin Zone can be destroyed or built. It's as old as the Origin, and _that_ thing has been there since the First 100. Now shut up and make _exactly_ 8 sticks." She urged.

"You didn't tell me how." I stated with a raised eyebrow.

"You're smart so you can figure it out yourself. Most Crafters have to learn these things on their own anyway." Helena responded with folded arms. "It's also super easy."

 _Or you can tell me how to make them and quit being a half-ass about everything!_ I thought to myself before attempting the recipe. _Ok, sticks. Probably involves the wooden planks seeing as how they're the_ only _wood I have. Maybe it's just a line of planks?_ I arrange the planks in a straight 3 grid line horizontally across the table and wait.

"No stop!" Helena shouts before the crafting table constructs 6 slabs of wood half the size of a regular plank. I hold the slab in my hand and read the name. [OAK WOOD SLABS]. "Those aren't sticks." She facepalms.

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Inventory: 1 Book, 13 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Apple, 6 Oak Wood Slabs, 1 Clock, 11 Dirt, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Emerald

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 **AN: Alright, hope these author notes stick. Anyway, I'll be keeping track of Cobb's Inventory so he won't be able to pull convenient gear out of nowhere. If I make an error in it, call me out for it IMMEDIATELY!**

 **Also, thanks to all the viewers and the handful of REviewers. I appreciate the criticisms and can handle anything you say about my writing. (T_T)**

 **I'll try and answer reviews if I can, but keep in mind I planned out quite a bit of obstacles for young Cobb to handle. And honestly using Mods never crossed my mind. But I'll see where it goes.**


	4. Combat

**AN: For some reason, I was having trouble with dividers. Then I discovered the horizontal line button. Problem solved.**

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Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be a way to tame Zombies.

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After several more failed attempts, including the construction of a [WOODEN BUTTON] and a [WOODEN PRESSURE PLATE], I finally figured out how to make sticks…with Helena's help.

"Now see, when I said you were smart, I actually meant it. So…why you gotta let me down like that?"

"Sorry. I've never made sticks before." I argued after crafting 8 [STICKS]. By then my planks had decreased to 6.

"I should have known we'd need spare wood. No time for that now though. The sun is about to set." Helena thought for a moment. "Alright with the amount of planks and sticks we have left we can't make a full set of wooden tools, so instead just make a wooden sword and a wooden axe."

Helena instructed me closely on how to construct the tools so I wouldn't waste anymore planks. Once that was done, I was left with a sharp [WOODEN SWORD] and a [WOODEN AXE], both of which flew into my backpack instead of my filled belt.

"Good. Now if you want an item from your backpack simply visualize the item while reaching into the pack and it will automatically fly into your belt. Just make sure you determine which item you'll be switching out. Otherwise you may find yourself panicking over lost items." Helena looked towards the setting sun before letting out a relieved sigh. "We should be able to make it back before dark. Let's go."

 _Fine by me, this place gives me the creeps! Helena was pretty grim talking about those Mobs. I don't want to encounter anything like that Creeper ever again. Where does a thing like that even_ spawn _from? The lovechild of snakes and dynamite?_

"Where do the Creepers come from anyway? I wanna be sure to stay clear of them." I followed Helena, careful to avoid all the craters that I was 100% sure were caused by Creepers.

"Many of the Mobs spawn from the very darkness itself. You'll be able to see them soon from the safety of the Origin Zone." Helena replied.

"It's…safe…right? I mean…I wouldn't want you to be in danger without a sword." I swapped my new sword with the clock as if to emphasize my 'fearlessness' only to realize how light the thing was. "Also, can this even damage those Mobs?"

"How noble of you, _love_." _Ok, now she's doing that on purpose._ "And yes the Origin Zone _is_ safe from the Mobs. Sometimes if I'm bored enough I taunt the Zombies from a safe location."

"Zombies…sure. Why am I not surprised?"

"Is is because you actually _read_ the book on Mobs?" Helena asked as she crossed the stone line into the Origin Zone.

"HA! Reading!" I replied with a shake of my head as I crossed the line as well. "What do I look like? A reader? I'm more of a hands-on learner anyway." I took the [BOOK] out of my belt and handed it back to Helena.

"Fine. If you don't think it will help, who am I to argue?" She took a seat at the edge of the Origin Zone and stared out into the tree line. The sun finally set, shrouding the vibrant meadow in a sea of black. The only visible light came from the house behind us and the crescent-moon in the sky.

I took a seat next to Helena and pondered in silence. _So Mobs come from the darkness. But this place is safe? Helena said she'd explain so I won't bother her about it. I wonder if Mobs would have spawned in the Void if I hadn't escaped in time. Was there even any time passing or a time limit in general?_

 _Also if all Crafters start out in that Void, why couldn't I see any of them? Maybe they were just always within my blind spot and I was always within theirs. Really wish there was a Crafter I could ask about this._

 _Wait. Helena_ did _say I was number 999,999,999 right? That means there must be at least one Crafter with deeper knowledge about that place. Or maybe I could ask them about this unexplained sense of normalcy I feel over certain things._

"Hey, Helena." I began. "If I'm number 999,999,999, does that mean there are 999,999,998 other Crafters out in the world?"

"Ideally, yes. Likely, no." She replied shortly, still preoccupied with searching the tree line for any visible Mobs. "It would be foolish to assume that every other Crafter survived the wilderness, the Mobs, and each other."

"Ah…I see." There was nothing more to say to that. _I don't know what's scarier: The Mobs or the idea that these Crafters would be willing to kill each other. Wouldn't it make more sense to work together? Fight the Mobs, form a community, expand, thrive. That sort of thing._

"I've lived in this meadow for 500 years. I can still remember the day the First 100 came into existence." Helena laid back and gazed at the moon as she reminisced.

 _First 100? 500 years!? How old is she!? Even if time moves differently here, that's way too much time to waste._

"If anyone could survive Minecraftia, I know for sure it would be those First 100 Crafters." Helena closed her eyes as she recounted her tale. "They built my house and the entire Origin. They knew more Crafters would come and they asked me to help guide them, give them a direction to follow, and keep track of the numbers."

"So you've been counting all the Crafters for 500 years!?" I exclaimed.

"It was the least I could do after the nice house they constructed for me, and the guaranteed safety of the Origin Zone. Since Testificates don't die of hunger or old age." She smiled at me. "I may have lost track at around the 400,000,000 mark, but I sorted it out. Plus, I get to meet all the colorful Crafters as they take their first steps into the world."

*UHNNN!*

"What was that?" I ask cautiously.

Helena stood up and pointed towards the tree line. "Zombies."

I squinted my eyes to see better, but I could barely make out the green and blue blurs approaching.

"So, you gonna fight them, love?" Helena grinned while nudging me with her elbow. "Get some of that 'hands-on' experience you were talking about?"

I hesitated. Although I had never heard of Zombies before, that odd sense of normalcy was rearing its head and telling me that Zombies' weakness is their brain. And also that if one of them bit me, I would turn into one. Also, due to their…undeadness…their body parts would be rotting, and therefore be unable to move at the pace of a normal not undead human.

But it was dark, even with the moon out. And if I couldn't see these things well enough, one could easily sneak up behind me or surround me, and then I'd be Zombie chow.

 _I wonder if I taste good. Probably like carrots, since that's all I've been eating. Don't they say carrots help improve your eyesight or something? If so, they must have been lying to get kids to eat more vegetables because I can't see crap._

 _Wait. Who is the 'they' I'm referring to?_

 _GAH! This is getting tedious. Forget this normalcy feeling I'm just gonna go with it from now on until I get some answers!_

 _Anyway, these Zombies are Mobs so they_ can _kill me. And I don't know how much damage they can do. But I refuse to read that book to find out. It will just make Helena smugger. And backing away from a fight would make her even_ more _smugger and be an insult to my testosterone levels. So…_

"YAH!" I cried out as I leapt over the stone line and charged the nearest blue and green figure. As I approached the first Zombie, both hands gripping my sword, I noticed a sickly green color to its skin. Its clothes were torn and ragged and it held its arms outstretched as it neared me with a constant, but slow pace.

When I got within striking distance, I swung from the right in a horizontal slash to its neck. I was aiming to decapitate it like in the movies, but despite the force I put into the swing and the contact it made with the Zombie's neck, the Zombie merely let out a pained grunt and was knocked backward.

Never losing its footing, the Zombie resumed its slow trek towards me as if nothing happened.

"Uh…well played Zombie?" I praised uncertainly as I tried a different approach: A swipe at its legs.

Again though, the creature was merely knocked back a few feet, no visible damage in sight, before resuming its pace.

 _Alright, no more mister nice Cobb!_ I thought to myself as I jabbed repeatedly at the Zombies torso. The results were the same. Zombie grunts in pain. Zombie gets knocked back. Zombie continues attacking. However, after the second or third jab, the Zombie was knocked down, letting out a pained death wail, before disappearing in a puff of grey smoke.

"Finally!" I cried out exhaustively. All that was left of the creature were some bits of flesh and some green orbs…which immediately zoomed towards me! "Whoa, no!"

I held my sword in a defensive block to deflect the orbs, but to my surprise, the orbs merely phased into my left arm, without any pain or discomfort.

"The heck was…Bah! Bad Zombie!" I jumped back as two more Zombies approached me from the right, one barely missing me.

 _These guys are durable, that's for sure. Or maybe my sword is crappy cuz it's made of wood and not metal._ I pondered as I charged at my two foes.

Being right-handed, I swung at the right Zombie first, knocking it back. But before I could prepare another strike, the remaining Zombie clawed at my left shoulder, knocking me back a few feet.

"YEOW!" I exclaimed as I examined the wound…that wasn't there. _Huh. Right, no visible damage. The only thing that would be affected would be my…uh-oh._

My Health Meter was at 8 Hearts. I had lost 20% of my health…my _life_ …in that one swipe. A few more swipes like that and…

"Whelp, time to make a tactical retreat." I said to myself as I backpedaled a few feet before turning around.

Unfortunately, my preoccupation in killing that first Zombie had given the other nearby Zombies the chance to surround me.

"Get out of there you idiot!" Helena called from the Origin Zone. _Well thanks for the advice, Colonel Obvious!_

I readied my stance. There were 10 Zombies surrounding me, and I doubted I could charge through them and make it to the Origin Zone without getting buffeted enough to die. They were approaching me at that same, damn, slow pace and closing the gaps between them. _Think Cobb! You're smart, right? You can figure this out, right? You can avoid being Zombie chow…RIGHT!?_

As my end drew near, I couldn't help but think back and reflect on my life up to this point. The Void. Meeting Helena. Harvesting carrots. Blowing up trees. Collecting dirt. Not reading that book of Mobs which may have provided the very information to prevent this situation from happening in the first place. _Not helping, hindsight!_

 _Wait…the dirt!_ I fumbled with my belt and readied the dirt in my hands while the Zombies neared me. The closest one managed to claw at my back, but I ignored the momentary pain as I attempted to build a barricade of dirt.

I set the first block of dirt down, but another swipe from a different Zombie caused me to misplace the second block to be adjacent to the first instead of on top. I quickly placed a new block atop the first before I realized I was out of time.

I deftly dodged the swipes of the Zombies and climbed my makeshift barricade in desperation before placing a fourth block of dirt on top of the second block of dirt, forming a 2x2 dirt wall.

I gasped for breath, heart pounding in my chest before I started to calm down. Then, I started laughing. My strategy didn't block the Zombies as a barricade would, but apparently, in Minecraftia, Zombies can't climb dirt walls. It was so absurd that I couldn't help but laugh.

After laughing for a good minute I checked my Health Meter to see that I was at 4 Hearts. A few more hits would have ended me for sure.

The Zombies surrounded the dirt wall, trying to reach me with their outstretched arms, moaning and grumbling in frustration. But for all their effort, they couldn't hit me. Not to downplay their effectiveness at making me shit bricks.

"Still not feeling up to reading!?" Helena called from afar.

"Haha! Very funny! Not sure if I'm dying of laughter or Zombies up here!" I shouted back sarcastically as I swapped to my sword and began hacking away at any Zombies that I could reach. "My dirt collecting was more useful than you said it'd be!"

After a few minutes of slaying Zombies from a safe location, I collected 20 or more green orbs, and 15 pieces of something called [ROTTEN FLESH]. _Eyugh!_ One of the Zombies dropped a carrot which I found odd, but then I realized how hungry I felt. I glanced at my Hunger Meter and did a double take when I saw that I had 3 corndogs of food left.

I took a look around the area. All the Zombies that attacked me were nothing but grey puffs of smoke. Most of the other Zombies were too far away to notice me. I quickly slid off the dirt wall and grabbed the carrot before readying myself for an all-out sprint to the Origin Zone.

However, my sprinting was sluggish and exhaustive. Almost as if I couldn't sprint at all.

 _I guess running counts as exerting myself._ I thought as I munched the carrot and the lone apple at my belt. Going from 3 corndogs to 6-and-a-half.

After the snack, I scrambled towards the Origin Zone and didn't stop until my legs crossed the stone line. _Phew! Safe at last._

Suddenly, a slow clapping was heard from the right of me. It was the type of clapping that said 'We're all _very_ impressed' in a sarcastic tone. And it was emanating from Helena.

"Well done. I'm _very_ impressed with your Mob slaying strategy. It was sheer brilliance to corner yourself and lull the enemy into a false sense of security."

I sighed. "Yeah. It was so brilliant, that I'm never gonna do it again. EVER." I thought for a moment about what I was gonna say next. "C-can I…um…check that book for a minute?"

Helena smiled before handing me the book. "Sure. You probably need more food too. Wait here and don't try attacking again." Helena hurried off to her house while I steeled myself for what I was about to do.

Reading.

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Inventory: 1 Book, 1 Oak Wood Plank, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 5 Sticks, 6 Oak Wood Slabs, 1 Wooden Pressure Plate, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 7 Dirt, 1 Crafting Table, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

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 **AN: Boy, do I like dividers!**


	5. Learning Curve

**AN: Hello again. Don't mind me. Just playing around with the formatting of my chapters. Also, funny story, I wanted to wait until Wednesday to publish this chapter. But due to unforeseen editing problems, you guys get it a day early. I'd take it down and wait until Wednesday if I knew how, but I don't, so...enjoy!**

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Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be craftable audio book.

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Chapter 5

 **Learning Curve**

I tentatively examined the leather bound tome. The back cover was partially torn and the yellowed pages were loosely held within the binding. This book had clearly withstood the test of time and even someone like me, who hated reading and books, could appreciate the value of such an ancient text. Most likely imparting thousands –No, MILLIONS of people with the knowledge to set off into this vast wilderness and brave the dangerous creatures that besiege…

"[How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts]" I read the title aloud. Immediately, all my expectations for this text were flung away from me and I barely restrained myself from doing the same to the book.

 _This better not be another one of Helena's sick jokes because I don't think I can survive another Mob attack as I am now._ I opened the book and noticed a smudged signature on the bottom left corner of the first page. _Her-Heroine? Must be the author._ _Hoo-kay, Chapter One._ I turned the page and began reading.

 **This book is written for the sole purpose of instructing future Crafters on the monsters that swarm this plane. Many variations of these monsters or "Mobs" have been witnessed throughout my travels, but among them, four are noted to be more common than the rest. Zombies, Skeletons, Spiders, and Creepers. Each chapter will detail how to identify these creatures as well as noteworthy tips and stratagems to slaying them. Each chapter will also include a dumbed-down version for the more thickheaded of Crafters.**

 _It's like the author knows me so well!_ I flipped through the pages and noted how the 'intellectual' description of how to fight these Mobs had a bunch of five and six syllable words. _Jeez did the author have a dictionary with her or something? I don't even know what half of these words mean!_

I skipped to the dumbed-down version of the Zombie chapter and felt relief wash over me. The section only had a maximum of four syllable words. Not only that I feel stupid for reading the 'numb nuts' section to retain any information, but I felt stupid for ACTUALLY learning something from the dumbed-down version.

 **ZOMBIE**

 **Description: Sickly green skin, torn light blue shirt, torn blue jeans, black eyes, makes the "UHNNN" sound. Arms always out.**

 **Tips: Zombies are slow, but will try and kill you if you get too close. A Zombie can deal up to 2 hearts of damage and has 10 hearts of health. When facing more than one Zombie, avoid getting cornered and retreat to a better fight spot unless suitably geared.**

 _Preaching to the choir on that one._

 **On rare occasions, Zombies have been sighted with armor and weapons of their own. These Zombies are stronger than the standard types. In addition, some Zombies are of smaller size. Do not let their short stature fool you. These Zombies are just as powerful as the adults and move at a greater speed making them hard to hit.**

 **Zombies are known to target and kill Testificates in addition to Crafters. With no method of defense, Tesitificates can only run and hide from these Mobs. Wooden doors are no match for a Zombie's natural strength and, worse, some Testificates can be tainted and converted into Zombies. As there has yet to be an incident involving tainted Crafters, it is assumed that Crafters are immune to Zombie transformation.**

 **Weakness: Long range-weaponry, sunlight, Smite, splash potion of healing.**

 _No wonder I was outmatched, I was using short-ranged sword attacks. But what's 'Smite'_ _mean? And what the hell is a splash potion?_ _Gah! All these things are making my brain smoke._

I heard shuffling behind me and turned to see Helena running towards me with some food in hand.

"Hope you like carrots!"

I didn't. They tasted of dirt and sadness. But food was food.

"Yaaaaay." I cried unenthusiastically as I accepted some carrots. "Thanks. Hey, I was reading the section on Zombies…and I was wondering what 'Smite' is? The book says it's strong against Zombies."

Helena frowned for a moment in concentration while I ate my carrots in silence. Full Hunger Meter.

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of anything like that." She answered sadly. "Perhaps it's a special technique that works well against Zombies?"

"Hmm, Smite….Smite…" I skimmed through the book in search of that word, but only found it in a similar list of weaknesses for Skeletons.

 **SKELETON**

 **Description: Pale, white, skeletal frame. No existing flesh. Empty eye sockets. Commonly holding a bow. Distinct rattling sound emanating from ribcage.**

 **Tips: Skeletons are expert archers, but lack physical strength. In a fight against a Skeleton, distance is your enemy. With unlimited arrows and a max damage of 2 and a half hearts per arrow, Skeletons need to be dealt with quickly at close range. Their max health is at 10 hearts.**

 **Fighting a crowd of Skeletons is dangerous as their barrage of arrows can confuse and buffet even the most skilled of Crafters. And like Zombies, Skeletons can use armor and weapons. However, that means they share many of the same weaknesses too.**

 **Weakness: Short-range weaponry, sunlight, Smite, Splash Potion of Healing.**

 _Great. They sound like more trouble than the Zombies. Still nothing on the Smite technique…and how is anything of HEALING supposed to kill one of these Mobs._

"Where did you get this book from anyway? Who's…uh…" I flip to the first page again to look at the name. "Heroine. Who's Heroine?"

"That's _Herobrine_ not Heroine. And I got that book from…him." Helena let out a dreamy sigh at that last word.

 _…_ _Ok._

"Her-ob-rin-e?" _It's not my fault the signature was smudged. Or that Heroine is a much more natural word than Herobrine. Seriously, how do you even pronounce something like that?_ "Could you pronounce that again?"

"He-ro-brine!" Helena punctuated each syllable with a clap and finished with another dreamy sigh. "He's my hero."

"…Brine." I quipped.

"What was that?" Helena asked a bit angrily.

"Nothing. So…who was he?" I asked half interested, half willing to steer the conversation away from my joke.

"He was…IS…one of the greatest Crafters in Minecraftia." Helena began, adopting a reminiscent expression as she looked towards the sky. By now the sun had started to rise from what could only be the East according to my sense of normalcy. "He was the First."

"First to what?"

"To be." She stated simply.

"Wha?"

"Yes. 500 years ago the First 100 appeared at this spot," she gestured to the Origin "But among them, Herobrine was the first, followed shortly by Notch, then Tanner, Zipshin, Ferriday…"

"Ok, information overload." I waved my arms in front of me to stop her name listing. "There is no way I am going to remember all those names. They're way too ridiculous. I mean, Zipshin? What, was Zippo and Keith taken?"

"Name's aside," Helena continued with an irritated scowl, "they were skilled. They learned of Crafting and developed weapons to fight off Mobs. I'll never forget the night they came to my village and saved me from those Zombies." Helena's scowl quickly transformed into that same dreamy expression she got whenever she talked about Herobrine.

 _I think she's gonna talk about Herobrine again._

"Herobrine carved through a crowd of Zombies like a boat through water." _Yep, there she goes again._ "His strikes were a flurry of flashes and stabs. His iron clad figure was gleaming in the sunlight…"

"I thought you said it was nighttime."

"It was a sunny night, ok!?" She bawled. "Now don't interrupt my story!"

"Ok, sheesh." I relented as I resumed scanning the tome, only half-listening to the rest of her story. _Still nothing on Smite._

"Now where was I?...Oh, right! His armor was gleaming in the sunlight. And after several more sword strokes, the fight was over. Then, he noticed my cowering figure inside the blacksmith's." Helena paused for dramatic effect even though I wasn't that interested. "He walked over to the blacksmith's, opened the door, and approached me. Then, he stooped down and said, in a whisper,…"

"'I need to use the potty.'" I interrupted before busting out in laughter. Even as Helena blushed and started punching my back in anger, I continued to laugh.

"Noooooo! SHUT. UP. He said, 'It's safe now. You're safe.'" Helena finished heatedly.

"Great story, but I think you left out the part where he carries you bridal style while riding his noble steed off into the sunset." I added with a chuckle.

"That didn't happen!...but that's good for the next time I tell it." Helena added quietly.

 _Sheesh, if she loves this guy so much why not just marry…oh shoot! The dreamy expressions. The blushing. The reverent fervor. The writing was on the walls all along! She's got the hots for this guy!_

"You have the hots for this guy!" I exclaimed, turning to face her.

"WHAT!? NO…I…what I feel is solely adorati-ADMIRATION! Admiration is all I feel towards that beautif-FULL OF…SKILL and…COOLNESS and…he's my hero! That's all!" She stammered out.

"Yeah, right. I may have no experience in love, but something's telling me that you like him more than you say you do." I accused pointedly. "You know, you don't have to be so defensive about what you feel. You have the right to feel however you want to feel, and it's not like I'm in a position to judge you when I can't even make a stick."

"Well…I suppose…I feel a bit more for him than I previously stated." She began tentatively. "But it doesn't matter. I haven't seen him since that night."

"Then, how did you end up in a house by the Origin. Especially since blocks can't be placed here." As if to prove my point, I was trying to place a block of dirt in front of me to no avail.

"Well, another man was with Herobrine when he rescued me. Notch, the Second, saw that my village was ruined beyond repair and decided to take me to the Origin for safety. Along with several other of the First 100 Crafters, he built the Origin's platform and my house before sealing the entire Origin Zone in a protective force." Helena pointed towards the platform, and I followed her finger to see a small block several meters (whatever a meter was) above the Origin. "That block is the source of the protective seal."

"What?" I turned and stared incredulously at her. "That one block is keeping those Zombies from munching our faces?" I gestured to the Zombies who were set ablaze in the glow of the sunlight. "Ha! BURN, ASSHOLES! BURN!"

"Yes. I don't know how, but it does. In exchange, Notch asked me to remain here and count the Crafters as they come into existence. He also entrusted me with an important mission."

"Oh?" I turned my attention back to Helena. "What kind of mission?"

"Nothing that concerns you, believe me." Helena stated before sitting down beside me. "They all left soon after. And that book…is the one thing I have to remember Herobrine by."

 _Oh. She looks sad now. Guess I shouldn't have asked about her back-story. I probably shouldn't take this book either if it's all she has to remember that guy by._ I flipped to the next Mob, eager to learn everything I could from the book before returning it to Helena.

 **SPIDER**

 **Description: Black, eight-legged, red eyes, large. Makes a short hissing sound.**

 **Tips: Spiders are the least dangerous of the four main Mobs. They are hostile only in dark places, at night, or when attacked first. Their attacks are weak, at 1 and a half hearts per attack, and their max health is low at 8 hearts. Spiders make up for their weakness in terms of agility. They are able to climb up vertical walls, making standard defenses useless. However, they are unable to use tools as other Mobs do.**

 **Furthermore, a variant of Spiders known as Cave Spiders have been sited. Although smaller in size, the Cave Spiders make up for their deadliness in lethal poison. Drink milk to cure yourself of harmful poison before it weakens you to the point of near death.**

 **Weakness: Any type of attack, fire, Bane of Arthropods, Splash Potion of Harming.**

 _Ugh, more terminology I can't understand! What's an Arthropod? And there's another splash potion! At least that one makes sense to harm the enemy. Maybe there was a typo for the Skeleton and Zombie sections. Yeah, the author just wrote 'Healing' instead of 'Harming.' After all, they ARE pretty similar in structure._

 **CREEPER**

 _Hoo boy! Here we go. The big one._

 **Description: Green, four-legged, black eyes, no nose. Makes a *sssssSSSSSSSS…BOOM!* noise.**

 **Tips: Of all the known Mobs, the Creeper is the most devastating. Capable of 24 and a half hearts of max damage with a max health of 10 hearts, a single Creeper can kill even the most seasoned of Crafters. A Creeper will stalk a Crafter silently until within range. Once close enough, the Creeper will begin to detonate and expand while flashing white. Once this stage is reached, A Crafter has 30 Ticks (or 1.5 seconds) to escape a Creeper's range before it explodes. The suicidal tendencies of Creepers make them deadly.**

 **Furthermore, Creepers can serve as bombs to weaken a Crafter's base and defenses, allowing more Mobs to enter.**

 **It has been noted that blocking a Creeper's explosion with a sword can reduce the damage drastically. Another method of reducing Creeper damage is fighting in water, as the explosion will not spread as well.**

 **When fighting a Creeper one-on-one, a common strategy is to hit and then retreat (Scorpion Strategy). However, when fighting more than one Creeper, run. Keep your distance and pick them off with a bow, just to be safe.**

 **Weakness: Long-range weaponry, Knockback, Punch, Splash Potion of Harming.**

 _Alright, so remember to keep my distance. Got it. But what's Knockback and Punch supposed to be. Gah! You'd think this guy would have left a footnote or something. Oh well._

I closed the book with a sigh and handed it back to Helena beside me. "Thanks. It was an…engaging read."

Helena gladly accepted the book. "Good to hear. Well, I've taught you all I can." Helena stood up and stretched her arms. "Now it's time for you to go out into the world and be the best Crafter you can be."

I got up right alongside Helena. "Huh?" I felt something in the pit of my stomach as I heard those words. "You mean,…this is goodbye?"

Helena looked at me awkwardly. "Well…yeah. You're a Crafter. You have the ability to survive out there." She gestured to the northern mountains. "Out there. It's a…dangerous place…a place I cannot hope to survive…but you can."

I looked out towards the mountains. Something about them was calling to me. Maybe it was the unknown wilderness. Maybe it was madness after eating too many carrots. But a part of me really wanted to check the world out. To go forth and test my new knowledge and rough skills.

"Here's some more carrots…for the road." Helena offered softly as she handed me some carrots. My Hunger Meter was full and my Health Meter had joined it. Another meter that I hadn't paid much attention to until now, the Experience Meter, was nearly filled with green, but with the number 5 atop it.

"Thanks. I really appreciate all you've done Helena. Maybe I'll visit sometime." I suggest tentatively.

"*Sigh* That's what they all say, but they never do." She said to herself "Although, if you want to repay me for my kindness, do me a favor."

"Yeah?"

"Be a decent person." She patted me on the shoulder.

I smirked. "No promises. But, hey, I'll keep an eye out for your boy, Herobrine. I'll tell him his girlfriend is waiting." I ducked as Helena swung a half-hearted punch at me before running to the edge of the Origin Zone, packed and ready for adventure.

 _Well, I suppose North is as good a direction to travel as any._

* * *

[Helena]

I smiled and waved at him as he approached the dense tree line. A black and white speck in a sea of green, before being swallowed by the wilderness.

"He won't last a week." I stated matter-of-factly. "Too bad he wasn't the Billionth."

"Um, pardon me miss." I heard from behind me. I whirled around to see a black-haired man dressed in a fine black suit and white collared shirt. He had a red tie on and wore dark dress pants. His eyes were royal blue, and above his head was the name 'Nowhere_Man.' I'm dreadfully sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could inform me of my present location."

"Did you…just appear by that stone structure over there?" I pointed to the Origin and he followed my finger before nodding.

"Oh, yes, yes. I'm not sure HOW I ended up there. I was previously stranded in a wasteland of darkness and fear. It was quite dreadful to say the least."

"Well dread no longer my friend!" I exclaimed throwing a hand over the man's shoulder. "Because you're Mr. One Billion. And now I can fulfill my long awaited mission." I began dragging the man over to my house.

"One Billion? Mission?" The man listed confused as we entered my humble abode. "I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand."

"I'll explain later." I assured gently as I rummaged through a chest. "But first, a great man asked me to give the Billionth Crafter this powerful diamond armor." I extricated the armor and tossed it to the wide-eyed man.

"This…this can't really be made of diamonds, can it?" He asked half skeptical, half hopeful.

"Hell yeah, it can! It also has some special properties or something. Also here's…100 emeralds…a diamond sword, also with special properties…a stack of juicy steak…" I began tossing all the loot I had stored for 500 years per Notch's request to be given to the Billionth. The guy looked flabbergasted as he tried to catch all the stuff.

Whatever mission Notch intended for the Billionth to do was written in a book at the very bottom of the chest. With all the loot that was reserved, the mission was probably a doozy.

 _One thing's for sure…this guy is one lucky bastard._

* * *

Inventory: 5 Carrots, 1 Oak Wood Plank, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 5 Sticks, 6 Oak Wood Slabs, 1 Wooden Pressure Plate, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 7 Dirt, 1 Crafting Table, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Finally, got Cobb out of the Origin Zone. And it only took...five...chapters. Hopefully, the combination of my personal brand of humor and suspenseful writing will keep people reading.**

 **I'm not worried...*gulp***

 **Also, just throwing it out there, Cobb has brown hair, green eyes, and the worst luck.**


	6. House?

**AN: Alright, I think I got the hang of this uploading thing. To all the viewers, sorry about the last chapter. Since it came out earlier, this one is coming out later by comparison. But I think I can upload this a chapter a week. That's good right? RIGHT?**

 **But enough about that. Holy crap people are viewing my writing. And I got a few favs and follows too! Makes me feel like I know a thing about writing.**

 **The last chapter ended the Origin Arc and I'm glad to get things moving.**

 **Again, reviews are appreciated. Lets me know if I'm doing something wrong or if my humor is lacking.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be self-constructive houses.

* * *

Chapter 6

 **House?**

[Cobb]

 _Alright, I'm on my own now. No Helena to instruct me. Just me, my wits, and my meager supplies._

I'd been taking stock of my Inventory for the umpteenth time as I continued toward the same general direction. The backdrop of mountains served as an ideal landmark to travel towards and the canopy of leaves was thin enough to allow sufficient sunlight in. If what that book said was true, sunlight was a Mob's greatest weakness.

 _I guess I'll travel by day and make shelter by night. But first, some tools._ I thought as I took out my wooden axe and began chopping down the nearest tree. _Helena mentioned making a full set of tools before. Hopefully, I have the brain cells necessary to figure out how to craft them._

Three trees later, I figured I had enough wood to start testing out tool recipes. I placed my Crafting Table and got to work.

"Alrighty, then. First sticks…then…what?" I had sticks and planks laid about the table, but I didn't know what exactly I should be making. _Maybe if I had the same handle as I had for crafting the axe, I could figure out some new recipes._ I quickly rearranged the sticks to form a handle and adjusted the placement of the planks to form a 'T' shape.

That did the trick as a wooden tool was constructed before me. [WOODEN PICKAXE].

 _Sweet! Alright, I got an axe, a pickaxe, and a sword. What else?...Oooh! A shovel is a tool! And maybe a saw, or a hammer! Maybe I should just make a list of objects found in a garage and try to make them out of planks and sticks._

So I began making a list in my head of every possible tool or useful object found in a garage (whatever that was) and began to arrange the sticks and planks to, at the very least, resemble the items.

The [WOODEN SHOVEL] was simple: a plank over two sticks. However, the saw I tried to make ended up as an [OAK FENCE GATE] and the hammer, three [SIGN]s.

Several minutes later, I had crafted a multitude of wooden items including three [OAK DOOR]s, a [CHEST], three [LADDER]s, three [OAK FENCE], two [TRAPDOOR]s, and another wooden pressure plate because I forgot I had used that recipe before.

 _Well I'm out of combinations. And wood. Better get some more._ I thought to myself as I turned around…only to be met with several pairs of red eyes.

* * *

[Noman]

"AIIIIIIIIII!" A girlish scream echoed from the dense foliage behind me. I whirled around and scanned the tree line, but could spot nothing through the dark shroud of night.

"Just ignore that scream, Noman." Helena turned me back around to face her. "That's just King_Cobb 'braving' the wilderness."

"Pardon?" I asked bewildered by the title. "King? But surely that was a girlish scream."

"I know."

"So how can a man emanate a scream of such femininity?"

"Probably when confronted with a giant spider."

"A what!?" I shrieked, possibly an octave higher than usual.

"Oh, geez." Helena facepalmed before withdrawing an old tattered book. "You have a _lot_ of reading up to do."

* * *

[Cobb]

"DIE, DIE, DIE! FRICKIN! SPIDER! SHIT! DIE!" I shouted as I repeatedly stabbed the vile creature in its face. Even after it vanished in a puff of smoke, experience, and bits, I continued to stab the ground it stood on until eventually the block of dirt I was stabbing broke and flew into my Inventory. Along with it was a [SPIDER EYE] and a [STRING].

Panting and hungry, I began to munch on some carrots while I pondered silently, but also loudly.

 _GEEZ! That scared the piss outta me!_ I withdrew the clock from my inventory and noted the time: Night. I was so busy harvesting wood and crafting that I failed to notice the sun going down. _The time here is WAY too fast! I better find shelter._

After my second carrot, I collected my crafting table and continued in the direction of the mountains…or at least in the direction I _thought_ the mountains were in… _Crap, I'm lost._

Without the brightness of day to illuminate the outline of the mountain, I didn't know which was to go. Hell, the forest was so dark I could barely see the trees in front of me.

 _How easy it would be for a creeper to sneak up behind me and…_

"Screw it. I'm building a shelter here." I searched though my Inventory for any blocks I could use to construct a shelter. I had dirt, a handful of planks, and a metric shit ton of wooden everything.

I decided to make a small shelter. Foundation: a 4x4 square with corners cut to save space. One entrance: A solid door. Furniture: A crafting table and chest to store stuff in. Extra features: A ladder that led to the roof. This was an awesome plan.

* * *

 _I am the death of architecture._ I thought to myself as I looked at my finished house. Although 'house' might be stretching the truth a bit. The correct word in this situation would be 'monstrosity.'

The combination of low visibility and low block supplies made building a shelter a nightmare. The walls were made up of dirt and planks with the ceiling made of the oak slabs. The small space of the shelter was made even smaller with the inclusions of the chest and crafting table. Not to mention I was STILL short on blocks and had to replace the walls with fences or otherwise skip building a wall entirely.

The result was unsightly and cramped, but surprisingly practical. The fences could serve as windows to let in what little moonlight the night could supply while the ladder that reached to the roof could provide me with an overhead view in case any Mobs showed up. _Or a quick escape if I'm surrounded by Creepers._

"It's crap. But it's MY crap." I spoke aloud as I finished my work with a sign that read 'Crap, Sweet Crap.'

And not a moment too soon as I heard a familiar groaning sound from the left. I ran inside and closed the door behind me. There I stood, in perfect silence, as the sounds of Zombies grew louder and louder.

 **[…Wooden doors are no match for a Zombie's natural strength…]**

"Oh, right. I forg-" *BANG BANG*

The Zombies could break wooden doors down. I nearly forgot reading that from the book. And now they were _literally_ at my doorstep.

"Why can't you Zombies leave me alone!?" I shouted as I scrambled up the ladder. Once on the roof I peeked over the edge to count how many enemies there were.

 _Two…four…five in total. The book said to use long range weapons on them but I only have my sword._

*BANG BANG*

The door was straining from the combined strength of the Mobs. It wouldn't hold for that much longer. _I hope Zombies can't climb ladders._

*BANG* *CRASH*

Sure enough, the door was busted down and the Zombies rushed inside the house. However, as if my prayers were answered, the Zombies could not climb the ladders to get at the tantalizing piece of meat that was King_Cobb.

I spotted the door on the ground in front of my hous—Crapshack and devised a quick plan.

I withdrew the oak fence gate from my Inventory and, while all the Zombies were packed inside the Crapshack, blocked the exit where the door used to be. The Zombies couldn't seem to budge the fence gate and were trapped in my cramped and crappy shelter.

"Haha!" I laughed as I leapt down from the roof and began hacking at the Zombies between the fence windows with my sword. "That's Cobb:2, Mobs: 0."

*SNAP*

And my sword breaks.

It snaps clean in two. I watch the pieces slowly fall to the ground, as if in slow motion, before disappearing completely. No sticks or planks are left behind. Nothing.

I stare at the spot where the sword pieces vanished for a few seconds before realizing it won't come back. It had killed a bunch of Zombies and a Spider, and had finished three of the five Zombies in the Crapshack. But now I needed to craft a new sword.

According to my clock, morning was still a ways off, and I didn't feel comfortable wandering around in the dark until something worse than Zombies got to me. Ironically, the house filled with Zombies felt like the safest place to be.

I swapped to my axe and resumed slaughtering the Zombies until the Crapshack was clean. Then, I picked up the door before entering and closing the fence gate behind me. The door felt useless if it didn't keep Zombies out and I really wanted a safe and peaceful place to think about my next move.

 _Gotta wait until morning. Then I can chop some more trees down, make a new sword, and figure out which way I'm heading._ I notice my hunger dropping…or…well…increasing…um…Basically, I needed food. So two more carrots bit the dust.

 _Who knew that swords had durability? Oh, I know! Helena! She probably forgot to mention such a crucial bit of information to me while she was fawning over Herobrine's autograph!_ I internally fumed as I watched the clock's images tick by like seconds.

My health was still at full, but with how quickly my hunger depletes, a constant source of food was essential.

*CLATTER* *RATTLE*

"Now what?" I groaned as I looked through the fence posts to spot a pale white figure approaching my shelter. Based on its appearance and the fact that it was holding a bow, it was a Skeleton. The first one I ever saw.

*TWANG* I ducked as an arrow threaded between the posts and almost nailed me in the eye. Instead, it stuck on the wood and dirt wall behind me. _Nice shot._

 _No no no! Don't praise something for trying to kill you! FOCUS COBB! These walls and posts are too slim and full of openings to block that archer. What I need to do is…_

*TWANG* "OW!" I yelped as an arrow caught me in the right arm. "Hey! Could you _please_ not try and shoot me while I'm having a train of thought!? If so I would really appreciate…"

*TWANG* *TWANG* Two more arrows came sailing towards the Crapshack. The first one stuck into the post, but the second one found its mark in my gut. The pain may have been short, but the 4 hearts I had lost to that 1 Skeleton were beginning to tax me.

 _Gah! Alright. then. Close combat is this thing's weakness and it's all on its own._ I gripped the axe tightly as I thought up a foolproof plan. _First, I'll get up to the roof while it still thinks I'm inside the house. Then, I'll leap upon it while loosing a fearsome battle-cry. And to cinch it, I'll slay it while uttering a witty one-liner._ The plan sounded so cool, yet natural, in my head.

Surely, it would be just as cool and natural in real life.

With a nod of determination, I climbed the ladder to the rooftop and peered over the edge to spot the Skeleton. It was a fair distance away: Not far enough to be unable to hit, but not close enough to be within axing distance.

 _Time to leap._ I thought to myself as I took a few steps back, hoping to get a good running start.

*TWANG* *SHUNK*

Instead, I got an arrow to the knee.

And fell. Off the roof.

 _Drat! Step one was a failure, but I can still salvage this!_ "BATTLE-CRY!" I shouted as I charged around the Crapshack, straight towards the Skeleton archer.

*TWANG* *TWANG* *TWANG* The Mob let fly a series of arrows as I charged it. The first one sailed over my head and the second one missed my neck by an inch. The third one, however, found its mark in my head before I was close enough to land a hit on the monster.

 _Just imagine the Skeleton's face is a tree!_ I mentally coached as I repeatedly brought the axe down upon it. A few of the Skeleton's shots were misfired as the damage it took was interfering with its aim. I knew my own health was pretty low too, but I couldn't risk stopping my barrage of chops to glance at my Health Meter.

Another arrow sunk into my left arm before I dealt one last blow with the axe. The Skeleton's body was pushed back and disappeared in the same way the Zombies had upon death. With that final blow, my axe gave in and broke, just as my sword had, before joining the Skeleton in oblivion.

But not without leaving some loot! I received more EXP orbs along with a [BONE] and an [ARROW]. "HA!" I panted. "Not so tough…when you're…axed…to death."

 _Alright, witty one-liner needs some work. But at least I still have enough heal-ta-ta-wha!?_ Glancing at my arm, I realized I only had half a heart left. That one Skeleton had been moments away from killing me.

My lack of health was only rivaled by the amount of arrows sticking out of me. I was fairly certain that if I had _this_ many sharp objects puncturing my torso, limbs, and head, in some normal sense, I'd be dead.

"Not sure if I should try and yank these arrows out or leave…them…"

*RATTLE* *RATTLE*

As if to taunt my momentary victory, two more Skeletons approached from behind some trees. They looked like they wanted to avenge their fallen comrade. And I was within their sights.

"Sorry."

With a quick word, I spun around and bolted back towards the Crapshack. Arrows whistled by me as I ran serpentine. Once I reached the fence gate, I withdrew my shovel and began digging into the floor of the shack. My intention was to obtain enough blocks to cover myself better while at the same time creating a more spacious shelter.

What I didn't intend, while I was digging straight down, was for the dirt to suddenly open up into a dark cavern and for myself to fall into it.

 _I miss the Origin Zone._

* * *

[Spring]

"I'm telling you Park, I heard someone shout 'BATTLE-CRY' just a minute ago!"

"Yeah, yeah. Is this like the last time you thought you heard prey in the trees when it was really just a spider? Or the time before that when you thought you heard something in the cave and it turned out to be a cow?" Park questioned.

"Don't bring that up again! Look, I'm sorry! But this time, I heard it." I begged desperately while trying to pull Park over to where I heard the noise. It was definitely a Crafter that made that sound. Unless, of course, there was a new unknown Mob who imitated the speech of people to lure unsuspecting Crafters to their doom.

 _If so, then the Cult could use more of those things._ I thought before I was slapped back to reality by a slap to the face.

"Give me a break, Spring." Park said as he massaged his hand. "Who in their right mind would shout out 'Battle-Cry' as a battle cry?"

But I had an answer ready for him. "A fresh Crafter, right out of the Origin Zone and lacking in any and all experience. If we just take a look around…"

"Enough!" Park shouted, scaring as he grabbed my shirt and pulled me so that we were face to face. "Need I remind you that we _already_ have Crafters to be searching for!? And that if we don't find them, the Lieutenant is gonna make our innards, our outards!"

"Doesn't he know that's not possible?" I questioned with the usual upbeat spring in my step. "I'm sure he's just kidding around to give us the motivation to work harder."

"Or he's a basket case who thinks up insane threats for his victims when he knows the worst he can do is just kill them." Finished Park matter-of-factly before releasing my newly wrinkled shirt.

"When are you gonna start looking at the bright side of things?" I said as I looked behind some trees. _I know it was around here somewh…_

"I'll stare at it all day as soon as I find it. But for now let's just find our prey and fill our quotas. And stop wandering off!" Park shouted as he jogged to catch up.

"Aha! See for yourself who's wasting who's time!" I shouted triumphantly as I grabbed his head and turned it to face the makeshift shelter. _At least, I think it's a shelter._

Park stared at it for some time, apparently surprised by my truthfulness, the idiocy of the Crafter who shouted his position to the heavens, or the overall architecture of such a…

"I never thought a makeshift shelter could make my eyes burn." He deadpanned.

* * *

Inventory: 1 Carrot, 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 7 Sticks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 2 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 String, 1 Spider Eye, 1 Bone, 1 Arrow, 20 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: I, for one, don't miss the Origin Zone. Man, I'm glad that arc is over.**


	7. Cavern

**AN: As chapters go, this one is kinda short. But I'm on vacation at the moment. So forgive me.**

 **In other news, there was a HUGE problem with . The stories weren't on the main page.**

 **Then again, maybe it just has to do with my internet connection or something. Who knows? I just hope some people get to read this. Even if it is just setup.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be dogs that could track other players.

* * *

Chapter 7

 **Cavern**

[Cobb]

*SPLASH* *GURGLE* *GURGLE*

By some small chance, the cavern I had dug into contained a large pool of water to break my fall. It was a good thing too, because with my health at half a heart it was crucial to avoid damage of any kind. Hell, a nosebleed could kill me.

The only problem—or rather the second biggest problem—was that this cavern had no light at all. The night sky offered no luminescence from the hole I made and everything was pitch black.

Which brings me to the third biggest problem: How to resurface for air when you can't see which way is the surface of a pool?

*GURGLE*

It was like the Void all over again. But wetter. And with less internal monologues.

And unlike the Void, this pool of water had weight to it. As if I knew that I was floating around in a fluid instead of a blank emptiness. _Small comfort when I'm drowning._

I tried to look for the bottom of the pool or for light in any direction, but found nothing. I could barely make out my hand a few inches from my face. It was just so dark…

[ _Many of the Mobs spawn from the very darkness itself._ ]

I could practically hear Helena's irritating voice warning me of the added danger of being in a dark place. _As if I didn't have enough to worry about! C'mon Cobb, use your brain cells! You know the ones that aren't dying due to a lack of oxygen._

*BLUB* *BLUB*

 _GKK! It's no use! I don't know which way is up in this…_

Inspiration jolted through me like lightning as I reached into my Inventory and withdrew the first item my fingers met: a spider eye.

I held the eye up to my face, enabling me to see its faint color and outline, and released it. It began to fall like a stone…but it fell to the left! So the bottom of the pool is to the left of me while the surface would be to the…

"RIGHT!" I gasped as I greedily took in gulps of air. I managed to keep myself afloat and definitely above water as I waded around the pool. Eventually, I found the pool's rocky bank and dragged myself out, coughing and sputtering all the while.

In the darkness, I could barely make out the tattoos on my arms. My Hunger seemed fine and my Health was starting to tick back up. But my major concern was finding a way out of this cavern.

I looked up towards where I assumed the hole I made was and began to think up options on what to do. _I could make a staircase to the hole, but I need some blocks. A lot of blocks. Guess it's time to test this pickaxe out._

I withdrew the pickaxe and hobbled blindly away from the pool; searching for a wall I could excavate blocks from without risking another cavern drop. After a minute of stumbling and tripping I located the wall and swung my pick against it. Unlike the wood, the [COBBLESTONE] felt denser and offered more resistance. Eventually, however, I 'picked' up enough of it to make a decent staircase.

I spun around as I heard…something. It was definitely something. A little more than nothing and a little less then anything. A cross between an ineffable snort and a quiet murmuring. And I had no idea what it could be. Nothing in Herobrine's book described a creature that could make a sound like that, and not knowing what I was facing was more terrifying than whatever horror that lied in this cavern. But only by a little.

I reacted as quickly as my fear would allow. Using the cobblestone I collected, I walled myself in a 3x3 shelter and stood in absolute silence. Meanwhile, my inner mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and fears.

 _What was that sound!? Was it another Crafter? Or maybe a Testificate? It couldn't be a Mob…right? There was nothing about any sound like that in the book and I doubt any conscience being, Testificate or Crafter, would reside in this dark place. So it must be a Mob, and an uncommon one at that._

I strained my ears to hear any other sounds from outside my rocky bunker. I didn't know how to describe such a sound, but I knew I'd know it when I heard it again.

There it was again! It was a cross between a pig's 'oink' and a low growl. The unbridled piss-my-pants fear I was experiencing was making it surprisingly easy to describe the unknown creature's guttural sounds. Oh, did I mention I was experiencing unbridled piss-my-pants fear?

*~~NK*

Seriously, I was amazed my pants hadn't already been turned into a piss basket while I was hearing those terrifying sounds.

*UNK*

 _Whyyyyyyy? Why does this have to happen to me?_ I internally whined. _Why do I have to stumble upon all these Mobs!? Is this…how all of Minecraftia is?_

That was a depressing thought. Was fighting these creatures all there was to Minecraftia? Just survive as long as you can until you die. Something so simple and yet so harsh.

*ZWIP*

A new sound caught my ear. It sounded like something had rushed past my cobblestone bunker. _Did the Mob leave?_ I mined a chunk of cobblestone and poked my head out to confirm. What I perceived, however, was illuminating.

Literally.

The cavern was illuminated.

Across the pool, I could clearly see a dirt wall with but a single block missing. And behind that wall was where the source of illuminating light was coming from. Seeing no Mobs around me I quickly dug myself out and skirted the edge of the pool, swapping my pickaxe with my shovel along the way, and dug through the dirt barrier.

I was now in a torch-lit tunnel. Black ores were littered against the wall. One side of the tunnel sloped upwards while the other sloped downwards.

I examined the dirt wall. _Was there always a hole in this wall and the torch was what was placed? Or is it the other way around? The dirt blocking the torch light was recently dug out. But by who?_

"Hello?" I called down both ends of the tunnels. No response came. So instead I walked up to the torch and tried to pick it up. Instead, the torch broke and the tunnel was consumed by darkness. _Apparently, torches lose their light when dropped._

I checked my Inventory before locating the [TORCH] and held it in my hand. When no light emitted from it I knew that the only way to use the torch was to place it. So I placed the torch where I remembered seeing it and, after the tunnel was relit, followed the path sloping upward.

 _If torches exist, then there must be a recipe for them. Those might come in handy for lighting up dark places. But what could the recipe be? A stick, for sure, but what else? A piece of cloth maybe? Or else something that burns._

As I continued pondering on my trek, I noticed more and more black ores across the walls, illuminated by torches placed at key points. As if whoever placed them did so to ensure no darkness could exist in this tunnel. I walked up to one and examined it closely, trying to discern the materials it was made of.

 _Unless all these torches were placed recently, there's no way I could have noticed the light from that underground cavern. And nobody could have meticulously placed this trail of torches in that short time. So then_ someone _dug out that block of dirt. But then, where did that someone go? And what's this black ore anyway?_

I took out my pick as I walked over to a particularly large vein of black ore. I paused, mulling over whether I should mine it or not, before swinging down. The ore broke slower than the cobblestone but flew into my backpack all the same. Only it wasn't as a block, but rather an item. I withdrew it and held it in my hand to examine the name.

[COAL]

"Coal…" I muttered before realization dawned on me. _Coal. Charcoal. Grills use charcoal. Grills cook. Cooks cook. Meat cooks on grills. Hamburgers taste good. Barbeque. Barbed 'Q's.' Q is the 17_ _th_ _letter of the alphabet. Fences are barbed, just like Q's. Fences. Fence gate. Fence gates keep out Zombies, but doors can't. That makes no sense! This train of thought makes no sense! Realization hasn't really dawned on me._

"Darn, I thought I was on to something." I sighed as I deposited the ore back into my backpack and continued up the tunnel.

* * *

[Parker]

"See? SEE!? I told you I heard something." Spring jumped excitedly as he dispatched a Skeleton in a flash of metal. "I'm going to document this away for any future 'Park should listen to Spring more often' arguments."

"Alright, alright. Enough." I groaned as I took an arrow to the arm before shooting my own at the attacker's pale skull. It figures that, after spotting this abomination of a shelter, two Skeletons would show up to make our job all the harder. And now Spring is going to hang this over my head.

"But it's not 'all right.' It's _I'm_ right." Spring joked with a smug grin. "I'm right and you're wrong."

"Every dog has his day." I replied with a dismissive wave before ending the last Skeleton. "And don't you forget it!"

"Oh don't you worry. I'm not planning on forgetting this anytime soon. I'm gonna milk it for all it's worth!" Spring sheathed his sword and began collecting experience and bones before noticing the sign in front of the shack. "Ha! Hey, Park you're gonna love this. Look at what someone wrote here."

I walked over and examined the sign. "'Crap, Sweet Crap?' So even the architect of this monstrosity knew he messed up."

"Or she." Spring piped up. "This sure wasn't here the last time we combed this quadrant."

"Yeah, it's definitely the work of an inexperienced Crafter. I mean, who uses a fence gate as a door? Think the Skeletons got him?"

"Or her." Spring interjected again before opening the gate and walking inside.

"Spring, it couldn't have been a female." I sighed exasperated. "Everybody knows females are badass survivalists." I examined the posts of the house to find several arrows jutting out of it. _I can't pick these arrows up. No Crafter fired these. Skeletons must have attacked the shelter and the guy inside could do nothing, but wait for death. But then there should be dropped loot or, at the very least, the Crafter's Head._

It was common knowledge that when a Crafter dies, instead of blood and guts, the contents of their Inventory spill out. As well as a Head. A facial likeness labeled with the name of the deceased Crafter. Similar to dog tags used to identify…

 _There it is again. Stupid normal sense! Better focus on the task at hand._

"See anything inside?" I asked only to receive no answer. "Spring?"

I walked over to the entrance and made to step inside…only to stop at the last second with my foot hovering over a man-sized hole in the ground. Peering down into the dimly lit cavern below I noticed a pool and a head bobbing above the water.

"Spring! You okay down there!?" I called down.

"Yeah, just a little wet! The water's fine though so you can jump down!"

"Sure, just give me a moment." I quickly scanned the interior of the shelter for any other clues about the mysterious Crafter. There's a chest…that's empty. _So the Crafter must have little in terms of resources. Otherwise he would have made a better shelter. He just used the bare minimum to construct this thing and still had space in his Inventory. But he was surrounded by Skeletons and, trapped, dug into a cavern as a quick escape route. Which means…_

I smiled as I leapt into the hole to join my hapless partner.

 _Which means, this guy is easy prey._

* * *

[Cobb]

"Coal…" I contemplated as I held the black lump in my hand again.

 _Let's try this again. Coal. Coal burns. Burns burn. Fire burns. Fire hurts. Burns hurt. The Sun is a ball of fire. The Sun is a ball of burns. My clock says the Sun is about to rise. When the Sun rises the darkness is extinguished. When there's a fire, fire extinguishers extinguish fires. Mobs spawn in darkness. Without darkness, Mobs cannot spawn. The Sun is the Mob's greatest enemy, but the Sun is_ also _a ball of fire. Therefore, fire extinguishers are Mob's greatest ally. What else puts out fire? Water!_ _Water also puts out torches. The Sun and torch have the same enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Sun and torch are allies. Or perhaps distant cousins? Yes that makes more sense! Distant cousins!_

"Ohoho! I got you now torch recipe." I laughed to myself as I continued through the tunnel. The veins of coal had stopped and the tunnel had taken a sharp left before leveling out. It had taken some serious thought, but I was sure I was close to discovering the secret behind making a torch.

 _Okay, so the torch and the Sun are distant cousins. That means they must share a family secret: The secret of illumination. The Sun is bigger than a torch, so the Sun is capable of sharing its fire with it. Coal burns when lit. Coal burns when hit by the Sun. The recipe for a torch requires coal atop a stick and must be crafted during the day, when the Sun is able to share its light with the torch! That must be it!_

"I'VE GOT IT!" I exclaimed. "I know the recipe. Now I just need to get to the surface to test it. But how far does this tunnel go?" I looked up and noticed that the ceiling was made of dirt.

 _I know I didn't fall_ that _far. I should be close to the surface by now._ I took out some cobblestone and constructed a crude staircase along the wall. When I reached the ceiling, I took out my shovel and dug up. As soon as the first block was dug, natural light flooded in through the ceiling. I almost cried tears of joy as I hoisted myself from the enclosed tunnel and through the ceiling to breath in that fresh forest air.

Just as the clock said, the sun was rising up into the dawn sky. I could see the mountains were much closer than the day before. _I guess it's a good thing I fell down that hole. Now just one more thing to do before I set off._

* * *

[Spring]

"Man this guy must be really stupid to keep shouting things." I joked with Park as we hurried up the torch lit tunnel. After drying off and noticing the light coming from behind the dirt wall, we briskly followed the trail of torches…only to break into a sprint after hearing the echoing shout of 'I'VE GOT IT!' from up ahead.

"Fresh Crafters are generally stupid." Park stated as he munched on some steak to refill his Hunger. "Now remember, we need to act all friendly at first. See if he—"

"Or she." I interjected.

"—if _it_ is traveling alone or if it knows about any other Crafters in the area."

"That's fine. I kinda wanna know what number it is too! They've gotta be up to the 10 digits by now." I reasoned as we passed some veins of coal ore. "But then I can kill him right?"

"What about that last guy you killed yesterday? Wasn't he enough for you?"

"Hey, I'm just a guy doing my Cult-ural duties." I joked with a grin.

"That's not funny." Park deadpanned as we followed the tunnel veer sharply to the left. "But if you let me have its gear then you can take the kill."

* * *

Inventory: 1 Carrot, 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 7 Sticks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 5 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Arrow, 20 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Let me know if these author notes are annoying or not. I can handle the criticisms if they're the truth. (T_T)**


	8. Pursuit

**AN: Vacation's over. It was fun. Ever hear of Acadia National Park? Lots of mountains and seafood.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, wooden hoes would be renamed wooden scythes and would have the ability to damage players.

* * *

Chapter 8

 **Pursuit**

[Cobb]

"Yes! I have made a torch...erm…four torches!" The recipe was as simple as I thought. Just a piece of coal above a stick. And let's not forget the most important part: Being crafted in sunlight. "Helena would be proud."

With that done, I set down my crafting table and polished off my last carrot for breakfast. _Looks like I'll need some food and tools._ I walked up to the nearest tree and began the painstaking process of repeatedly punching it.

 _There's no way I'm going to find the Crapshack in these woods, but there's no reason to go back. All I had invested in that place was wood and dirt._ I reasoned in my head as I finished punching down a tree. No chance of apples though.

As I began my work on the second tree, I heard a far-off explosion. I turned around and searched the forest for any signs of smoke or fire or anything, but was met with the same tranquil scene. _Creeper maybe? Whelp, time to pack up!_ I scrambled to collect all the logs I punched down and quickly made a new wooden sword and wooden axe. The sword came out fine, but I misplaced a piece of wood for the axe and instead crafted some scythe shaped thing called a [WOODEN HOE].

"The hell is this?" I questioned as I stared at the wooden contraption before remembering I should be leaving the area. I retried the axe recipe, getting it right this time, collected my table, took out my sword, and sprinted in the opposite direction of the explosion. Towards the mountains.

 _Creepers explode when fighting a Crafter right?_

 **[…The suicidal tendencies of Creepers make them deadly…]**

 _Yeah, Creepers are willing to take themselves out along with any Crafter. So a Crafter is probably back there fighting one or…has already blown up._ *GULP*

I continued to run past trees and flowers as I followed the towering mountains. Not once looking back for fear of a stampede of Creepers to be pursuing me. I was probably being overly paranoid, but so would anyone who saw the destructive capabilities of those green demons.

 _I'll never forget that ghastly frown._ I shuddered as I leapt over some bushes. _Those soulless jet black eyes. That sickly green tint. Those horrible appendages…How could I have been so stupid as to almost hug that thing!?_

 _And the sound it makes when it's prepared for a kill. That unnerving hiss that starts out low, but builds and builds…_

*sssssssSSSSS!*

 _Yeah, exactly like that! It just builds and builds until it finally_ —"SHIT!"

In my distracting thoughts, I had unknowingly run straight into a Creeper. And now it was too late to avoid the explosion.

 _Crap, crap, crap! I unknowingly ran straight into a Creeper. And now it is too late to avoid the explosion! I mean…maybe I could get out of the way if I tried now. Actually, considering all the time I spent thinking about my end, I could have easily jumped back in time to spare myself the explosion. Even now, I continue to think things out instead of flat out_ doing _something! Why am I doing that? Is this like the whole, 'life flashes before your eyes' kinda thing? Because it's more of a liability at this point. I could have jumped away by now, but these thoughts keep distracting me from avoiding the Creeper that's about to explode a foot away from me. When you think about it…_

*BOOM!*

* * *

[Spring]

*BOOM!*

"Sounds like our prey already met its end." I stated disappointed. _How am I supposed to beat Carlson's streak now?_

Park hoisted himself out of the tunnel and looked towards the direction of the explosion. "Where's that upbeat attitude you had before? The Crafter could still be alive. And we should check the explosion anyway after how far we've followed this trail."

"You don't believe that. It's obvious you just want its loot." I pouted as we set off towards the sound. "Guess the Crafter was heading for Ringwood."

"Nah-nah. No fresh Crafter would know about any of the Kingdoms. Especially since we patrol these woods and burn any signs that say otherwise."

"Well yeah, but still someone could have told…"

*Taptaptaptaptaptap*

Upon hearing fast footsteps, I turned around and readied my blade. Park stood beside me with his bow out and arrow already notched.

*Taptaptaptaptaptap* The footsteps grew louder until a red and blue blur burst from the trees and abruptly stopped in front of us. My eyes widened as I recognized the person in front of me. It would be hard to forget the short sky-blue hair, the tan skin, and the dark lines that crossed vertically over his purple eyes like make-up. It would be hard to mistake the red sweater and the jet black jeans and the grey sneakers. Even the belt and backpack that every Crafter shared had its own unique look. The same shade of blue as his hair.

But most importantly, it would be hard to forget the name constantly floating above his head. The name that stuck with every Crafter and would never change. The name that identified the blue-haired male in front of us as the same Crafter that we tried to kill a day ago until he escaped. Only to fall right into our lap again. The name 'Flawwed_Floyd.'

*TWANG* *TWANG*

Park wasted no time as he attempted to finish what we started yesterday. He shot two arrows at Floyd, only to miss as the blue-haired male swerved around them before sprinting towards us with a flint and steel at the ready. He was moving unnaturally fast, most likely due to a Swiftness Potion.

As he sped towards me I swung at him with a horizontal slash. The blade met nothing but air as he slid below my guard and lit me on fire.

"GAAAH!" I screamed as I scrambled about awaiting the fire to die out. My Health ticked away all the while.

Meanwhile, Park distracted Floyd with a flurry of arrows. But Floyd was too fast for him. He dodged and weaved and danced between trees to avoid every single shot Park threw at him.

After the barrage ended, Floyd charged straight at Park leaving a fiery trail in his wake. At the last moment, Park rolled out of Floyd's rush and shot an arrow after the fleeting blue-nette. It stuck in the back of his thigh, causing him to lose his balance and crash into a tree. Floyd quickly shook it off before ducking as more arrows flew from Park's bow.

Once the fire on me died out, I rummaged through my Inventory before withdrawing a sickly green splash potion. I held it behind my back as I looked up to see how the fight was going.

Not good.

Park's shots were too slow to hit Floyd and sometime during the battle, one of the trees caught fire from the flint and steel. Sure the forest might catch fire, and that was a damn shame for all the cute wittle bunnies and woodland critters, but on the plus side it would make hunting Crafters so much easier.

 _Gotta lure him in to use this thing._

"Hey, Floyd! You're trying awfully hard to kill us this time around! What happened to the coward from yesterday!?" Suddenly, Floyd stopped trying to light Park on fire and instead targeted me. He ran straight for me, once again leaving a swath of flames in his wake, but I deftly leapt to the side. "Ha! Did I touch a nerve? Or were you trying to avenge your dead buddy?"

Floyd stopped his charge before turning around to face me. His purple eyes held a cold unrestrained fury and his teeth were clenched tightly together. "Shut up!" He shouted before rushing towards me once more.

 _I know how fast he runs. I know the timing._ I calmly thought as the red and blue blur sped at me like a jet. _This kill is mine!_ From behind, I pulled out the potion: The Splash Potion of Poison. And I chucked it in front of Floyd's path.

The results were instantaneous. The potion crashed within a foot of Floyd and he suffered the devastating effects of the poison. In the moment it hit him, he stumbled, slowing down just enough for me to get another hit on him.

I smoothly pulled out my blade and sidestepped Floyd's clumsy attempt of a charge before slashing across his chest. He cried out in pain before his momentum and injuries tripped him up, leaving him in a crumpled mess across the forest floor.

Even then, the damage continued. The poison bled his remaining life out of him. Little by little. Sure it wouldn't kill him, but it would get real close.

Park readied his bow to deliver the final shot, but I cleared my throat to get his attention before piercing him with my best guilt inducing expression. _He owed me a kill. And one Crafter was as good as any other._ He sighed before putting his bow away and folding his arms.

Without any more complications I approached Floyd's injured form as he slowly attempted to get to his feet. Poison hurting him all the time.

The fire spreading along the trees made the scene that much harsher: A perfect backdrop to one of the many sacrifices yet to occur.

"So Floyd, before I gut you, care to tell us what happened to the other guy that was traveling with you? You know, the one that _wasn't_ killed by us?" I taunted. After all, the words could only hurt him and I was sure he couldn't escape.

"He's far away from here! I know that much." He got up and glared at me fiercely. _If looks could kill he may have had a chance._ "And you and your cultist freaks are never gonna find him!"

"Yeah, yeah. Defiant speech. Blah, blah, blah. I kill you now." I readied my sword to deliver the final blow.

"Spring! DUCK!" Park called as he withdrew his bow yet again.

I was too preoccupied with killing Floyd to notice that a Witch had stumbled across our battle grounds. Maybe drawn to the shouting or maybe the burning forest. Either way it chucked a potion at my head and I was too slow to react in time.

It crashed into my head and suddenly my movements felt sluggish. _Slowness Potion._ I internally cursed as I swung at the Mob, sending it reeling. Park followed with a well shot arrow to its face. "Stupid Witch!"

But that one moment of distraction was all Floyd needed to make a beeline into the burning forest. Straight for the mountains. His Swiftness Potion was still in effect, as well as my Poison Potion; the result being an erratic sprint.

Park prepared another arrow after his sprinting form. "DON"T! He's mine!" I bellowed as I hacked away at the Witch with all the anger and disappointment I felt at being interrupted from a kill. "Just follow him! I'll catch up to you!"

Park reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But if he gets away you have no one to blame but yourself!" He then took off after Floyd.

 _Yeah, yeah. I talk too much. But if I didn't I'd be just another soulless, cold-blooded killer._ I thought as I stabbed the Witch one last time in the face before it disappeared in a puff of smoke, useless junk, and EXP. _And nobody wants me to be like that._

* * *

[Cobb]

"Wow." I blinked as I slowly got up. "That actually worked."

The creeper had detonated right in front of me. And I couldn't get out of the way in time. All I had at hand was my sword.

 **[…It has been noted that blocking a Creeper's explosion with a sword can reduce the damage drastically…]**

Remembering that swords can block explosion damage, I used my sword to survive. The only injury I took was half a heart of health. I couldn't believe it. This was the same Mob that nearly killed me two days ago. I didn't know how a flimsy wooden sword could withstand an explosion that could level the ground, but I wasn't complaining.

Suddenly, I wasn't as afraid of Creepers as I was before. I had been running—sprinting—away from a possible encounter, but now that I had the knowledge, I knew that the Creepers couldn't hurt me as easily.

 _I guess the only real danger is if they sneak up on me. I wonder if the blocking method works on other Mobs._ I examined the sword for any signs of damage, but it appeared as good as new. Not surprising as I made it a few minutes ago. However, the pick and shovel looked worn out by comparison.

 _I better watch the durability of these tools. Don't want them to break in a fight._ I walked over to the crater left by the Creeper and collected all the dirt inside, ( _What can I say? Dirt's useful!_ ) before continuing my sprint towards the mountains.

Only the sprinting didn't last very long. After passing trees, trees, and more trees, I felt that same exhausted feeling that I had when I was low on Hunger. Only this time I had no food to satisfy it.

"Foooooood…Soooo hungry…" I moaned as I trod along. I checked my Inventory one more time. _Surely, there had to be_ something _to eat. Maybe a hidden carrot or some crumbs._ But no. There was nothing edible. Just tools, dirt, wood, some junk, and a whole lot of…rotten flesh.

"No way."

 _But…it looks just like beef jerky._ My mind reasoned traitorously.

"It has the word 'rotten' in its name."

 _Words can't hurt you as much as starving to death can._

"I don't know what it will do to…"

 _No better time to find out than now._

"I got it off a Zombie for God's sake!"

 _EAT THE FLESH!_

"NO!"

 _DO IT NOW YOU FOOL!_

"Listen, brain! I—OOF!"

Something had just crashed into me. A red and blue something. With tan skin. And a name. A NAME! _Another Crafter!?_

He had rushed into me and knocked me onto the ground along with himself. The two of us were just a crumpled mess on the forest floor. Realizing what happened, the blue-haired man pushed himself up off me, giving me a terrified look all the while, before sprinting off into the forest. Only his sprinting seemed different to me. Sure it was faster than my sprinting, but he kept stopping abruptly. And he seemed to have particles following him.

 _Wait, why am I thinking about his sprinting!? He's the first Crafter I've seen! He can answer some of the questions I have!_ "Wait!" I call out as I try to sprint after him…only to be exhaustingly reminded of my own exhaustion. "Damnit! Slow down please!"

I needed to catch up with this guy. With…Flawwed_Floyd…before he got away. But to do that I needed…

 _Do it…_

"Godamnit..." I cursed as I slowly took a bite of the rotten flesh. And it wasn't bad.

It could never be bad.

Bad was too lenient a word to describe such a foul taste.

It was several levels above bad. It was _bad_ bad. It was…dare I say it…Advanced Bad.

"Ugh! It tastes like a combination of fermented shark meat and desperation. Heavy, heavy desperation." I felt like I had to puke it up. Yet I not only held it down, but ate another, and another. I had to cry at around the fourth piece, but I could finally sprint again. I checked my Hunger Meter as I chased down the blue-haired man. Sure enough, it was filled.

However, it was different. The corndogs that represented my Hunger Meter weren't the same as they were before. They looked green and tainted. And as I was following Floyd, I began to vomit. The rotten flesh was coming right back up and my Hunger was depleting far faster than it ever did.

In that moment, I felt clarity. The flesh tasted of desperation because it was a desperate move: To consume rotten flesh from Zombies as a last resort to stave off Hunger. The consequences being obvious.

It was sick. And gross. And sick-gross. And gross-sick. But I still ate. I needed to hold off long enough to catch up to this guy.

I managed to keep him at the edge of my field of vision, his red sweater contrasting sharply with the green foliage. "Wait, please! I have questions!" I called out to him, but he didn't bother looking back. Instead he moved faster than I could track. His erratic halting had ended and he broke into a full out sprint.

He leapt over some rocks and I mimicked his actions several seconds later. He crawled under a wooden fence and I followed after…

 _Wooden fence?_

I paused in my chase to take notice of my surroundings. I had followed Floyd into what looked like an old town. Wooden houses and buildings were lined up in one big street with a wooden fence surrounding the entire area. And at the end of the street was the base of the mountain I had been using as my guide for so long.

Signs were set up to label all the property and locations. Probably so that owners don't get anything mixed up.

But it became clear that nobody lived in this town. There were Creeper craters everywhere and various gaps in the fence, similar to the one Floyd and I passed through. Some of the houses would probably have looked a lot better than my Crapshack if something hadn't destroyed a good portion of them. Elsewhere, there were stacks of dirt that were built up like poles, only to go nowhere. The path that went through the town was overgrown with grass and flowers. A tree had even sprouted in one of the houses.

And that was the same house that Floyd scrambled into. I took a step to follow him, but another lurch of my stomach told me to wait on it.

As I leaned against a building to recover, I spotted a large gate to the left of me. I hobbled over to it and noticed a sign that read 'Miner's Warren.' Below that was a sign that read 'More like Miner's Barren!' And below that was a sign that read 'Really? Miner's Barren? That the best you can think of?' And below that was a sign that read 'Listen, buddy! I didn't rite this to be judged by you!' And below that was a sign that read 'Too bad! Also, I think you meant 'write' XP.'

It was also a tall gate. I had to jump to read all the signs.

Eventually, my stomach settled and I grimaced as I noted my Hunger was at 6 corndogs only. I turned to look back at where Floyd disappeared and noticed a blue blur retreating into the second floor window of the house he occupied. _Was he…watching me just then? That's not creepy at all._

"Look—Floyd was it!? I'm not here to hurt you if that's what you're thinking!" I called out to him, but got no response. "Great. Figures the first person I meet is too shy."

I decided to explore the town a bit more while Floyd was inside, but not ten seconds later before I heard a rustling behind me. _Is Floyd coming out to talk?_ I thought.

Nope. It was a new guy. One with shaggy umber-colored hair, a goatee to match, fawn skin, and brown eyes. He was clad in shining armor: an iron chest plate and leggings. Underneath that was a yellow tank top and grey jeans held up by a belt. He wore a black leather cap, a tan backpack, and brown hiking boots. And atop his head was his name: 'Parallel_Parker.'

He had a bow in his hand aimed at me, but lowered it, confused as to who I was.

"Whoa, don't shoot! I'm not gonna attack you!" I called out as I waved my hands in front of me.

Parker spared me a glance before turning his attention to the abandoned town. His eyes roved every inch as if he was combing the place over. Looking for something.

Apparently he didn't find it, as he eventually returned his attention to me and put on a big friendly smile. "Hello there, friend. Sorry for the scare, I thought you were a Deceiver." He relaxed his body, but I noticed the bow was still in his hand.

"A Deceiver? What's…?" I began to ask. I had never heard of such a Mob.

"You know, a Deceiver. A Mob that disguises itself as a Crafter to 'deceive' its prey." He leaned against a dirt tower just a few blocks away from me and took out a steak from his belt. A big…juicy…non-rotten steak. My mouth was watering just looking at it.

Parker noticed my stare directed at the steak, but it felt like he was looking for something else in my expression. "Surely, you've heard of them? Every experienced player has met a Deceiver at one point or another."

"Yeah…well I'm kinda new to this…" I hesitantly explained. For a moment Parker's eyes were alight with something resembling triumph before they were back to that passive friendly brown.

"Yes, you _do_ have that look to you." His eyes wandered towards my belt and all the junk I had accumulated. _No doubt he thinks I'm a weakling. Just like Helena._ "But there are worse Crafters out there. Why just the other day, my partner swore he heard someone shout 'BATTLECRY' in the middle of the forest! Comical, no?"

I chuckled nervously at that and looked away from his gaze. "Yeah…comical." I heard him devour the steak and tried to ignore my own hunger. "But…uh…I heard of a Crafter who thought a Creeper was something called a Hugger and that all it wanted in life was a loving hug."

I got a couple of laughs out of him and I chuckled along with him. I would've laughed louder if the joke wasn't directed at me. But another thing was that something about this guy seemed off. Like he was sizing me up or something.

"Yeah…it's a shame people like that are forced to suffer." He stated as he reigned in his laughter. I stopped laughing. "Forced to deal with the violent conditions of this world. The Mobs, the survival. It's a lot to take in."

I didn't see where he was going with this conversation. Hell, all I wanted was some food, but I didn't think it right to interrupt him. _Just finish your monologue so I can get to the meat of the conversation. Heh. Meat pun._

"In fact, you might go so far as to say that they're…better off dead." He looked at me during the last part of his sentence and I had a sudden urge to get away from this guy. The conversation had taken a very drastic turn. "But enough about those depressing thoughts. You seem quite lost. If so I'd be more than happy to take you to the nearest Kingdom."

"King…dom? Wait, you mean…like with a bunch of people." I asked hopefully before remembering this guy was bad news.

"The very same." He smiled as he took out another steak. "But would you mind waiting a moment. My partner is rather slow. I'm sure you know what it's like to wait up for a fellow Crafter."

"No, I…" _Crap. I said the wrong thing._ Parker's eyes lit up again, this time much longer, as if he had confirmed something he already suspected. "Y-yes! Yes, I d-do know what it's like. I'm actually waiting on a f-few of my friends right n-now." _Great job, Cobb. Next time you try to lie, why don't you stay silent? That way your stutters won't betray you!_

"I see." Parker nodded unbelievingly, his hand twitching over his bow. "Then, how about we wait for them together? You _do_ make good company."

 _Crap! He called my bluff. Better handle this situation delicately._

"Fuck that."

And then I turned and fled into the warren with Parker on my heels.

* * *

Inventory: 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 13 Cobblestone, 4 Torches, 1 Stick, 13 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Door, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 14 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Arrow, 12 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Alright! This chapter is actually a decent length. Writing combat is so much easier to make content than writing dialogue.**

 **But enough about my writing. Let's talk about my writing.**

 **As Parker revealed, Minecraftia has Kingdoms. And with a billion Crafters spawned, writing personalities for all of them is a hassle.**

 **So I thought, crazy idea, what if I allowed my viewers to come up with characters? I know a bunch of fanfics have done something similar to this, but honestly I'm interested to see what kind of characters you guys can come up with. The Kingdoms are still far away. Like six chapters away. But I figured if I started asking for character ideas now, then maybe I would have enough to use by the time the chapter is published.**

 **Just give a character name, personality, backstory, number, interaction. Anything in the reviews and I'll look through them. Keep in mind, I'm not gonna include some omnipotent super powered character that has the solution to everyone's problems. But I'm willing to include characters as citizens of Kingdoms. And if I really like them, maybe I'll make them a main character. With your permission of course... (6_6)**

 **I'll let the people who send characters know if I like them or not. If I don't choose a character, please don't burn me at the stake. I burn easily. (T_T)**


	9. Warren

**AN: Whelp, Summer's nearly over. Time to go back to the hell hole that is school/college.**

 **As I stated in the previous chapter, I'm accepting OC suggestions. But I realized that maybe putting those suggestions in the reviews wasn't such a good idea. They take up a lot of space.**

 **Luckily, I've discovered a new-fangled fanfiction device called 'Private Messaging.' Turns out all you, the viewer, need to do is click on the PM button on my page and type away. So from now on send OCs via PM and I'll see if I can put them in or not. Restrictions and more details are listed in chapter 8.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Deceivers would be a real Mob.

* * *

Chapter 9

 **Warren**

[Cobb]

 _In hindsight, I_ may _have been able to handle that better._ I thought to myself as I rushed down the overgrown street.

Behind me, I could hear Parker sprinting to catch up. "Hey, Cobb! What's the matter? Don't want to talk anymore?" As he asked this I saw arrows whizz past me.

"No! I just don't want to be a human pincushion!" I shouted back as I took a sharp left turn into one of the larger abandoned buildings.

From my brief glances, the building looked spacious, with a non-crafting table, a crafting table, and some chests. There was also a lobby with an empty flower pot, some doors that led to rooms, and a staircase off to the side. It looked similar to a hotel.

Without a second thought, I sprinted up the stairs and readied some cobblestone. Once I reached the top, I quickly blocked the way up with some cobblestone before continuing towards the staircase to the third floor.

It looked like the third floor was more damaged than the rest of the hotel. Room doors and parts of the floor were missing. Some windows were broken. And it was dark, even with the sun being up outside. After navigating one particularly dangerous section of missing floor, I took out my torches to light up the area.

From what I saw, I realized I was on the topmost floor of the building. The staircase that led up to the roof was so destroyed that there was no way I could make the jump up there. The only place left to go was down the hallway that led to several rooms. Hopefully, vacant of Mobs.

I blocked the top of the second staircase to impede Parker further, but I noticed that I couldn't hear him anymore. _Did he not follow me inside?_

*fshhhh* *BOOF!*

A loud whistling followed by an explosion came from the broken window. The explosion didn't sound like a Creeper, and I looked out to verify. I managed to catch the slightest trail of sparks in the shape of a black Creeper face fade from the sky. _What was that?_

I looked down to spot Parker standing outside the hotel. He was placing something on the ground…something that shot up into the sky in a similar trail of sparks. The same whistling sound emitted from it before it burst 50 feet in the air in that same Creeper face shape. _Is he using…fireworks_?

 **[But would you mind waiting a moment. My partner is rather slow. I'm sure you know what it's like to wait up for a fellow Crafter.]**

 _Crap! He's signaling for his buddy so they can double team me! And I'm trapped! I gotta…wait. Was he waiting for Floyd?_ I pondered before a greater thought hit me. _Or was Floyd running away from them?_

Now Parker's initial response and Floyd's frantic running made sense. Floyd had fled with Parker and his buddy in pursuit. _It was only bad luck that he ran into me._ Instead of finding him, Parker found me. _But why are they trying to kill us in the first place!? I didn't do anything wrong…unless you count the architectural sin I performed just yesterday…But desperate times called for desperate measures._

 **[It's a shame people like that are forced to suffer…In fact, you might go so far as to say that they're…better off dead.]**

 _Well sure I'm suffering with fighting Mobs and building stuff, but it's a whole lot better than the Void!_

*TWANG*

I had kept my head out that window too long and the consequence was an arrow to the face, courtesy of Parker. "OW!" I yelled as I stumbled away from the broken window. My Health had taken 4 hearts of damage and my Hunger was lower at 3 corndogs. _That did more damage than the Skeletons! How powerful is that bow!?_

"You may as well come out quietly, Cobb!" Parker called from outside. "I'll end your suffering quickly! But if my partner gets here first…he won't be as merciful!"

 _I need a plan. Maybe something in these rooms can help?_ I checked some of the rooms for chests or useful items. "Is this the good cop, bad cop routine!?" I called back out to Parker to not let on of my searching.

"No, it's the execution routine!" He called out in a harsh voice. "You don't deserve to exist in this world! You're a greenhorn! And there's no better time to kill one than at the beginning of their existence!"

 _Damn! Another empty chest._ All the rooms had the same size and furniture, albeit missing some beds here or windows there, but the chests were filled with nothing but rotten flesh…which I had to eat to keep my meager Hunger up. _Ugh, I feel sick._

"Yeah!? Well, I disagree!" I shouted lamely, trying to hold my vomit in. _Of course I disagree! I don't want to die, I just got here! Just say something else to distract him!_ "You big-*BLEGH*!"

"Uh…come again? I didn't quite—"

"You're an ASS!" I shout out again after opening and closing another useless chest. _Come on, give me something! Anything!_

"What's with all the yelling over here!?" I froze as I heard a second voice, and peeked my head a little to see who had joined the loud conversation.

I couldn't make out the name or any smaller facial features, but I did notice that this new arrival had orange slicked-back hair, an iron chest plate and leggings, a dark-grey undershirt with the sleeves ripped off, black bondage pants, dark blue sneakers, and a white bandana around his neck. Oh, and an iron sword hefted over his shoulder.

*GULP*

"Took you long enough. I was worried you'd gone off hunting by yourself again."

"One. Time. And you act like you've never been hit by a slowness potion before." I strained my ears to make out their conversation.

"I haven't."

"Congrats, I'll pick up a medal for you. Right after I get my 'I'm right and Park's wrong' medal." The orange-haired man joked with a grin before turning his attention to the hotel. "So Floyd's in there? Thanks for saving him for me." He took a step towards the front doors before Parker stopped him.

"Not Floyd. Someone else. His name is King_Cobb and I believe he's the Crafter we've been tracking."

"No way! Really?" He scanned the third floor windows before staring directly at me. I ducked in fear of making eye contact, but it didn't matter as he resumed his conversation. "Thought he exploded. But what about Floyd?"

"Couldn't find him. But I know he ran this way. He could be holed up somewhere in the warren."

"What!? You mean you lost him again!?" The orange-haired man whined. "But I wanted to kill him! He lit me on fire!"

"Sorry, Spring I was busy chasing Cobb." There was a pause and I was sure Parker was thinking of something. "But Cobb was here before me. Maybe he saw something?"

"Oooh, good point! Hey, Cobby! Would you mind answering some questions for me?" The man named Spring called.

 _Cobby? What kinda nickname is that!? But I need more time to search._ "Sure, I just _love_ 20 questions!"

"Heh-heh. Me too! We're looking for a blue-haired guy in a red sweater. About yay big." I peeked out to see his description of how tall the man they were looking for was. "Has these…weird lines that go across his eyes."

"Black jeans?" I asked

"Yes."

"Grey sneakers?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Tan-skin?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Goes by the name Flawwed_Floyd?"

"You've seen him!?"

"Nope, never."

I know I was in a tough situation at the moment, but it was worth pissing Spring off just to see his face shift from barely suppressed glee to sour disappointment. "Oh that's too bad…" He said as he looked down.

Parker slapped Spring on the back of the head. "What's wrong with you? He just described Floyd perfectly. Of course he's seen him!"

*GASP* "You mean…he was lying?" Spring sounded genuinely shocked and I had to remind myself which of these guys was the bad cop. I opened up another chest and was greeted with a different sight. A [BUCKET], a bowl of [RABBIT STEW], [LEATHER BOOTS], and a weakened [BOW].

"Let _me_ handle the talking." Parker interrupted Spring before resuming his conversation with me. "Look, Floyd is more of a concern to us than you. If you tell us where he went we'll be on our way."

"But—" Spring interjected confused.

"SHHH!"

I quickly put on the leather boots and readied some dirt blocks before returning to the destroyed staircase. "I heard that 'SHHH!' You're not fooling anyone! And after that speech about me not deserving to exist? You can both go hug a Creeper!" With that I began forming a makeshift staircase to the roof.

"Well if that's how it is…Park, cover the building. Make sure he doesn't run away. I'm going in after him." Spring ordered confidently before entering the hotel.

The roof was collapsed above the stairs so I used my pick to bust through before hoisting myself out. Below I could hear Spring making short work of my cobblestone barricades.

The roof was made up of some new kind of block. It was flatter than regular blocks and I picked some up from the hole I made. [STONE SLAB].

I swapped it out for my shovel and destroyed as much of the staircase as I could before taking a look at the roof I was on. Besides the occasional hole, there was nothing of use.

I walked over to the edge to check how close the adjacent buildings were. The closest building was also three stories high, but the jump from one roof to the next was too far.

*TWANG*

"Whoa!" I cried out as I ducked below an arrow. Parker was still taking shots at me. _Alright then, I'll take a shot at you!_ I withdrew my new bow and tried to figure out how to shoot with it.

 _I've got one arrow, but I've never shot a bow before! Plus, I doubt one shot will take either one of them out. My swordsmanship is pretty crappy too, and they have iron armor and swords! Fighting them is suicide!_

 _But my only other option is to run. And if I jumped down from this height, I'd break_ something _and then Parker will finish me off! What do I do!?_

"C'mon, Cobby! You're making this tough for both of us!" Spring's voice came from the hole I made in the roof. He was nearly here. I fumbled with my bow in an attempt to bluff him to back off.

*ssssssssSSSS*

"Oh no! A Creeper now!?" I cried out as I searched for the source of the hissing. _When are things gonna go my way for once_?

The hissing continued far longer than any previous Creepers and an explosion erupted from the adjacent building's second floor. I could actually see the second floor as there was a large hole in the side of the wall facing me. And from it, I saw a familiar blue-haired man.

"Over here! Jump!" Floyd called out. Just as he did, Spring's orange hair came poking out of the hole. Without pausing to think, I took a few steps back for a running start and leapt across the gap. Parker shot a few arrows at me mid jump, but I roughly landed on the second floor, scathed but alive.

"Thanks, I—"

"Bow! Arrow! Now!" Floyd demanded snapping his fingers. I quickly handed him the damaged bow and my only arrow. As soon as I did, he held the bow towards the hole to face the roof I had leapt from. Five seconds later, Spring leapt across the gap with the grace of a gazelle and landed perfectly on the floor we were on…before Floyd loosed an arrow straight at his chest.

Quickly blocking with his sword, Spring was knocked back out the hole and fell to the ground with a muffled *CRUNCH* and a drawn out 'YEOW!'

After that, Floyd walked up to the hole and waved his arms around frantically. "What are you aiming at!?" He shouted before he quickly retreated as an arrow lodged itself in a wall a few inches from his face. "Thank you for the arrow." He said to himself as he plucked the arrow out of the wall.

I was amazed at how effectively he countered those guys. "That was…awesome!" I cheered with a huge smile on my face. But Floyd merely turned and looked at me skeptically.

"A Deceiver? You actually bought that crap?" He asked. I realized he meant what Parker said about a Mob that deceives…oh…I guess the only Deceiver was Parker. "Thanks for the bow by the way."

"Yeah, well thanks for blowing up part of this building." I responded as I held out my hand to shake. "I'm Cobb."

 _Alright that's a good introduction to make for meeting someone for the first time..._

"Yeah, I know. Your name is above your head." _Geez, this guy was hard to talk to._ "Now if you wouldn't mind saving the pleasantries until _after_ we get out of this mess, I'd appreciate it."

"Right. People trying to kill us takes precedence." I followed him down the hallway.

The building we were in appeared to be a school of some sort. Each of the rooms we passed held several desks and a podium where teachers were expected to instruct. Each room had a different carpet floor, but most of it had been destroyed or ripped up. Holes littered the floor and some desks and windows were missing too.

Pictures and frames were plastered across the halls and a banner hung from the ceiling. The banner was of a red apple emblazoned over a brown background. Other than that, the place was in ruins.

Floyd ran over to a staircase and placed a red and white block at the top. He motioned me over to get my attention and pointed towards one of the classrooms. I understood what he meant and snuck over to it.

"They ran into the school!" Spring's voice came from below. "Cover the exits!"

At that, Floyd pulled out some odd bits of rock and metal and sparked them together next to the red and white block. A block that had an odd collection of letters printed across it. TNT.

 _Wait, what?_

*ssssssssSSSS*

Floyd rushed past me and leapt out a gap in the classroom's window. I took one last look at the ignited TNT before following his lead.

*BOOM*

I heard the TNT explode behind me as I landed badly beside Floyd who was busy picking himself up. Bits of wood and shattered glass fell on us, but we didn't stop to stare at the destruction. We ran.

Through the western fence, past trees and rabbits and other animals. We ran and ran and ran. Never looking back. Hoping to escape our dangerous pursuers.

Eventually we stumbled across a ruined old shack, which _still_ looked better than my Crapshack, and we decided to stay there for the night. Just to be safe though, we dug underneath the wooden foundation and expanded the space as a sort of bunker before resealing the hole with dirt. I placed some torches for light and Floyd supplied a chest to store our shared supplies. And just like that, our shelter was made.

* * *

Inventory: 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 5 Cobblestone, 1 Torch, 1 Stick, 13 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 59 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Rabbit Stew, 1 Leather Boots, 11 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Yay! Plus one friend.**

 **Thanks to all my viewers and re-viewers and followers and favorite...ers. I know this chapter is short, but the next one will more than make up for it. Be prepared.**

 **Also as a totally unrelated side note, how do you guys feel about hiatuses...hiati...the plural of hiatus.**


	10. Cult

**AN: Ten weeks ago I started this story. And I'm happy to say I'm glad I started it.**

 **If any of you viewers are fanfic writers and use this website, you probably know something about the recent traffic stat problem. Writers couldn't see how many views they get for new content. Which sucked. Thankfully, the problem was fixed as of August 31st. But for the 8 days it was down, I was worried. I look to views for assurance, confidence, and some other third word so having them gone was kind of a letdown. Glad it's over though.**

 **As for the hiatus, I'm gonna have a lot of school work coming soon. But I'll do my best to keep the chapters coming. So don't worry...YET.**

 **And in honor of my 10th chapter, I'm giving you a slightly longer chapter! Enjoy.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I would keep the old combat system for swords instead of having a glitchy buffer for each swing.

* * *

Chapter 10

 **Cult**

[Noman]

"Oh dear! Oh dear, dear, dear! I'm lost! In the middle of the night too!" I fretted as I walked past the same tree stump for the umpteenth time. _Why couldn't the instructions be a bit clearer? I don't know where I'm going! Oh what would Helena say at this moment!?_

 **[Now Noman, I know you have a serious responsibility to handle, but I just wanted to let you know that, as the Billionth, the fate of millions is in your dainty hands. No pressure. But actually there's a lot of pressure. Good luck champ!]**

Yes, those were Helena's parting words to me before I set off on this 'dangerous mission' entrusted to me by Notch. That _was_ what all the gear was for. True the book she gave me describing my mission was vague to say the least, but surely someone as supposedly wise and powerful as Notch wouldn't allow any complete stranger to undertake such a task…right?

 _Yeah! I'm special! I'm the Billionth! I got unique gear! I can figure this mission out. I just…need to get out of these woods first._

*UHNN*

I spun around with my diamond sword ready. However, my hands were shaking so much that the sword slipped from my fingers before landing in front of an approaching Zombie. The Zombie merely walked over the sword before scooping it up and using it as its new weapon.

"Um...can I have that back?" I whimpered before taking a few steps back as the Zombie advanced.

 _Okay, relax Noman. RELAX! You are not gonna die to this creature. You are the Billionth. The one in a billion. What other weapons do you have…_

Besides the diamond sword, a stack of steak, an Infinity bow (whatever that means), an arrow (why only one?), ten Golden God Apples, a hundred emeralds, and a special diamond chest plate, I had nothing.

 _Okay, that sounds spoiled when put that way, but it doesn't change the fact that I am weaponless. Even with the tips from that book and Helena's lessons, I'm powerless without a sword!_

 _Maybe something else Helena said could assist me._

 **[Holy crap you are weak. Did you take fighting lessons from butterflies?]**

 _I'm sure the advice is there somewhere._

 **[I've never seen a Crafter run away from a bunny rabbit before.]**

 _I just need to reach far back into my memory._

 **[I don't know what the chest plate does, but Notch said that it was 'the greatest defense in Minecraftia.' I think he named it the…uh…Severe Shield…or something like that. It's been a couple centuries so forgive my memory.]**

 _Alright, time to test out this defense._ As the Zombie closed in I shut my eyes awaiting the pain to follow. I felt a slight jab in my shoulder before a warm feeling enveloped the center of my chest, expanding to encompass my entire body. Then, just as soon as the sensation came, it vanished. But I could still feel the chest plate's protection for me. Almost as if the chest plate had recognized my worth as the Billionth and sought to do everything in its power to protect me.

I opened my eyes to see what happened to the Zombie…only to find that it had vanished without a trace. Or rather _almost_ without a trace as my diamond sword lied on the ground, waiting for me to wield it once more.

I stooped down to pick it up and smiled as I felt invincible.

My elation was cut short as some footsteps to the right of me caught my attention. Three iron clad figures with black leather caps emerged from the trees and surrounded me. _Oh good, fellow Crafters! Maybe they can point me in the right direction._

"Well, what do we have here?" The tallest one began with a smug grin. "Lost are you?"

"Yes, very much. I was hoping you fine gentlemen could help me find a place called the Crystal Catacombs." I tentatively requested.

"Oh, we can help you, sure." Drawled the second tallest. "But first, care to tell us your number?"

"My number…Oh! Yes, of course. My number is One Billion." I declared proudly. At that, the men laughed and readied their iron swords. _Uh oh. Did I offend them somehow?_

"One Billion? That's pretty high. Where did you get such a fine chest plate from?" Questioned the tall one. He stared hungrily at my diamond sword and I got the distinct impression that these 'gentlemen' weren't 'gentle' at all.

"N-now gents, you don't want to do something you'll regret." I put my hands out in an attempt to dissuade them.

"I doubt we'll regret this." Stated the shortest one before all three of them swung at me.

* * *

[Cobb]

"So…care to explain why those guys were trying to kill us?" I asked my first companion.

"Because they're assholes. Next question." Floyd answered curtly.

"No. I know they're assholes, but I want to know _why_ they think killing people is right. The way Parker said it sounded like they don't believe the inexperienced should exist." I really wanted to know what types of people were tracking us through these woods. Also, being shut up beneath an old shack seemed boring enough without _some_ way to pass the time.

Floyd sighed before taking a bite out of a [COOKED PORKCHOP]. It was good to know that he had managed to find his own food. Especially since my food stores were 92% rotten flesh. I wouldn't give that to my worst enemy.

"I don't exactly know all the details. Just that there are others like Parker and Spring. A whole group of assholes that write off murder as 'liberation' or 'salvation.' It's nothing but garbage." Floyd spat out disgusted.

"How long were they chasing you for?" I asked wanting to know Floyd's past with those guys.

"Their group has been looking for me for two days. They're tenacious and they're spread throughout this forest. I've been trying to get past the northern mountains, but…" Floyd looked away as he trailed off and the bunker was filled with an awkward silence.

"Well, I wanna thank you for saving me from those assholes. Another second on that roof and Spring would've split me in half." I joked in an attempt to raise our spirits. But Floyd wouldn't have it.

"It was my fault they stumbled across you anyway. Plus, you didn't rat me out." He explained. "That's how I knew I could trust you."

"That and they tried to kill me."

"Well, yeah that too." He agreed scratching his cheek. "So…what number are you?"

"Does it matter?" I questioned confused. _There are people out there trying to kill us and you want to know a stupid number?_

"Yeah, it does. It tells me how much experience you have." Floyd explained with an irritated frown. "Like, I'm number 999,999,987. So I'm pretty low in terms of experience."

"Yet you handled that bow and TNT pretty well." His expression softened from my praise. "I'm actually close to your number. Mine's 999,999,999."

"Wow. That's a lot of nines." Floyd replied while looking down in disappointment.

"You know I said the exact same thing when I got my number." I laughed at the coincidence, but once again, Floyd remained somber.

After that engaging conversation ended, we sat in silence. The entire time, I was thinking of ways to break the awkward tension in the air.

 _Ugh, I hate awkward small talk! C'mon think, brain! What can I say to start up a conversation?_

"So…lot of trees outside."

"Yes, forests _do_ tend to have those in abundance." Floyd remarked dryly.

"…right." _Brain you suck!_

 _Sorry, I can't think of anything! Just ask him more questions about his past! Maybe it's a good story?_

 _Alright, I'll try…_

"So…the past…am I right?" I asked sympathetically while nudging his shoulder with my elbow. Floyd didn't move or say anything. Instead he just stared perplexedly at my elbow as I continued to nudge him.

 _That was terrible! Think before you say things! Now he thinks we're weird!_

 _If he could hear the conversations going on in my head, he_ would _think we're weird!_

 _Look, just…CRAP! He's leaving!_

"Wha?" I mumbled surprised as I was pulled from my thoughts by the sight of Floyd rummaging in the chest for his supplies. He was moving as if he no longer wanted to stay here. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, but it was a mistake saving you." He did look sorry as he sorted his Inventory, but that didn't change the fact that what he said hurt.

"What are you talking about? You saved my life. How could saving someone ever be a mistake?" I asked seeking an explanation.

"I thought I was saving someone who could help me. Someone that could take on guys like Spring. But clearly your courage back at the warren was just a desperate bluff." He answered before withdrawing a shovel.

"But…I can help…I just need…"

"I'm sorry. If you're my backup…then I'm just…better off on my own." He dug out a hole and pushed himself up.

"Wait!" I called out before covering my mouth. If what he said was true, then enemies could be anywhere in this forest. Shouting would only attract attention.

I followed up after him, intent on changing his mind. I could make out his form in the moonlight as he travelled towards the looming mountains. I caught up with him and held his shoulder to stop him.

"I know I'm not skilled or have good loot or anything, but it's pretty obvious whoever is hunting us is more skilled with better loot." I stated in a hushed voice. "So we need to stick together to stand a chance."

"And your limited experience is supposed to make a difference?" He asked as he turned around.

"No, but yours will." He looked surprised at that and, honestly, I was surprised too. I pretty much just admitted that I need him more than he needs me. My brain was internally cursing me out, but I went on with my speech. "I know these guys have been hunting you for a while, but with two people, they'll have another person to worry about."

"But, we'll—"

"And I know I'm not the best conversationalist, but isn't it better to have _something_ to talk to while you walk." I reasoned, cutting his protests off. "You were in the Void before. Nobody to talk to. Nobody to plan with. You'd want to face those killers in a similar situation?"

"I…well…No, but—"

"Exactly! No buts!" I pointed out his wording triumphantly. "You have the experience, and I have…all the advantages of being a second person. So don't go facing them alone!"

"Alright, alright! I get it!" Floyd shouted out annoyed before covering his mouth. "You can tag along until we get out of this forest. Just don't do anything stupid." He finished in a hushed whisper before resuming his walk towards the mountain.

"You got it! Let me just pack up my stuff." I rushed back to the ruined shack satisfied that I had managed to convince Floyd of my usefulness. In a few moments, the temporary base was cleaned out and my Inventory ready to go. The [CHEST] was the newest addition to my Inventory as Floyd didn't seem intent on carrying it. I made sure to cover up the hole so that Parker or anyone else couldn't track us. Then, I returned to Floyd to resume our hike.

* * *

[Gamble]

"WHY!?" I cried as I ran past moonlit trees and bushes. I didn't even bother looking back to see if my three allies were keeping up. I knew I had to focus on one thing: fleeing in terror!

 _Why is_ she _here!? This was supposed to be a simple excursion! Hunt some new Crafters, get some supplies, go home safe! So what has happened to the third step!?_

"Guys! I'm slowing down! Toss me another swiftness potion!" shouted one of my allies from afar.

"No way! This is my last—"

*TWANG*

The speaker was cut off by the sound of a bow being fired followed shortly by a pained squeal and then by agonizing screaming. I heard my colleagues shout words of worry, but I was far too concerned with what would happen to me if I stopped running, to stop running.

"You WITCH!" I heard from another of my colleagues as he, no doubt, attempted to fight back against _her_. All the while, those painful screams were echoing through the night. I wish they didn't carry so well. It sounded like the guy was screaming right next to me instead of far behind.

I knew it was pointless to fight her. That woman was a torrent of pain and destruction. She's crossed blades with better Crafters than I, and never so much as retreated. Then, there were the rumors.

 _I heard she took out the entire Southern Division…with a feather!_

 _I heard she's part Enderman, part Creeper, and part bull shark!_

 _I heard she counted to infinity…twice!_

As ridiculous as these whispers and murmurs were, they all held a speck of truth. _She_ was at fault for the decline of the Southern Division. _She_ had the ferocity of an Enderman when enraged, the destructive force of a Charged Creeper, and the bloodthirstiness of a shark! And…well…who's to argue she couldn't count to infinity in her spare time?

"GAH!" I heard a death scream behind me and knew that someone had just been eviscerated. Shortly after that, the prolonged screaming was quickly silenced. There was only me and my other colleague left.

"Split up!" I shouted as I veered to the left. Behind me I heard the footsteps of my colleague as he continued forward. He was probably gonna head straight for the warren to get help. Hopefully, _she_ would go after the other guy.

 _I mean, why chase me? I'm just a lowly grunt. A nobody! Just like all the other faceless lackeys! She has nothing to gain by—_

*TWANG*

A fiery arrow whizzed past my vision and stuck in a tree just ahead. I gave a yelp of fear and began weaving through the trees to avoid being set ablaze. But wherever I went, _she_ followed.

I could hear her. She was riding her noble steed just as she had through all her battles.

*CLOP-CLOP* *CLOP-CLOP*

Those never-ending sounds of pursuit that followed me like a shadow. My Hunger was low. Running was no longer possible without stopping. But stopping was no longer possible without dying.

*PANT* *PANT*

"Please! Don't kill me!" I cried out desperately.

*CLOP-CLOP* *CLOP-CLOP*

*HUFF* *HUFF*

"I never wanted to be a Cultist! I never wanted to kill…THEY MADE ME!" the words tumbled from my mouth as I shut my eyes in exertion. I said anything to get out alive.

*CLOP-CLOP* *CLOP-CLOP*

"I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT JUST LET ME—"

*SMACK*

And that was it.

I ran into a steep rock wall.

I was trapped between the mountains I unintentionally ran toward and…

*tk tk*

I turned around with my back against the wall, both figuratively and literally, as _she_ dismounted her steed and walked towards me in a painfully slow stride. The sound of her purple leather boots padding against the ground and my gasping breaths were the only sounds that could be heard.

*tk tk*

"Please…have mercy…" I begged with my hands held up in surrender.

But still she advanced. One hand resting her sword against her shoulder while the other one was on her hip. Under her diamond armor, she wore a sleeveless green turtleneck and navy blue jeans. A silver cross necklace could be seen against the diamond blue. Her belt was filled with powerful killing tools and gear and she wore a purple backpack.

As she closed in I lowered myself to the ground with my hands still up. I noticed her creamy skin, her short and spiky black hair, her calm expression, and her cold red eyes which reflected my fearful face. Realizing she was mere feet away I closed my eyes to await the end.

I heard her stop her stride before crouching in front of me.

"Mercy, did you say?" Came her calm and alluring voice.

Immediately, my eyes shot open as I searched her face for any signs of compassion or mercy.

She stepped to the side to reveal her steed: a fast pig with the terrifying name 'Mr. Piggles' floating above its head. (If you said otherwise, you'd be dead before you could say 'sorry.')

I saw that its eyes were trained on my form, as if it was eagerly anticipating what was to befall me.

And then I knew.

She pointed to the pig's face. "Does that look like the face of mercy to you?" She asked as she lifted her sword and ended my existence.

* * *

[Spring]

"Are you kidding me? We lost them AGAIN!" I shouted as I kicked a tree in frustration. After all that tracking, all that chasing, all that fighting, and all that talking! We came out of it with NOTHING!

 _I'm sooooooo miffed! I need something…something to…to take the edge off!_

*Moo*

I spotted a cow grazing in some bushes. It barely had time to blink before I had descended upon it with all the pent up anger I was feeling. I tried to imagine it was Floyd, but the thing died too quick for me to savor it.

 _Not good enough! I need something better!_ I ran into the woods to look for any Mobs. _So help me God, I will find the strongest, most armored Mob in this forest and make it my—_

"Spring! Calm yourself! We have to get to the meeting place tonight," called my partner as he struggled to catch up.

"No! Forget the meeting! I just need a few more kills to beat—"

"Need I remind you," Park pulled me in as he explained, "that our subdivision leader will be present at this same meeting. We can _not_ be late."

"But…our quotas…we didn't—"

"He'll be mad sure, but he'll value our efforts more than he'll forgive our lethargy." Park finished before gripping my shoulder. "Just accept that we lost them."

I looked down at my blue sneakers with my fists clenched. I hated it when I failed to kill someone. The purpose of this Cult was to eliminate Crafters and anyone that defended them. To end their suffering and allow them to move on to a better life…

Not that I believed any of that mumbo jumbo! As far as I was concerned, there was only one life: The one I was living. All the Cult had for proof of this 'next life' theory was a set of texts written by some old fart. Hardly anything substantial.

But the Cult had one perk: To work with others that had a fondness for killing. When I first started out as a plucky, inexperienced nobody, I felt dissatisfied with the world I was thrown into. I had no memory. Time was unnaturally fast. Trees didn't fall when a chunk of them was missing. Nothing made sense!

The only thing that felt natural…was death. Things died when I killed them. Punched to death. Stabbed to death. Burned to death. Dead to death. The sheer number of deaths possible was mind numbing. Getting thrown off a cliff was my personal favorite.

And that was just for lowly animals or Mobs. I remember when I killed my first Crafter. She tried to reason with me instead of running. Bless her soul for making it too easy.

That was when I was hooked. Mobs and animals were chicken feed compared to killing a Crafter. They had more of an intellect. More lust for survival. They _wanted_ to live.

But, fortunately for me, my wants outweighed theirs. That's when I got the attention of the Endward Cult. They praised my talents with a sword when it was really just an addictive hobby. Either way, joining them kept me out of trouble with the Kingdoms. How was I supposed to know that killing innocent civilians was 'against the law?'

I owed the Cult a lot for keeping me safe. Not to mention they introduced me to a whole bunch of fellow killers. Like Parker, and… _her_.

I let out a dreamy sigh and immediately calmed down. No way could I stay angry when thinking of that lovely woman. "Alright they got away. But at least I took care of Floyd's pal." I searched my Inventory before withdrawing the likeness of a slain Crafter's head: Silent_Game.

"Yeah, you were pretty amazing in that fight." Park praised as he walked towards the warren. "You're pretty skilled for a newbie. At least in combat. You're still a goofball in everything else."

"Yes, but I'm _your_ goofball!" I grinned as I threw an arm over Park's shoulder with Silent_Game's head over mine. As weird as it looked, it felt just like a helmet instead of a decapitated head. "Still waiting on that 'I'm right, Park's wrong medal'."

"Later. We need to make it to the warren first." Park withdrew his map and guided us through the dark woods. Eventually, we stood before the same familiar gate of the abandoned warren.

"Looks like we weren't the first ones back." I pointed out as we spotted seven fellow cultists comparing kills and head counts. _Wait 'till those amateurs get a load of me!_

"Don't be a showoff." Park stopped me before I could run over and show off my kills. _He knows me so well._ "Remember, they're your elders in experience. It won't do you any good to brag."

"But you're fine with my bragging."

"No. I hate it too."

"…not even a little bragging?" I asked; hope gleaming in my big, blue eyes.

"Not unless you want a slowness potion to the face." He growled before walking over to his old buddies.

I sighed dejectedly before spotting a group of cultists who, like me, were wearing their kills on their heads. I walked over to them to talk about killing techniques or new types of gear. There always seemed to be something new in Minecraftia.

"Hey, Spring_Fever, I see you managed another kill." Chatted a familiar female cultist.

"You, know it!" I called back cheerily before frowning. "But Parker doesn't want me boasting."

"At least you don't have a mentor who makes you recite the entire Cult history by heart." She laughed at the horrified look I gave her.

"Anyone know when Blite is gonna show up?" Asked another cultist.

"He said he'd be here when the moon is above us…or something like that." Replied a third cultist.

"That's quite soon. Where the Nether is Crawford and Hutch?" Asked another cultist. "They owe me three diamonds for beating my old record and I can't extort them if Blite kills them first."

"Don't bother waiting for Crawford. I saw him fighting with a guy named Flawwed_Floyd this morning before a Creeper took him out." My ears perked upon hearing Floyd's name.

"And you just let this Floyd get away?" Asked an elder cultist indignantly.

"Hey, I was low on hearts myself. And I'm not gonna risk my life to avenge some guy I barely knew."

"We have a few missing heads, too." Called one of the elder cultists. "Gamble, Aartis, Scout, and Donny were in a party together and they still haven't gotten back yet."

"Think they found trouble?" Asked Park with a concerned look. Gamble and he were good friends that joined the Cult at around the same time, if I recalled correctly.

"It matters not." Came an icy deep voice. All thirty of the present cultists froze as they looked around for the source of the voice. Only one man could make a sound as deadly as that. But he was nowhere to be seen. "If the tardy cannot bother themselves with arriving on time, then they obviously have more on their mind than the Cult's supreme mission."

As those words were spoken, a man began to appear in the center of the warren. First his boots, dark brown and hobnailed. Then, his tan jeans and green t-shirt with black sleeves, the right one being torn off. Next, his dark skin with blue beaded necklaces hanging off his neck. A bored frown set upon his face. Barely opened eyes revealed dark purple irises full of indifference. A scar adorned his right eye and his short eyebrows were ever raised in mock surprise, despite the rest of his expression denying that very emotion from existing. And finally, his shaggy white hair covered in a purple leather cap.

This was one of the subdivision leaders of the Northern Division: Lieutenant 4Blite. A cold-hearted man, with a preference to invisibility potions, who would slay anything that stood in his way, even his own men. Some cultists believed the man had ice in his veins he was so cold.

"Right as always Lieutenant 4Blite sir." Saluted one of the elder cultists while Park looked away in shame. I could tell he wanted to talk about waiting for Gamble and the others, but he knew that trying to convince 4Blite of being merciful was out of the question.

"So, let us commence the meeting." He announced as he donned his iron armor. His voice was quiet, but it could easily be heard over the deafening silence as everyone gave him their full attention. He turned to the elders. "Have we filled our quotas for the week?"

"…we're not sure, sir. Gamble and Hutch's groups have yet to report in." Stated one of the elders tentatively. "As it stands, we're a handful of kills short of meeting our quota."

"I see. That's unfortunate." He began as he walked up to one of the surrounding buildings. "As members of the Endward Cult I would assume we'd be _beyond_ our quota. It seems some of us are…lethargic." He didn't look at anyone or address us as a collective group, but I felt shame well up within me. _I'm not lazy! I'm one of the best killers around! Floyd and Cobb? Those two just…outsmarted me. That's all! And if I ever see them again, I'll…_

I froze from my thoughts as I noticed 4Blite examine the school that Floyd and Cobb escaped through. His eyes hung on the new damages caused by TNT.

"Hm…But if the groups missing from this meeting are any indication, then we've already filled our quota." He stated firmly as he turned to gauge our reactions. That was 4Blite for you. He'd do anything to fill out quotas. Even if it meant filling them with his men's heads.

"Good thinking, 4Blite sir." Praised one of the younger cultists before a wave of adulation followed. It was sickening seeing so much kiss-assery at one time. Needless to say I contributed in turn.

But none from Park, who knew he lost a friend, whether Gamble showed up or not. But, hey, them's the ropes.

"Silence." 4Blite quieted the praises with a single word. "With our mission here over, it is time for us to move on. Our Executive has requested our presence for an upcoming Gathering in the Redbone Desert. From what I heard, it's important."

I got excited at hearing that. _Our Executive wants us to be there!? That means she's starting to see the worth of our subdivision! This is the perfect opportunity to meet and impress her with my dashing good looks and talent with a sword!_ I sighed dreamily as I could almost envision what our meeting would be like.

 _'_ _Oh, Spring! I've never seen such talent with a sword! Nor have I been fortunate enough to gaze upon a Crafter with such dashing good looks as you!'_

 _'_ _I know, I know. It is a burden to carry such talent and beauty, but never brag about them. Such is the road I walk.'_

 _'_ _My division could use a modest man leading it, such as yourself. It's decided! I'm granting you 4Blite's job!'_

 _'_ _Oh, darling, please! You don't have to…'_

 _'_ _I will have none of your protests. This is happening. Just let me 'retire' 4Blite and it will all be set. Oh and one more thing.'_

 _'_ _Yes?'_

 _'_ _Kiss me you fool!'_

 _'_ _With pleasure!'_

 _And then Park would be there throwing confetti and setting off fireworks as we consummate our love for each other. Just her and me and an eternity of bliss._

"HELP!" A scream pulled me from my fantasies as I turned to observe what was happening in the real world. Someone had just burst into the clearing, panting with fear in his eyes.

"Scout? What's wrong boy?" Asked one of the elders.

"Where are the others? What happened to Gamble?" Asked Park as he got up in Scout's face. Scout was still trying to catch his breath and was choking down some mushroom stew to replenish his Hunger.

"Tell us what happened Scout." Came an icy voice as 4Blite pushed Park away and knelt down before Scout.

At those words, Scout gulped and went deathly still as he recalled what happened. "We…we were scouring the forest…Gamble, Aartis…Donny, and I. We found a cave and considered some Crafters would be inside. So…we…" Scout shuttered as he once more tried to calm down.

"Keep talking, Scout." Insisted 4Blite. It wasn't just him that was interested in the story. By now, Scout had everyone's attention.

"We went inside…and we discovered a Crafter was there…was using the cave as a t-temporary base." Scout looked down at his feet and shook his head. "We didn't know who we found. We didn't know the danger—"

"Who was it?" Asked 4Blite urgently. "Who was the Crafter in the cave?"

Scout clenched his fists before looking up with fear in his eyes. "It was the Angel of Death!" He shouted before breaking down into a fit of sobs and shutters.

At that exclamation, everyone froze, including 4Blite. _She's…in this forest?_ At once I looked over my shoulder to make sure she wasn't nearby. All of a sudden, every rustle of leaves or howl of wind garnered my full attention. Who cared about Creepers sneaking up on you. _She_ was the bigger threat in spades!

Everyone else did the same more or less. Checking over their shoulders. Huddling next to others under the impression of 'safety in numbers.' Isolating themselves from groups under the impression of 'becoming a smaller target.' I knew it was useless though. Meaningless actions to obtain some semblance of security. The Angel of Death could kill you regardless of any endeavor of prevention. That's why she was given that nickname.

Park was the calmest of all of us. He just sat down and held his head in his hands. No doubt he put two and two together and realized that Gamble and the rest of Scout's group were dead.

"I see." Continued 4Blite's voice. If he was nervous, he did a good job of not showing it. "So the Angel of Death is here. And I suppose you and your group fled?" Scout froze at those words and looked up in horror.

In hindsight, it was probably inevitable something like this would happen. 4Blite had already warned people not to be late _and_ to never flee from an opponent when you have them outnumbered. Scout and his group had broken both of those rules and Scout was gullible enough to think that returning to his fellow cultists would ensure his survival. He escaped one killer only to fall into the hands of an equally unmerciful killer.

Personally, I wouldn't blame Scout for what happened. Who cares if he was late and ran away? He was facing against the woman who had single-handedly eradicated the Southern Division. It was a miracle he even survived.

But 4Blite was a strict lieutenant with grim punishments. And Scout was about to be made an example of.

"Please, sir! I had no chance fighting—" Scout had tried to stammer out some hasty excuse, but 4Blite cut him off with an iron axe to the face. Scout screamed as he was knocked back with an unnatural force into a building before crumpling to the ground in a whimpering mess. 4Blite silently stalked up to him to deliver the final blow. Scout disappeared in an explosion of gear as his backpack, once filled with loot and supplies, was erased along with him.

4Blite only stooped down to collect Scout's head, leaving the rest of his gear to any watching cultist.

"What now, sir?" Asked one of the elders as if nothing had happened. "Should we look for…her?"

"No." Said 4Blite as he returned his axe to his light blue backpack. I noticed that several younger cultists sighed in relief. "We got what we came for and we have our orders. Besides, we'd need more men to handle the Angel of Death. Pack up and be ready to head out in the morning." He walked towards one of the other buildings to get some rest.

As soon as he left, several younger cultists sprinted to Scout's pile of gear like wild dogs to a steak. I wondered if I would have ended up like that if I had arrived late too. Thankfully, Park managed to convince me to arrive on time. I was tempted to join in searching Scout's supplies, but ruled it out. There couldn't be anything _that_ good in his Inventory.

Instead, I walked over to Park and patted his shoulder comfortingly. It was the least I could do. The guy _did_ lose a friend.

However, Park just shrugged it off and got up to walk away from me. He had a dejected, but stoic expression as he made his way to the hotel ruins to get some sleep of his own. I suddenly didn't care whether he got me my medal or not.

"You gonna be ok?" I asked.

"No, but I'm gonna have to be." Park answered roughly as his brown eyes locked onto mine. "You remember what our motto is right?"

"Yeah, I know, but—"

"What is it, Spring?"

I sighed. "'The only way forward, is endward'."

"Then, don't give me your sympathy. Gamble isn't suffering anymore. He's in a better place. Just like Scout." Park resumed his walk, leaving me to my own thoughts.

 _I don't believe in that, but for Park's sake, I'll try to._

* * *

[Noman]

I opened my eyes to see that the three men that attacked me were gone. All that was left of them were three identical likenesses in the form of heads and a mountain of supplies that I couldn't even fit in my Inventory.

 _I killed them…without even touching them._ I thought to myself as I slowly backed away from the three separate piles.

 _No…this is bad. This is very bad. I'm supposed to be the savior of Minecraftia. Not a…murderer._

This wasn't like those Mobs. Helena said those things were born from darkness. Evil incarnate whose sole purpose was the eradication of any and all Crafters.

These were Crafters. People with names and emotions and thoughts. I backed into a tree as I gazed in horror at the head of one of the fallen Crafters. He was a person. He had a name. He was Hutchinson. And I killed him. I killed them all!

 _Why did they leave their heads here? Why did they attack me? They said they were going to help me! Why did this—_

I couldn't stand it anymore. I curled in upon myself and cried. There I was. Nowhere_Man: The supposed savior of Minecraftia. And I was crying because I had unintentionally killed three Crafters.

And it was the armor's fault! The same thing that protected me from Mobs could kill Crafters instantly. I immediately tore the armor off and stashed it in my Inventory before resuming my crying.

At that point, I didn't care whether a Mob snuck up behind me and killed me in my defenseless state. All I could do was weep over the first casualties of my mission.

* * *

Inventory: 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 5 Cobblestone, 3 Torches, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 13 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 59 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Rabbit Stew, 1 Leather Boots, 11 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Poor Nowhere_Man.**

 **Not really a Cobb-centric chapter. It bounced around a whole bunch but was tied together by the Endward Cult.**

 **For the record, all the characters introduced so far were made by me. Except Herobrine and Notch. No viewer OCs have been included...YET. But t** **he 'Angel of Death' is probably my favorite character.**

 **Review, Fav, Follow, some other fourth thing. It helps.**


	11. Exploit

**AN: Alright, a new chapter. And it's of good length too.**

 **But more importantly, I wanna try something. For all you viewers who actually read the Author's Notes, I'm debating about putting something extra in. Just a puzzle of sorts every chapter that you can answer to in the reviews or PMs.**

 **First to guess correctly would get a symbolic Victory Cookie (::) as well as their name captioned in the next chapter (WARNING: VICTORY COOKIES ARE NON-EXCHANGEABLE). Second place and lower gets nothing.**

 **If you guess wrong or use the internet to aid you, the penalty will be a symbolic Negative Cracker [::] and your name will not be captioned in the next chapter.**

 **And if you don't answer at all...you get to at least read the chapter the puzzle was presented on (^_^)**

 **If you guys think I should do this send a PM or review. If the majority says 'yes' I'll do it. If the majority says 'no' I won't. I'm aware that there's a poll function specifically designed for questions like these, but I don't know how to use such functions.**

 **On with the chapter.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I would add a food item called Beef Stir-Fry.

* * *

Chapter 11

 **Exploit**

[Cobb]

As we traveled towards the towering mountains, crescent moon hanging in the night sky, questions were burning my insides just waiting to be unleashed upon my newest companion.

 _What's your life story?_

 _Do you have the same feelings of nostalgia and normalcy that I feel at certain times?_

 _Is your hair naturally blue?_

 _What supplies do you have?_

 _Can you teach me how to fire a bow?_

 _What's with those lines over your eyes?_

But I held off on those questions. According to Floyd, the people that attacked us were part of a larger organization. And that same organization was combing these woods for inexperienced Crafters. So, we opted to travel in silence. Using the night as cover. Just like ninjas…

 _What are ninjas, again?_

 _GAH! I'm getting real sick of this nostalgia sense! What am I supposed to do though? Floyd said we'd stay a team until we get out of this forest. But I can't ask him my questions while we're in a forest filled with bloodthirsty killers. It's quite the conundrum!_

I broke away from my thoughts to examine Floyd. The blue-nette seemed intent on reaching the mountains and never once paused in his trek to see if I was following. Although, to his credit, he didn't full out sprint. He probably knew that the best way to get to our destination undetected was through a slow walk. Plus, wasting food for a sprint would likely backfire on the both of us when a Mob or hostile Crafter attacked.

And after the last few days in these woods, that's _always_ what happened.

The first day, admittedly, involved nothing but sleeping in a bed and being introduced to Helena. As exhausting as that was, it was nothing compared to the rest of my journey.

The second day, I fought Zombies and almost died twice!

The third day, I had to read a book.

*SHUDDER*

And there was the Crapshack and falling into that cave.

And now, according to my clock and the position of the moon, the fourth day had officially ended. That day was the worst, and the best, by far. Sure there were psychotic cultists, a whole bunch of running, and big explosions, but there was also a new ally, useful gear, and big explosions. And despite it all, I survived. It was hard to believe that all that happened inside a week.

It made me wonder what Floyd experienced. He was around before I even existed. And from his tone addressing the cultists, it was clear that he had bad experiences with them. Maybe the question about his life story could be shelved for later. Or never.

"Cobb." Floyd snapped me from my thoughts as he called my name. "There's a cave up ahead. Might be a chance of some supplies in there."

I looked towards the direction he was pointing. It wasn't so much a cave as it was a hole in the ground. Oh, and it was dark. Darker than the night around us.

"What supplies would be down there? Coal?" I asked as I peered over the edge.

"I'm more interested in looking for iron ore." Floyd stated as he began punching down trees. "Just give me a minute to make some tools."

 _Alright, time to prove my usefulness!_ I took out my axe and began hacking away at trees. I managed to obtain 20 logs before my axe broke. But I also managed to grab some apples from the deteriorating leaves.

I placed a Crafting Table down and converted the logs into sticks and planks. I made a new axe and used a bunch of sticks to make ladders. The rest was returned to my Inventory.

Floyd joined me at my table and began crafting his own stuff. He made a pickaxe, a sword, an axe, and a crafting table.

"Have you seen iron ore before?" I asked as I carefully set ladders along the cave wall.

"No." He admitted. "But those cultists had iron armor and iron swords so there _must_ be an ore for it."

"Yeah, we could do with some iron gear." I couldn't help but look at my leather boots as I descended down the hole.

"Before we find anything, let's agree on something." Floyd stated as he followed me down the ladder. "Anything we find, we split fifty-fifty. No hoarding anything."

"Fine with me." I answered as I illuminated the cave with a torch. Once I touched the cave floor, I took a look around. The hole we climbed down opened up into a spacious stone cavern that had several tunnels connected to it. Something brown was hanging off the ceiling and I spotted a barely concealed Zombie in the darkness.

Floyd landed on the cave floor beside me and, noticing the Zombie, withdrew his sword. "I got this one." He stated confidently as he slowly approached the Zombie.

"Just make sure to split it in half. Fifty-fifty and all." I quipped and felt satisfied at the chuckle he emitted. I returned my attention to the small brown lump hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't moving, but I wasn't sure if I should be afraid of it or not. It was the unknown things that scared me the most. That's why I needed to know _everything_.

I withdrew some dirt blocks and constructed a staircase to the ceiling to better examine this…thing. Meanwhile, I heard the pained grunts of a Zombie as Floyd dispatched it. After fighting experienced Crafters, I figured Zombies wouldn't offer much of a challenge.

When I finally got enough height, I reached out to touch the brown object. Because if you don't know what something is, poking it is generally the best thing to do.

However, before I could poke it, the thing came alive and flew towards me and latched onto my face. It was a fucking bat.

"Get it off!" I cried as flailed my arms in a panic. Was this a dangerous Mob that would suck my blood and become a fully grown vampire? Or was it a harmless bat? Either way, I fell off my makeshift staircase and landed with a thud. I let out a low whimper as the bat unlatched itself from my face and flew down one of the many tunnels.

While I was on the ground, Floyd walked right up to me. "You alright?" I silently nodded while I internally groaned.

 _Now he thinks I'm afraid of bats. And just after I made him laugh. One step forward and two steps back._

He dropped some rotten flesh for me before turning around to examine the tunnels. "The rotten flesh doesn't have to fall under the fifty-fifty rule right?" I asked as I avoided the chunks of tainted meat.

"I know. That's why I'm giving _you_ all of it." He stated as he kept his attention on the tunnels. _Ugh. Sorry stomach looks like this stuff will be a part of your diet for a while._

Stomach: _No! Please! How can you be so heartless?_

 _I'm not heartless!_

Heart: _Yeah, you tell him Cobb!_

 _What? Heart is that you?_

Heart: _What? Did your brain forget again or am I just chopped liver?_

Liver: _No that would be me…Not that anyone cares. Nobody cares for poor Liver. *sob*_

Heart: _C'mon, Liver. Don't be like that. I didn't mean it._

Stomach: _Also, how are you sobbing when you don't have tear ducts?_

Liver: _Don't question my misery! I'll cry when I feel like it!_

Stomach: _C'mon Liver, you gotta be with me on this one. Cobb is shoving rotten flesh that tastes like crap down his throat and_ we're _the ones who have to suffer._

 _…_ _I'm surprised by how in depth this inner thought process is._

Brain: _Blame your time in the Origin Zone. You've gone cuckoo for cocoa puffs._

Stomach: _Ohhhh, those sound good right about now._

 _What are cocoa puffs? I don't—_

Liver: _Can we all just focus on ME for once!?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _And now Lungs is involved in this._

Stomach: _No, shut up! The issue is the stuff Cobb is feeding me and I want something done about it!_

Liver: _You all have no idea how hard it is being me. The shit I have to deal with._

Brain: _You're right. I don't. Cuz I got the good job suckaz!_

Heart: _Brain, leave Liver alone! You know how fragile he can be. And don't think I can't hear you flipping me off!_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Oh sure, take Heart's side. That is so like you Lungs._

Liver: _When is anyone gonna take_ my _side? I have needs too!_

Brain: _I need an aspirin._

 _What's—_

Stomach: _I need food that doesn't taste like dog—_

Brain: _Blame the world Cobb lives in!_

Heart: _I'm sure Cobb is doing his best Stomach._

Bladder: _Yeah, it's not his fault he sucks._

 _Who's that?_

Stomach: _Bladder! I thought I warned you never to show your face here again!_

Bladder: _Yeah, well I don't have a face…so…yeah._

Stomach: _Well, make like a bladder and piss off! We're having a debate here._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Stomach: _Thank you, Lungs. I worked really hard on developing that joke._

Bladder: _It wasn't that funny._

Liver: _Maybe you'd all like it better if I was DEAD! Would that make you happy!? If I chopped myself up like the liver I am!?_

Brain: _Actually, that would make me happy. You should do it._

 _Wait, what!?_

Heart: _Brain, don't say things like that!_

Liver: _Bladder, fetch me my big knife so I can slit my throat!_

 _No! Don't do it! I need my liver…I think?_

Brain: _Yeah, see, I think the liver is the one you can live without._

Heart: _That's the kidneys you idiot! How can you not know that when you're the brain!?_

Brain: _Hey, I only use 10% of myself at a time._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Don't worry Lungs. He isn't really gonna kill himself. He's bluffing._

Liver: _I'll do it! Bladder! Knife! Now!_

Bladder: _Here you go._

Stomach: _No, don't do it!_

 _Yeah, don't do it!_

Brain: _I'm waiting…_

Heart: _You have so much left to live for!_

Lungs: _*GASP*_

"COBB! Snap out of it!" Floyd called from across the cavern. I quickly regained control of my senses as I walked towards Floyd. After listening to that entire…dark exchange between my internal organs…maybe I _did_ lose my sanity in the Origin Zone. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to eat some apples instead of rotten flesh for a while.

"I think we should stay together when going down these tunnels. You have the torches so you lead." Floyd gestured me to enter the tunnel first. I couldn't help but think I was acting as bait to lure out any Mobs that might attack.

"Alright, but you better have my back when Skeletons jump out. Those things are killers!" I placed a torch down as I continued through the tunnel.

"Skeletons? What are those?" Floyd asked sounding interested.

I raised an eyebrow at the blue-nette. "Skeletons. Boney guys that fire arrows at you. You've never seen a Skeleton before?"

"No, just Zombies and Creepers…and a Witch."

"A Witch? I've never heard of that Mob." There was nothing in that book about Witches. Just Zombies, Skeletons, Spiders, and Creepers. Then again, the book only described the most common Mobs. Did that mean there were rarer types of Mobs in Minecraftia? Types that were more terrifying than Creepers? What if they breathed fire or had acid for blood? _I need to know more about these Mobs!_ "Could you…describe it for me? Like what does a Witch attack with?"

"Well, I didn't get a good look at it. It kinda just showed up out of nowhere and I fled before it could attack me." Floyd answered hesitantly as if he wanted to withhold part of the story he was retelling. "I think it threw a potion, though."

"A what?" I asked stopping.

"Oh right. You probably don't know about those yet." Floyd realized as he rummaged in his backpack for something. "That's fine though, I only found out about them yesterday." Finally he fished a glass bottle of light blue liquid from his backpack and handed it to me. "Here. Check it out."

I examined the bottle labeled [SPLASH POTION OF SWIFTNESS]. The bottle had a curved neck and the light blue liquid within shimmered with a faint glow. I recalled the potions that were effective against Mobs described in the book. A Splash Potion of Harming, a Splash Potion of Healing.

"What does it do?"

"As the name suggests, it makes you swifter." Floyd pulled out several more glass bottles filled with different colored liquids. "I also got one for night vision, regeneration, two for healing, and…an awkward potion."

"Wow? How did you make these?" I gazed upon the glass bottles in wonder. Could a simple drink be able to provide all those abilities? And for how long?

"No I got these off one of the cultists…along with this." He held up a severed head and I stumbled back immediately.

"What are you carrying severed heads around for!?" I shrieked as I backed myself up to the wall.

"Relax, it's not a real severed head. It's made of some type of material." Floyd tried to calm my revulsion, but I kept my distance. "It belonged to a guy named Crawford. And these heads are always left behind when a Crafter dies. Here, you can see for yourse—"

"No! Stay! Out!" I cried as I constructed a dirt barricade between myself and Floyd. It was childish, sure, but I had no intention of examining a head from a dead Crafter.

"Alright, I'm putting it away. You can come out now." I dug out a hole in the barricade and poked my head out just to be sure. _Yep, no head in sight._ "You're squeamish, though. How are you gonna fight the cultists like that?"

"No visible damage occurs. Blood and guts can't be exposed so I'll be fine." I replied confidently as I demolished my barricade. "So you got potions and a…head…from Crawford. Anything else of use?"

"Yeah, I got some TNT, some food, a flint and steel, and…this." He handed me a piece of paper. "He had more gear on him, but when he was killed by a pack of Creepers, they blew most of it up. This was all I managed to salvage."

I read the paper aloud. "'Welcome to the Endward Cult!' Ha! What a stupid name. Is this the same cult that attacked us?"

"Probably. I don't know how they made these potions, but without them I never would have made it to the warren."

I returned the potion and the piece of paper. "Why was getting to the warren so important?" Sure there were plenty of hiding spots, but the whole place was depressing.

"If you want to know so badly, you can read this." He deposited the potion and paper before withdrawing a book. It wasn't as old as the book Helena had, but it had an identical binding and cover.

Despite my hatred of reading, I accepted the leatherback and examined it. [The History of Miner's Warren]. _Well, I asked a question so I may as well read to figure it out._

Again, there was a signature similar to Herobrine's on the lower left corner of the inside cover. The signature read 'Alexicon' and was written in a cursive style. But what exactly _was_ cursive? For some reason, I felt it was an unnecessary skill to learn. But back to the book.

 **Hello, young reader! I see you've picked up one of my many tomes depicting the history of Minecraftia's most influential locations. This one is about Miner's Warren.**

 _Why does this feel like it's written for kids?_

 **Miner's Warren is a town steeped in history. And its tale is one as old as Minecraftia itself. It all began in 50 A.O. (After Origin).**

 **As more and more Crafters were spawned from the mysterious Origin Zone (See** ** _The History of the Origin Zone_** **for more details), Kingdoms bloomed from the desolate wastelands of the region. Forests were cleared to construct buildings and deserts were transformed into fertile gardens to feed the growing population.**

 **Ten Kingdoms were established. Each ruled by one of the first ten Crafters to ever exist. The Kingdom closest to the Origin Zone was named Ringwood after the wood toppled to construct its foundations.**

 **However, Ringwood and the Origin Zone were divided by a natural barrier. Mt. Mur stood as a permanent obstacle Crafters had to overcome before entering Ringwood. Most Crafters climbed over it or attempted to travel around the base. Very few could dig straight through it.**

 **Then, one day, some wealthy Crafters thought up a possible solution. A rail that led right through Mt. Mur. It took many months to accrue the necessary amount of rails and many more months to excavate the tunnel and construct the railway. But eventually, the railroad was finished.**

 **Not only did the rails cut through Mt. Mur to Ringwood, they also extended throughout the mountains' foundations to mine shafts and excavation sites.**

 **In response, several Crafters settled on the southern side of Mt. Mur to operate the railway. Miners soon flocked to the settlement to utilize the rail transportation and discover new veins of ore buried deep below the mountain. Thus, the settlement would grow into the town aptly named, Miner's Warren.**

I stopped reading for a bit as I processed the information. _So there's a Kingdom on the other side of that mountain. To think civilization is so close and yet so far! And Floyd must have wanted to use the railway to get to Ringwood. But then, wait, why was the warren abandoned?_ I decided to keep reading to find out.

 **Miner's Warren prospered for a few years. Sadly, it was doomed to fail from the start. Its location as well as its establishment as a separate community meant it was on the outskirts of Ringwood's jurisdiction and protection. The wealthy Crafters who started the project were steeped in debt. A debt collected from the unreturned favors they called upon to obtain the rails. Without adequate funds, they no longer had the resources to pay Crafters to defend the warren.**

 **Furthermore, while the warren did attract inexperienced Crafters and Miners, it also attracted the attention of destructive Griefers and crazed Jibbermen. Another issue was the Mob attacks. The flimsy makeshift fence could do little to keep the Mobs at bay. The warren's population soon began to decline and the railway dismantled by Griefers or runaways looking for profitable items.**

 **The warren is currently abandoned. It serves as a reminder of what Crafters can and cannot accomplish through hard work and determination.**

 _Wow. After all the work they put into it, and it still collapsed._ I thought to myself as I closed the book. _With proper planning and resources, they could've lasted a lot longer. But I don't understand some of these terms. Griefers? Jibbermen? And unlike the other times when I said or thought something without knowing what it was, I have no idea what these words mean._

 _But now the warren's state made sense. The destroyed fences. The ruined buildings. The lack of people. It was unable to defend itself from the harsh elements of Minecraftia. It was a broken town._

 _And if I don't learn how to survive, I'll end up broken too._

"Hey, Cobb! If you're done reading, I think I found something." Floyd called from down the tunnel. I jogged to catch up. Along the way, I set down my last torch to illuminate the area Floyd was examining.

Along the wall was a large vein of coal ore. But I was more interested in the ore beneath it. It had a brown color to it and looked rather dull, but it was an ore I never encountered before. That made it interesting.

"Alright, I'll mine it and then split it with you. Deal?" Floyd asked as he readied his pick.

"Sure. Oh, here's your book back." I remembered as I handed him the book. "Thanks for letting me read it."

"No problem." Floyd replied easily as he began mining the coal. "I found it two days ago at the warren. There was surprisingly a lot of gear left abandoned."

"You were there before?" I asked as I munched an apple. "Then, why did you leave in the first place?"

"Cultists." Floyd answered in an emotionless tone. "It's too dangerous to get to Ringwood through that tunnel. So I'll have to either go around or climb over Mt. Mur."

"Well in that case, I think going over the mountain is the best option."

"What you think is best is your choice. After we get out of these woods, this 'alliance' is over."

"Ah…right. Sorry." _Geez, am I_ that _bad? Although, with my questionable mental state…maybe it's better I go by myself._

Heart: _Don't think that Cobb._

 _Ugh, this again?_

Bladder: _Heart's right. Don't think of us as some crazed delusions. We're more like your conscience thoughts. We just want to help guide your actions towards the most reasonable option._

 _Really?_

Brain: _I don't know. I'm just a crazed delusion._

Heart: _THAT"S IT BRAIN! YOU AND ME! MANO A MANO! CORAZON A CEREBRO! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR ATTITUDE!_

Brain: _You wanna go!? COME AT ME!_

Bladder: _Just let me know if either of you need a knife._

Stomach: _Cobb, I appreciated the apple. Thank you for listening to my complaints._

 _*Sigh* No problem._

I tuned out the brutal battle between heart and brain as I refocused on Floyd. He had finished mining the coal, but had paused at the brown ore.

"Something's wrong." He said with a frown as he examined the tunnel floor. "I mined some of this brown ore, but I didn't get anything from it."

"You sure you didn't misplace it?" I asked as I walked up to the wall.

"I think I would know if I misplaced something. It's nowhere to be found."

"Hmmm…let me try with my pick." I suggested as I withdrew my wooden pickaxe.

"No!" Floyd gripped my shoulder to stop me. "We don't have an infinite amount of this ore to test mine. And I already know a wooden pickaxe won't work. We need something stronger."

"Oh, yeah, I'll just grab my iron pick and mine this with it instead." I replied sarcastically. I don't know why I was so snarky all of a sudden. Maybe it was a combination of Floyd's wariness of our alliance, him holding back my attempts to verify the mining ability of our tools, and the need to prove myself to him. And maybe my questionable mental stability was making rash decisions for me.

"I don't think we need an iron pick for this." Floyd answered, completely ignoring my sarcasm. "If I'm right, then this is iron ore."

"What makes you think that? The iron the cultists wielded was white and silver and shiny." I explained as if I was an expert on metals. "And this ore is a dull brown shade."

"We probably need to remove the impurities within the ore first." He explained. "Maybe smelt the iron before shaping it into tools and armor."

"How do you expect to do that? With an Easy-bake Oven?" I joked before realizing I had no idea what an Easy-bake Oven was.

He chuckled at that too before adopting a complicated expression. _Wait. Did he just get my joke?_

"Why did I—"

"You're wondering why you laughed at my joke, right?" I asked earnestly as I stood in front of him with my eyes wide. _This is my chance to ask him!_ "You understood my joke even though you have no idea what an Easy-bake Oven is, right?"

"Y-yeah, but…" Floyd held his head as he pondered what was going on. "I've been experiencing these feelings of familiarity ever since the Void. As well as—"

"Feelings of normalcy?" I finished his thoughts for him as he nodded at my phrasing. "Yeah, I've had those too and I thought it was weird at first. It's good to know I'm not the only one experiencing it."

"It feels almost like…like my brain is telling me I don't know something…but at the same time… _something_ feels familiar. Instinct or emotion or…" Floyd did his best to voice what he was feeling and I nodded as it sounded close enough to what I was feeling too.

"Yeah, we understand the reference, if only for a moment, even though we're not entirely sure what it means." _But, why are we having such feelings? Do all Crafters go through this?_

I voiced my thoughts to Floyd, but he only shook his head in confusion. All these inner thoughts were making our brains smoke.

"All I know is that some instinct is telling me that this is iron ore and that we can get iron from it when we smelt it." He concluded as he turned his attention back to the wall. "But how to mine it?"

"Why not blow it up with TNT? It'll certainly save time." I suggested as I sat down on a nearby rock.

"No. I only have two blocks of TNT left. I gotta save them for worse times." He explained as he combined some sticks and coal to make torches. "Besides, it might destroy the ore altogether."

 _He's right about saving the TNT, but I don't think it can destroy the ore. The wooden pick could break cobblestone and so could Creeper explosions…probably. And just like in rock-paper-scissors, pick beats rock, rock beats scissors, and explosion beats everything._

 _Wait, did he just make torches without sunlight?_

I observed his crafting more closely and discovered that he _was_ making torches. And without sunlight too! _I guess the sunlight aspect never mattered._ I thought sadly.

"So then what's the plan?" I asked as Floyd approached me and handed me half of the coal he collected.

"I guess we'll have to move on. No point in guarding it when we don't know how to get it off the wa—" Floyd cut himself off as he stared behind me. He had a fearful look in his eye and I knew something was wrong.

I whirled around and withdrew my sword as I witnessed what Floyd was horrified by. It was a lone Creeper, moving towards us in a silent stride.

Floyd took a few steps back as he swapped to his bow. He was clearly too afraid of these things to fight them up close. Otherwise, he would have remembered that he had a single arrow to fire and a damaged bow that wouldn't last long.

For me though, I was calm and confident. I knew a secret about Creepers that Floyd didn't. Simply blocking when it got too close would be enough. Sure the tunnel might gain a crater or two, but it would be the safest way to conquer the Creeper explosion.

 _*Gasp* Inspiration!_

Floyd aimed his bow at the Creeper, hands shaking all the time, but I stepped in his way. "Let me handle this thing. I've got an idea."

Floyd looked shocked at my confidence in the face of a ticking time bomb. "Do you have a death wish? We should just turn back. I've seen what those things are capable of."

"So have I. Which is why you need to trust me on this." I answered easily as I walked over to the side of the tunnel with the ore. In response, the Creeper followed.

"Cobb, are you sure you know what you're—"

"Yup, I'm 99% sure this will work." I stated confidently as I held up my sword to block. I waited as the Creeper grew closer and closer. Soon it was right next to me.

*sssssssSSSSS!*

*BOOM*

I was knocked back a few feet as the Creeper exploded, leaving a smoking crater in its wake as well as some blocks of cobblestone…and brown ore!

"Aha!" I shouted as I dusted myself off, barely damaged, and stooped down to collect the blocks. Meanwhile, Floyd was standing with his mouth agape.

"What did…how the…" Floyd tried and failed to voice his confusion.

"If you block a Creeper explosion with a sword, you can reduce the damage." I answered, knowing what he was thinking. "I guess I'm not as inexperienced as you thought." I folded my arms at that and put on a smug grin.

"Just give me some of that ore." He sighed in concession with a frown on his face.

"Sure thing, _partner._ " I drew out the word as I handed him some [IRON ORE]. Floyd snatched it from my hand before withdrawing his pickaxe and began mining part of the tunnel. "So…now what?"

"Well, we need something to cook the iron with. So I'm building a furnace." Once he collected enough cobblestone, he set his crafting table and placed the blocks in the outline of the square grid. The result was a dark grey block with weird designs on it.

"A furnace?" I questioned as I examined the block. _I think I saw a block like that at Helena's house._

"It's like an oven." Floyd explained as he placed it on the ground. "I've seen a few of these in the warren. I've only cooked food in them, but maybe it can work with iron too."

"Really? You can cook food in this?" I asked with my mouth watering. My stomach was currently attempting to wrench power from my brain as it pictured the dishes that could be made. _Smoked salmon! Pot roast! Beef Stir Fry! Fried Chicken! Toasted toast! The possibilities are endless!_ "I think I better make one too." I suggested with restrained enthusiasm as I withdrew some cobblestone.

"Focus, Cobb. The iron is more important." Floyd popped some coal in the bottom part of the furnace and some iron ore in the top part. Immediately, the furnace roared to life as a glowing fire crackled within it. "Good. It works the same."

"I got one too!" I cheered as I held my completed [FURNACE] high in the air as if it were a priceless treasure. "Now let's see if I can't make this rotten flesh taste better."

I placed the furnace down and placed some coal in the same way that Floyd had. Then, I placed some rotten flesh in the top half and waited in eager anticipation.

But to my dismay, no fire roared to life as it had with Floyd's furnace. It just stood there in a cold silence as if to say, 'I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do with this garbage.'

Soul crushing despair overtook me as I fell to my hands and knees and pounded the furnace with my fists. "Why…why…why…"

Of course, my repeated pounding on the furnace caused it to break apart and empty its contents all over the floor.

 _Why…_

"Yes! It's making iron! Cobb, you better cook your ore…" He trailed off as he saw me in a fetal position next to a pile of coal and rotten flesh. "Or I could cook it for you?" He offered with his hand outstretched. To depressed to answer, I simply chucked the ore at his feet.

"Thanks." Floyd grunted irritated as he picked up the ores and placed them in the same burning furnace before finding his own spot on the ground to sit.

* * *

[Floyd]

 _Boy, I sure know how to pick them. Crazy and catatonic. I mean, what was I thinking?_

 _Oh, right! It was something along the lines of, 'Hey, Floyd! Check out that guy over there. He seems weak and doesn't look like he could hold his own in a fight, but you should save him anyway because…why the hell not? Picking up stragglers that can't do crap is FUN!'_

 _Really poor decision. Now I'm stuck with this guy and I'm starting to question his mental state._

"…rotten flesh…no hope…tastes of despair…" Cobb mumbled as he laid on the ground in the same fetal position.

A few moments later, the furnace's fire died and my previous thoughts of poor choices were eclipsed by the sheer joy of obtaining iron. I withdrew the newly smelted ingots of refined metal and examined them in my hand. [IRON INGOT]. _And four of them too! Now, what to make..._

Varying degrees of thoughts entered my mind as I pondered what to craft or attempt to craft with the new items. Weapons, armor, tools, an extra flint and steel (cuz mine's almost out). It was a tough choice.

Then I remembered half of it belonged to Cobb. Immediately I felt disappointment. We had already agreed on splitting things fifty-fifty. Not to mention, it _was_ his experience that managed to separate the ore from the tunnel. Why couldn't I think of using Creeper explosions for excavation?

 _Or maybe the better question is, 'how did a guy like Cobb come up with an idea like that?'_ I looked over to Cobb to see he was still mourning the death of his hopes and dreams. The same guy who had brilliantly survived a Creeper explosion was despairing over the inability to convert rotten flesh into something more edible.

 _I can't say I've ever been desperate enough to turn to Zombie flesh as a food supply, but maybe that's the same reason why Cobb knew how to counter a Creeper explosion. This is a man who's made tough, yet stupid, choices because he's been desperate enough to try_ anything _just to continue his survival. It's admirable…_

 _But more importantly, if he's willing to try anything, that makes him the perfect…lab rat. There it is again! I don't even know what a lab rat is, and yet I understand its context perfectly!_

 _Bottom-line, he could be useful in helping me understand Minecraftia's more dangerous points._

 _Sure, it sounds a bit cold-hearted to be using him, but he's probably thinking the same thing right now. I mean he_ did _say he needed me more than I needed him. And I don't want to be the one gaining nothing from this short alliance._

 _So it's fair to use him…right?_

 _Yeah! It's definitely fair. And if I've got time to think about it, then I've got time to plan ahead._

 _Some iron tools would be best. Maybe a stronger pick since my wooden one can't seem to bust through iron ore. Of course I'd have to ask Cobb to use his share of the iron._

 _Or…_

"Hey, Cobb. I have some spare [COOKED PORKCHOP]. Wanna trade your share of the iron for—"

"YES!" Cobb screeched in glee as he recovered from his fetal position and, in one fluid movement, leapt from the ground, seized the single pork chop from my hand, performed a front flip for style, and landed face first onto the ground again.

"Got too cocky with that landing." I heard him mumble into the ground. But I didn't care much as I rushed to the table before he could change his mind. Remembering Helena's recipe for wooden pickaxes, I swapped the planks for iron ingots and, one craft later, withdrew the finished product. [IRON PICKAXE].

It felt a lot different from the wooden pickaxe. There was more weight to it and I was confident that most ores would crumble before its might. I was left with a spare ingot, but upon seeing Cobb happily drooling over the pork chop, I pocketed it in my backpack. Hopefully, I could find a flint to make a new lighter.

"Alright, let's keep looking for ores." I announced as I led the way down the tunnel…only to stop as I noticed Cobb wasn't following. "You coming?"

"We already found ores. You really wanna push our luck and go poking around a Mob filled cave?" He asked as he munched on the pork chop.

"We'll be fine. I can handle the Zombies and you can handle the Creepers, Skeletons, Witches, and…everything else."

"Just because I know some common Mobs doesn't mean I'm invincible." Cobb protested. "And a wooden sword can only do so much."

"Should have thought about that before you traded sword materials for food." I argued in a superior tone. "You know more about Mobs than I do, so you can finally be useful for something."

Cobb sighed in annoyance before reluctantly following. As I lit the way with torches, he jerked his head to look behind us every few seconds. When he thought he saw something he flinched and moved his hand to the sword at his belt, only to realize that nothing was following us. In short, he was paranoid.

"What are you so worried about?" I inquired with a raised brow. "A minute ago you were staring down a Creeper, but now you're all jittery."

"As long as I see the Creeper before it attacks, I can—" He stopped short as he glanced at me with narrowed eyes. "Why do you care if I'm worried? You want this alliance over with as soon as possible."

Anger flared up in me at his words. "Yeah, you're right. I don't care." I turned my head and kept my eyes forward. "As long as your paranoia doesn't affect me you can have a mental breakdown for all I care."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Great!"

"Super!"

We both huffed in annoyance after that brief argument and continued down the tunnel in silence.

But inside my head, my thoughts buzzed angrily.

 _This asshole has a lot of nerve! Pissing me off and acting like a professional when he's really just an inexperienced child!_

 _Yeah, I want this alliance over with soon because I don't want you dragging me down. I have a list of things I need to accomplish. I have a Kingdom to get to, a friend to find, and a cultist to take care of._

And just like that, my anger at Cobb transformed into anger at Spring_Fever: The man who murdered my friend and the member of the cult that caused me so much turmoil the past few days.

It was all the Endward Cult's fault. They were the ones responsible and they needed to be dealt with. Why nobody had dealt with them sooner was a mystery, but they were too numerous to eliminate without proper help.

 _Once I find Soul, the two of us will avenge Silent_Game and start the adventure we promised._

* * *

[Noman]

"Okay, so…I'm sorry I killed you three. I never meant to…No! That's not good enough for them, um…"

There I was, Nowhere_Man, standing in front of three shabby graves. No bodies were buried beneath them. Only chests filled with the inventories of each Crafter. But even that was half-assed. The gear that had exploded from their destroyed forms was strewn about and intermixed until the proper owner was no longer distinguishable.

Instead, I just gathered all their gear and divided it into three equal piles before placing them in a chest. The only thing I separated differently, and with great revulsion, were their heads.

I placed one in each chest and used signs to label the graves with each Crafter's name. _But hey, at least I learned the recipes for chests and signs. That's a bright side…_

Now all that was left was to give a eulogy…not that I knew what that was. All I knew was that I should say _something_ for these guys, even though they had tried to kill me. Maybe that was the heroic character of the Billionth talking.

To be the bigger person and forgive. Especially since they were dead because of me.

"I…I don't know if we could have been friends, but…but you shouldn't have attacked me. I didn't do anything to…No! That's worse!" I kicked a tree in frustration as I struggled to come up with the right words. I needed a different approach if I was to say anything meaningful.

Not that anyone was watching. There was nobody to judge me, but me.

Nowhere_Man.

I finally decided on something that might work. I straightened my suit and tie as I prepared to address the graves one last time.

"You three were…the first Crafters I met in this crazy place. I was expecting friendliness and compassion or, at the very least, indifference." I paused as I recalled their reactions. "But not hostility. Never hostility. I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but I never intended on harming any of you."

I remembered the Severe Shield still stashed away in my backpack. The chest plate of invincibility that had saved my life at the cost of theirs.

"I don't regret living through your attacks. I just regret being weak enough to rely on something as Godlike as my armor." My eyes were beginning to blur and I had to wipe the tears away. I had no right to cry. "If I was stronger, maybe I could have stopped you before you hurt yourselves beyond repair. But that's in the past. Instead, I'm going to use this experience and learn from it. I'm gonna learn to fight without this armor. That way I can be the Billionth that the people will be expecting."

At that, I turned on my heel and walked towards the northern mountains. The sun was just beginning to rise and streaks of sunlight were breaking through the treetops. It was funny how symbolic it seemed. A new dawn to represent my own dawning.

It was only natural that a Creeper would appear before me. Almost as if the world was intent on thwarting my intent to fight without a safety net.

I reached into my backpack, but not for my chest plate. Instead I withdrew my diamond blade and held it in a sloppy stance. Inexperienced but determined.

"En garde monster!" I cried as I swung my diamond blade at it.

* * *

Inventory: 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 5 Cobblestone, 5 Coal, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 54 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 40 Dirt, 2 Signs, 14 Ladders, 1 Bucket, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Rabbit Stew, 1 Apple, 1 Leather Boots, 13 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Alright I seem to be holding up my one chapter a week thing.**

 **You guys got a bit of a history lesson this chapter and an idea of what the inside of Cobb's head sounds like. Writing for his organs was surprisingly fun and funny to me. Hopefully, you all found it funny too...unless you skipped everything just to read this author's note. In which case...I didn't spoil anything. (9_9)**

 **Also got to see more of Flawwed_Floyd. He's not a submitted OC, but I'm trying to give him an actual character. Which is hard.**

 **And then there's Nowhere_Man who also has his own character. I'm actually worried that Cobb has less character than the other characters.**

 **So yeah. Still accepting OCs, leave a review or fav. Recommend this to your friends, recommend this to your enemies.**

 **And have a nice day!**


	12. Stickman

**AN: Okay, so I got a majority for the puzzle idea. So I'm gonna do that for a couple of chapters. Once again, first person to review or PM the correct answer gets a Victory Cookie (::) and acknowledgement next chapter. Wrong people get a Negative Cracker [::]. But if the same person keeps getting the puzzles right then I'm gonna have to do...something about it. And no cheating.**

 **Puzzle: There are two eggs in a basket. When one minute passes, the eggs in the basket double. In sixty minutes the basket is full. When is it half-full?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Endermen would be able to kidnap young villagers.

* * *

Chapter 12

 **Stickman**

[Cobb]

 _Nice going, Cobb. You managed to piss off the one sort-of-good guy in this entire forest. Now what?_ I thought to myself as we continued down the tunnel in silence. I checked my clock and found that the sun was just beginning to rise. Dawn.

Oh, how I wanted to be back above ground. Back in broad daylight and far away from any Mobs. Away from the dark, enclosed, sure-to-be-filled-to-the-brim-with-death cave.

Away from the tense atmosphere caused by Floyd.

There was little point in trying to win him over anymore. I pretty much screwed that up several different ways.

 _Why is impressing people so hard!? Helena scoffed at my Mob fighting skills and now Floyd thinks I'm a whiny idiot who only cares about food. It's not my fault rotten flesh is flavorless! I'm the victim here!_

 _…_ _maybe I'll always be just a huge disappointment._

In the midst of my self-deprecating thoughts, I heard the faint sound of rushing water. I glanced around the lit up tunnel to locate to source, but found nothing.

"Do you hear that?" I asked the Crafter ahead of me.

"The awkward silence? Yeah, I heard it just fi—"

"No, no. I mean the water." I shushed him as I perked up my ears. It was definitely the sound of rushing water and it was coming from the left wall.

Floyd heard it too now. He readied his pick and began mining out the left wall where the sound was the loudest.

A few pieces of cobble later, he dug out a new tunnel that led to another cavern. This one had a pool of water that rushed through an opening to create the sound. The current was as strong as rapids as it cascaded over protruding rocks.

Floyd lit the cavern up before taking a quick look around. Probably to find some more ores. In the meantime, I walked over to the pool and bent down to take a few gulps, careful not to fall in.

"There's nothing of value in here." Floyd called in discontent. "Let's keep moving. The sun should be almost up by now."

"It is up. My clock says so." I replied tiredly. "Can't we rest for a bit? I haven't gotten much sleep."

Come to think of it, I hadn't gotten any sleep for three nights. I was always trying to survive so sleep just eluded me. Helena's bed was so comfy and warm. Like sleeping on a cloud. It was the best rest I ever had…by default.

"…alright I guess we could both use some rest." Floyd sighed reluctantly as he sat beside the tunnel he dug…and far away from me.

Super.

I sought out the comfiest chunk of rock to sleep on and rested my head. My eyes soon closed to the sound of the rushing water.

* * *

"Cobb…wake up Cobb! We need to go now." I heard the panicked voice of Floyd and felt him jostle me in an attempt to wake me up.

"Uhnnnn." I groaned in a Zombie like manner. "Nooooo…let me sleep…"

Floyd paused in his jostling. "I found a stash of bacon."

"WHERE!?" I rushed to my feet and looked in every direction trying to locate the bacon, only to have a hand clamp down over my mouth.

"Shut up!" Floyd hissed. "I'm hearing something in the walls and it doesn't sound good."

"So…the bacon was…"

"A complete lie. Yes." Floyd released his hand from my mouth and pointed towards the tunnel he made. "We should get out of here before we find out what's making those noises."

I strained my ears to hear the noises Floyd was mentioning. Once I made them out, I realized how familiar they sounded.

*UNK*

It was that same low oink that I heard in that cavern below the Crapshack. Half of me was curious to find out what thing was making that noise, but the other half of me wanted to leave in one piece.

But first, I needed to fully wake up. My eyelids were still heavy and I couldn't feel my face. Not to mention my neck felt sore. Sleeping on rocks, albeit comfy rocks, will do that.

I returned to the pool and splashed some water in my face before remembering an item of mine. I withdrew my bucket and scooped out some water to dump on my face. With that action, the bucket became a [WATER BUCKET], but when I dumped it out over my head, instead of pouring out traditionally, the water was placed at my feet and flowed toward the pool.

It was so unexpected, that I failed to react in time as the water carried me into the pool. Then, the current dragged me towards the opening in the cavern.

"What are you doing!?" Floyd shouted out as he ran along the pool's bank trying to grab a hold of me.

"I'm sorry! Don't hate me! I just—"

That was all I managed to get out before the current swallowed me up and dragged me in a raging torrent.

* * *

[Floyd]

"Goddammit!" I cried out frustrated as Cobb's brown hair disappeared beneath the rushing water.

I reacted without thinking and searched my Inventory for an item I had crafted a while ago. It was supposed to be for a wooden bucket to carry water, but instead of making a bucket, it made something else.

A [BOAT].

And there was no better time than now to use it. I threw it into the water and watched in amazement as it became a small boat capable of seating one person.

I leapt into the boat as it flowed with the current and guided it towards the cavern opening. I was amazed at how easily the boat responded to my guiding. I didn't need paddles or anything. I just had to will it towards a direction.

And right now I was willing it towards Cobb.

 _This guy is more trouble than he's worth! He better have some more tips on how to survive Mobs._

After I cleared the opening, I was thrust into total darkness. I couldn't see anything and I couldn't tell if I was inches from crashing into rocks or Cobb.

 _I can't place these torches in water._ I internally curse as I attempted to light up water. _I guess there's only one thing for it._

I withdrew a dark blue potion and downed it in one gulp. It felt warm going down my throat and left an aftertaste of carrots before I felt the effects. The warm feeling that traveled into my gut rose back up, but not as vomit. It felt more like a burp.

Only the burp didn't exit from my mouth or nose. The warmth rose further until it reached the center of my head. Then, I felt the warmth extend to my eyes. They felt stronger with that warmth behind them and suddenly the darkness that once surrounded me lit up as if it were daytime.

Everything was lit up. The rushing water, the cave walls, the protruding rocks about to hit me, Cobb's head barely keeping afloat, the bats—

"Rocks!" I shouted as I leaned to the left to avoid crashing.

"Cobb, hang in there!" I called out to him.

"Floyd, where are you!? I can't see anything!" He turned his head left and right to try and locate the direction my voice was coming from, but the rushing water was preventing him from staying above too long.

I desperately thought of a way to fish Cobb from the river. _The current's too strong and this boat can't support both of us. I need…_

 _I need to stop the current._

I withdrew some cobble as I willed the boat to travel faster forward. I passed right by Cobb…and then kept going. My target was a narrow part of the river that was forty yards ahead of us. I withdrew all my cobblestone and lined up the boat to crash into the river bank.

Just as it was about to crash, I leapt from the boat and skidded across the bank bank, almost falling back into the rapids. My boat was not so lucky. It crashed and sunk in an explosion of planks and sticks.

With little time to mourn the loss of my boat, I built a cobblestone barrier across the narrow part of the river. Just as I finished placing the last block, Cobb came rushing in and smacked into my barricade with a muffled yell of pain. With a combination of my dragging and his waterlogged crawling, he was removed from the river.

*Cough Cough* "Thanks, Floyd…you are Floyd right?" He reached out in a random direction to try and find my location.

"Yeah, it's me. And I'm this way." I spun him around to face me before placing a torch on the cave floor.

"Whoa! Bright!" Cobb shouted as he shielded his eyes. With my night vision still active I didn't notice any differences.

Instead, I looked at my right arm to verify the potion's effects. Just like with the swiftness potion and the poison potion, a small timer had appeared with a symbol right next to it. The timer read seven minutes and the symbol that accompanied it was a solitary green eye.

 _Night vision for seven more minutes. Well, it was put to good use._

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Cobb asked as he stared at me. "You got some weird, blue, particles floating off you…and your eyes! They're green!"

"It's a side effect of the potion of night vision I drank. It'll wear off soon." He assured as he got to his feet and took a quick look around. "I don't see any ores. I'm thinking Crafters have looted this cave for a long time."

"So should we head back to the surface or—" The rest of Cobb's sentence was cut off as a new sound caught our attention.

*ZWIP*

"Something's standing right behind us." I deadpanned to which Cobb silently nodded. As quick as lighting, I reached for my sword and whirled around to meet my attacker head on.

What I didn't expect was for the attacker to be so tall.

I lifted my head up as I slowly traced the attacker's figure until I met its purple eyes.

And in the blink of an eye, it vanished in a purple flash, leaving behind some purple particles.

"…you saw that too right?" Cobb asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

Before I could answer, a low, quiet growling assaulted our ears. The sound was so unearthly that we covered our ears to try and tune it out. But the horrible wailing only grew louder and louder. The closest thing it resembled was the static a television makes when the cable isn't working.

…whatever cable, television, and static were.

All I knew was that we needed to get far away from that noise. _Fast_.

"Run!" I shouted as I turned to sprint upstream. Hopefully, whatever was making that noise would be too slow. Cobb was right behind me.

"What was that thing? It was so tall and its arms and legs were so long!" He shrieked with his sword already out.

"I thought you were the Mob expert!? I've never seen anything like that before!" I replied with a bit of panic in my voice. "Did you see the look in its eyes!?"

"No, I was kinda preoccupied with its limbs!"

*ZWIP*

"Whoa!" I yelped as I slid underneath the creatures extended arms. It had suddenly appeared in front of us to deliver a swipe and had missed me by mere inches.

Without missing a beat, I retaliated with a swipe of my own. However, just as soon as the creature appeared, it vanished in that same purple flash and my blade met nothing but air.

"Floyd, what happened!? Put some torches down, I can't see!" Cobb shouted as he stumbled around trying to locate me. The night vision remained in effect, but Cobb was still unable to see. I quickly placed a torch to fix that.

"Here, just…hang on to my torches." I directed as I tossed them to him. "Whatever this thing is, it appears to be able to appear and disappear at will."

Before Cobb could voice his thoughts on the manner, another static wail echoed from all around us. _The creature could be anywhere. This cavern is too cramped to fight something like this. We need to get to the surface._

"Floyd! Over here! There's an opening!" Cobb called from beside a one block wide hole in the wall. He quickly expanded it with his pick before we were able to squeeze through it.

We were now in a new cavern. One with a tunnel that steeply climbed up. Coal littered the walls in veins, but we were too preoccupied with escaping the creature to mine any of it.

Speaking of which…

*GHAIYA*

The creature screamed as it tried to follow us through the opening we created. But it was a block too tall and even its long limbs couldn't reach us.

"Move!" I commanded as I rushed to the steep tunnel and began ascending it quickly. Cobb followed, but at a much slower pace. Sometimes he slipped on a rock, other times he tried jumping a gap only to fall down even further. All while placing torches haphazardly around the tunnel. "Pick up the pace Cobb!"

 _Doesn't he realize that we're in danger here? Why doesn't he speed it up? Why does he keep slowing me down!?_

"I'm trying!" He called back.

*ZWIP*

The creature had grown tired of struggling with the opening in the wall and had decided instead to just teleport through it. _So it's not invisibility, it's teleportation._ It looked up at us with its purple eyes and I once again met its gaze.

*GHAIYA* It screamed as it began to climb the tunnel as well.

"Don't look back!" I shouted to Cobb as he almost turned his head around to witness the creature that was approaching him. "You'll just waste more time if you keep looking back!"

Cobb nodded as he redoubled his efforts to climb the sloping tunnel. In the meantime, I readied my bow to cover him. I had one shot left and if I missed, then that thing would attack Cobb.

The creature got closer to Cobb. Its superior legs and arms were making it too easy to climb the slope. But still, Cobb kept his face forward with a sheer determination to escape.

When the creature was right upon him, I let loose my one and only arrow and watched in awe as it pierced the creature…

…only to miss as the creature flashed away instantaneously.

*ZWIP*

"GHK!" I grunted in pain as the creature swung its oversized arms at me and knocked me back down the slope. In that instant I shot at it, it teleported behind me in a sneak attack.

"Floyd!" Cobb cried as he saw my body crumple against the rocky slope. My sword clattered to the side and I felt the wind get knocked out of me upon landing. I glanced at my arm to assess the damage and was shocked to find I had taken six hearts of damage.

 _Is this the end?_ I thought to myself as I shakily got to my feet. The creature was rushing towards me with those long black appendages and its mouth agape in that same bloodcurdling shriek.

*GHAIYA*

 _But, what about Soul? What about Silent? If I die here, then who's going to stop those cultists?_

"Floyd, get out of there!" Cobb shouted as he rushed faster up the slope.

 _No…If I die here, then nobody's gonna stop those cultists! Nobody's gonna care if people lose everything to them!_

 _I can't die here!_

Just as the creature was about to take one last swipe at me, I rolled out of the way and fell further down the slope. As I tumbled, I fished through my backpack for one of my [TNT] blocks and my [FLINT AND STEEL].

Once again, the creature descended upon me. I quickly placed my TNT block and got ready to set it off. However, in another purple flash, the creature was right beside me. Although I lit the TNT, in my effort to dodge the creature's deadly swing, I lit myself on fire and tumbled further down the slope.

*ssssssssSSSS*

*GHAIYA*

*BOOM*

Chunks of [GRAVEL] and cobblestone pelted me from the explosion and all that was left was a smoking crater upon the slope. The creature was gone…

…and I was on fire.

"AGH!" I yelled as I tried to put myself out. My health was getting lower and lower. Near the levels of my health when I fought Spring. And the fire wasn't stopping.

"Floyd!" Cobb called out as he kneeled next to my burning body. "Are you ok?"

"No, of course I'm not ok you idiot!" I shouted at him and would have killed him if I had my sword in hand. "I'm burning alive here!"

 _I guess this really is the end. Now nobody will find Soul or avenge Silent or kill the Endward Cult._

 _Well…there is always Cobb._

 _Maybe he can do it._

"Cobb, listen…I don't have much time left…" I stated weakly as he searched his backpack.

 _For once, would you listen to me!? This is important dying last man's wishes stuff!_

"When I first came into existence…I had two friends…" I explained as Cobb poured a bucket of water on me.

 _Godamnit! This is my tragic back-story and instead of listening you're dowsing me…with…_

And the fire was put out.

*Phew* "It worked." Cobb sighed in relief as I stood myself up. My health was low, but I was still alive.

And it was all thanks to Cobb.

 _Huh._

He withdrew an apple from his backpack and offered it to me. "So…did you kill the Stickman?"

I greedily devoured the apple before registering his question. "Stickman?"

"Yeah, it had stick-like arms and legs. So it's a Stickman." Cobb stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The water he poured had begun to cascade down the slope. Wanting to avoid a repeat of what happened last time, I moved him away from the slope edge and running water.

The water was behaving strangely though. The amount of water Cobb collected in that one bucket could not have been so much. Yet still, it ran down the slope and through the opening at the bottom to join the underground river.

"Well whatever that thing was, it's gone n—"

*ZWIP* *GHAIYA*

"OH COME ON!" Cobb shouted as the Stickman reappeared in front of me. It swung both of its arms down for the kill, but Cobb tackled me out of harm's way.

The Stickman paused, as if remembering who to target, before charging towards my prone self. It completely ignored Cobb who kept his head to the ground.

"Why is it only targeting me!?" I shouted as I dodge rolled from another strike.

"I don't know, I guess it just doesn't like you!" Cobb responded as he stood up and withdrew his sword. He struck at the Stickman's exposed back and I was pleased that he managed to land a solid hit.

*GWUP*

The enraged Stickman whirled upon Cobb and swung its left arm in a wide backhanded strike. Cobb backpedaled, but the Stickman's reach was too long and he was smashed into the slope.

Judging by his wincing, I could tell he took a lot of damage. I withdrew a red potion from my Inventory, a [POTION OF HEALING II], and downed it before rushing the Stickman once again.

As I swung my sword, I noticed I had recovered four hearts from that potion. Bringing my total up to five hearts. The wooden sword struck the Stickman's torso and prevented it from finishing Cobb. But then in a flash, it was gone.

"Cobb, on your feet! We need to watch each other's backs!" I called as I kept my back to his recovering form.

"Right…on it." He replied weakly. "I just lost half my health though. That thing is tough."

"Same health for me. We have to be careful."

*GHAIYA* *GWUP* *GHAIYA*

I turned my attention to the shrieks emanating from the bottom of the slope. The Stickman was teleporting erratically around the water. And it looked like it was taking damage.

"Floyd…I think the Stickman doesn't know how to swim!"

"Or water hurts it." I whispered in realization.

"Or…it can't swim." Cobb affirmed, but I wasn't listening anymore as I pulled him towards the water he had placed.

 _The water has a greater surface area than its original source. That's why it can flow for as long as it can. And if the Stickman can't touch water…_

With my night vision still active, I searched the ceiling for any holes or openings we could escape through. In the corner where the ceiling and wall met, I spotted a 2x2 opening we could pass through.

"Cobb, can you pick the water back up and place it by that wall?" I pointed towards the spot and he nodded before collecting the water back in the bucket. As he did, the water that cascaded down the slope began to dry up. It was like watching a waterfall die out.

The Stickman was still struggling with the water pooling at the base of the slope and I smiled to see how occupied it was.

Cobb placed the water against the wall and, just like last time, it created more flowing water that ran down. "Toss me that bucket." I directed. Cobb immediately complied and I began collecting the water to place it back down a block higher.

My goal, which I accomplished, was a water elevator of sorts. Each time I picked up and placed the water, I was able to rise a bit higher. We were like two salmons swimming up a waterfall. Who cared if it defied physics? It was getting us out of that cavern and that's all that mattered.

*GHAIYA* The Stickman cried out in frustration as it teleported up the slope and tried to assault us. But like a protective force field, the water prevented the Stickman from touching us.

"Yeah, fuck you too!" Cobb called out as he presented his middle finger to the soulless creature.

Even though my mind didn't know what the gesture meant, I felt an instinctual smugness in knowing the Stickman was being taunted.

And after escaping that thing, even I couldn't hold back a smile.

* * *

[Cobb]

 _This is good. We're working together._ I thought as I hoisted myself onto solid ground. The waterfall we swam up took us to a new tunnel and I immediately lit it up.

Honestly, when you've seen one underground cave/tunnel, you've seen them all. The only noticeable difference was a chunk of mineral I wasn't familiar with. It was coarser than cobblestone and the only other time I had seen it was on the sloping tunnel below.

Of course, I was more preoccupied with the Stickman trying to punch my heart out than with examining a new block.

But now…

"Crap…hey Cobb. You got any food on you? My Hunger Meter is—" Floyd began before I cut him off with a bowl of rabbit stew.

 _Sorry, stomach. I know how much you wanted that stew. But he saved my life and now we're finally getting along. It's the right thing to do._

Stomach: _FUCK THE RIGHT THING IN THE ASS! That's_ my _food and I will not have you—_

 _Sorry, what was that?…I can't hear…ell._

Stomach: _I said, that is my—_

 _Sorr…I'm…through a tunnel. I think I'm…aking up…ello?_

Stomach: _BULLSHIT! YOU ARE NOT…well actually you_ are _in a tunnel right now…BUT WE"RE NOT TALKING ON A CELL PHONE! SO YOUR EXCUSE IS BULLSHIT!_

 _Ye…st…ba…ing_

Stomach: _Don't you hang up on me. DON"T YOU—_

"This is the last food I have." I broke away from my stomach's distressing voice. "After this it's all rotten flesh. And let me warn you, it tastes as bad as it looks."

Floyd looked at the stew in my hand before looking down. "Yeah, well…I…" He appeared to be undergoing extreme internal struggle. "I suppose, Minecraftia…won't always have plates of edible food just lying around…so…"

I raised a brow at his mumblings with my outstretched hand still holding the stew.

He sighed. "So…I should get used to the lesser, more readily available varieties."

 _…_ _Huh?_

"Huh?" I voiced my thoughts.

"Just give me the damn rotten flesh." He snapped. Startled, I hastily swapped the stew with a few hunks of rotten flesh and passed them to him.

He quickly snatched them before closing his eyes and taking a bite out of one.

Immediately his eyes flew open and I heard the faint sound of glass shattering that undoubtedly represented Floyd's soul crushing regret.

 _Are those tears in his eyes?_

"Look, Floyd. You know you don't have to—" My protests were cut off as Floyd tossed my bucket of water and nailed me in the head.

"Don…mad…me…talck…while…I'mb…edink…dis!" He muttered in between mouthfuls of flesh. He looked like he was about to puke, but his pride wouldn't let him stop eating until his Hunger was full.

After that fight, I was pretty hungry too, but I didn't want to eat the rotten flesh when I had perfectly delicious rabbit stew just waiting to be eaten.

Not to mention it would have been downright cruel to enjoy food like that when Floyd was standing a few feet away gorging himself on rotten flesh.

So, I did the only honorable thing.

I pretended to sneeze so I could turn my head away, devoured the rabbit stew while Floyd was lying on the ground, and turned back before he could notice anything.

*COUGH* *HACK* "Ugh…that was terrible." He groaned as he lied on his back staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, the rotten flesh backlash will wear off eventually." I recalled as I remembered the unsavory side effects of the flesh. Floyd looked at his arm to confirm the side effect and that his Hunger was as full as it was going to get. "If you stay still it might prevent you from losing any Hunger."

I knew what it was like eating that stuff so I was sympathetic, but not enough to not enjoy the taste of that rabbit stew. It was _so_ delicious. And surprisingly filling. It restored half of my Hunger and left an empty solitary [BOWL] in my hand.

"Yeah that stuff is pretty bad." Floyd agreed with his left arm held in front of his face. He just watched his health tick back up. "It's disgusting and shabby and not worth much, but it gets the job done."

From the corner of my eye, I thought he looked at me when he said that last bit, but when I turned to verify, he had his left arm shielding his eyes.

"Right, well…we should probably leave before Stickman shows up again." Once more, the awkwardness had returned to the situation. Things were better between us, but it still felt forced to me. _I saved his life and he saved my life. That's a good connection. But still, I feel like he's reluctant to team up with me._

 _Well, one step at a time._

"Actually, since we're waiting anyway…" Floyd began as he pointed to the wall with the coarse mineral embedded into it. "Why don't you mine some of that gravel?"

"Gravel?" I asked confused as I made my way to the wall.

"Yeah, just use a shovel and keep mining until you get a sharp item. It won't be a block." Floyd directed as he sealed up the hole we escaped through.

I withdrew my shovel and began excavating the [GRAVEL]. After mining the tenth piece, my shovel broke and I was forced to craft a new one. Thankfully, I had all the supplies needed to make a new wooden shovel. _God, these shovels break easily. I wouldn't mind getting an iron upgrade on my tools. Maybe I can ask Floyd for that piece of iron back?_

One shitty shovel later, I continued my mining and was happy to obtain the object described by Floyd on the thirteenth gravel. A [FLINT].

"Alright, I got it. Now what?" I asked as I handed him the flint. Floyd got up off the ground and fished through his backpack before withdrawing the leftover iron ingot. He combined the two and handed me the finished product. A [FLINT AND STEEL]. "Wow…what is it?"

"It's called a flint and steel." Floyd explained exasperatedly. "It can light things on fire, but just like tools it has a finite durability. So don't go burning everything in sight."

 _Whoa, cool!_ _I am King_Cobb and I have mastery over FIRE! Oh look, a herd of Zombies. Whatever will I do? If only I had…_

 _BAM! FIRE!_

"Ha. Take that, Zombies." I muttered dreamily as I deposited the new tool in my backpack. Speaking of which, my backpack was getting pretty full. Soon, I wouldn't be able to carry any more items and I'd have to go through the painstaking process of shifting through my Inventory. _That won't be fun._

Floyd looked though his Inventory and made a note of everything he had. "We should be close to the surface by now. Is it still daytime?"

I quickly checked my clock. "Yeah, the sun is at the top. So that's…noon?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right. The tunnel slopes up this way." He gestured to the side of the cavern that sloped up. "Best option."

"Actually," I stopped Floyd from proceeding up the tunnel as an idea formed in my mind, "if we need to get out of here fast, I have a better way."

* * *

It took a bunch more ladders, and a bit of mining and digging, but we finally managed to climb our way out of that cavern and back onto the surface. No way was I taking the chance of meeting Stickman in a dark tunnel again and Floyd agreed it was the better option. Floyd actually agreed!

 _Alright, Cobb! Things are good right now. You're close to making him realize teaming up is for the best. I just need a little more time to—_

"Hey, I think we've reached the mountain." Floyd commented as he looked up. I followed his gaze and realized what he was staring at.

Mt. Mur towered several thousand feet above us, its peak barely visible through the clouds. It had looked a lot smaller from the Origin Zone. But now, with the sun beaming off the rocky outcroppings, it was breathtaking.

 _But screw that! If we're this close, then that means we're almost out of the forest!_

 _Which means our alliance is nearly…over._

"You said you wanted to go over the mountain right?" Floyd asked as he sealed up the hole we climbed out of. "Still think that's a good idea?"

I saw what he meant. Climbing a mountain like that would take several…hours. Which in Minecraftia time was _days_. But it couldn't be worse than going around the mountain. Without knowing its approximate size, skirting around the base could take just as long.

"It could take a while, but it might be easier locating Ringwood from a higher vantage point." I suggested with a note of hope.

But the blue-nette just shook his head. "That mountain will be barren of animals, but not Mobs. We won't have any food except for rotten flesh. The cultists will see us on those bare rocky cliffs a mile away." He ticked off his fingers as he made each point. "And one slip up and we fall to our deaths."

 _…_ _yeah those are all good points. And I guess…wait. We?_

"We?" I asked unsure. "But I thought you…didn't want—"

"W-what I meant to say was that…I'm going around the mountain. And going over is a bad choice so…if you decide to go around too…then I don't see why we can't extend our alliance." He managed to mumble out. "But only until we get to Ringwood."

A smile spread across my face as what he said hit me. _He wants to stick together! I knew he was a good guy! Any guy with blue hair has to be good deep down._

"Stop smiling like that." He frowned at my expression. "It's creepy."

"You got it, ally buddy!" I chirped out happily before lowering my smile from a ten to a seven. "Lead the way."

"Alright, we're traveling by day now so keep an eye out for any cultists or residual Mobs." He ordered with a confident stride. I followed with a confident stride of my own, and as we walked through the forest, keeping Mt. Mur to our right, I could only think one thing.

 _Things are looking up._

Oh, how wrong I was.

* * *

[Carys]

 _I am a woman of simple needs._

"Yah!" I shouted as I swung my golden sword at the nearest Creeper. The Mob exploded in a shower of EXP and gunpowder before it even saw my red irises.

 _To fight the strong and crush the weak._

"Tah! Tah! Tah!" Each stab of my sword was pronounced with a similar exclamation as I dispatched four Cave Spiders. String and Spider Eyes were left in their wake.

*TWANG*

My body reacted before my mind even registered the sound and I ducked just as an arrow flew over my head. The guilty archer could only stand at its vantage point and feign innocence.

 _Not gonna help._

I swapped to my personal bow and let loose a burning arrow right between the Skeleton's eyes. It ignited and flailed around for a bit before joining its brethren in oblivion.

 _Too easy._

A pack of Zombies began a charged, tank-like assault on me. I merely looked at them with a bored expression before withdrawing a splash potion of slowness. I chucked it at them and watched as their sluggish movements became even more sluggish.

I then withdrew some TNT and placed a block at my feet before turning my attention to a newcomer. I grinned.

 _An Enderman._

I didn't even hesitate as I gave it a long challenging stare. Red eyes met purple and the battle was on.

*ZWIP*

I nimbly dodged to the right as it swung its arms down with rock shattering force. I downed a potion of swiftness and enjoyed the exhilarating feeling the potion provided as a side effect.

The Enderman ran towards me and I couldn't resist laughing at how goofy it looked running on those stilts-for-legs. It swung its arms at me in a coordinated assault, but after the potion I just drank, it couldn't touch me.

It struck with the left arm and I dodged to the left. It struck with the right arm and I dodged to the left. It struck with both arms and I backpedaled.

 _Things like fighting are second nature to me._

*TWANG* *TWANG* *TWANG*

I spun on my heel to dodge a flurry of arrows sent by a new pack of Skeletons.

 _Awfully ambitious._

I prepared to dispatch them, but the Enderman took the opportunity to strike me in the back.

I could have dodged, but I had a better idea. So with a grin, I merely took the attack.

The Enderman struck me hard on the shoulder, but with my Protection enchanted diamond armor, I barely felt a thing.

But there was more to it.

*GHAIYA* The Enderman screamed as my diamond armor glowed unnaturally before sending the creature sprawling across the floor. Courtesy of my newest Thorns enchantment.

 _That was worth every emerald._

I returned my attention to the slow moving Zombie pack and saw that they were getting closer to the TNT I placed.

 _I still got time._

*TWANG* *TWANG* *TWANG*

Three more arrows flew towards me and I simply used my enhanced speed to sidestep each one.

 _But first, those Skeletons._ I licked my lips as I charged towards them full speed with my golden sword in hand.

The Skeletons tried to get a shot at me, but I was always a few steps ahead from where they were aiming.

*ZWIP* *GHAIYA* The Enderman had teleported in front of me and it did not look happy.

"Wait your turn." I responded simply as I went from a sprint to a smooth slide beneath the Enderman's legs just as it brought its arm down in front of him. I performed a short tumble before returning to my feet and somersaulted over the central of the three Skeletons. As soon as I landed, I changed the grip of my sword and swung a horizontal backwards slash.

The Skeleton stumbled back with an audible rattle before I finished it with a powerful blow to the skull. The other two Skeletons on either side of me aimed their bows at my head.

 _Oh please._

I yawned as I merely ducked to not only dodge their shots, but have them shoot at each other. The Skeletons angrily exchanged bone rattles with each other before completely ignoring me to engage in their own archery battle. I smiled at how easily their attention drifted.

*ZWIP* Again the Enderman teleported within striking distance, but all of its swings met air. However, I had toyed with the Mobs long enough. It was time to end it.

I readied my golden sword and dodged both the Enderman's arms before getting within its guard. My sword plunged deep into its torso with an audible _squelch_. And boy did it scream.

*GHAIYA* *GHAIYA* It attempted to strike me while I was up close.

 _They never learn._

*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*

Three strikes later and the Enderman was nothing more than a couple of ender pearls on the ground.

 _Enderman's done._

I turned my attention to the two Skeletons still dueling and caught a glimpse at one of them disappearing in a puff of smoke, EXP, and bones. The remaining Skeleton rattled in triumph.

"Congrats. You get to be killed by me." I congratulated as I finished it with a flaming arrow.

 _Skeletons are done._

Finally, I returned my attention to the pack of Zombies slowly trying to make their way over to me.

"Ah, perfect position gentlemen." I cheerily called out as I aimed my fire bow at the block of TNT surrounded by Zombies.

*TWANG*

*BOOM*

 _It's raining rotten flesh._

"Now back to mining." I concluded happily as I hung my bow at my belt, collected any useful Mob drops, and withdrew my iron pick.

 _Things like killing are second nature to me._

 _Second nature for the Angel of Death._

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 6 Cobblestone, 12 Gravel, 5 Coal, 23 Torches, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 40 Dirt, 2 Signs, 3 Ladders, 1 Water Bucket, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 10 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 21 Cobblestone, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 35 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book, 1 Paper, 1 TNT, 5 Gravel, 5 Coal, 11 Dirt, 2 Gunpowder, 2 Glass Bottles, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration, 1 Awkward Potion, 1 Head {Crawford}

* * *

 **AN: In case any of you had forgotten, yes Carys is the same 'Angel of Death' mentioned in chapter 10. Not sure if that was obvious or not.**

 **Also, I'm looking forward to next chapter. Why you ask? Oh...you didn't ask?...well...fine I wasn't going to tell you anyway. (v_v)**

 **As always, share, like, subscribe...wait, no that's youtube.**

 **Uh...fav, follow, review, PM, and have a good week!**


	13. Vehemence

**AN: I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys like it too. If not, be sure not to let me know how much you hated it. (T_T)**

 **Next, the answer to last week's puzzle was '59 minutes.' Congrats to TheWritingReader for being the first to answer correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **And now for this week's puzzle.**

 **Puzzle: Who's buried in Grant's tomb?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Ender Pearls wouldn't damage you when used.

* * *

Chapter 13

 **Vehemence**

[Cobb]

After deciding to stick together, we walked for about five minutes, which, judging by the position of the sun, was the equivalent of six or seven hours.

In that time, I had a rough estimation of the length of time a Minecraftia day lasted. About twenty minutes.

 _My normalcy sense is telling me that the closer a planet is to the sun, the shorter the days last. But if a day only lasts twenty minutes_ , _then Minecraftia must be super close to the sun. Wouldn't we all be burned to a crisp if that were the case? The more I think about time here, the more my brain hurts!_

Suddenly, Helena's achievement of waiting for 500 years didn't sound as impressive. The equivalent for that time would be about… _where's a calculator when I need one?_

 _Also, what's a calculator?_

 _Let's see, a year is 365 days…each day is 20 minutes long…so 7,300 minutes is a year._

 _And for 500 years that would be…Ugh too much math!_

 _Maybe I should multiply differently._

 _20 minutes multiplied by 500 years is 10,000 minutes/day/year. Then multiply by 365 days/year and I'm left with…_

 _3,650,000 minutes is 500 years._

 _That's not much._

 _Man, I'm good at math!_

 _And then there's people spawning into existence. About a billion Crafters had to come through that Origin Zone. That's too great a number for a Crafter to spawn once every few seconds._

 _They would have to spawn in groups of hundreds. Why didn't I ask Helena this when I had the chance?_

 _Oh, yeah. Because it involved long-ass multiplication._

 _Hmm…maybe Floyd spawned in a group._

"Hey, Flo—"

"This looks like a safe spot." The blue-nette interjected as he withdrew some gravel and placed them on the ground. "Place your gravel down and take out a shovel."

"Uh…why?" I questioned with a raised brow as I took out my gravel.

"Cause we need more flints." He stated simply.

"But if we both have a flint and steel, why are we trying to mine more flints?" I asked as I set my last piece of gravel down.

"Because flints are useful for other things." Floyd took out his shovel and began mining the gravel. Once he mined it all, he replaced the blocks he picked up. I mimicked his actions.

Not every gravel held a flint inside. It was more like a game of chance. Sometimes I got two gravel in a row, other times I dug the same blocks several times before getting a single flint. Eventually, we converted all of our gravel into flints.

"Good. Now if we combine flints with sticks and feathers we get—"

"A feather duster!" I finished with a confident smile.

"Try arrows." Floyd finished as he withdrew his sword and skulked through the forest.

"Oh, yeah. I was just…kidding." I muttered dejectedly. I was about to join Floyd in his prowling when I heard a noise behind me.

*MOO*

Upon hearing that sound, I relaxed myself and felt the fear and danger ebb away. Even though I was in the middle of a forest with cultists and Mobs looking to kill me, that one sound calmed me.

On instinct or normal sense, I knew that whatever made that sound was peaceful. And as I turned around to verify, I was pleased to note my assumption was right.

It was a lone cow.

Peacefully grazing beside some flowers.

It noticed me and turned its head, unsure of whether I was a threat or not. Ready to flee with all the whirling speed of…a cow.

 _Wonder if I can get some beef from it._

My mouth watered as I slowly slid my hand to my backpack to withdraw my sword.

*moo*

I let out a gasp as a second animal hobbled into the clearing. It was a younger cow. A calf.

The calf nestled itself beside the cow and I wondered if the two were parent and child. With the exception of bunnies and bats, these were the first animals I had seen. And age was clearly visible between the two.

 _If Mobs spawn from darkness, maybe these animals spawn from…light._

I stopped reaching for my sword and began to move toward the bovine duo. They looked startled at first, but upon seeing no weapons on me, they visibly relaxed. The calf even stumbled to meet me half-way.

When I was close enough, I began to pet its back. The calf lowed in content as it fixed its cute little eyes on mine.

*TWANG*

Then, an arrow nailed it in the neck, killing it instantly.

I flinched when the arrow hit. Then I just gazed in horror at the spot where the cute calf had been just a second ago.

"Oh my God…" I wretched out in disgust. Even as Floyd was shooting the parent cow with a flurry of arrows.

"OH MY GOD!" I closed my eyes to avoid the sight of the dying parent cow.

…

"Found some feathers and I made some arrows." Came Floyd's chipper voice from beside me.

My eyes flew open to regard the Crafter in front of me who sheathed his bow in his belt.

Floyd: The killer of innocence.

"Why did you kill them? They didn't attack us or anything!" Floyd recoiled at my outburst before adopting a confused look.

"They were animals. They drop meat. Y'know, for food." He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you of all people would appreciate fresh meat." He ended his statement by holding up the hunk of beef he collected from the cows.

"Yeah, but there was a little baby cow and you just…shot it! Innocence lost Floyd!" I argued using every fiber of my being to focus on Floyd and not the beef.

"I didn't get any meat from it anyway. So I'm the victim here."

"No, the victim is the dead calf and cow. You even murdered him in front of his parent! That's messed up!" I protested.

"Him? _Him_? Listen to yourself, Cobb!" Floyd shouted with his face rising in color. " _It_ was an animal. _It_ needed to die so that _we_ could get food. Food that _we_ need to survive. You think that rabbit stew of yours didn't need a rabbit to die to make it?"

"That's not the point. The calf was innocent!" I stood my ground, even as Floyd's increasing anger was threatening to undo all the hard work I had done to earn his trust. "Maybe the reason you didn't get anything from him is because he was too young!"

"We don't have the time to wait until it matures."

"There are plenty of animals out here." I gestured to the forest. "Only kill adult animals. We should leave the younger ones alone."

"Ugh…" Floyd turned his back on me and kicked a tree in frustration.

 _Guess that's the closest I can get to an agreement._

"Thanks for listening." I calmed down as I took out one of my signs and placed it where the two cows died.

 **Here lies two dead cows. May they rest in peace.**

"Really? A grave?"

"It's not much, but they deserve—"

"Look, I won't kill anymore 'animal babies,'" Floyd used air quotes when stressing that term, even though I was confident he didn't even know what air quotes were, "but if you're gonna make a grave for every dead thing in Minecraftia, then you're not gonna last."

"Well, I gotta do something with all these signs." My Inventory had a lot of junk I never used. The problem was, after all the events and obstacles I faced the past few days, I wasn't sure which items were useful or just garbage.

 _Wait, I wanted to ask Floyd something._

"Floyd, when you spawned into existence, did you—"

"Let me stop you right there." He interrupted with a raised finger. "I don't want to talk about my back-story. Ever. So don't ask again."

I sighed. _And we're back to another brick wall. Maybe I should elaborate._ "It's not a personal question. When I spawned, I was alone. But if a billion Crafters spawned in a span of 500 years, some of them would have to have spawned in groups. Did that happen to you?"

Floyd adopted a thoughtful expression as he considered his answer. "I spawned in a group. A small group."

"How many." I pressed on.

"…three."

"Alright, thanks that's all I wanted to kn—" I stopped as I looked ahead.

A few hundred feet away was a pig.

An adult pig.

 _It's fair game._

* * *

[Floyd]

"Cobb? You there?" I waved my hand in front of his face as he stared ahead. I followed his gaze and noticed what he was staring at.

It was a pig.

An adult pig.

I reached for my bow, but Cobb had already run towards it.

I sighed at his antics as I followed him. He was unpredictable. Resourceful at the best of times and stupid at the worst of times. Held qualms about killing baby animals, but had no issues with adult animals. Values food more than the tools needed to secure it.

 _I just know I'm gonna regret teaming up with this guy._

As I got closer to the pig and Cobb, I felt unease. But I wasn't immediately sure why.

It became clear when I observed the pig more closely.

Before I reached Miner's Warren, I had hunted my fair share of animals. Some adults, some babies. _Not gonna tell Cobb that._ But out of all the pigs I killed, I had never seen one with a saddle.

Or tied to a fence post.

Or with a name like 'Mr. Piggles.'

"Huh? I've never seen a pig in Minecraftia before." Cobb's voice sounded from beside the fence post. The pig in question was straining against the rope that tied it and was keeping away from Cobb. It was also making loud squeals and oinks like there was no tomorrow. "Are they always tied to posts?"

"None that I've seen." Something was bugging me about the pig, but I couldn't place it. "And what's with the saddle?"

"A while back, I read a book that said some Zombies spawn with armor and tools." Said Cobb as he readied his wooden sword. "Though, it was supposed to be rare. Maybe it's the same with pigs?"

"Perhaps…" I replied unsure. Still, something wasn't right with the situation.

 _I feel like I'm forgetting something. Why can't I think of it? That pig squealing over there isn't helping my thought process._

Mr. Piggles doubled his efforts to escape his bindings and stay away from Cobb who approached with his wooden sword raised.

"Well, food is food." Cobb shrugged as he prepared to finish the pig.

 _Wait a second! The name, the saddle, the rope, the post. Now I remember!_

"Cobb, don't touch it!" I screamed halting his strike mid swing.

"What? Why?" He asked confused with his sword inches away from stabbing the terrified pig.

Mr. Piggles gazed hopefully at my interruption.

"I bet you didn't know this." I explained smugly, happy to provide useful information and experience. "But if you light an animal on fire, any meat it drops will be cooked to perfection."

"Really? That sounds awesome! Let me try that with my new flint and steel." Cobb called out happily and I couldn't help but chuckle at his cheerful expression.

It was the exact opposite of the horrified look that Mr. Piggles face now donned.

* * *

[Carys]

 _What a haul!_ I thought to myself as I carried a backpack brimming with Mob drops and precious ores. I was climbing out of the mine I had made. Most of the forest had been mined for resources by the millions of Crafters who came before and after.

But it seemed the Mobs kept the weak ones away, leaving all those resources for the strong to obtain. Namely, myself.

 _With the diamonds I found, I can finally repair my chest plate. No way am I gonna give up my Thorns enchantment!_

 _With the lapis I found, I can enchant some new books. Today's the day I get the coveted Silk Touch. I just know it!_

 _And with the gold I got, I can make golden carrots for night vision potions and then turn those into invisibility potions. Bet those cultists will be surprised when flaming arrows start pelting them from out of nowhere. I can't wait!_

 _But, I better keep some spare carrots. After all, they're Mr. Piggles' favorite._ I thought to myself as I exited the mine and withdrew my map. _I hope he's holding up okay._

The past couple days were both rewarding and a waste of time. On one hand, rare ores, experience, and killing cultists were well worth the trip to the Origin Zone. _Even after all these years, the Endward Cult still scours these woods._

On the other hand, the whole purpose of this trip was to locate potential allies. Every so often, a single Crafter in a crowd shines like a diamond in the rough. _But all_ _I'm seeing are cultists! Cowardly cultists._

"At least their heads will brighten up my home." I thought aloud as I took a left turn at a large boulder and guided myself past some bushes.

*~~~~AL*

A faint yelp met my ears. It sounded like it came from near the mountains. Right by where I tied Mr. Piggles—

"No." My blood froze.

My Swiftness Potion still in effect, I sprinted towards the squeals getting consistently louder. My previous thoughts about supplies and cultists were erased in my efforts to get to whatever was making that noise. But my mind was faster than even my swiftness as I could only imagine what was happening.

 _Calm down. It could be nothing._

*SQUEAL* *SQUEAL*

 _Okay, that's not nothing!_

I followed the pained squeals through the forest, abandoning my map as a reference in my frantic haste. My measures to calm myself with consoling words were increasingly fruitless.

 _There are probably hundreds—no,_ thousands _of pigs in this forest. It couldn't be Mr. Piggles. And…the saddle! What Crafter would target a tamed pig with a name and everything?_

 _'_ _Now Carys,' a devious voice interjected. 'You know the answer to that. You've made enemies of the Endward Cult. And you know how destructive Griefers can be. Minecraftia and its people are as ruthless as you.'_

 _NO! They are NOT as ruthless as me! And if they harmed even one hair on Mr. Piggles' chinny-chin-chin, they will find out firsthand just how far apart our cruelties lie!_

 _'_ _Yes, they will…The Angel of Death's cruelty is as boundless as the night and as destructive as a charged creeper.'_

Another pained squeal pierced the air around me. It was coming from some dense trees.

I burst through the underbrush just as the effects of my Swiftness Potion wore off. I raised my head and froze as my eyes locked onto the sight before me.

What I saw next would be forever burned into my memory.

Mr. Piggles, my precious, lovable, _wittle_ angel, was being burned alive. His squeals of agony tore at my insides. I could feel the strain of my heart synchronizing with the strained lead holding Mr. Piggles to that post.

And I couldn't move. Why couldn't I move? I had dispatched countless Mobs and Crafters in the blink of an eye, but I couldn't cross thirty yards to put out my best friend!?

In his weakening struggles, Mr. Piggles took one last frantic look around before locking his gaze with mine. In his eyes, I saw all the happiness and adventures we shared. Riding into battle. Chasing down Crafters and cultists. Nursing each other in times of pain. Snuggling on the cold nights. Feeding him carrots that I grew specifically for him to enjoy.

All of that was reflected in his eyes. But there was another emotion that dominated his expression. It was fear. And betrayal.

Then, to my horror, he died. And I screamed.

Mr. Piggles, my lifelong friend and noble steed, was burnt to death right in front of me. I was so shocked that I had locked up. I panicked and now he was dead, leaving nothing but a cooked porkchop, a lead, and a saddle.

It wasn't until the porkchop was picked up that I noticed the ones responsible for this tragedy. My eyes zeroed in on the names of the two Crafters. One had shaggy brown hair, a black and white zip-up hoodie with a blue undershirt, navy blue jeans, and leather boots. The other had short sky-blue hair, a red turtleneck sweater, and jet black jeans.

The blue-haired one had already noticed me with a fearful expression, but the brown haired one—King_Cobb—he had the _audacity_ to pick up the porkchop and devour it in front of me!

And his face! His happily content face as he ate my best friend! It made something inside me snap and with it my movement returned. All I saw was red.

 _I'll kill him._

Faster than lighting, I whipped out my strongest Power V bow and fired a shot to gouge out that stupid content face of his!

A modicum of satisfaction assuaged the roaring inferno of my fury as King_Cobb's face contorted in wild surprise and terror at the approaching arrow. But the next instant, my anger flared as his companion, Flawwed_Floyd, yanked him to the side just enough to dodge.

 _I'll rip them apart with my bare hands!_

I downed a Strength II potion and felt my strong muscles surge with renewed vigor. I withdrew my Fire Aspect diamond blade and charged the two Crafters now fleeing towards Mt. Mur.

 _I will mount their heads on my wall!_

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Okay, now I'm_ really _missing the Origin Zone._

There was so much I took for granted there. No Mob attacks, a warm bed to sleep on, fresh carrots, almost-charming company.

And a lack of psycho killers screaming bloody murder.

"GET BACK HERE SO I CAN SHEATHE MY SWORD IN YOUR ABDOMEN!"

 _What!? But…I like my abdomen without swords in it! It's where I keep all my friendly life-sustaining organs!_

Heart: _I too enjoy not having swords in abdomens! Run faster!_

Liver: _And don't look back!_

 _Don't tell me that!_

Liver: _Wha…why?_

 _You don't tell someone running to not look back! That's like telling a guy afraid of heights to not look down. It only makes them want to look more!_ I argued as my attention was forcibly drawn to my pursuer.

Her name was Carys_Angel, but, honestly, her choosing that name for herself was a misnomer because she looked fucking terrifying! Armed to the teeth with spiky black hair and red eyes that burned like two hot flames. Dark red particles were swirling around her and she had a killing intent so strong it was threatening to make me wet my pants. And not in a good way.

In short, she looked _pissed_.

Brain: _Cobb, this is your brain talking. I'm gonna use reverse psychology on you to return your attention towards the direction you're running towards. You know, so you don't crash into a tree or something._

 _Thanks, brain. You always have my back._

Brain: _Don't mention it…now keep staring at Carys' smoldering eyes. Perhaps you can seduce her with your suave charm and end this conflict before it begins._

 _Wait, wha?_ I thought as I turned to look forward. _Wow. That reverse psychowhatever really works._

"DON"T YOU LOOK AWAY FROM ME KING_COBB! I WANT TO SEE THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHEN I EVISCERATE YOU!" Carys hollered, steadily gaining on me and Floyd.

Heart: _Charm her?_ _I think we're pretty fucking far away from that option!_

I began to cry in desperation as I noticed my Hunger bar slowly drain. _It was just a lone pig! How could it have gone so wrong!?_

Brain: _Cuz the universe hates you I guess._

Stomach: _I don't care what any of you say! That porkchop was well worth this current terror._

"Cobb! Just keep running towards the mountains!" Floyd shouted from beside me. I noticed he was beginning to pant.

"But, you said to go around—"

"I know what I said, but we can't outrun her the whole way round. Over the mountains is our only option!" He interrupted as he withdrew a light blue splash potion from his belt. "Move in closer to me."

I complied as I looked upon the brew with a color that matched my ally's hair. I recalled that it was a Potion of Swiftness.

Floyd chucked the bottle ahead of us so it would shatter just as we crossed it. The effects were instantaneous. The exhaustion I felt moments ago was replaced with exhilaration. Every inch of my body touched by the potion's contents surged with a power I'd never experienced. The very wind seemed to course through my veins as I picked up speed!

 _So this is a Swiftness Potion._ I thought to myself as I looked over to see the same invigorating effects take hold of Floyd. Electric blue particles began swirling around the both of us. _I feel like I can outrun anyone!_

So, I did.

Floyd and I weaved through oaks and rushed past meadows while Carys' shouts were growing fainter behind us. Once or twice a flaming arrow almost hit us, but we were too fast for them.

We had managed to put a good distance between us before we reached the base of Mt. Mur. There was no steady incline. Just steep rock face with small outcroppings here and there. Some with trees and grass.

We quickly began to ascend the mountain. We used whatever footholds we could find and if a particular cliff looked too hard to climb, I made my own footholds with ladders.

After climbing fifty feet, we heard a shout from below. Carys had reached the base with her bow drawn. Or one of them at least.

"YOU WON"T ESCAPE ME!" She screamed as she drew back her bow before firing three quick flaming shots.

"Gah!...H-hot! HOT HOT HOT!" I flailed as one of the arrows pierced my hoodie and set myself ablaze. I fumbled with the water bucket to put myself out while Floyd set up a barricade of cobblestone. "How is she firing flaming arrows!?"

"Don't know. Maybe they're coated with something to make them catch fire." Floyd pondered as he crept towards the corner of his barricade. "One way to find out."

Floyd then proceeded to imitate a meerkat as he poked his head up over the barricade only to sprawl back down an instant before flaming arrows assaulted the space where his head had been.

"Free arrows for…" He began before he noticed the embedded arrows weren't coming off the rock face. "Or not."

After dousing myself I risked a peek at Carys to see what she was up to. She placed the bow at her belt before withdrawing a blue sphere shaped item from her backpack. She held it high above her head and stared hard at a space a little higher up the mountain. It looked like she was getting ready to lob that thing at us.

 _Is that a grenade!?_

"Okay, so she's got good gear." Stated Floyd as he peeked right beside me and tried to sound optimistic. "At least we have the high ground advantage."

Just then, she chucked the sphere towards us. We ducked as it sailed past our barricade and into the mountain.

 _Ha! Missed!_ I inwardly chuckled as I peered over the barricade…

Only to notice that Carys was gone.

 _Crap! Where'd she—_

*SPLASH*

A glass bottle shattered against my back and in an instant, the exhilarating feeling of the Swiftness Potion was gone. I whirled around just in time to glimpse a purple boot nail me in the jaw.

I crashed into the barricade and struggled to regain my footing. Carys, however, had other plans as she planted a foot squarely on my chest, preventing me from getting up.

I didn't know how she had appeared behind us, but Floyd recovered enough to dodge the potion she threw. He still had his speed as he fired a volley of arrows at the ebony haired woman.

Keeping her foot in place, she easily dodged every arrow with simple head tilts and hip movements. I tried to unbalance her, but her unnatural strength was too much. All I achieved from my struggles was increased pressure from her boot, knocking the wind out of me.

Soon, Floyd was out of ammo. With nothing left to attack with, he swapped out his bow for his sword and lunged for Carys with superior speed.

Unbothered by his move, Carys raised her armored left arm to intercept the blow. As Floyd swung down and made contact with her armor, an abnormal glow erupted. With a loud crack, Floyd was blasted back, his broken wooden sword skittering alongside him.

 _No! I can't reach my sword. Time for Plan B._ I thought to myself as I grabbed a handful of dirt blocks.

"Here's…dirt in your eyes!" I shouted as I chucked the dirt at Carys' face. She deadpanned as the blocks harmlessly bounced off her before joining her Inventory.

"Pathetic." Carys spat in disgust. "To lose Mr. Piggles to Crafters of such limited skill…" She pierced my terrified green eyes with her furious red ones. "There is no greater shame."

 _What is this woman's deal!? It was just a pig!_

As she withdrew her bow once again I tried to gather enough breath to reason with her. Kind of hard when her boot was crushing my ribcage.

"Wait! Is the life of a pig really worth more to you than the lives of two human beings?" I questioned in an attempt to appeal to her humanity. That was all I had for Plan C.

Her killing intent flared at my question and she glared with twice the malice she mustered before. "Mr. Piggles was not just 'a pig.'" She spoke softly, but with a cold unmatched fury. "He was my best friend you SCUM! Worth more than a thousand human lives!"

She moved her boot to my throat and began to cut off my oxygen as she continued her tirade. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Floyd staggering to his feet.

"Hell, even a chicken would be worth more to me than both. Of. Your. Lives. Put. Together!" She punctuated every word with increasing pressure on my throat. My vision was beginning to blur and if I could see my face, I was certain it would be blue from asphyxiation.

 _Not good! Plan B and C were busts._

 _Not…enough…oxygen…Can't…form…coherent…thoughts…without…short…pauses!_

 _Brain…status report!_

Brain: _Yeah, we're dead._

Lungs: _*silence*_

Just as I was about to pass out, Carys released her boot from my throat and repositioned it over my chest. I coughed and sputtered as sweet oxygen entered my lungs.

"Sorry, can't let you die too soon." She arranged her face in mock concern as she aimed her bow at Floyd's recovering body. I took the opportunity to reach for my flint and steel at my belt. "First, you get to see what a friend burnt alive looks like."

"Actually," Floyd spoke up as he hid a block behind his back. "I'd say we're more allies than friends."

"Close enough." Carys smirked as she fired a flaming arrow straight at Floyd's face.

With what little Swiftness he had left, Floyd withdrew the block from behind his back and placed it right in front of him, stopping the arrow in its tracks.

The block he used, was his last block of TNT. And much like the flint and steel, the flaming arrow was enough to light the fuse.

*ssssssssSSSS*

Carys didn't flinch in the least. "Oh please." She rolled her eyes at Floyd's last resort as I lit the block I was pinned on with my flint and steel. "You think a little TNT is gonna scare—"

As the block I was on was set ablaze, Carys broke off her insult and lifted her foot to avoid the flames that were burning me. Compared to getting choked, burning alive wasn't so bad.

It still really hurt though.

With no foot pinning me down, I rolled towards the charged TNT block just as it exploded. The explosion revealed a hollow drop leading down into the mountain. And while I wasn't exactly a fan of spooky holes leading down into the hearts of mountains, I was even less a fan of an enraged Carys_Angel.

So, with Floyd jumping in after me, we descended into the heart of Mt. Mur. Above us, Carys let out an enraged scream before leaping after us.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 6 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 5 Coal, 23 Torches, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 35 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 1 String, 1 Bone, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 10 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 11 Cobblestone, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 6 Sticks, 33 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book, 1 Paper, 3 Flint, 5 Coal, 11 Dirt, 2 Gunpowder, 1 Raw Chicken, 2 Raw Beef, 2 Glass Bottles, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration, 1 Awkward Potion, 1 Head {Crawford}

* * *

 **AN: RIP Mr. Piggles.**

 **Also funny story, when I thought up Carys' name, I didn't even realize it was an anagram for 'scary.' My mind surprises me with its subtlety.**

 **OCs, reviews, follows, favs, and feedback are always welcome.**


	14. Poison

**AN: Well, I think I reached a milestone. Or maybe it's more of a meterstone. Either way, My Craft has over 1000 views and 11 Favorites. I consider that an achievement. So thanks to all you guys and gals for taking the time to read my humble tale. And if it feels slow, please tell me!**

 **Next, the answer to last week's puzzle was a tricky one. So I'm not surprised nobody gave me the right answer. Who's buried in Grant's tomb? Nobody since tombs are above ground! So no cookies for anybody! And if you want to contend that...**

 **Next Puzzle!**

 **Puzzle: How many eggs can you put in an empty basket?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Invisibility Potions would work on armor too.

* * *

Chapter 14

 **Poison**

[Noman]

"Get…BACK!" I shouted as I slashed at another Zombie. It fell with a dying grunt and vanished in a puff of smoke. I collected the EXP and rotten flesh as I struggled to catch my breath. I had killed about fifteen Zombies without rest or the aid of my God-like armor. The diamond sword was strong enough, but I didn't know how much longer I could go on.

"*Huff* *Huff* Gotta…keep…training." I inhaled some steak to satisfy my hunger and returned to my sloppy sword stance: two hands gripping my sword in front of me with shoulders squared, back straight, legs tense and ready to spring forth at a moment's notice.

Helena was right about the Mobs spawning from darkness. All I had to do was wait the in the forest during the night for Mobs to attack. It was the only way I could think of to improve my combat capabilities. Which were—to put it nicely—poopy.

The rattling of bones caught my ear and I turned to spot a squadron of Skeletons moving towards me. The book specified to use long-range weaponry and I concluded that my 'Infinity' bow (whatever that meant) fit that requirement. But I never shot a bow in my life and Helena only gave me one arrow.

 _Thanks for that, Helena. If I had more arrows, I'd take some practice shots and learn how to shoot. But nope! Just one arrow._

I couldn't let that stop me, though.

I charged forward in a swift zigzag to dodge the flurry of arrows to come. Some managed to hit their target, but most of them sailed right past. Once I was close enough, I jabbed the nearest Skeleton in the torso before finishing it with an upward vertical slash.

The other two Skeletons backed away to keep some distance. Before they could fire, however, I took cover behind a nearby tree. I waited for my health to recover while I planned my next move.

 _I'll wait for them to get close, then jump out and surprise them with a series of quick slashes and inane gibberish. That should confuse them._ I was so lost in thinking of gibberish that I failed to notice the hissing coming from above.

Suddenly, a large Spider dropped from the tree I was hiding behind and fell right on top of me. It got a few bites and scratches in before I managed to push it off and scramble away.

As I ran, an arrow caught me in the side and sent me staggering into another tree. I turned to see what had shot me and gasped at the sight.

The Spider that fell on me was not alone. It had a Skeleton riding comfortably on top of it.

I was shocked. The book never described what to do in the event of a Mob fusion and I had no idea if the Mobs would act separately or as a set while together. But I couldn't back down. I was the Billionth. I had a responsibility to the people of Minecraftia…or at least that's Notch wrote.

I gathered my courage and remembered how weak Spiders were. Taking each Mob out individually was probably the best way to do things.

I charged straight towards the Spider-Skeleton…um, the Skeleder…the Spideton? The…the thing with the…uh…Spider and…

…

The Skeleton riding the Spider, you know!

Anyway, I charged at it, but it was prepared. My straight charge was interrupted by a hail of arrows courtesy of the Skeleton half.

After taking some hits, I switched to my zigzag strategy to get close. However, I continued to take hits as the Spider half zigged and zagged to keep me in the Skeleton's line of fire.

It was then I realized the Mobs were coordinated as a fusion. They combined their strongest traits to kill Crafters more easily.

In short, I was outmatched.

To make matters worse, the two Skeletons from before joined the fusion in shooting me. As much as I hated to admit it, I had to retreat. My health was too low and I too inexperienced to handle the Mob rider.

' _There's always the Severe Shield._ ' A tiny voice in the back of my head spoke. And for a second, I considered it. The Mobs wouldn't stand a chance against the chestplate and I would survive to fight another day.

However, I shook those thoughts from my mind and instead turned to run. _No! I swore not to use that chestplate until I was the Billionth that Crafters could look up to!_ Arrows whizzed past my head as I ran further into the darkened forest. _If I use it now, all my training would have been for nothing. I can't just submit when things look bleak._

' _But,_ ' came the small voice again. ' _You could die._ '

I jumped and latched onto some tree leaves (they were surprisingly able to hold my weight) and hoisted myself above the treetops. _If I can't do this without my fancy armor, then maybe I deserve to die._

I continued running and leapt across treetops to get away from my pursuers. Behind me, the Arachnid Archer (Yes that's a great name!) had climbed the trees and continued its firing.

I ducked and dodged and dipped and dived and dodged as best I could, but one of the shots nailed me in the shoulder. That one shot unbalanced me and I fell through the canopy of trees, hitting the ground with an audible thud that knocked the wind out of me.

For a few seconds, I just laid there on the ground trying to catch my breath. Belly exposed like a defenseless turtle. I could hear the rattling of Skeletons getting closer, but I was too exhausted to stand, much less fight. My health was at an all-time low and I didn't have the time to regenerate my health.

"I'm a failure." I spoke to myself as I awaited the Mobs to find and finish me off.

' _No!_ ' The small voice pleaded frantically. ' _Just put on the chestplate! Nobody is here to judge you so just use it and live!_ '

But I didn't care. "Without the Severe Shield…I'm nothing. Nothing special. Nothing heroic. I'm just a Crafter with a ten-digit number." I dropped my sword uselessly at my side.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for being erased from existence. The way Helena described it made it sound so common and everyday. And the way those hostile Crafters died supported her description. Maybe it would be a sweet relief to the pressure placed upon the mantle of the Billionth.

I heard the sound of something shattering. _Must be my shattered spirit. Always figured it was more of a metaphor than an actual object shattering._

 _…_ _what's a metaphor again?_

As I laid upon that ground, I felt empty and nonexistent. As if my body had already accepted the inevitable.

 _Amazing…I think…I think I feel my soul passing on._

Although, come to think of it, did the body always have such a strange sensation in its final moments? Every pore of my body felt like it wasn't there. I had to feel the sides of my body just to remind myself I was alive and not some corporeal ghost.

The hissing and rattling got closer and closer until finally I felt a heavy thud, that must have been the Arachnid Archer, hit the ground a few meters away.

I kept my eyes screwed shut, hoping the Mobs would make it fast…

Yet nothing happened. The fusion just made confused hissing sounds.

I cracked an eye open to see what was going on. There, directly across from me, was the Arachnid Archer and its two Skeleton buddies. They were confusedly searching the forest and didn't even react when their eyes passed over my prone form. Twice!

 _Why aren't they doing anything? Shouldn't they be pumping my body full of arrows or gnawing my face off? Not that I'm complaining of course._

I remained still and prayed that they would move on. Perhaps the vision of Skeletons was based on movement. After all, they had empty sockets for eyes and ears. How could they see or hear anything?

Maybe they just sensed Crafters through the vibrations felt in their bones. Or maybe they used echolocation like bats. Or maybe they had unholy powers that enabled them to see the very souls of Crafters with their empty pitiless eyes.

But none of those suggestions explained why the Spider half of the fusion couldn't see me. Especially when it had a whole bunch of eyes.

Eventually, the fusion and the Skeletons left the area and just like that, I was alone. I waited a minute just to make sure the Mobs had gone before sitting up and getting a steak to eat. It was then that I noticed something peculiar.

 _Do steaks float?_

The steak appeared to be hovering in front of me and I was so shocked I dropped the slab of meat on the ground.

Then I noticed how my arms and legs were no longer where they should be. I couldn't see them, but I could still feel them. It was almost like I was…Invisible!

"Agh! What?...How?...AGH!" I waved my hands in front of my face hoping they'd reappear, but they remained imperceptible. My eyes darted from my torso to my limbs. For whatever reason, I was entirely invisible.

 _Oh no! No, no, no! I'm…I'm here, but not here at the same time! Did I…did that last fall…am I dead?_

I panicked at that thought. Helena said when people died they vanished, but I didn't think she meant they turned invisible. I thought it would be more like leaving the world of Minecraftia and returning to the void. Instead, it was like I was a ghost doomed to forever haunt the world.

"How am I supposed to be the Billionth now?" I despaired as I got to my feet. I checked my arms and noticed the faint tattoos that displayed my Health, Hunger, and other things. For whatever reason, they weren't invisible like the rest of me. And there was an additional tattoo of a blurred man with a timer beside it.

 _I've never seen that tattoo before. Is it because I died that it's there? But then am I really dead when my Health Meter says otherwise? Ugh, I just don't—_

*Rustle*

"Oof!" *THUD*

Once again, something fell from a tree and landed on me, but unlike before it wasn't a Mob. At least I hoped it wasn't.

Whatever it was, it leapt off of me (making little effort to avoid stepping on my fingers and face) and stooped down to pick up my dropped diamond sword and steak.

 _Alright, ghosts can't feel pain so there goes that theory._ I surmised as I tenderly nursed my crushed fingers. I glanced up to get a better look at what fell on me.

More like _who_ fell on me.

Standing there was a young woman with short bright orange hair and eyes to match. Her bangs swept to the right, only slightly touching her eye. Her pale skin was a stark contrast to her wardrobe. She wore a skintight black jumpsuit that extended past her arms and legs and covered her mouth like a mask. All along the jumpsuit were orange designs. Orange bands on her wrists, orange dots trailing up her shoulders, multiple orange bands equally spaced along her legs, orange bands running along the sides of her torso. Orange bands everywhere!

Even her black shoes had orange rims along the heel. She wore an orange and black belt and a black backpack with (what else) an orange stripe. A black hood with, thankfully, no orange designs, hung from her back. She practically looked like some kind of mysterious, jumpsuit, orange-banded, ninja. And above her head was her name: Creation's_Spark.

I was so startled by this new person showing up, I froze. She was just standing there, holding my sword and steak, not even bothering to look at me. Her eyes were focused on something a meter to the left of me. I stayed silent, but my thoughts were a cacophony of chaos.

 _A Crafter! What should I do? Should I talk to her? Should I ask for my sword back? Is she hostile? Why did she land on me? Is she going to kill me? Is she going to steal my steak? Why does she wear so much orange? Am I rambling too much? Can she help me? Is she putting up a sign?_

Sure enough, she placed a sign in the ground and began writing something on it. I couldn't make the sign out as her back was obscuring it. Once she was done she placed a bucket of something before the sign and stepped to the side. I squinted my eyes to read the writing in the dark.

'SORRY I LANDED ON YOU. MY POTION WORKED BETTER THAN I THOUGHT. PLEASE DRINK BUCKET.'

"Potion? Bucket? Why would I…?" I voiced my concern as I turned to look at the orange-haired ninja. Once, again she was looking anywhere but at me. She even jerked her head back and forth as if she was trying to locate something. But what could she possibly…

Oh right…

Still invisible.

I returned my attention to the bucket and picked it up. With my limbs still invisible, it floated eerily in my hand like a ghostly object. Its contents were a cold, white liquid that I was hesitant to drink. I looked towards Creation's_Spark one more time for some kind of confirmation. She was now staring avidly at the bucket in my hand and nodded encouragingly…to the air.

I took a breath to steel myself for whatever I was about to drink and downed the whole bucket in one gulp.

As the liquid, which I recognized from somewhere as milk, went down my throat, the nonexistent feeling I was feeling, vanished as I reappeared. I felt myself swelling into renewed being as my arms and legs and torso rematerialized before me.

I was back.

A small clapping sound caused me to return my attention to Spark. She stood there applauding that I had understood her sign. I couldn't tell if she was smiling under that mask, but her eyes seemed bright…sort of.

"Um…thanks for…that." I replied lamely as I held out her leftover bucket. In response, she held out my diamond sword and we traded items. She also gave me back my steak, even though I had a ton of it in my Inventory. "So, you mentioned a potion earlier?" I asked hesitantly. I still wasn't sure how Crafters were supposed to react. Last time, I was attacked for being polite.

She closed her eyes and nodded as she withdrew a book from her belt. She began writing stuff in it before she handed it to me. I opened the book and read. It wasn't titled or signed.

 **[YES. WHEN I SAW YOU FALL AND LIE THERE, I MADE THE CHOICE OF USING A SPLASH POTION OF INVISIBILITY ON YOU. THAT'S WHY THE MOBS COULDN'T SPOT YOU.]**

 **[I'M CREATION'S_SPARK. BUT YOU CAN JUST CALL ME SPARK.]**

 _Okay…can she not talk or something?_ I looked up from the book and saw that she was miming something. Her hands were mimicking turning a page.

I looked back to the book and turned the page.

 **[YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHY I'M NOT TALKING. WELL IT'S A LONG AND PAINFULLY TRAGIC STORY.]**

I looked up again with a sympathetic expression, but once again she mimed turning the page to which I complied.

 **[I JUST DON'T TALK MUCH.]**

I stared at the five words on the page before flipping to the next one expecting more of a back-story than that. But I only met blank page after blank page. After which I deadpanned at Spark for her lack of detail.

She just shrugged.

 _Some back-story. But she mentioned a Potion of Invisibility? There was something about potions in the book, but I never knew something like that was possible._

"Well, back-story or not, your quick thinking saved me from becoming a pincushion. You're actually the first Crafter who hasn't tried to attack me." I thanked and complimented her at the same time as I returned her book. At once she was scribbling out her previous words and writing new ones with a feathery quill. Once, she finished with her latest message, she returned the book.

 **[YOU PROBABLY MET THE ENDWARD CULT. WERE THEY WEARING BLACK CAPS?]**

I remembered the three men I killed and nodded uncomfortably and she snapped her fingers for me to give back the book. Again she scribbled out her words and inputted new ones before returning the book. The communication was tedious to say the least.

 **[THEY ALWAYS PATROL HERE. TRYING TO KILL ANY CRAFTERS THEY CAN FIND. YOU'RE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE GOTTEN KILLED BY THEM.]**

"Endward Cult. Killers, huh." _If they were killers, then it was okay that they died…right? I mean, they try to murder anyone they find and they just…found me. I technically was defending the innocent. Does that make it…okay?_

 _I'm lucky? That's an understatement. The odds of me becoming the Billionth were exactly a billion to one._

 _Although the odds of me actually accomplishing anything are probably lower than that._

 _And what about my mission…_

 _MY MISSION!_

"Oh, um, I'm actually looking for something…or rather somewhere. I only know that the name of it is the Crystal Catacombs. You wouldn't happen to know where that is would you?"

At this question, she didn't immediately scribble down an answer. She adopted a contemplative look for a few seconds. Just when I was about to give up on expecting a positive answer, her eyes lit up in realization and she furiously wrote out her reply.

 **[I'VE HEARD OF IT. IT'S OVER IN RINGWOOD. I'M HEADING OVER THERE TOMORROW IF YOU WANT TO TAG ALONG.]**

"Really? Uh…of course! That sounds great." I stuttered out surprised at how helpful Spark was being.

 **[I HAVE A SHORTCUT BACK AT MY PLACE. EASIER THAN CLIMBING MT. MUR.]**

She picked up her sign from the ground and gestured for me to follow. I munched on some steak as I jogged over to her side.

"Gosh, you're really helpful. Is there a…reason for that? I mean no offense, but the Crafters I've met have all been rather…hostile." I ventured as she was already writing her reply.

 **[LET'S JUST SAY I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR NEW CRAFTERS. ;D]**

"Semicolon 'D?' What's that mean?"

 **[NO NO NO. SEE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A WINKING SMILEY FACE. IT'S A SYMBOL OF ENDEARMENT.]**

"Oh…well then wouldn't this be better?" I scribbled down my own winking face.

 **[^_0]**

She eyed the book and nodded respectfully.

 **[DAMN THAT IS PRETTY GOOD. MIND IF I USE IT AS MY GO-TO WINKING FACE?]**

"Sure." I chuckled at her words, happy to finally have someone to talk to, even if it was through a book. "It'll be one small step towards repaying your kindness."

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Let me think. First, it was that time by the Crapshack. Then into that cave with the iron. So this makes the third time I've ventured into a dark cavern._

These thoughts crossed my mind as I fell through the darkness into the heart of Mt. Mur. Floyd was right behind me…or above me…as we descended.

 _In hindsight, maybe setting water and floating safely into this cavern would have been a better alternative than plummeting at high speeds._

 _Although when you're set on fire, common sense goes out the window._

 _Oh, right. I'm still on fire._

"HOT HOT HOT!" I yelped as the flames engulfed my body.

I wished that the flames burning my body were the _only_ problem I had to deal with, but unfortunately, that distinction was awarded to the red-eyed ravenette leaping down after us.

 _I wonder what will kill me first? The fall, the fire, or Carys._

"You're not getting away that easily!" Carys shouted from above.

 _I'm kind of hoping for the first option._

*THUD*

My descent was abruptly stopped as the ground met my face. Luckily, my bones broke my fall.

I groaned as I withdrew my water bucket and put myself out. Wherever I landed, it was pitch black.

 _Figures._

"Cobb, where are you?" Floyd hissed from somewhere nearby. "How far is this drop?"

I checked my belt for torches and readied to set some down before remembering that Carys was right on our tails as we fell.

 _If she's still around, maybe this darkness is for the best. She can't see us._

"Oh, is that you Cobb?" Floyd asked from somewhere to the left of me.

Before I could answer, a yelp and a resounding slap met my ear. "Unhand me you dog!" Came a feminine voice.

"Carys!?" Floyd shouted frightened. "I didn't mean to…wait you're the enemy! I don't have to apologize when you're trying to kill us!"

"If I could move, you wouldn't be given the chance to apologize." Carys seethed with gritted teeth.

 _She can't move?_ Curiosity winning out over fear, I set down a torch to illuminate the scene before me.

The three of us had landed in a narrow tunnel. Only it was different. Unlike the previous underground tunnels, these ones seemed to be man-made. Someone or something clearly carved out a straight pathway through the stone and wooden beams were holding everything up. But that's not all that was there.

I had landed on the center of the tunnel. Over by some wooden beams and fence posts was where Carys and Floyd had landed. They, however, didn't hit the ground. Something had caught them during their fall and held them slightly above the ground. Something that looked like…

"Giant cobwebs?" I voiced as I walked up to Floyd's immobile form. Meanwhile, Carys was frantically hacking away at the cobwebs restricting her movement. Her diamond sword cut strand after strand and I was starting to think that we shouldn't stick around for when she freed herself. "Floyd, try and wriggle out of that web."

"I'm trying." Floyd strained this way and that as he attempted to slip loose of the restricting threads. I took out my wooden sword to help, even as Carys shouted out curses directed at me.

"Come over here so I can fix your dumb faces!"

I sawed a dozen strands before responding to Carys' insults. "Look, I'm sorry about Mr. Waddles—"

"PIGGLES! MR. PIGGLES!"

"…Mr. Piggles," I corrected. "But he was just a pig lying there. How could I have known that he had an owner?"

Carys redoubled her efforts to escape the webbing. I was lucky she landed in a particularly large clump of it. It kind of made me wonder what made the webs.

"The name. The lead! The POST! THE SIGN! THE—"

"Yeah, there was no sign." I stated frightened as I yanked harder on a thicker strand. Floyd was nearly out, but so was Carys.

"It shouldn't matter if there was a sign or not!" She screeched as she swung her diamond sword just short of hitting me or Floyd. "For your crime, you will face the wrath of the Angel of Death!"

"Cobb, is your apology supposed to make things worse?" Floyd asked while trying to shush me.

 _Angel of Death? The hell does that mean? Is that, like, her nickname or something?_

But I didn't think too long on it. With a mighty pull, Floyd was free and we had her outnumbered two to one.

And she was still incapacitated.

"Alright Floyd. Let's teach this psycho killer not to mess with—"

"Run." Floyd interrupted as he pulled me down the opposite tunnel and away from Carys.

"Or we can run. That's a good option when the enemy can't move." I sarcastically remarked as we took a few quick turns. Carys' enraged yells echoed off the walls.

"Weren't you paying attention before? When I hit her I was blasted back and she didn't even flinch!" Floyd explained as he sped forward. His Swiftness Potion was still in effect while mine was nullified by whatever Carys threw at me. The result was that Floyd needed to wait up every few seconds. "She's way more experienced than both of us put together!"

I glanced at my left arm to check my health and went pale. The combination of Carys' brutal attacks, getting lit on fire twice, and falling down a great distance had reduced my health to half a heart.

 _Oh sweet Jesus. A sneeze could kill me. Maybe Floyd was right to retreat._

I checked my right arm for hunger and noticed I was pretty low. But all I had for food was…

 _FUCK!_

I angrily munched on rotten flesh as we took another sharp left. The whole tunnel system felt like a labyrinth and it didn't help that there were little to no torches lighting the way. But if we set any torches down, Carys would be able to track us easily.

As I watched my Hunger and Health meters refill, I noticed something else that wasn't there before. On my right arm were three new tattoos with separate timers beside them.

The first one was of a white wing with only about ten seconds left.

The second one was of a dark ball and chain. The timer had about twenty seconds left.

And the final one resembled the rotting corndogs I usually got whenever I ate rotten flesh. _Although, come to think of it, it looks more like a leg of meat than a corndog._ The timer on that one kept reverting to thirty seconds every time I ate a new piece.

I quickly pieced together that these new tattoos represented potion effects.

 _What did Carys hit me with for this ball and chain effect?_ I wondered as I noticed all the different colored particles surrounding me. Electric blue from the swiftness, gray-blue most likely from the ball and chain, and a dull sickly green that had to have been from the hunger I was feeling.

 _These potion effects don't last long. Then again, days in Minecraftia don't last too long either. So minutes to me are more like hours in Minecraftia time._

 _Either way, my Swiftness is about to run out._ I thought as Floyd rounded a corner ahead of me.

*hiss*

"Wait, go back go back!" Floyd urged as he returned from the corner he rounded and pushed me in the opposite direction. Chasing him were half a dozen Spider Mobs. But these Spiders weren't like the one I had seen a few days ago. They were smaller and instead of having black bodies they had ones with a venomous blue tinge.

As I turned to sprint, sluggishness overcame me and made it hard to move forward.

It felt like the Swiftness Potion, but in reverse. My bones felt like they were made of lead and it took all my strength and effort just to move my limbs an inch. A weight had settled over me and as much as I tried, I couldn't shake it off.

"Cobb! They're right behind us!" Floyd shouted as he tried to hurry me along. But it was no good. I was super slow.

 _This must be what Carys chucked at me. A Potion of Slowness to keep me from running away!_

I would need a Swiftness Potion just to walk normally and judging by the electric blue particles fading from him, Floyd was all out of Swiftness too.

 _I just need to last a few more seconds. Then this effect will pass._ I thought as I watched my arm.

"Hurry up!" Floyd shouted as he withdrew his wooden axe and began beating the spiders back.

As I watched the seconds tick by, I tried to recall the information I learned about Spiders. Anything to help Floyd fight those things.

 **[…Their attacks are weak, at 1 and a half hearts per attack, and their max health is low at 8 hearts…]**

"Floyd, Spiders are pretty weak, but they're also agile!" I shouted as he dispatched the nearest spider with two swings of his axe.

"Anything else?" He asked as he dodged a Spider's lunge.

"Um…I…" _C'mon Cobb! THINK! Use your brain!_

 _Brain! Get off your ass and retrieve my memory files!_

Brain: _But I'm already sitting down, and the filing cabinet is like…two whole feet away from me. And this couch is sooooo comfy. And my favorite show is—_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Whoa, whoa! Calm down Lungs! Okay, I'll do it just don't freak out!_

 _Thanks, Lungs. Even though you're a figment of my crazed hallucinations, you're a nice figment of my crazed hallucinations._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Alright let's see…Spiders…Spiders…Ah here we go…_

 **[…Weakness: Any type of attack, fire, Bane of Arthropods, Splash Potion of Harming…]**

 **[…They are able to climb up vertical walls, making standard defenses useless…]**

"They can climb up walls, but are weak against fire!" I informed Floyd as he dodged another Spider. He nodded at me before swapping his axe for his flint and steel.

Suddenly, I felt the sluggishness leave me and I regained my normal movements. I swapped to my sword and moved to help kill the remaining five Spiders.

Two of them broke away from the group and crawled towards me with bared fangs. I gripped my sword handle with both hands and swung in a wide horizontal slash. The Spiders were knocked back, but recovered almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Floyd created a barrier of flames with his flint and steel to keep the Mobs at bay. In the process, his flint and steel broke and the wooden support beams caught fire.

One of the Spiders was unfortunate enough to catch fire and flailed around before burning to death. The other two were more wary. They scaled the tunnel walls to get past the fiery fence and surrounded Floyd.

Brain: _Oh, hang on there's more. Apparently these Mobs can…uh-oh._

 _Uh-oh? Why uh-oh!?_ I internally worried as I dispatched one of the Spiders.

Brain: _Listen to this._

 **[…Furthermore, a variant of Spiders known as Cave Spiders have been sited. Although smaller in size, the Cave Spiders make up for their deadliness in lethal poison…]**

"Uh-oh."

"Agh!" Floyd hissed as one of the Spiders bit his arm. He quickly killed the attacking Mob with his newly withdrawn axe and knocked the second one back into the fire to burn. "Ugh…that wasn't…good."

"Floyd, don't let the Spiders bite you! They're actually Cave Spiders and their attacks are venomous." I warned but earned only a deadpan from Floyd as a response.

"Thanks, Cobb. That information really would have been good to know fifteen seconds ago." Floyd winced as he nursed his arm. He didn't look too good. His skin was turning a sickly shade of green. The same green as the particles whirling around his body.

As if sensing his weakness, the last Cave Spider abandoned me and went straight for Floyd. I rushed after and just as it was about to reach him, I batted it into the fire. Its charred body writhed in agony before it vanished in a puff of smoke and burning drops.

"Uhn…I don't suppose…*cough cough*…you remember how to…get rid of the poison?" Floyd choked out as he collapsed against the tunnel wall. He was getting greener by the second and I was racking my brain for an answer.

 _C'mon Brain! I need a cure! Give me something!_

Brain: _Sorry, but I'm on my 10-minute break. Come back later._

 _But 10 minutes is like 12 hours here!_

Brain: _Then I'm on my 12-hour break. Come. Back. Later._

"I-I don't know what to do!" I stammered as I helped Floyd up and supported him. More hissing was coming from the direction we had been traveling before. _Where are these things coming from!?_ "No time to pick a path!"

I took out my wooden pickaxe and dug out a small niche in the tunnel wall before shoving Floyd into it. He fell in a sickly heap and went into a coughing fit.

I took out some cobblestone and sealed the niche just as the Cave Spiders reached us. The room was plunged into darkness. Even with the wall sealed, I could hear angered hisses and multiple legs skittering across the tunnel.

At once, I set a torch down to light our hiding spot up and began to expand it to allow for more elbow room. Floyd was lying motionless on the ground and I was starting to worry what the poison was doing to him. He looked frailer and weaker than I'd ever seen him. It was hard to believe that a few days ago he was the one that saved me from those cultists.

 _Well now it's my turn to save him!_ I thought confidently. And the first step to that was to figure out a way to get rid of the Cave Spiders beating down the walls.

I knelt down next to him. "Floyd. Hey, you gonna be okay?" I shook his shoulder and he began to stir.

"Yeah, I'll…live…" He checked his arm and grumbled before leaning against the wall in a sitting position. "The poison will wear off in a few seconds."

"How much health you got?" I asked as I pressed my ear to the wall to gauge how many Spiders were left to deal with. Needless to say: A lot.

"Believe it or not, half a heart." My eyes widened in surprise and fear as I turned to look at him. Before, I was the one close to dying, but having Floyd as the fragile one made me just as worried. As if he would shatter into a million pieces at the slightest touch. "That poison is rough."

"Alright, in that case wait here. I'll dig a tunnel to get around the Spiders and lead them away while you heal up." I explained while readying my pickaxe.

"What? No." Floyd looked worried. As if he thought I couldn't handle it. "That's a bad idea. Just give me a few seconds to heal up and I'll—"

"You've done enough." I interrupted as I already began digging the tunnel. "Don't worry I can handle this and I'll be back once I've led them far enough away."

"Cobb, don't. I can go with you. I'm well enough to—" As he attempted to get up to prove his point he went into another coughing fit and slid down to the floor.

"Just trust." I smiled confidently as I covered the hole I made with dirt and continued the tunnel. I could hear the Spiders furiously hissing and skittering above me as I dug. There was probably ten or twelve of them.

 _Okay, so they're weak against fire. I just need to lure them into a trap. Something that'll catch fire easily while they're on top of it._ I checked my belt for wooden planks. _Yup that'll work._

Once I tunneled far enough away that the Cave Spiders' hisses grew faint, I dug up and climbed out into the larger tunnel. I peeked around the corner and saw the same Cave Spiders still trying to break down the wall Floyd was behind.

 _Yeah, I got this._

I swapped my shovel for my pickaxe and began tearing up the tunnel's stone floor and replacing it with planks. _So once I finish laying down the ignitable material, I'll get the Cave Spiders' attention, lure them over here, and light them up! Easy-peasy._

*HISS* *HISS*

 _What now!?_ The spiders were making a bunch of angry noises. I stopped building the wooden trap to take another peek around the corner.

It was Floyd. Fighting off the Cave Spiders with a newly made wooden sword. He didn't bother with waiting behind the wall and instead went straight for combat.

 _What is he doing!? I told him I had a plan!_ As I abandoned my trap construction to go help, he took out three spiders in a single swing before getting a bite to the leg. The offending Cave Spider barely had time to retreat before Floyd stabbed it in the face.

I couldn't understand how he was taking so many hits when moments ago he was at half a heart of health. But as I got closer and dispatched two nearby spiders, I saw that in addition to the sickly green colored particles surrounding him, he had vibrant pink particles swirling around. It must have been one of his other potions. Whatever the effect was, it looked like it was helping the blue-nette cope with the spider poison.

Floyd let loose a flurry of blows against the pair of spiders closest to him while I dodged a coordinated lunge from three of the eight-legged Mobs. The poison was what worried me the most.

 _And to think that these things are just a_ variety _of Spiders!_ _Is there a variety of Zombies that shoot lasers out of their eyes? Or-or maybe one of Creepers that explode into different elements? Oh, God that would be horrifying!_

I heard the sound of burning flames and turned to see the support beams from earlier still on fire. Deciding to use my trap one way or another, I ran to the beam with three Cave Spiders in tow. Floyd was taking on the remaining two spiders and looked to be okay.

Once I got to the support beams, I whipped out my flint and steel and helped the fire spread by lighting more support pillars and wooden planks. The inferno grew so much that two of the three spiders chasing me were immediately burned to a crisp. _Hmmm…I wonder if I can eat Spider meat…_

The third Spider leapt through the flames and fastened its teeth onto my forearm. I rolled and flailed in an attempt to dislodge the Cave Spider, but it clung on for dear life. I felt a blood chilling sensation creep up from where the spider was biting me and the pain on my forearm flared to the point that it felt as if it was being torn apart. The poison was more debilitating than I thought.

Even with the pain clouding my mind, I quickly rolled over to one of the burning support beams and, using my free arm, pressed the Cave Spider's body into the fiery lumber. Immediately, the Cave Spider relinquished its hold to hiss in agony before I finished it with one last shove into the blazing pyre.

Panting and groaning in pain, I stumbled away from the burning structure and huddled against the wall. I could already feel the poison spreading to my shoulder as sickly green particles swirled around me. As I examined the bit arm, I noted the newest tattoo of a heart with a yellow-green teardrop along with the timer beside it. _Ten more seconds of this!?_ The hearts that represented my health had also changed. They were no longer vibrant red and instead had an ill yellow-green color to them. And they were depleting fast.

Just as I was starting to worry what would happen when I ran out of health, the depleting hearts stopped, leaving me with half-a-heart.

 _Oh thank God._

Brain: _Yo! I'm back from my lunch-break. Turns out the cafeteria was out of chicken nuggets. Can you believe that? Any who, what'd I miss?_

 _Debilitating poison. Nearly dead. And…cafeteria?_

Brain: _Yeah, the food's not that good most of the time. Makes me think about bringing my own lunch every now and—_

 _Why do I have a cafeteria in my head!?_

Brain: _Cuz we'd starve otherwise. Duh._

 _That…that doesn't make sen—_

Brain: _There's something here about curing the poison. Not sure if that's pertinent information—_

 _It is! It is!_

Brain: _Okay, hold your horses…HAHAHA! Seriously!?_

 _What? What does it say?_

Brain: _Pftt…you're not gonna believe this._

 **[…Drink milk to cure yourself of harmful poison before it weakens you to the point of near death…]**

...

 _…_ _what?_

Brain: _Quick! We need to find the nearest milkman! Or a bowl of cereal! Or the udders of a—_

 _Stop joking! There's no way Herobrine wrote that down!_

Brain: _I'm not jok—well I was about the milkman, cereal bowl, and cow udders—but that's really what was written._

"Cobb!" Floyd called out as he ran over to help me up. "You okay? I know how bad that poison hurts."

As I picked myself up I could already feel the burning sensation of the poison fade away. "Yeah, I'll be fine after some food. But what about you? I thought you were low on health."

"Oh, right! I waited for the poison to wear off then used the Regeneration Potion." He held up the empty bottle as proof. "Those Cave Spiders were no match for me. Now come on. I can cook us up some steaks."

"Yeah, Floyd. That sounds…great." I muttered hesitantly as we walked back to the hideaway. "But…you didn't have to waste the potion. I had a plan."

"Right." He chuckled as he gestured over to the still burning support beams. "I saw your 'plan' in action."

"I'm serious." I affirmed a bit louder before calming my voice. _Don't flip out…just explain yourself._ "I had a plan to distract the spiders and it would've worked fine."

"Look, I took care of the Cave Spiders so what does it matter if you had a plan?" Floyd asked with a raised brow.

"It matters because I asked you to trust me." I replied with a hint of anger. "I could've taken out the Cave Spiders without wasting the—"

"The potion was _mine_ to use as I saw fit and I used it to save both our lives." Floyd answered with a scowl. "You think that was a waste? To save our lives?"

"No, but I—"

"Then this conversation is over." He finished as he entered the small opening to the hideaway. I grit my teeth and kicked the wall in frustration.

Brain: _Ooooh. Looks like I did miss something._

 _Why couldn't he just trust me? I could have handled those spiders just as well as him!_

Brain: _No offense Cobb, but shouldn't you be worrying more about…oh I don't know…the hot killer Crafter that wants to murder your guts!_

Oh yeah. Carys. She was still lurking somewhere. Although since I didn't even know where we were, chances were she would have just as much trouble finding us. Still, leaving that up to chance was just asking for trouble.

And encountering more Cave Spiders would be another problem…that Floyd would just take care of himself.

And just like that, my mind was brought back to Floyd's refusal to trust me. I told him to wait, but instead he ignored me and put himself in danger.

 _I know I'm not as good at combat as he is, but I'm good at using my head. He should have trusted me enough to handle it. I'm not just incompetent dead weight! And I could've proved it too…_

"Cobb, I just cooked some chicken and steak." Floyd returned from the hideaway holding a bunch of cooked meats at his belt. "You're probably hungry right?"

He held out some steak and I eyed it warily. "No thanks…I've…lost my appetite."

Stomach: _WHAT!? Brain this is a code red! Talk some sense into him!_

 _I'm tired of Floyd treating me like a burden that needs to be taken care of all the time! I don't want his food. I can be just as useful as him._

Stomach: _Who cares!? He's offering you free food and you deny me this luxury!_

"You sure you're all right?" Floyd questioned with a surprised face. "Before, you traded iron for pork chops but now you're saying no to free food? And your stomach is growling pretty loudly."

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me." I dismissed firmly.

"No, it's not that I…ugh…alright." He put the steaks back into his inventory. "Just don't whine for food later."

"I won't."

Stomach: _I will._

 _Not now stomach!_

Stomach: _No! Fuck you! I'm not eating anymore of that Zombie flesh!_

 _I'll find something else to eat._

Stomach: _Like what!?_

 _Like…like…Aha!_ I walked over to the piles of drops left by the Cave Spiders and picked some up. _Like these roasted spider eyes!_

Stomach: _WHAT!? Wait!_

I popped one in my mouth before Stomach's imaginary voice could dissuade me. I looked at my Hunger Meter and smiled. _Ha! One whole corndog of hunger back. See stomach? I can find alternative sources of—_

The familiar poison effect tattoo reappeared before I could finish my thoughts. Apparently spider eyes were poisonous to eat.

Brain: _Priceless._

Stomach: _I…take it back…the rotten flesh is…better._

"Ugh." I clutched my stomach in pain and curled into a fetal position until the effect passed. Floyd just shook his head and returned to the hideaway while munching on some cooked chicken.

 _Yeah, who needs edible food? Rotten flesh is for tough guys anyway._ I reasoned to myself as I munched the sickening drop. _And I think I'm getting used to it._

At the time, it was hard to tell whether the terrible taste in my mouth was over the spider eyes and rotten flesh I was consuming, or over the issues I had with Floyd.

I just knew I felt a lot worse than when I was poisoned.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 47 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 5 Coal, 22 Torches, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 35 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 4 Spider Eyes, 6 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book, 1 Paper, 3 Flint, 4 Coal, 11 Dirt, 2 Gunpowder, 16 String, 5 Spider Eyes, 2 Steaks, 3 Glass Bottles, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Awkward Potion, 1 Head {Crawford}

* * *

 **AN: Trouble's brewing. And this Author's Note is long.**

 **That was my attempt at a disagreement between two characters. I tried to make it as genuine as I could, but I'm not sure if I did it right.**

 **But in other news, special thanks to DarkWolf133 for the first viewer OC featured: Creation's_Spark. I hope I represented her in a good light. I felt Noman was the one who needed an ally more than anyone, so you'll get to see more of Spark in future chapters.**

 **Bet you guys didn't think I was taking the OC suggestions seriously. Well I am. And worry not, because more viewer OCs are in the future. And any OC suggestions are always welcome.**

 **So, fav, follow, review, OC, send feedback, answer puzzles, and have a nice National Chewing Gum Day.**

 **...that actually is today, September 30, believe it or not. Right alongside National Hot Mulled Cider Day. I fail to see the connection.**


	15. Conflict

**AN: Looking back on my previous chapters, I realized I had left out an item from Cobb's Inventory: the Crafting Table! Thankfully, none of you noticed anything.**

 **Again, nobody got last week's puzzle right. Most of you guys said there would be no eggs in the basket. How many eggs can you put in an empty basket? One. Because after that one egg is in the basket, it's no longer an empty basket. But that's fine. I don't mind hoarding all these delicious Victory Cookies for myself.**

 ***NOM* *NOM* MWA HA HA! *NOM* *NO-CHOKE***

 ***COUGH* *COUGH***

 **...they still taste good.**

 **Puzzle: A plane full of passengers crashes on the border of Canada and the U.S. Where are the survivors buried?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Emerald Armor would be a thing.

* * *

Chapter 15

 **Conflict**

[Cobb]

I stood by the door to our hideaway. The hole in the wall seemed perfect for one of my oak doors to fit and it gave the enclosed space a residential vibe.

Not that Floyd cared. He was working at the crafting table with some sticks and string.

"Now if I put this here then maybe I can…Ugh! Wrong." He withdrew a newly crafted item that looked like a fishing rod before tossing it to the side. "Cobb can you lend me a stick?"

"I don't know. Think I can do that right?" I responded as I picked up the [FISHING ROD] and placed it in my Inventory.

"Alright fine. Be an asshole." Floyd dismissed coldly as he crafted some wooden planks into sticks and resumed his work.

I folded my arms and looked at the ceiling. Things were getting worse and worse between me and Floyd. With all the dangerous Mobs running around we really couldn't afford to be fighting each other. But at the same time I felt my anger was warranted. Floyd wanted to do everything himself. Fighting, cooking, crafting. It felt like he didn't rely on me.

And I wanted to be relied on. To prove my own usefulness.

To not be looked on as a burden.

 _…_ _Although if Carys busted through the door right now, I'd probably let Floyd take care of her whilst hiding in the corner._

 _Cuz that woman is crazy._

 _And coming from a guy who constantly imagines the voices of his internal organs to fill the emptiness caused by a brief stay in a fathomless oblivion…_

 _That means something._

"Finally!" Floyd cheered as he withdrew the item he was trying to craft: a new bow. His old bow, which he got from me, was so damaged it could snap with the smallest of 'twangs.' Even though we were both arrowless, it was a good idea to make a new one.

 _Not that I would tell him that, though._

 _Because guess who gets the new bow._

 _Floyd._

 _And guess who gets the old bow._

 _If you guessed not me, then you win a free cookie!_

 _Congrats!_

"Alright, I'm set. Let's find a way out of this place." Floyd stated as he packed his furnace and crafting table away. I broke my torch off the wall and knocked down my door. Then Floyd sealed the entrance with dirt. We couldn't leave a trail for Carys after all.

"Which way do we go?" I asked. The tunnel we were in had two paths: one going one way and the other going the opposite way. But after that, there were series of turns and drops and higher levels. Picking the right way seemed impossible.

"I…don't know." Floyd replied hesitantly as he looked back and forth between the two paths. "Which way did we come from?"

"I don't remember either." I lied easily. I remembered that the burned wooden support beams was where the spiders had chased us from. It was nice having landmarks for guides.

But I didn't feel like sharing that with Floyd. After all, he didn't share the bows with me. I even would've been fine with the weakened bow. Instead he had to keep them both for himself.

His reasoning was something along the lines of, ' _What's the point? You don't have arrows to shoot._ ' But it may as well have been, ' _Cobb, there's no way I'm entrusting you with a bow when you're so incompetent on a regular basis. You'll shoot your eye out kid!_ '

Anyway, Floyd would have to figure out which way we'd go. _And when he screws up in picking a direction, I'll swoop in and lead us out of here. That'll teach him how competent I am!_

Floyd snapped his fingers "Oh, now I remember! We were running from the spiders and burned them by some wooden beams." He pointed towards the charred beams I was remembering moments ago. "So that's where we came from. Maybe we can leave the same way we came."

 _So much for that._ I thought dejectedly as Floyd led us past the burned support beams. I had my wooden sword drawn in case more Cave Spiders showed up.

 _This sword won't last much longer._ I contemplated as I examined the dents and scratches in the wooden material. _What I wouldn't give for an iron sword...or edible food._

"…it's kind of weird, right?"

"Huh?" I asked perplexed as I caught the end of Floyd's question.

Floyd sighed. "Quit spacing out Cobb. I said, isn't it weird how, even with the support beams burned down, nothing is collapsing?" He pointed up to where the beams connected with the tunnel's ceiling.

"Sure I guess." I shrugged. If the Crapshack was any indication, architectural stability wasn't exactly my strong point. And after seeing trees hover in midair for so long, I assumed Minecraftia was very finicky about following the laws of gravity.

"The only purpose these beams serve is to give these tunnels the illusion of being mine shafts. Like for aesthetics." Floyd surmised as we took a right turn and glanced at more wooden support structures.

"So…someone made these to be artsy?" I asked half interested.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Floyd conceded. "As to why someone felt the need to be 'artsy' beneath Mt. Mur, I have no idea."

"Yeah…wait. What made you think these tunnels look like mine shafts?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Well what would you say they look like?" He inquired with arms folded.

"…mine shafts." I mumbled.

"Exactly. It's that same normal sense we both feel." Floyd contemplated as he ran a hand through his sky-blue locks. "Maybe whoever built this was following those same senses."

"Building based off normal sense? Then my normal sense of architecture is messed up. I couldn't even build a simple house." All I was getting from Floyd's theory was that Crafters could use their normal sense as a reference for architecture. Although, considering how we used normal sense to determine how to cook iron, it could probably be used as a reference for other types of knowledge or even skills.

The only problem with that was I had no idea how to cook iron. That was all Floyd. Did that mean our normal senses differed for specific information?

Brain: _UGH! TOO MUCH THINKING! I'M GETTING A MIGRAINE HEADACHE!_

Heart: _Migraine Headache?_

Brain: _Yeah, see, normally people get migraines or headaches—_

Heart: _They're the same thing._

Brain: _—but Cobb is thinking so much, that I'm getting a Migraine Headache. A Migrache, if you will._

Heart: _I won't._

Brain: _Whatever. Cobb, don't think too much on it. Normal Sense is a weird topic._

Heart: _Yeah, instead think about how you're going to reconcile with Floyd._

 _I'll reconcile with him_ after _he apologizes for not trusting me…and gives me free steak._

Stomach: _He's not the only one at fault. You didn't do a good job of explaining why you were upset by his lack of trust. I'm sure to him, your grumpy attitude is unjustified._

 _Unjustified? I thought it was obvious! And you're taking Heart's side?_

Brain: _He's taking the side that gets him food quicker._

Stomach: _…that is true._

 _But—_

Brain: _Just apologize and move on. We have bigger things to worry about than your petty squabbles._

 _I can't believe this. My own organs are telling me I'm wrong._

Brain: _Hey, we're just your subconscious. You're the one telling yourself you're wrong._

Liver: _That is some seriously deep mind fucking._

Brain: _Liver…don't ever say that again. Or talk to me. In fact, just shut up forever._

I sighed as I returned my attention to my surroundings. Every step we took seemed to take us nowhere. Whoever made the wooden structures obviously liked using the same material and the same exact design. You'd think they'd add a little creativity or deviation when making them.

Occasionally we would spot some rails or a wooden floor instead of a stone one, but for the most part the mine shaft we were traveling in was dull, dull, dull.

And there were multiple directions we could go. We would take a right, then a left, then a left, then a left…and be back in the same spot we started. But then we would go right, right, left, left, and still end up nowhere. It was almost like we were trapped in an underground grid of perpetual boredom.

"Are we even going the right way?" I asked as we took what seemed like the umpteenth right. Floyd didn't reply and kept his eyes forward: A sure sign we were lost.

"We could try mining up to get out of this mine shaft." I suggested as I took a bite out of some rotten flesh.

 _Ugh._

"No, I want to know who made this mine shaft." Floyd replied, again, keeping his eyes forward. "If we keep looking around, we're bound to find some indication."

"…Okay, that's an idea…but maybe we should get to the surface where we know where we're going rather than meander around mysterious tunnels with no idea what we're doing." Admittedly, I was curious about the mine shaft and who built it. However, wandering around dark boring places with terrible food outweighed all other reasons for staying underground.

"If you need food to keep going, I can give you some—"

"It's not about the food." I interrupted. "You don't know what you're looking for. You're just stubbornly—"

"I'm looking for anything I can use. Ores, supplies,…a less obnoxious ally." He mumbled the last part, but I caught it.

"I'm not being obnoxious!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing down the tunnels.

"And I'm not being stubborn. Oh, and shout a bit louder next time. I think some Mobs in the area may not have heard you." He stated smugly.

I clenched my fists in frustration as we rounded another corner. Floyd was starting to get on my nerves and it was becoming obvious that neither one of us was willing to forgive the other without an apology.

… _Maybe my consciousness is right._

Brain: _Of course I am._

Heart: _He means_ all _of us are right._

 _Arguing with Floyd isn't gonna get us out of here any faster. In fact, it could make collaboration impossible._

Stomach: _That's what we've been saying this whole time!_

 _Maybe if I apologize now, I'll be able to explain to Floyd later why it was such an issue._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

 _You make a fantastic point Lungs. Alright, I'll apologize right now._

I opened my mouth to ready my apology speech when I stopped to notice what Floyd was doing. He was mining a material from the wall with his iron pick. A material that looked remarkably like iron ore.

"Oh good. You found some iron ore." I began to start a conversation that would eventually lead into my apology. Floyd nodded as he placed his furnace and deposited the three chunks of iron ore he mined. "So, what are you gonna make?"

Floyd set up his crafting table and withdrew both a stick and a flint from his Inventory, but didn't reply to my inquiry.

"Ha. Now who's spacing out?" I joked in an attempt to shrug off him ignoring me. It didn't work very well if my angered eye twitching was any indication.

Once the iron was done cooking, he quickly snatched it and crafted it into a sword and a flint and steel. He gave the iron blade a few test swings and I marveled at the sharp edges and shine of the sword…

Before I was overcome by outrage! "Hey! What happened to sharing things fifty-fifty?"

"Oh, that deal only applies to _allies_." Floyd elaborated with a sneer. "Not whining, ungrateful, assholes."

"…that's—"

"Besides, it's better that I have the better sword since you…" he gestured to my entire being before trailing off.

 _Ouch._

"Y'know what? I can't believe it." I announced to no one in particular. Floyd shot me a confused glance as he deposited his flint and steel into his belt.

Brain: _Um…Cobb?_

"I literally cannot believe it."

Heart: _Don't say it. Be the bigger person._

I ignored my conscious as I struggled on with my rant. "I can't believe that for one second, I thought I was the wrong one."

Floyd narrowed his eyes at my words as he gripped his iron sword more tightly.

Stomach: _Seriously Cobb. Let it go._

"And to think I was stupid enough to even _consider_ apologizing to you. After all those things you said…" I chuckled humorlessly as I cradled my forehead with the heels of my hands.

Lungs: _*Sigh* *Sigh*_

"Especially since _you're_ the one at fault. Because you couldn't just trust me!" I shouted as I bundled a fistful of my brown colored hair.

"Shut up Cobb." Floyd stated in an emotionless tone as he grasped his blade with both hands. Part of me was terrified if he would attack if the argument escalated any further, but the rest of me was too frustrated to care. _If he attacks, then I can finally prove I can handle myself without his constant support!_

"Don't deny it! You don't trust me. You don't even want to share items anymore!" My voice continued to rise in volume and bounced off the tunnel walls. The echoes made it seem like ten Cobbs were confronting Floyd at once.

"You don't know what you're talking about." His voice shook as he tried to reign in his anger. "I offered you food, but you just spat in my face."

"That's because I don't want your pity food! I can handle myself!" Ten Cobbs had their voices converge upon an irritated blue-nette.

Floyd opened his mouth to respond, but any reply he was about to make was drowned out by the unmistakable sound of a gurgling stomach emanating from me. Hearing that sound, Floyd's eyes lit up in malice, an emotion I wasn't aware he was capable of.

He smirked to himself as he rummaged through his backpack. "Oh man. All this arguing is making me hungry. I better pull out my good friend Mr. T-bone for ideas on where to find food."

 _No._

 _He wouldn't._

From his backpack he withdrew one of the succulent steaks he offered to me before. The aroma of meat wafting through the confined air of the tunnel was intoxicating to me in my famished state. My mouth was already watering as I gazed upon it.

"What's that Mr. T-bone?" He asked as he held up the steak to his ear as if it was whispering something to him. "You know a great place to get food? Delicious meats you say?"

 _That bastard._ I couldn't believe Floyd would do something like this. He always seemed so serious and somber. Yet there he was pretending to listen to a steak as if it was a real person. Just to taunt me.

"What's that?" He leaned closer to the steak. " _You're_ the source of such a delicious and nourishing meal? And you want me to eat you so that you can fill the hunger plaguing my body?"

"Stop it." I stated in a toneless voice.

"Well, gee Mr. T-bone. I couldn't imagine _anyone_ turning down such a generous donation. Especially being hungry and all."

"Okay, Floyd it's not funny anymore!" I pleaded as I took a step towards him. He simply took a step back.

"So I will graciously enjoy this meal. Thank you for your noble sacrifice Mr. T-bone." Floyd bowed to his steak before lifting it to his mouth.

"Don't you eat that in front of me!" I shouted as I took another couple steps forward. Floyd responded by shoving me back with the broad side of his iron blade. This caused me to fall flat on my back.

I could only watch in despair as Floyd devoured Mr. T-bo—I mean, the steak—right in front of me. And he looked like he enjoyed every second of it. He even licked his lips in a self-satisfied smile.

Stomach: _That's it. Nobody enjoys food in front of me and gets away with it._

"Oh man, that was delicious!" Floyd adopted a cheerful expression as he rubbed his belly in appreciation. But then his face shifted to one of deep consideration. "But I'm still hungry. I wish there was another meat buddy who could direct me to some…" He stopped as he held a hand up to his ear. "Actually, I think I hear something coming from my good pal, Mr. Mignon."

At that, he pulled out the second and last steak from his Inventory and held it up to his ear.

 _No! Not again!_

"Yes Mr. Mignon. I agree that if Cobb apologized he too could enjoy—GAH!"

I interrupted Floyd as I tackled him to the ground, knocking Mr. Mignon from his grasp. "Not today!" I shouted as I scrambled to my feet, scooped up the steak, and bolted down one of the tunnels.

"Give me my steak back!" Floyd yelled as he sprinted to catch up. My hunger was too low to run for long, but if I stopped to eat the steak, then Floyd would catch up anyway.

"You forced my hand Floyd!" I shouted as I took a sharp turn down another tunnel. I needed a place where I could eat Mr. Mign—the steak!—in peace.

"Well I'm about to force _my_ hand into a fist to punch you in the face!" Floyd bellowed as he rounded the corner and dove for my legs. The sudden extra weight threw my balance off and sent me tumbling to the ground, the steak slipping from my fingers and hitting the floor with an audible 'splat'.

Floyd pressed his advantage as he crawled forward and pressed his knee against my back, effectively pinning me to the ground. He then raised his right fist to deliver a solid blow, but before he could hit me, I reached behind me with both hands and grasped his sweater by the turtleneck. With all my strength, I flipped him over my head where he landed hard on his back, driving the wind out of him.

Now it was my turn to press the advantage. I righted myself and brought my leather clad boot up to stomp on Floyd's chest. As I brought it down, he rolled to the side just barely dodging it and aimed a low sweep towards my legs. Yet again I was sent tumbling to the ground, but the force Floyd put into his sweep made it harder for him to get up to counterattack.

I dove towards him with an enraged shout and we rolled and grappled along the tunnel floor. Every so often, one of us would land a punch on the other before spitting out angered curses.

We were so angry that we didn't even consider each other's health.

We could've killed each other.

After several more tumbles, I managed to pin Floyd with his back to the ground. My knees were keeping his arms restrained and his legs were in no position to injure me. I raised my fist to deliver one last blow, but Floyd began shouting something desperately. My ears were ringing with anger or from all the punches I took, but eventually I was able to filter in what he was trying to tell me.

"~~~~per!"

Fist still raised, I took my eyes off of Floyd to notice that we had rolled right up to the edge of some enormous ravine. We were so caught up with our fight that we never noticed.

"~~eeper!" Floyd's voice was getting clearer.

If we took one more tumble we both would've fallen down. Fortunately, we stopped right on the edge.

Then a new sound hit my ears. A sound that was separate from Floyd, yet oh so familiar.

I usually equated it with bad times.

"Creeper, Cobb! Creeper!" Floyd's voice got through to my brain just as the fatal hissing of a Creeper concluded its vocal timer from beside me.

 _Crap._

I rolled off the side of the ravine along with Floyd just a split second before the explosion went off. Since I was standing above Floyd, I took most of the damage and force as I was knocked down to the bottom of the ravine. Floyd fared slightly better as he landed on one of the rocky ledges that littered the narrow walls of the gulley.

As I plummeted to the bottom of the ravine, with what little quick thinking I had left I took out my water bucket and set the water down below me a second before impact. The resulting gush of water was just enough to cushion my fall, sparing me from experiencing what zero hearts felt like.

I floundered around before scooping up the water source into my bucket. I checked my health and reluctantly swallowed some rotten flesh to replenish it.

It was miserable. Everything was miserable. I was miserable.

And I didn't know what to do next.

"Cobb!" Floyd shouted from above me. I jerked my head up to scan for him. A blue dot of hair along the canyon wall was all I could see of him. But I didn't really feel like seeing him.

"Cobb! You okay!?" He called down. Once again I was consumed by anger. Anger for his pity, anger for his lack of faith, anger that he wasn't even thinking about the fight we just had. He was just worried about me. And that was what made me the angriest.

Only that anger was directed at me.

I was angry that I had almost gotten us killed and I started a fight over a fucking piece of meat. I was angry that I couldn't speak my apology to Floyd. I was angry that we were as far away from friends as humanly possible.

"Cobb, I'm sorry! Place some water and I'll jump down!" He called again in a desperate attempt to ask for forgiveness.

And now I was angry that he felt the need to apologize when really I had been the one in the wrong.

I couldn't stand it.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I couldn't look Floyd in the eye, I was so ashamed.

So I did what I always did when faced with an obstacle I couldn't handle.

I ran.

"Cobb! Wait! Please, I didn't mean to hurt you!" He shouted frantically, but I was already tuning him out. I ran into the nearest passage with tears streaming down my cheeks.

Floyd was right all along. I wasn't capable. I wasn't trustworthy. I was just a burden to be carried. I had screwed up enough and I didn't want to face Floyd for forgiveness or an apology or anything.

The first to break up the alliance was me.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 47 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 5 Coal, 23 Torches, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 35 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 4 Spider Eyes, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Big arguments can start out little.**

 **This chapter was more drama than humor. And it was short. For that I apologize. Although with a title like 'Conflict' can you really blame it?**

 **Also Midterms are a pain.**


	16. Hurdle (Part 1)

**AN: Sorry about last week's short chapter. I was busy with Mid-terms and such.**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle: You don't bury survivors since they're still alive. Congrats to Slenderbrine ****for being the first to get it right. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What has holes in it, but can hold water?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, minecart tracks would have loop-de-loops.

* * *

Chapter 16

 **Hurdle (Part 1)**

[Noman]

"So that Mob I fought is called a Spider Jockey?" I asked my black and orange clad companion as we trekked through the dawn lit woods.

 **[YES. ALTHOUGH I'VE ONLY SEEN SPIDER JOCKEYS AND CHICKEN JOCKEYS, THEY ARE BOTH VERY DISTINCT THREATS.]**

 _Chicken Jockeys? What would be small enough to ride a chicken…unless the chicken is actually a huge killer monster chicken! After everything I've seen I wouldn't be surprised._

"What about the bucket of milk you gave me? How come drinking it dispelled the invisibility effect?"

 **[MILK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PANACEA FOR POTION EFFECTS. THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS CARRY SOME AROUND. JUST ONE DRINK AND ANY STATUS EFFECTS ARE CURED INSTANTLY.]**

She snapped her fingers to emphasize how quickly the milk worked and I made a mental note on the usefulness of the dairy product.

"So where do you find—" I was stopped mid-sentence as she mimed her page turning motion.

 **[MILK COMES FROM COWS. JUST BRING A BUCKET.]**

"It's like you know exactly what I'm thinking when you write." I smiled at how well she planned her writing. _Am I really such an open book to her that she can predict my thought process?_

At my comment, she averted her eyes and shrugged as if it was no big deal. I couldn't tell if she looked proud or embarrassed.

Then she stopped me with her arm and glanced around the area. We had reached a steep cliff face that connected to the towering mountain that could only be Mt. Mur.

"Why are we stopping here?" I asked. Spark just ignored me as she examined the ground, scanning for something.

I looked up at Mt. Mur and gaped in awe. The mountain was so high that the peak was obscured by the clouds. Below that was steep rocky terrain dotted with trees. And according to Spark, Ringwood was on the other side of that massive natural obstacle. It would take days, maybe even weeks to climb to the top. Food and other supplies would be necessary for such a hike.

 _How does she think she can reach Ringwood by today?_

Spark made a sudden movement from the corner of my eye and I turned to observe. She was crouched in front of a blue flower and her eyes were lit up in triumph.

She then slowly got to her feet and, using the flower as a marker, walked straight towards the rock base. As she approached the base, she readied a pickaxe of some material that gleamed in the first rays of morning.

I watched in wonder as, when she reached the rock face, she used her pick to mine an opening big enough for a person to fit. Just behind the first layer of rock was a torch lit tunnel that appeared to trail through the mountain.

She gestured for me to enter first as she swapped her pick for some rock of the same type she mined from the cliff. I hesitantly stepped into the threshold of the tunnel while Spark sealed the entrance.

"Amazing." I marveled after we traveled for some time. The tunnel felt like it was sloping up with every occasional turn. "How did you know this tunnel was here?"

 **[I BUILT IT.]**

 **[AND IF YOU THINK THIS IS AMAZING, JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHERE IT LEADS.]**

After walking for several minutes, we reached a ladder that went straight up into the rock above. Spark climbed first and I followed.

As we climbed, one thing registered in my mind.

 _We're going really high up._

The ladder seemed to go on forever and it was becoming exhausting to continually hoist myself up rung after rung.

 _How does Spark do this without breaking a sweat?_ I looked up to see how she was doing, but felt my cheeks quickly redden before jerking my head back down to stare firmly at the points of the ladder where my hands made contact.

I decided to focus my eyes on the rungs for two reasons. One so I wouldn't look down and be terrorized by vertigo. And two so I wouldn't be tempted to stare at Spark's shapely rear.

I was still curious as to why she decided to help me when I had relatively little to reward her with…well, besides emeralds, Golden God Apples, an invincible chestplate, and steak. But she couldn't have known that I had such gear.

So then why?

And where were we going?

When I noticed a lack of rungs in front of me, I knew we had reached the top. I took a look around and confirmed Spark's previous written remark.

I _was_ amazed at where the ladder led.

We were in a large furnished room that appeared to be carved into the rock of the mountain. I was standing in the corner where the ladder was stationed.

Across from me was a large fenced pen holding cows and chickens. The pen's floor was made of dirt and there was a small gate to allow people to enter.

In the corner opposite from me was a series of furnaces and chests and a crafting table. All of which were stationed on a luxurious ebony carpet.

There were several doors around the room. Two were along the northern wall, one was by a room that seemed to jut into the dimensions of the main room, and one was by the southern wall which led to a balcony.

I knew the door led to a balcony because the entire southern wall was transparent. It was a giant window of glass that overlooked the breathtaking beauty of the valley and forest below.

Lastly, a stairwell along the western side of the room led to an upper floor. But I didn't pay that an mind as I rushed to the window's balcony to get a better view.

It was incredible. The entire house we were in was indeed carved into the mountain's rock. It was done in such a way that the house was positioned between two lips in the cliff. From above, a rocky outcropping jutted past the balcony. Any avalanches or rock falls would simply pass the view of the valley below without harming the actual house.

At the same time, the rocky outcropping below shielded the house from the gaze of any Crafters looking up from the mountain's base. The Endward Cult would never think to search for Crafters living on the side of a cliff!

Spark joined me on the balcony as I admired the view. I felt her nudge a book into my shoulder, which I quickly accepted.

 **[NICE VIEW, YEAH?]**

"Indeed." I responded. "Did you…build all this?"

 **[YES. IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME, WORK, AND FAVORS, BUT I MANAGED TO CARVE OUT A LIFE HERE.]**

"It's…an amazing home." I would never be able to make something like it in a million years. I wouldn't even know where to start!

Helena had glass windows at her house, but I had no idea where glass came from. Was there a glass tree somewhere that needed to be harvested for the material? Or was there a special mineral of some sort?

The carpets…forget the issue of weaving string into cloth (if that was even the correct method.) How would someone even dye it that same jet black color that Spark had.

Even digging the dimensions of the house must have been a tedious process without the added construction of walls, paintings, furniture, stairs, balconies, and whatever else.

It was beautiful, but more than that, I was able to appreciate the effort she drilled into Mt. Mur. "You have a splendid home here."

Spark's eyes were aglow with pride as she scribbled out a new message.

 **[THANKS. HOW ABOUT I GIVE YOU A TOUR?]**

I nodded and she led me back inside.

 **[YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THE BALCONY. OVER HERE IS THE RESTING AREA.]**

She gestured to the main room with the furniture and pen.

 **[IT ALSO DOUBLES AS MY ANIMAL BREEDING AREA. AT LEAST UNTIL I FIND A BETTER SPOT FOR THEM.]**

I surmised she was speaking for the noisy cows and chickens.

 _The chickens look kind of cute…wait, breeding?_

At that thought, I had the sudden mental image of Spark pushing two cows and chickens together and shouting 'Mate! Mate!' before I drove the idea from my mind with a shudder.

Back to the tour, Spark opened one of the doors.

 **[THIS IS MY OWN PRIVATE FARM. I MAINLY GROW WHEAT AND SUGAR CANE, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT EXPANDING INTO POTATOES OR CARROTS.]**

Light green stalks and golden bushels of wheat sprouted from irrigated farmland. It was odd seeing an indoor farm since most plants need sunlight. Although, the torches along the wall seemed to do the job just as well.

Spark pointed towards the door of the room that jutted into the dimensions of the main room.

 **[THAT THERE IS THE ARCHIVE ROOM. IT'S MOSTLY TO STORE BOOKS AND OTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.]**

She walked past the door, not even bothering to open it and I vaguely wondered why she didn't want to show me the inside.

Instead she walked to the corner filled with furnaces, chests, and a crafting table.

 **[THIS IS WHERE I CRAFT AND COOK MOST OF MY SUPPLIES. MY BEDROOM IS UPSTAIRS AND FINALLY…]**

She ran over to the last unopened door and beckoned me forward. I briskly followed her and tilted my head in confusion at what I saw.

 **[THIS IS HOW WE'RE GETTING TO RINGWOOD!]**

Inside the room was a set of railways that led into a small opening in the wall. The other end of the rail curled into itself, but remained unconnected. Other than that the room had a small chest in the corner.

"Um…what exactly am I looking at?" I asked, not entirely seeing how tracks would be able to get us to Ringwo—

 _Oh no._

 _No, no, no. She couldn't possibly be suggesting—_

 **[THIS RAILWAY WILL GET US TO RINGWOOD IN LESS THAN A DAY. RIGHT THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN!]**

 _Oh God…_

 **[PLUS, ALL THE DROPS AND SWERVES MAKE IT FEEL LIKE A ROLLER COASTER. IT ALWAYS BRIGHTENS MY TRIPS TO THE KINGDOM.]**

 _Swerves? Drops!? Oh God why!?_

"Really?" I questioned nervously as my voice cracked. I walked up to the rails to examine them. They looked sturdy enough, but I was more concerned about what we were going to be riding in. A miniature train? Hopefully something with seatbelts and harnesses. "Did you set up this railway too? It must have taken you quite a long time."

 **[NOT REALLY. EVER HEARD OF MINER'S WARREN?]**

I shook my head.

 **[WELL, BASICALLY, MOST OF THE TUNNELS AND TRACKS WERE ALREADY SET UP TO CONNECT RINGWOOD TO OUR SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. I JUST NEEDED TO REDIRECT A COUPLE OF UNUSED RAILWAYS AND DIG SOME NEW TUNNELS. NOW TRAVELING TO RINGWOOD IS A BREEZE.]**

I followed Spark as she left the Rail Room. She went over to her crafting corner and rummaged through the chests.

Unsure of what to do, I just sat on the couch in the resting area. Though it was more of a bench than a couch due to its lack of cushions and being comprised entirely of wood. But as a humble guest, it was inappropriate for me to complain about my host's hospitality.

Instead, I performed a quick inventory check. Diamond Sword with Sharpness I (not sure what that means), Invincible Diamond Chestplate, book with mission given to me by Notch, 54 steak, ten Golden God Apples, a bow with Infinity I (really not sure what that means), a single arrow (not really helpful), a crafting table, ten oak wood planks, twelve rotten flesh, two bones, one gunpowder, 100 emeralds, and Spark's message book.

 _I'm pretty lucky that Spark found me when she did. And has her own railway to Ringwood. And she knows where the Crystal Catacombs are…_

 _But why is she being so helpful? And why go through so much work to live in the middle of nowhere? Couldn't she just live in Ringwood with other Crafters?_

A blur of black and orange rushed past me and up the stairs. I turned to Spark's crafting corner and noticed the furnaces were aglow with flames. Apparently, Spark was cooking something up.

I sat in silence waiting for Spark to return to her work, but she was taking an unusually long time in her bedroom.

After a while of sitting, I got up to stretch my legs. My eyes began to wander to her Archive Room.

 _Spark did say she kept books in there. I bet there's something I can read to pass the time._

The little voice from the back of my head returned. _'Maybe you should ask permission before going through her stuff.'_

I ignored the voice as I opened the door to the room. _She won't mind. They're just books, right?_

The room had a stale odor, as if nobody had cleaned it or moved anything for a while. The walls were piled high with shelves upon shelves of books and sitting along the far wall were several chests; each with their own sign.

As I got closer to examine the signs in the dim torchlight, I noticed that most of them were labeled with letters. They were most likely alphabetized.

A few signs had no words, but one in particular caught my attention. It didn't have letters like 'A-D' or 'E-H.'

It just had four words.

'WHY I KEEP GOING.'

Curiosity got the better of me and I opened the chest up to see what was inside. I was expecting something interesting or of value. But being in a room called the 'Archive Room' I probably should have figured it would be books. Just regular, old, ordinary books.

I picked up the nearest one and flipped through it. It was entirely blank except for the first page.

 **[You're a life-saver Spark. I can't thank you enough!]**

I checked the inside cover for a signature: 'Lovable_Goof.'

Putting that book aside, I picked up a new one from the chest. Again only the first page had any writing.

 **[Kingdoms! Friendly Crafters! Writable Books! Who knew Minecraftia could have so much stuff? And why couldn't Helena tell me these things!?]**

 **[Thankfully, there was another lovely lady with a small voice and a big heart! You da man!...woman.]**

I smirked at that last line as I checked the signature: 'Ganadin_11.'

I picked up another book.

 **[Those Creepers would've creamed me if it wasn't for your invisibility potion! You're a really cool Crafter.]**

'HelluvaName'

And another.

 **[Zombies suck. Cultists suck more. You suck less…and I am grateful. Also I suck at expressing gratitude. (T_T)]**

'BuddyFriendGuyPal'

And another.

 **[I donut rite wel. But i tri 4 u. Cuz yur werth it.]**

'Xkjh5smsX'

The more books I read, the clearer Spark's motives became. All the books were the same more or less: Someone writing to express gratitude to Spark in some way.

It was then I understood why she went through so much trouble to live where she did. It was to help Crafters over the first major hurdle in their existences. I wasn't the first to be shown her kindness, and I probably wouldn't be the last either. That thought made me smile and I felt a rush of affection for Spark.

 _Creation's_Spark. It really is a fitting name. She protects Crafters and gives them the chance to go out into the world._

 _She's so charitable and generous…_

 _Meanwhile, what have I done to help anyone?_

 _All I've done is kill. Even if they were bad…_

 _…_

 _Maybe she would be a better Billionth._

The warm feeling I felt soon turned to remorse and sadness as I returned all the books to the chest and turned to leave the room.

Only to come face to face with a black and orange clad redhead.

"Gah! Spark! I-I…didn't hear you." I stammered out as I subtly shut the chest behind me, hoping she wouldn't notice.

She already had a new book in hand that she pressed into me perhaps a tad more forcefully than usual.

 **[OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME. I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.]**

I mentally facepalmed at the obviousness of my excuse as Spark glared at me with orange eyes.

 **[I SEE YOU DECIDED TO DO A LITTLE LIGHT READING WHILE I WAS BUSY.]**

 _Uh-oh. She noticed._

 _'_ _Told you so.'_ My little voice chimed.

"Um…I'm sorry. Really really sorry. I was just bored with waiting and you were taking some time so I thought I could find a good book to read and this chest caught my eye and mmph—"

Spark slapped a hand over my mouth to stop my rambling as she balanced her book on her knee and wrote one-handed. She must have had a lot of practice with writing while multitasking.

She kept her hand over my mouth and instead held the book up for me to read.

 **[IT'S FINE. THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT SHOULDN'T BE READ. IT'S JUST A BIG PART OF MY IDENTITY SO I DON'T WANT PEOPLE READING INTO IT.]**

 **[EVERY CRAFTER DESERVES THE CHANCE TO LIVE. SO WHEN THE WORLD DENIES THEM THAT, I TRY TO STEP IN.]**

With my mouth obstructed I could only nod in understanding before she finally dropped her hand.

I followed her out of the Archive Room and shut the door behind me. Spark had already returned to her corner and had withdrawn some metallic bars from the furnaces. She whisked over to the crafting table and, quicker than lightning, constructed four metal carts.

I couldn't believe how fast she was. Next, she took out some logs of wood. I blinked and the next thing I knew she was holding a chest and a furnace.

I didn't even glimpse the materials she used to make it!

I shook off my amazement as she took her crafted items and guided me over to the Rail Room. Once there, she set down two of her carts which expanded to be able to seat one person each.

She gestured to the one in front and I groaned as I hesitantly clambered into it. Behind me, Spark set down a new cart in between hers and mine. Only this one had a chest in it. I wasn't even aware that chests could be transported that way.

Spark handed me her book again while she set up a fourth minecart on the curled end of the rail. This one with a furnace.

 **[TRY TO KEEP YOUR HANDS INSIDE THE CART. SOME OF THE TRACK MIGHT GO OVER EXPOSED LAVA.]**

 _Alright that makes sense—WHAT!? LAVA!?_ I gave her a frightened expression which she promptly ignored as she transferred hundreds of some small pink-colored item from the small chest in the corner to the minecart chest.

 **[OTHER THAN THAT, ENJOY THE RIDE!]**

She snatched her book back from me as soon as I read that last line and hopped into her own minecart.

"W-wait Spark! I get sick really easily! I-I don't mind climbing Mt. Mur! Really, I—"

Spark waved off my excuses as she took out some coal and popped it in the minecart furnace. Immediately, the furnace roared to life and billowed forth black smoke as it began to move and pick up speed.

It rounded the curved end of the track and pushed Spark's cart, which pushed the chest's cart, which pushed _my_ cart towards the narrow opening in the wall.

"Oh, boy…okay deep breaths…deep…breaths…" I tried to calm myself as I was pushed along the track. Through the opening, I took a sharp left turn and checked behind me to see that the other carts were still following.

When I returned my attention in front of me, I noticed a lack of tracks…

Only to realize that the tracks weren't gone. They just dropped very, very, very, very…

Steeply.

 _Notch why?_

"AGHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I cleared the zenith of the track and plummeted at top speeds, clinging to the metal cart for dear life.

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Where am I even going?_ I thought to myself as I descended further and further into the tunnel.

I was still running as fast as I could to put as much distance between me and Floyd, not even bothering to light up the tunnel with torches. It would have been simple to get surprised by a Creeper.

Though I suppose I'd deserve it after nearly killing Floyd.

I ran for another few minutes before slowing down to refill my Hunger Meter with rotten flesh. But even that was running low. I was down to my last piece.

 _Great. Just great. Can this day possibly get any worse?_

*UNK*

 _THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION!_ I internally screamed as I backed away from the familiar grunts of a Stickman.

*GHAIYA* *GHAIYA*

The sounds were getting louder and more aggressive and I could barely see a thing in the darkness. I groped around for the tunnel wall and withdrew my pick to dig out a niche to hide in.

Once I was safely nestled into the wall, I sealed the opening and listened for any more sounds from the evil creature.

"You picked the _wrong_ day to get in my way!" Came an enraged feminine voice.

My blood froze as I remembered where I'd heard that voice before. It was Carys the-not-so-angelic Angel.

*GHAIYA*

 _Well, maybe the Stickman will take her out and then leave on its own. I mean, that thing was tough enough to—_

*SQUELCH*

*GHAIYA*

The Stickman uttered one last bloodcurdling wail of despair before another sickening 'squelch' came from behind the wall. Then silence.

…

"If these Mobs keep getting in my way, I'll never find those two." Carys spoke aloud. Her voice sounded disturbingly close to my niche and I had to bite down onto my fist to stifle a gasp.

Even more distinctive were the sounds her boots made whenever they made contact with the ground.

*tk tk* *tk tk*

The sounds of her padding grew louder and louder before becoming softer and softer.

"Now, if I were a couple of heartless pricks, where would I be?" Her voice sounded fainter as I assumed she walked past my hiding spot.

 _How the hell did she get in front of me? I thought I was running away from the vengeance seeking killer!_

I couldn't hear her padding anymore, but I waited a bit longer just to be safe. As I waited, I leaned my back against the wall of my niche and slid down before settling my butt on the floor.

 _What am I even doing?_ I questioned as I softly banged my head against the wall.

I was pretty much throwing myself into danger in my haste to get away from Floyd. Dying to Mobs or Carys or some other third thing didn't seem half as terrifying as facing Floyd. But being stuck in a niche at the bottom of some abandoned mineshaft…with no food…was starting to get to me.

The no food part was the biggest of my concerns though.

"Gotta find food." I commanded myself as I dug a way out of the niche. I took out my torches and traveled the way Carys came from. Seeing as how she was desperate to find me and Floyd, it would be unlikely that she would backtrack unless by mistake.

It looked like Carys had already lit the way she came from with torches. As I was about to follow them, I noticed something gleaming in the torchlight to the right of me.

I stooped down to pick it up. It was the same blue orb that Carys had tossed at us before we fell down Mt. Mur. It was called an [ENDER PEARL].

 _Where did this come from? And what does it even do?_ I questioned as I examined the orb. I recalled that Carys lobbed it before disappearing and reappearing behind us. Eventually I just shrugged and pocketed it in my belt. _Anything can come in handy._

I set off deeper into the mineshaft, hoping to locate some food. I was rewarded with a chest placed off to the side of the tunnel on some rails. However, the chest was different than the chests I had previously encountered. This one was nestled within a metal cart.

Thankfully, whatever it was nestled in did nothing to alter the functionality of the chest. I opened it and cried tears of joy at what was inside: Loaves of [BREAD]. Sure, they were a tad stale, but when you're borderline starving and have eaten enough rotten flesh to make garbage look like caviar, you learn to cope.

After I gorged myself on the last piece of bread I examined the cart-chest. _What the heck is this thing? And who left it here? Carys?_

I took out my pick and began mining the cart-chest. It rocked back and forth with each hit before bursting into two items: a chest and a [MINECART].

 _Wait, so they were separate after all?_ I questioned as I picked the items up and stored them in my nearly filled backpack. _And this cart…it's a lot smaller as an item._

I continued down the tunnel in an effort to locate more cart-chests. If there were more and each one had food in them, I would be able to survive far longer than my meager food supplies would allow.

As I approached a four-way intersection of tunnels, I used the most divine method of direction choosing at my disposal.

*Ahem*

"…meeny, miny, moe." I began with my eyes shut as I pointed to each path. "Catch a tiger by the toe…pick the very best one…You. Are. It!" My eyes shot open with my finger pointed to the center path.

However, as I took my first step, I heard the unmistakable sound of a girlish scream. My first thought was Carys before I shook the idea from my mind. Carys' voice wasn't _that_ shrill. And what would she be afraid of? She could take down a Stickman and dodge arrows like they were spitballs.

So who was making the sound?

"Ugh…fine I'll check it out." I knew it would probably be bad news. Maybe Carys found some poor sap to vent her frustration on.

Or maybe she found Floyd.

I shuddered at that thought before rushing towards the path with the piercing scream. I went about a hundred feet before coming to an enormous cavern. It was about the size of the Origin Zone and filled with something I had never seen before, but could easily tell was deadly.

Lava.

It cascaded down the cavern walls in streams and flows, pooling upon the cavern floor in a lake of molten rock. The path I had taken led to a cliff fifty feet above the surface of the magma and I could feel the heat hitting me in waves. I broke out into a sweat and had to avert my eyes from the pool it was so hot. For once, I wished I could take off my hoodie.

 _But where is the screaming girl?_

"AAAAAIIEEEEEEE!" The sound got louder and louder and I looked towards the top of the cavern to spot the source. Suspended on a single block bridge above the pool of lava was a series of carts barreling at speeds I could barely follow. Two figures were riding amongst the carts, both clad in black, but only the one in the leading cart was screaming at the top of their lungs.

As quickly as I spotted them, they vanished through an opening in the side of the cavern.

 _Who…was that? They were riding in carts like the one I found…_

Suddenly, the gears in my head began to turn. _If I could find a way up there, could I use the minecart I found to get out of here faster?_

I checked the height of the suspended bridge as well as the cavern walls. It would take a lot of blocks to make a staircase up there. And if I slipped and fell, I would probably die a very painful death.

 _Maybe if I find the right tunnel, I could work my way up..._

"Cobb!" I jumped at the sudden shout of my name and jerked my head towards the direction it came from. Even though I already knew who had called me.

Floyd.

He was perched at a similar tunnel entrance on the opposite side of the molten lake.

"What do you want Floyd!?" I called back, willing myself to keep a neutral voice.

"What do you mean 'what do I want!?' I was worried sick about you, you idiot!" He shouted back angrily.

"Sure, you were worried!" I called out skeptically. "After everything you said about me!? You called me an asshole! You said I wasn't an ally! I can tell when I'm being looked down upon!"

"No, you've got it all wrong! Look, I just…I said those thing because I was…I got angry…because…"

"Speak up I can't hear you!" I shouted as I strained my ears to make out his words.

"I got angry because I knew you were right!" He shouted out finally. I took a step back in surprise at his confession. "I was ignoring your efforts to help because I wanted to be the stronger of the two of us!"

 _He wanted to be stronger?_ "Don't lie!" I called back. "You've been treating me like a burden ever since we teamed up!"

He paused as he looked down in shame. "At first…yeah. I did think you were a burden! You seemed so weak and useless and frail and stupid and—"

"I GET THE IDEA!" I interrupted as his list was nearing no end. "Is this going anywhere!?"

"But, if I really thought you were a burden, would I have gone to such lengths to save you from drowning!?"

I thought back to when I fell in those rapids and recalled how Floyd didn't think twice about saving me.

"Well, no…but then what changed!? I was still the same Cobb!" I challenged.

"Deep down, I just wanted to protect someone that needed to be saved!" He answered. "And you did the same! When you saved me from burning alive! You didn't even consider the loot you could gain from my corpse!"

I remembered how I was so worried about Floyd. I even took on an enraged Stickman just to keep him from dying.

"That's when I thought of you as less of a burden and more of an ally…maybe even a friend!" He called out hesitantly. "And I want to protect my friends!"

His argument was making more and more sense and I was beginning to let go of the anguish I felt over fighting with him. "Is that when you wanted to be stronger!?"

"Well, yes…and no!" _And…he lost me again._ "I mean, I've always wanted to be stronger! I want to be strong so much that it hurts, but instead I'm stuck with the fact that the whole world is stronger than me! My number is so low that my only consolation is being stronger than a handful of people!"

I suddenly realized why he wanted to be the stronger of the two of us. That's all he had in terms of experience and he didn't want to give that up.

"If I'm not stronger than you, then what good am I!?" He shouted as he sunk to his knees and did his best to hold back his tears. "How am I supposed to protect my friends? How am I supposed to take on the Cult? I _need_ to push myself to meet these challenges. And if I rely on people who are supposed to be less experienced than me…"

Anger erupted within me at his last words. "You're wrong!"

He looked up startled as tears flowed from his eyes. "What?"

"I said you're wrong! You think experience makes a difference? You think I'm any weaker than you because of a stupid number?" I shouted in an effort to get through his thick head.

"Of…of course! I've b-been around longer than you!"

"Yeah, well that sounds a lot like the Cult's philosophy. 'Weakness because of inexperience.' Right?" He recoiled at my comparison and I worried that I crossed a line.

"How…how can you say that!?" He screamed in rage. "I'm nothing like those killers. They murdered my friend! They—" Floyd stopped himself as he revealed a bit more about his past than he wanted to. I took the opportunity to continue.

"One way or the other, you're both telling me that I'm weak! You're not the only one with something to prove Floyd!" I accused as I pointed to myself. "You think I enjoy being weak! Having to rely on others to survive!? I want to be strong just as much as you!"

I paused to allow Floyd to respond, but he didn't say anything. After a while I continued my argument.

"There are a billion people out there that have more 'experience' than me! Am I supposed to have you protect me for the rest of my life!?" I shouted with the hopes of convincing him that I could be just as resourceful as the most experienced Crafter. "I hate the Cult too! I hate them for denying Crafters the chance to be great, just because of their number! But I hate even more when my own friend thinks the same thing and doesn't trust me!"

And with that utterance, I realized what my goal in Minecraftia would be.

"Well, I'm gonna show them all!" I shouted with confidence. "I'm gonna be the most skilled Crafter in the world and prove that anyone can be strong given the time."

I looked over at Floyd and saw that he was staring right at me with new-found respect.

"I'm sorry I almost got us killed over a piece of meat!" I apologized. "I ran because I was ashamed!"

He remained silent as he wiped away his tears. Finally, Floyd spoke in a choked tone of voice. "Yeah well, I guess we both have something to be ashamed of now! So...apology accepted." he chuckled with a smile.

"Yeah…wait. What are you ashamed—"

"FOUND YOU!" Came a third voice and both me and Floyd jerked our heads to locate the source.

It was unmistakably the triumphant voice of Carys_Angel who had undoubtedly been drawn to the molten lake by the sounds of our argument. And she looked upon me with a smirk and barely contained glee.

Why?

Because when Floyd and I jerked our heads to locate her, Floyd turned to face me in horror while I turned to face Carys standing right behind me.

She was brandishing a golden sword and was blocking my only escape with the sheer intimidation she exuded. A dark aura of rage enveloped her to make it seem like an army of Creepers was blocking my way.

Needless to say, I would have preferred facing the Creepers.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 49 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 5 Coal, 17 Torches, 2 Chests, 1 Minecart, 1 Stick, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Bowl, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Leather Boots, 4 Spider Eyes, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald

* * *

 **AN: Will Cobb escape the wrath of the 'Angel of Death?'**

 **Will our heroes ever get to Ringwood?**

 **Will Noman ever grow a pair and quit his self-deprecating thoughts?**

 **And will the author of this story ever pass his Mid-terms?**

 **Tune in next week to find the answer to at least two of these questions. Same bat-time, same bat-channel.**


	17. Hurdle (Part 2)

**AN: In case anyone was wondering, I'm using 1.8 as the version of Minecraftia. I mean, yeah, 1.9 has a lot of cool new stuff (electra, beets, lingering potions), but the new combat system looks annoying and Enchanted Golden Apples are _so_ much weaker. I'm not too sure I'd want the good stuff of 1.9 in my story if it also meant having the bad stuff.**

 **But, that's a problem for later. The answer to last week's puzzle: a sponge! It has holes, but can hold water. I know an answer like that is debatable, (especially since I got a wide variety of answers) but 'sponge' is the answer I was looking for. Sorry. Congrats to TheDiamondArcher for being the first to get it right. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Now, enjoy Part 2.**

 **Puzzle: How many 9's (not including decimals) are there between 1 and 100?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Wooden Hoes would do more damage.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 17

 **Hurdle (Part 2)**

[Cobb]

 _Well, I had a good run…oh who am I kidding? I don't even think I lasted a week!_ I thought as I took a step back.

Carys was slowly advancing like a predator that knew when its prey was trapped. Her purple boots padded across the ledge with that same tense sound.

*tk tk* *tk tk*

Yeah, I know that's the same sound a clock makes, but when you're staring down a skilled assassin, everything they do is terrifying.

Sneezing, drinking water, sleeping.

It can get to you.

Just as Carys was about to get to me.

*Gulp*

"You've run long enough, King_Cobb." Carys spoke softly, even though I could tell she was restraining herself from carving into me immediately. "I must admit, I never thought I could feel this much anger towards a single person."

She pointed the tip of her golden sword at my neck and continued her slow pace forward. In response I slowly backed up to the edge of the ledge, making sure to keep her blade away from me. But I was running out of ground...and below me awaited a searing hot pool of lava.

"You know, I _was_ going to hang your head on my wall, but I think that privilege should go to your blue-haired friend over there." I glanced behind me to see Floyd desperately searching his backpack for anything that could save me from Carys.

"After all, they do say being cooked in molten lava is the most excruciating way to go." She commented with a smile as she pushed her blade forward, forcing me to give up even more ground.

While physically paralyzed and unable to form words, my inner thoughts were racing in an attempt to think up a way to escape.

Fighting was out of the question. She'd cream me before I could even try to get a jab in.

Talking was pointless too. She wanted me to die in the most painful of ways. How are you supposed to talk that out!?

And there was nowhere to run. I was stuck between a rock and a hot place…or some similar metaphor.

One more push and I'd be in the lava. And Carys looked like she was enjoying every second of it.

The woman was deadly. She took down a Stickman all by herself, and those things were terrifying!

Heart: _Brain! If there was ever a time for you to do something, it would be now!_

Brain: _I'm trying! I'm trying!_

 _Actually, I bet that Ender Pearl I found was dropped by the Stickman. Carys probably just forgot to pick it up._

Brain: _Cobb! That's not helping!_

 _I'm sorry I'm too scared to think right! If I had enough time to think up a plan..._

Liver: _If only we could teleport out of here! We'd be set!_

Brain: _Liver, I thought I told you never to talk ever ag—_

 _Wait! He's on to something!_

"No last words? No last ditch attempts to escape? I must admit I'm disappointed." Carys commented with a shrug before she kicked at my torso, sending me falling off the ledge.

"COBB!" Floyd shouted in horror as he could only watch while I dropped towards the boiling lava.

As I fell, I twirled in mid-air so that I was facing the ledge Floyd was positioned on and fumbled at the pouch of my belt holding the ender pearl.

 _Back above-ground, Carys threw the ender pearl for a reason! If I'm right, then it can teleport a player from one place to another. Just like the Stickman we faced!_

Brain: _That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Teleportation? Next I suppose you'll tell us that Invisibility is possible too!_

Stomach: _No time to argue! Just throw the thing!_

I aimed the pearl as best I could and chucked it. The world seemed to pass in slow motion as the pearl sailed over the magma pool. Still I continued to fall and the lava was coming up fast.

I saw Carys' sinister smirk as she peered eagerly over the edge to witness my demise. I saw Floyd calling out with his hand outstretched, even though we both knew he would never reach me.

All of my hope was placed upon that pearl, but the lava was closer than ever.

 _..._

 _Oh no._

I was too late. I would hit the lava before the pearl reached Floyd's ledge.

 _At least my aim was good._ I commented sadly while watching the pearl stay on course with the wall above Floyd's ledge.

I closed my eyes and prepared myself as my head made contact with the fiery lava first. The pain exploded in a searing blast and I could only scream in blinding agony.

Then my upper torso entered the lava and it was the same explosion of white hot pain that enveloped me.

The pain was as excruciating as Carys predicted, but just as soon as it came, it left. It was also accompanied by an odd sensation coursing through me. As if my entire being had faded before racing with an instantaneous speed away from the molten lava.

I materialized along the cavern wall and landed with a muffled 'crunch' on the ground beside Floyd. He turned around and looked wide-eyed with surprise, confusion, relief and happiness.

Also I was on fire…again.

"HOT HOT HOT!" I screamed as I pulled out my trusty bucket of water and put myself out. I then picked myself up and supported myself along the cavern wall as Floyd ran up to me and hugged me.

"I don't know what you just did…but that has got to be the coolest thing I've ever seen!" He laughed as he patted my back and I returned the pat awkwardly.

Mostly, I was just happy to be with a friend rather than with an enemy.

Speaking of which…

"WHAT!? NO!" Carys screeched in fury as she smashed her fist into the cavern wall. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DIED EXCRUCIATINGLY!"

I quickly sipped the healing potion Floyd gave me to repair the lava damage before wiping my mouth and facing Carys.

"Sorry, Carys! It looks like you're no match for my quick—EEK!" I jumped as a flaming arrow missed my…family jewels…by an inch. Carys wasn't going to let us go without a fight as she fired a volley of fiery arrows aimed right at us.

"Leg it!" Floyd yelled as we took off into the tunnel. The arrows barely missed us and soon, even Carys' enraged screams began to fade.

We stopped at a raised wooden platform as we caught our breath.

"I'm…getting really…fucking tired…of running around…these tunnels." Floyd panted and I nodded while eating my last piece of rotten flesh.

"Yeah…but…did you see…that raised bridge…back there?" I panted out as I sat myself down.

"Yeah…why?" Floyd asked with a raised brow.

"Because that's our ticket out of here."

* * *

"There's some iron!" I pointed out a small vein and Floyd immediately mined it with his pick. Then he set down his furnace and popped some coal and ore in.

"You sure you don't want to make any armor or weapons?" He asked as he set down a crafting table.

"Right now, I just want to get out of this mountain. Hopefully, we have enough to make the recipe." I drummed my fingers against the tunnel wall as we waited for the iron to finish cooking.

"If it's anything like a boat, then we'll probably need five ingots for a cart." He speculated as he handed me his weakened bow.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Just in case something happens."

I silently nodded. When the iron was done, Floyd whipped it out and arranged it in a 'U' shape to create a minecart.

"Perfect! Now we just need to find our way to that bridge." I built a staircase and dug through the tunnel ceiling to reach a higher mineshaft floor. We did that for a while until we were high enough and retraced the path where we assumed the lava pool would be.

Minutes later, we found our target. We exited out onto a ledge similar to the ones we were on before, only further up. But we made sure to stick to the shadows in case Carys was still lurking around.

Which she was.

She was atop the suspended bridge, kneeling down upon the track before she got up and walked towards the opening I saw the train of carts disappear through. If the tracks from Miner's Warren really did extend beneath the mountain, there was a good chance that that track would take us right to Ringwood.

 _But how to get past Carys..._

"Ugh! Doesn't she have any hobbies to be tending to?" Floyd whispered under his breath.

"Pig riding was probably all she had." I joked even though there was nothing funny about her bloodlust.

"Should we find another way around? Or just team up against her?" Floyd asked as he tried to stifle the growls emanating from his stomach. We were both out of food, but Floyd hadn't eaten in a while. He wouldn't last long without food and we both wouldn't last long in a prolonged fight.

What we really needed was a way to take her out in one shot. My eyes dropped from the bridge to the pool of deadly lava below.

"I have a better idea…a plan, if you will." I suggested with a smirk.

Floyd looked nervous. "Are you sure this plan will work?" he asked. "Give me a percentage."

"Um...75 percent."

"Alright, I guess that's good enough."

"Oh no. That's the percent chance of failure."

"Ugh." He facepalmed.

"Hey, don't worry. Just trust." I gripped his shoulder and smiled innocently.

He dragged his hand over his face and gave me a hard stare. "Fine. Let me hear your plan."

"Alright, here's what we're gonna do…"

* * *

I crept across the bridge, making sure I wouldn't trip and fall, and gathered my courage.

Once I entered the opening where Carys walked through, I kept my eyes and ears open. Which was hard since it was super dark.

Eventually, I managed to spot her checking the track about fifty feet away. And she hadn't noticed me yet!

 _Okay Cobb. You were scared before, but now you have a decent plan._

 _The key to this plan is timing. Timing and teamwork._

Brain: _And let's not forget blatant taunting!_

 _Alright brain! Give her your best shot!_

"Hey Carys!" I called out. She immediately stood up and whirled on me with her sword drawn. She narrowed her eyes at my provocation. "I was looking for someone to test my combat skills against. Then again…you're a psycho." Her eye twitched. "That's the end of the sentence."

And then I turned and ran back the way I came. While I couldn't hear her shouting any curses, I could make out the sound of her boots clacking against the rails as she sprinted after me.

*tk tk* * tk tk*

 _Well, good to know I make an excellent distraction. Nice job Brain._

Brain: _Happy to help._

I scrambled across the suspended bridge before turning around with my weakened bow out. Only, it was my first time holding a bow so I didn't really know how to best look intimidating.

 _Maybe she won't notice._

Not five seconds later, and Carys rushed onto the bridge with her gold sword held loosely at her side.

We eyed each other up and down before Carys openly pointed and laughed at me. "Is that really how you hold a bow? What number are you anyway?"

"None of your business. And this is just a…new way of holding bows!" I defended weakly as I tried to get a better grasp of the tool.

"You're not fooling anyone pig-killer. You're out of your league. But go ahead and shoot me if you can." She held out her arms and closed her eyes, puffing out her diamond clad chest as if daring me to take a shot. "It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt me."

It wasn't just her cryptic taunts that kept me from firing. I had no arrows. The bow was just a bluff. But the more time it bought, the better.

Eventually, she lowered her arms and swapped her sword for a bow. "Then I'll make the first move."

She shot a single arrow aimed high at my forehead and I swiftly ducked as it sailed overhead. I put way to much weight into that duck though and I stumbled to regain my footing on the narrow bridge. However, Carys didn't seem to mind waiting for me to recover. She even looked amused as she readied her next arrow.

This time, it was aimed at my knee. I leapt back to dodge and tripped on one of the tracks before landing hard on my back. Carys chuckled darkly at my clumsiness before taking a few steps closer to my prone form.

 _She's playing with me._ I thought as I got back up to my feet and swapped my bow out for my wooden sword. I held it in a defensive stance.

In other words, sideways.

Carys smirked and raised an eyebrow before swapping out for a sword. This time, one made of iron.

"Look, I'll let you off with a warning if you just back down now. Trust me, you don't want any of this." I gestured to myself in an attempt to intimidate her since reasoning was a bust. Although it appeared to have the opposite effect.

She scoffed. "If you're gesturing to your weak noodle arms, and scrawny posture, then you're right. I wouldn't want any of that." She advanced with that same slow pace. She almost looked casual as her confident red eyes fixed themselves on my terrified but determined green ones. "But I _do_ want to kill you."

"I'm serious." I threatened as I waved my sword back and forth. "I'm dangerous!"

She chuckled darkly. "You? Dangerous? You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Should I?"

"I bet you've never even heard of Enchantments have you." It wasn't a question so much as a confirmed statement. I could only shift my eyes left to right as I was unsure of where she was going with the conversation.

She nodded at that. "Thought so. Well then I hope you enjoy this little demonstration." As soon as she uttered that last word she raced forward, aiming her sword at my neck.

I held up my sword in defense and took a few steps back to prepare. As soon as she was close enough, her blade crashed into mine and I felt my arms go numb at the force she put into it. Her metal sword dug into my cheap wooden one and for a second I was worried it would snap in two.

But nope.

It snapped into three.

 _Seriously!?_

With nothing to stop her blade, she swung across my chest in a heavy slash. As soon as the iron made contact with my body, I was suddenly flung backwards and took a lot of damage. I bounced off the bridge and rolled a few more feet before finally stopping. The splintered fragments of my wooden sword were sent to the molten lake below.

"That," she grinned maliciously as she hefted her sword onto her shoulder. "is a combination of Knockback II and Sharpness III Enchantments. It certainly packs a punch doesn't it?"

I groaned as I got to my feet. "Alright Carys, last chance to back off or face the might of my…" I withdrew the first tool I could think of from my Inventory.

"A wooden hoe?" she mocked. "That's the best you have?"

"Yeah well, it takes a hoe to beat a hoe." I countered with a smirk.

Brain: _OH! Somebody get an ice pack cuz Carys just got BURNED!_

She didn't look too amused at my joke as her eyes lit up with hatred. Once again she rushed forward and swung her blade. Knowing how dangerous her weapon was, I jumped back to dodge her first strike then sprawled to avoid her second.

I readjusted my grip on the hoe and whipped it across her legs in an attempt to unbalance her. In response, she stuck her sword into the bridge and used it to vault herself off the ground. My hoe hit nothing but air before it stopped cold against her stuck blade.

Still in the air, Carys unleashed a sharp kick to my forehead, sending me off the bridge. I reached out my hand to grab the ledge and barely saved myself from falling into the lava pool below.

Carys returned to her feet and unstuck her blade before standing over my hanging form.

"And here we are again." She commented as she lightly pressed her boot against my fingers that were desperately holding me up. "You must be fated to die by lava."

"I…wouldn't be too sure." I mumbled under my breath as I focused on hanging on.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to be surprised that your blue-haired friend is skulking around waiting to shoot me?" She mocked with a roll of her eyes and a hand on her hip. My eyes widened at her revelation.

*TWANG*

Carys didn't even have to look to know where the shot came from as she moved her head slightly to the left to dodge. Then in one fluid motion, she withdrew her bow and aimed a shot in the direction of the shooter. Over by one of the cavern ledges, I spotted the arrow hitting its target, causing the figure it hit to burst into flames and flail around.

Carys turned her attention back to me. "I know a distraction when I see one. It was a nice plan though." She commented as she pressed her boot harder on my fingers. "Unfortunately for you, the weak will _always_ be just that. _Weak_."

"Ugh…actually…" I winced in pain, "that wasn't our plan."

"…What?"

"And CAST!" Floyd shouted.

A fishing hook whizzed from one of the many cavern ledges and fastened itself to Carys' green sweater.

Both Floyd and I had bows, but no arrows. Luckily we had the next best thing: a fishing rod! We were also fortunate enough that a lone Skeleton decided to take a shot at Carys, even if it did end up burnt to a crisp. Its unintended aid was appreciated.

With a mighty pull, Floyd yanked Carys clean off the bridge. I watched as the specifics of our plan dawned in her eyes and the realization hit her as she fell towards the pool of magma. She fumbled with her belt for a second and took out a bottle of some orange liquid before she splashed into the deadly lava.

To her credit, she didn't scream out in her demise.

I started to chuckle in disbelief as the success of my plan hit me and I hoisted myself back onto the bridge. I could hear Floyd's cheers as he built his way over to me and I laid out against the tracks to get over the pain and soreness I felt from facing Carys.

Not to mention the heat from the lava was making me sweaty.

"Ha!" I shouted while laying on the bridge. My exhaustion wasn't going to ruin my celebratory gloating. "Who's...the weak one now...Carys!? Looks to me like it's the girl that fell into lava!"

Once Floyd reached me, he patted me on the back and returned my fishing rod.

"Looks like we caught ourselves one big fish huh?" I joked.

"Yep. The old bait and switch worked well." He punned back.

"You could say we caught an _angel fish_?" Floyd frowned and blinked at my pun. "Y'know because…her name was…angel…Well I thought it was funny." I folded my arms and stood up.

"I've heard better." Floyd looked over the edge upon the magma pool. "Holy crap. What a terrible way to go. It's a shame we couldn't get all that gear off of her. We would have been set for life."

"Hey, I'll settle for not having to deal with a psychotic killer anymore. Now let's get out of here already." I fished inside my backpack for the minecart. Floyd did the same before we both plopped them down on the track. After carefully steadying them, we jumped in and let the carts carry us forward.

As we entered the track tunnel, we spotted a track hooked up with gold and red wires. As soon as we crossed over it, the pace at which the carts were going quickened and we were propelled forward and away from the heart of Mt. Mur.

Although, if we had stayed and watched the pool of lava for a few more seconds, we would have noticed the feminine hand of Carys rise up from the molten rock, completely protected by a potion of fire resistance.

* * *

[Noman]

"Oh sweet ground! I'll never let you go again!" I gushed as I kissed the earth I knelt on.

Spark cringed in disgust as she stepped out of her cart and checked the cargo to see if it was all safe.

That minecart ride was _far_ worse than I imagined. To say there were steep drops was an understatement. And barreling over that pool of lava was terrifying!

Thankfully, I was able to retain my masculinity.

 **[YOU SCREAM LIKE A GIRL. AND EVEN WE DON'T SCREAM THAT MUCH.]**

"Thank you for that Spark." I sighed as I got up to examine where we were.

We appeared to be in a small cavern similar to the station Spark had at her house. Only there was no visible exit. Instead, the whole room was sealed in dirt.

"So now where do we—OOF!" I cried out as Spark thrust a large pile of the same pink cargo she was carrying from the minecart chest into my arms. "What are these for?"

She already had her answer written down as she held the book up to my face.

 **[DID I FAIL TO MENTION THE TERMS OF MY KINDNESS? YOU HELP CARRY MY MERCHANDISE INTO RINGWOOD IN EXCHANGE FOR ME LEADING YOU TO THE CRYSTAL CATACOMBS.]**

"Yeah I think you missed explaining that." I stated with a scowl before resigning myself to my fate. "But I guess I owe you one…or two…or five."

 **[THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO PROMISE ME A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE KINGDOM.]**

"…Very well. I swear to abide by your conditions no matter what they are." I held up my hand to pledge my word, but some of the pink items fell from my grasp. As I stooped down to pick them up I got a better look at what they were. [SPIDER EYES].

 **[DON'T YOU WANT TO HEAR WHAT THEY ARE FIRST BEFORE YOU SWEAR ANYTHING?]**

"I'm afraid not. You've already helped me so much." I complimented as I crammed the spider eyes into my backpack. "To ignore your requests would tarnish my pride."

At once, she scribbled down several pages of conditions and I gulped at what I would be forced to do.

 **[THANKS. ALRIGHT HERE ARE THE CONDITIONS. MAKE SURE TO MEMORIZE THEM BECAUSE I'M BURNING THIS BOOK.]**

As I read she took the minecarts off the track and withdrew a shovel.

 **[1. DON'T SPEAK TO ME UNLESS WE'RE BOTH ALONE OR WITH OTHER PEOPLE I 'COMMUNICATE' WITH.]**

 **[2. DON'T QUESTION WHAT I DO WHEN WE HIT THE MAIN GATE AND DON'T DO ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS. I WILL BE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.]**

 **[3. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NOTHING ILLEGAL IN YOUR INVENTORY AND THAT YOU DON'T TRY AND ANGER THE GUARDS.]**

 _What's with these conditions? I get the third one, but what is she going to do that would make me question her? And why doesn't she want me to talk with her?_

Once I memorized her conditions I handed her the book back and she reciprocated with an emerald.

"What's this for?" I asked as I held the gem in my hand.

Instead of writing out her response she merely held out her hand and rubbed her fingers together.

"…I'm afraid I don't follow." She slapped a hand to her face as she continued her finger rubbing motion and added an outstretched hand motioning to come forward.

"…"

She angrily scribbled out a message and shoved it under my nose.

 **[TOLLS! IT'S FOR TOLLS! HOLY CRAP ARE YOU TERRIBLE AT CHARADES!]**

My face grew red in embarrassment as she pulled out a set of metallic items and lit a fire. As she tossed the book with the instructions on it, I vaguely wondered if she wanted to burn the other message book as well. I checked my belt for it, but widened my eyes when I saw it wasn't there anymore.

I then searched my backpack for her book, but found nothing. I concluded I must have dropped it somewhere, but shrugged all the same.

Once Spark finished burning the book, she took out her shovel and dug a small opening in the wall that lead to the outside. She walked out first and I followed her.

I was surprised when I looked up and saw the night sky. The cart ride was fast, but had taken up most of the day.

But then I was flabbergasted at what I saw just ahead of us.

A massive cobblestone and wooden structure stuck out against the natural trees. I could make out a series of lights from within and the faint sounds of collective civilization pierced the night air.

It was Ringwood.

I was amazed at the sheer size of the place. I expected a Kingdom to be big, but the place looked like it could house hundreds of thousands of Crafters. And according to Spark, the starting point of my mission was somewhere in there.

Spark returned to my side as she closed the entrance to the rail station. I handed her back the emerald she gave me, to which she responded with a raised brow.

"I…uh…already have an emerald or two." _Or a hundred._ I internally commented. Spark merely shrugged and took the gem before withdrawing a glass bottle with a curved neck and a light grey liquid from her backpack. She stepped away from me and before I could say anything, she chucked the potion down in front of her, vanishing instantly.

"Spark?" I called out as I wondered what just happened. My utterance earned a flick to the forehead as I felt something grip my hand.

As I rubbed my forehead in annoyance, I remembered the rules Spark had written out. _Don't question her. Right._

My arm was dragged forward by an invisible force that I assumed to be Spark under the influence of an invisibility potion. It was weird to feel yet not see something, but every so often I spotted a light grey particle emanate from where she grasped my hand.

As we continued towards Ringwood, I felt nervous. I was about to meet other Crafters. People I would have to protect one day if what Notch wrote was true. That was the role of the Billionth.

I recalled the message he left for me at Helena's that I still carried in my belt pocket.

 **[If you are reading this, then you are the Billionth and have been entrusted with the most powerful gear I could provide. I hope it will aid you in your quest.]**

 **[For you see, a great evil will one day come to this land. And it will be your role as the Billionth to protect the Crafters of Minecraftia 'till your dying breath.]**

 **[Take this book and the gear left to you, and travel to the Crystal Catacombs. There, the next stage of your quest will be revealed. DO NOT LOSE THIS BOOK!]**

 **[Good luck brave warrior.]**

 **[~Notch]**

 **[P.S. I really hope you're not a newb.]**

 _Oh, Notch. I don't know what a 'newb' is, but I'm probably the textbook definition of one._

* * *

[Carys]

"Rrgh!" I seethed in frustration as I dispatched another Zombie. Its rotten flesh littered the ground at my feet as I continued my jog to follow the railway that two particular nuisances used to escape.

 _I bet they're bragging right now. Thinking they've escaped my wrath. Recounting their achievement among friends and admirers. Not many can claim to have angered the unmerciful 'Angel of Death' and live to tell the tale._

 _They probably think I'm dead too. That I'm no longer a threat! That they're safe from harm. I can practically hear them laughing over how they outsmarted me!_

*SLASH* Another Zombie fell.

"Well when I get my hands on those two, I'll give them a punishment worse than death and make all my past acts of ruthlessness look like simple slaps-"

*HACK*

"On-"

*STAB*

"The-"

*SLASH*

"WRIST!"

I took out my anger on more Zombies, swapping to my Fire Aspect Diamond Sword just to watch them burn. I found it more relaxing when envisioning the faces of Cobb and Floyd on the dying Mobs.

 _Cobb should have been the first to go for murdering Mr. Piggles, yet he escaped, not once, but thrice! And I literally had him in my clutches!_

My anger flared in tandem with the flames engulfing my foes. More and more Mobs were starting to distance themselves from me and I thought I saw a few trying to run away in fear. But with my bad mood, they didn't get far.

 _Clearly I was savoring my vengeance a little too much. I can acknowledge my mistakes…and learn from them._

 _But to be trumped by a fishing rod of all things! I had a Looting and Sharpness V Gold Sword, a Knockback and Sharpness V Iron Sword, a Fire Aspect Diamond Sword, Thorns and Protection Diamond Armor, a Power V Bow and an Infinity and Flame Bow. I had an assortment of useful potions and food to last a week._

 _And a fishing rod was what defeated me!?_

 _It was bizarre and idiotic…yet admittedly clever. The fishing rod does no damage upon contact and can therefore bypass the Thorns enchantment. And seeing as how no damage occurs, Protection would also be rendered useless._

An Enderman blurred in front of me and screeched. I sidestepped its first two strikes before throwing a potion of poison at its face. It wailed even louder and tried to rub away the corrosive potion while I swapped to my gold sword.

"Don't interrupt my thoughts." I stated coldly as I sliced across its chest and finished with a stab into its head. Two ender pearls fell from its destroyed body and I quickly scooped them up.

"Now where was I?" I stated trying to keep track of my thoughts as I switched back to my diamond sword. "Ah yes. Their experience."

 _But those two were clearly inexperienced. Cobb was fighting me with a wooden hoe at one point. Although using the word 'fighting' would be inaccurate. More like 'flailing uselessly.'_

 _To come up with a strategy like that would imply they are smarter than they appear. With the right training, they could become quite skilled. I'd even recruit them myself if I hadn't already sworn my undying vengeance against them._

 _But how to proceed with my revenge? There are various options and many suitable enough to fulfill my normal quotas of ruthlessness._

 _Dunked in lava. Suffocated in a wall. Drowned in a lake. Pushed off a cliff._

 _Banishment to the Nether is always fun._

 _But I don't want to settle on my regular brand of cruelty. After what they did to Mr. Piggles, they deserve something even worse!_

 _It's not enough to kill them. I need to take something from them._

 _Something they value more than their own lives._

 _Then they'll know how I feel._

 _But first, I need to verify that they're new to Minecraftia. If they've been around for a while, then they probably already have something of value._

 _But if they're new Crafters, then they'll need time to grow attached to something or someone._

"Yes." I reasoned with a scheming smile. "Let them know the joys of camaraderie and success. It'll make my revenge all the sweeter."

 _So I'll track them and bide my time like the waiting snake that I am. And when the time comes, I'll dethrone that 'King_Cobb' and destroy everything he holds dear!_

 _But where are they going?_

 _Ringwood is the closest Kingdom, but those two are so unpredictable. They could be going anywhere. And there's no telling where this track leads…_

Just then, my boot nudged something along the tracks that wasn't rotten flesh.

"What do we have here?" I asked as I stooped down to pick up the item. It was a leather bound book. Unsigned and with no title.

And only one message inside.

 **[WELL, BASICALLY, MOST OF THE TUNNELS AND TRACKS WERE ALREADY SET UP TO CONNECT RINGWOOD TO OUR SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. I JUST NEEDED TO REDIRECT A COUPLE OF UNUSED RAILWAYS AND DIG SOME NEW TUNNELS. NOW TRAVELING TO RINGWOOD IS A BREEZE.]**

"Traveling there is a breeze, eh?" I smiled as I pocketed the book and continued my jog forward. My mind was already making sense of what I gleaned from the message.

 _So they_ are _going to Ringwood. I'd better keep a low profile then._

 _Maybe even do a bit of shopping._ I laughed to myself.

 _Cobb and Floyd, you have no idea what's coming for you._

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 2 Chests, 1 Minecart, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Glass Bottle, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 4 Spider Eyes, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Emerald

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Sticks, 23 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Minecart, 1 Book, 1 Paper, 2 Flint, 1 Coal, 2 Gunpowder, 11 String, 5 Spider Eyes, 3 Glass Bottles, 1 Awkward Potion, 1 Head {Crawford}

* * *

 **AN: And that, my dear viewers, concludes the Road to Ringwood Arc. And it only took...twelve...chapters. It had its twists and turns, but now we're finally getting to a Kingdom! YAAAAAAY!**

 **I'm a sucker for horizontal line spaces. When you see them in the story with no character caption below them, it means the perspective stays the same, but time passes. I used it to overlook Cobb's explanation of his plan to Floyd so that you readers would be just as surprised as Carys.**

 **One of the reviewers was nice enough to note Cobb's nearly full Inventory last chapter. I need to be careful with keeping track of it from now on since I know some of you guys are paying attention.**

 **As always, review, fav, follow, leave an OC, help an old lady cross a street, and have a nice day!**


	18. Toll

**AN: Another 1000 views. Another meterstone passed. I gotta say that was super quick considering the last one was back in Chapter 14. It's only thanks to all you viewers out there! Thanks for reading my story. You da best! (^_^)**

 **Next, the answer to last week's puzzle was math related. There are approximately 20 9's between 1 and 100 (9,19,29,39,49,59,69,79,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99). Congrats to Laner for being the first to guess it correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **I'm gonna have to come up with harder puzzles if I want to keep my precious Victory Cookies...**

 **Puzzle: What is at the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end, and the end of every race?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Griefer Repellent.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 18

 **Toll**

[Noman]

 _Okay, Noman. Just act natural. Spark is right behind you…I think._

I extended my arms and waved them in every direction in an attempt to locate my black-clad companion. I immediately received another hard flick to the forehead by an invisible force and earned odd looks from fellow Crafters as they believed I'd gone mad.

"Oh…just swatting at some bees!" I explained nervously to draw off attention. I then turned to stare at the ground to avoid further embarrassing myself.

 _Piss-flaps! Why can't she be visible with me? Doesn't she realize how nervous I am?_

I was standing in line with several dozen Crafters as we were slowly ushered towards the gates of Ringwood. The sun was beginning to rise and expel the inky tendrils of night.

The Kingdom was beyond massive. Small Inns and huts lied on the outskirts of the cobblestone and wood walls. The wall itself was several stories high and had spaces of glass interspersed with Crafters watching us pool in. Various banners depicting a hand holding a golden apple in front of a green pasture were plastered along the toll line. Besides them were signs warning Crafters to not light fires while inside the Kingdom.

'WARNING: EXCESSIVE USE OF FLAMES WILL BE PUNISHED!'

There were merchants selling wares to passing Crafters from makeshift stands. Armored horses trotted past carrying refined looking warriors. Beautiful and opulent looking women strode ahead without sparing so much as a glance at me. Cattle and sheep were yanked through the line by leads as a group of Crafters tried to contain them.

The most people I'd seen at a time had been three before getting to Ringwood. But with the population I was witnessing, I felt overwhelmed.

 _And I'm not even in the city._

I returned my attention to the gates I was approaching and gulped nervously. There were three gates that lead through the wall and all of them were guarded and operated by burly looking chaps with green leather helmets and iron armor.

Each gate had a toll that led towards an unknown room with an iron door. I watched as Crafters ahead of me walked up to the toll, either flashing some piece of paper or paying an emerald, before entering the unknown room.

I glanced at the surrounding guards. They were all fingering their swords at their belts, as if they expected any of the Crafters to become violent at the drop of a hat.

"GRIEFER!"

One of the toll guards pointed and shouted at a raven-haired Crafter and the guards immediately took action. They drew their iron swords and cornered him before he had the chance to flee.

In response, the raven-haired Crafter took out some red and white blocks with big black letters that spelled…

 _TNT!?_

"He has explosives! Take him down!" One of the guards roared before they all piled on top of the 'Griefer.' There was a brief struggle before a puff of smoke and an explosion of gear leaked through the crowd of guards.

"Griefer neutralized." One of them commented as they all sheathed their swords before returning to their posts. The remaining gear that burst from the Griefer was collected and taken to the toll room.

I didn't really know how to react to what I just saw. A Crafter was just killed in front of me, but he was obviously threatening the safety of other people. It was similar to how I dispatched the cultists trying to kill me. They were a threat to be dealt with.

The only difference was that I couldn't shake the guilt while the surrounding guards treated it as a normal occurrence.

 _Hang on…is Spark being invisible for this toll…legal?_

When there were only three more Crafters between me and the toll, I waved over one of the guards. He rolled his eyes before walking up to me.

"How can I help, citizen?" He asked dully.

"Hi, um…just wondering…hypothetically…what would you do to someone who…say…tried to sneak in without paying a toll?" An invisible force that I assumed to be Spark's foot connected with my shin and I stifled a yelp of pain.

The guard switched from boredom to suspicion as he fixed me with an accusing stare. "Well, hypothetically speaking, we would apprehend the Crafter trying to sneak in, as well as any accomplices," He narrowed his eyes at me. "And hypothetically have them convicted and jailed for a minimum of 10 years."

"Well it's a good thing that isn't happening! Ha…Ha…" I laughed nervously as more invisible kicks struck my shins. Hopefully, the guard would ignore my tears of pain.

The guard took another step towards me as he scrutinized my features. I was beginning to break out in a cold sweat and my eyes were darting to avoid undue eye contact.

 _Oh Notch, I'm bad at this! Can guards smell fear? He's suspicious of me now! But I can't just sell out Spark! I gave my word._

 _Okay just remain calm and don't do anything to draw anymore attention._

"Why is everyone looking at me!?" I blurted out.

As expected, every guard and nearby Crafter who weren't already looking at me turned to stare with looks ranging from curiosity to tense suspicion. A few guards even drew their swords.

 _Darnit!_ I internally cursed as Spark's invisible hand clamped over my mouth to shut me up.

"Next!" Called the toll guard. "Next in line!"

Before any of the guards could get closer, I felt an invisible force shove me roughly towards the center toll gate. A few wary guards followed with their hands at their swords and I worried that I would soon be arrested.

When I got up to the toll window, the toll guard looked at me with disinterest. "First-time visitor or return visitor?" He asked as he took out a book.

 _What did he just say? I was distracted by the swords at the guards' belts._

"What?" I asked dumbly. My mouth felt dry and my vision started to spin as my anxiety increased.

"Ugh, a Jibberman. Just what I needed…" The toll guard muttered in aggravation as he tried to repeat himself more slowly. "Is this your first time here?"

I tried to reply, but the words caught in my throat. My mouth felt dry and his words sounded so far away. _Wake up, stupid!_

Suddenly, a felt two invisible hands grasp my head and forcibly nod it up and down in agreement.

The toll guard sighed in relief. "Good, you can understand me at least." He jotted something down in his book before he regarded me again. "You have the toll payment?"

Once again, Spark nodded my head as I fumbled at my belt for the emerald. It slipped between my clammy hands before I picked it up and presented it to the toll guard. The other guards watching me began to relax as my unusual attitude looked more like nervousness than a threat.

"Alright, next I'll need your number." The toll guard stated as he placed the emerald in a chest before withdrawing a slip of paper and taking it to a metal object that looked similar to an anvil.

As more of the guards left me alone, I was finally able to voice words. "Why do you need my number?"

"For the records." He answered lazily. "Ringwood keeps track of every citizen's number. It's required for purchasing property, applying for jobs, and to check population growth."

"I see…" As the toll guard worked at the anvil, I reflected upon things.

I was the Billionth: A Crafter intended to protect Minecraftia and everyone in it.

 _I should be able to speak my number with pride._

And yet, I had no idea what I was even supposed to do. I had no idea what 'great evil' was supposed to arise or when. All I knew was that my mission started at the Crystal Catacombs.

 _What have I really done of worth? What if word gets out that I'm supposed to be some kind of heroic savior?_

 _The people would be expecting some kind of strong confident Crafter…_

 _And they'd be stuck with me._

 _I can only imagine how disappointed they would feel._

"Sir? Your number?" The toll guard asked as he returned with the slip of paper and opened book.

"Well, um…you know the number one billion?" I asked hesitantly.

 _The people can't know it's me. Not until I've done some good._

"Just subtract a one from it…" I finished as I looked down. I thought I felt an invisible grip tighten around my shoulder, but it left as soon as it came.

"So…999,999,999?" The toll guard chuckled as he waved over to another toll guard behind him. "Hey, Stuart. You gotta see this. This guy has got to be the newest Crafter to date." The surrounding guards who overheard that soon laughed and promptly ignored me. It was like they had forgotten I was ever there.

"Really? Just short of 10-digits too." The toll guard named Stuart laughed as he regarded my face. "Then again, maybe you lucked out. A 10-digit number would draw more attention."

I couldn't understand how I 'lucked out,' but I didn't question their relaxed demeanor as the toll guard handed me a signed book and the slip of paper.

"That slip is your pass and that book is your citizenship information. You need both to enter Ringwood. So try not to lose them, newbie." That last word 'newbie' sounded similar to the word Notch hoped I wouldn't be: Newb. I still had no idea what either word meant, but the toll guard didn't use it in a hateful context. So maybe it was nothing.

"Just step through the iron door for inspection and you'll be admitted into Ringwood." The toll guard finished as he activated a lever. In response, the iron door that led to the mysterious room opened up and I hurried over to it with slip of paper and book in hand.

The room wasn't that big. It was mostly made of cobblestone except for a glass window on the right side. The only objects in it were two chests on the left side, a large chest on the right side, and another iron door on the opposite end.

The iron door shut behind me and I felt Spark's invisible hand on my shoulder signifying she was still with me.

The toll guard named Stuart walked over to the glass window and knocked on the glass to get my attention. "Alright Mr. nonupal nine. First thing you need to do is place your entire Inventory in the chest closest to the left of you. We'll search it for any dangerous materials and then return everything to you in the other left chest."

I turned my attention to the chest and slowly walked up to it. _I get why they need to check my Inventory, but will they consider the Severe Shield dangerous? And what about the mission book!? Notch asked me not to lose it. What if…would they confiscate it?_

Once again, I began to sweat bullets as I deposited my entire Inventory into the chest. Oddly enough, any item I placed in there immediately vanished.

"The items are funneled into a hopper below and checked by guards before being placed in the return chest." Stuart explained as he noticed my concern over my items. "Trust me; we wouldn't want to steal from a newb anyway."

There was that word again. "Um…what's a newb?" I asked as I walked up to the glass window.

"Typical newb response." The guard shook his head in pity and I began to get annoyed by that word. "A newb is a Crafter who is 'new' to…well…everything. Greenhorns fresh out of the Void with little to no gear or experience."

 _Oh…so…Notch's hope that I wasn't a newb was wrong…but hang on. What did he expect? I just got out of the Void! How could I be experienced in anything?_

"Alright, buddy. Walk up to the large chest and withdraw as many items as you can hold." Stuart said as he opened up a book and read lazily. I walked up to the chest and opened it to find it filled with dozens of [WATER BOTTLES].

Unlike previous items, the water bottles were non-stackable and quickly filled my belt and backpack. Once I collected as many as I could hold, I closed the chest and awaited further instructions.

From behind the glass, I saw Stuart flick a few pages of his book before checking the water bottle chest. He looked like he was counting the amount of empty space to verify if I really had dumped my entire Inventory.

 _That's smart._

Then I saw another toll guard enter the room via a ladder in the ground. He walked over to Stuart and whispered something in his ear. I watched as his face changed from bored, to intrigued, to skeptical before he glanced at me again.

He cleared his throat. "Okay…Nowhere_Man…I hear you have a fine diamond chestplate in your Inventory along with a diamond sword, an Infinity Bow, and some Notch Apples. Would you care to explain how you managed to attain such gear?"

 _Oh no! That gear is too good for someone like me to have._ I opened my mouth to explain how Helena gave me the gear, but once again, an invisible hand clamped over my mouth.

 _Spark! This is gonna look suspicious! Why are you—_

 _…_ _Unless she's trying to tell me something._

 _But what could it be? Also she should really wash her hands. Blegh!_

"Well sir?" Stuart urged. The hand over my mouth left and I rapidly thought of a way to explain myself out of the situation.

 _Maybe all I need to do is dodge the question._

"Um…are any of those materials considered dangerous?" I asked unsure.

Stuart looked uncomfortable as he tried to answer. "Well…sort of…I mean…kind of…"

Feeling braver, I instilled all the confidence I could muster into my next words. "Well is it?"

"…no." Stuart admitted as he looked away embarrassed.

"Then I'm sorry to inform you that it's none of your business." I stated politely as I deposited the water bottles back into the chest and recovered my Inventory before exiting the newly opened exit door without another word.

As I left the toll gate and took my first steps into the city, I felt Spark place a comforting hand over my shoulder.

 _Yes! I am smooth._

* * *

[Floyd]

The minecart ride went on for quite some time, but it ended as we came to an abrupt stop in a small dirt covered room. Still, being unaware of our location, I thought it would be prudent to try not to make any noises.

"WOOO! Let's go again!" Cobb shouted dizzily as he rocked his stationary cart back and forth.

But of course, Cobb had other plans. I couldn't help but smirk at his antics as I pulled him off the tracks. "Cobb we need to worry about getting to Ringwood right now."

"Oh, right…and then minecart ride right?" He pleaded with hopeful eyes.

"No."

"Aww. Well I'm keeping it anyway." He stated as he picked his cart off the tracks and placed it in his backpack. I did the same to mine, just in case it came in handy again. Also it seemed like a waste of iron to make it and then abandon it.

"We appear to be in some kind of dirt cave," Cobb speculated as he glanced around the room. I took out my shovel and dug out a block. Light immediately flooded the room and I expanded the hole so that we could exit.

It was nice being above-ground again. The sunlight's warmth and the relief of defeating Carys lightened my mood for once. Since getting separated from Soul and losing Silent, I was depressed and sullen. But between my resolution with Cobb and Ringwood in sight, I finally felt happy.

 _Today's the day I rejoin Soul._

I could even see Ringwood from where we exited. It stood out as an immense cobblestone and wood wall. I could even spot some buildings peeking over the top.

"Nghh. I'm so hungry," Cobb stated as he held his stomach. "I'm almost out of Hunger. What about you?"

Oh right. I was so excited about getting to Ringwood I neglected to keep track of my Hunger.

 _Let's just see how much I—_

 _Oh._

 _Zero Hunger left._

 _That's…something._

"Urgh!" I clutched my stomach in pain as I doubled over.

"Floyd! What's wrong now?" Cobb called out as he knelt down beside me.

I groaned as a stab of pain pierced my insides. It felt like my stomach was eating itself. _Is this what happens when someone runs out of food? They…starve to death?_

"Cobb, I need to eat something…anything." I begged as I tried to steady myself.

"I'm sorry, but the only edible things I have are these spider eyes." Cobb explained as he withdrew a fistful of them from his backpack. "But they only give like one corndog of Hunger and they poison you."

I ignored his words as I withdrew some of my own spider eyes from my Inventory. "Poison sucks, but we know it can't kill us. Something tells me starving is more lethal." And with that final statement, I closed my eyes and crammed the pink disgusting Mob drops down my throat and pretended they were french fries.

Really slimy and runny french fries.

Cobb followed my lead and downed his spider eyes with less revulsion. Probably because he already tasted how bad they were. Or maybe his sense of taste was so shot after regularly dieting on zombie flesh.

Either way, the familiar burning sensation of poison overtook the two of us. We lost more and more health as our hunger ticked up, but our last half heart refused to die. Like a stubborn flame, it hung on, refusing to disappear.

"First pig I see, I'm killing. Even if it has a saddle on it." Cobb said as he shakily got to his feet.

"It's good to know that you learned nothing from our experience with Carys." I stated bluntly as I stood up too.

"Hey! I learned a lot. Like my plans are awesome...and ender pearls can teleport people…and…"

He paused mid-sentence, as if he had just thought of something else.

"We…killed someone." He said it as if the thought had just occurred to him.

"Technically, the lava killed her," I explained. "But yeah I guess you can say we're killers—"

"But, it's okay as long as it's self-defense right?" Cobb interrupted while staring at me hopefully.

"What? You feeling guilty now?" I patted his shoulder reassuringly. "She was the one trying to kill us Cobb. And…and you were the one getting the crap kicked out of you. You have nothing to—"

"That's not what I'm worried about." Cobb interrupted as we walked towards Ringwood. "I'm worried about…are we…going to turn into…you know…the cult?"

"What!?" I shouted surprised as I turned on him. "We're not like those guys. We're good people. We don't hunt to 'weed out the weak.'"

"No, you don't get it." Cobb sighed as he tried to elaborate. "Every Crafter started out like us right? They all started out the same. And cultists are Crafters too. That would imply that even the two of us have a chance of turning into them."

I thought about what Cobb explained. Sure cultists were people too, or whatever, but was it really possible for anyone to turn into them. I tried picturing myself as Parker or Spring. Slaughtering people like Silent or Soul. I just couldn't imagine it.

"I don't think you need to worry about that." I stated confidently. It was one thing if I became as bloodthirsty as those cultists, but there was no way someone like Cobb would kill Crafters for any reason other than self-defense. Just one look at the guy made me realize how innocent he was. He had no desire for revenge. He just wanted to show the world that he could be just as experienced as the First 100 despite his number.

"You think so?" he asked hopefully. In response I took out Crawford's Head and showed it to Cobb. He immediately shrieked and backed away from the object.

"Yeah I don't think you have it in yourself to kill someone." I chuckled amusedly.

"Can you please get rid of that thing?" Cobb asked from behind a tree. "I don't need my normal sense to know it's creepy to carry around severed heads."

"Sure, may as well make a grave then," I called back as I dug a hole in the earth. Cobb's eyes lit up in realization as he set down his crafting table and began molding wooden planks and sticks into items. He made three signs, a new wooden sword, and a new wooden pick. Then he began to dig a hole separate from mine.

When we finished digging, Cobb placed a chest in each hole while I marked the graves with wooden headstones. "What's the second grave for?" I couldn't help but ask.

"For Mr. Piggles...and Carys." Cobb responded as he placed Mr. Piggles' saddle and lead inside his grave's chest and covered it with a stone slab. "I'm sure she won't mind sharing a grave with her beloved pig."

I nodded as I placed Crawford's Head and the glass bottles of potions he had on him in the chest. Realizing that he probably deserved more than simple trash in his grave, I placed the piece of paper that welcomed Crawford into the Endward Cult and the only potion I had left: an Awkward Potion.

 _Eh. An infusion of awkwardness probably won't come in handy._

Once his grave was more prominently filled, I covered it with dirt. Cobb had already placed a sign on his grave. It simply read: 'RIP Mr. Piggles and Carys. Even though you tried to kill me.'

Then Cobb threw a sign to me. "What? Why do I have to write something?" I asked.

"Because I don't know who Crawford was. I didn't even see him. So quit complaining and write something beautiful." Cobb demanded as he patted his grave.

"Ugh." I groaned as I set the sign down and lazily wrote out: Heer Lize Krawfor. Thnx 4 the Potionz.'

"Alright, done." I stated as I hurried us away from the graves.

"Wait, I didn't see what you wrote. Was it beautiful?" Cobb asked as he strained his neck to glimpse the sign.

"Oh yeah. Very, very beautiful. Poetic even. And grammatically correct if I may add." I dismissed as I walked faster toward Ringwood.

* * *

It was noon by the time we reached the gates of Ringwood. Cobb and I marveled at the amount of Crafters and resources passing in and out of the Kingdom. A long line of Crafters lead up to some type of gatekeeper and guards were stationed everywhere.

As I held our place on line, Cobb tried to make trades for food with the surrounding vendors. But two problems soon became evident. First, Cobb had absolutely no haggling talent. And second, any talent he had would be wasted seeing as how most of our gear was shit.

So we pretty much had no food and terrible gear.

 _Hopefully, this won't be a problem for long. Maybe Soul will be able to spare some food once we find him…if we find him._

"So, what's the plan once we get into the Kingdom?" Cobb asked as he returned with some rotten flesh he found in a nearby trashcan. The surrounding Crafters cringed in disgust when they saw us devour it. One even gave up his spot in line to dry heave by a tree.

"Well, I have a friend in the Kingdom who may be able to hook us up with food and better gear." I explained as I slowly munched on the rotten flesh in an attempt to cause more Crafters to leave the line. Cobb quickly picked up on my plan and did the same. "He can join us and together we'll start getting stronger."

With both of us eating the sickening drop, it wasn't long before we were twenty spots closer to the main gate. Everyone was covering their mouths and fleeing from the line. It was worth the Hunger effect just to see the looks on the Crafters' faces.

Finally, it was our turn.

"First-time visitor or return visitor?" The gatekeeper guard asked from behind a glass window with a book held aloft.

"First-time. Both of us." I stated hurriedly. I was eager to get past the gate and look for Soul.

"Alright, that'll be one emerald each."

…

 _…_ _what?_

"An emerald? But…we don't have any—"

"Then come back when you actually have them. Next!" The toll guard interrupted as he returned his attention to his book.

I couldn't believe it. There we were, so close to the Kingdom, and then we were being denied? The toll guard could care less about all the crap we had to deal with just to get to Ringwood.

 _No! We've come too far!_

"Please sir! You don't understand! My friend is in there and he's waiting for—"

"I understand things perfectly!" The toll guard shot back as he closed his book with a snap and eyed the two of us. "You two Crafters are dirt poor and want to mooch off our hospitality. Well guess what? The price of Ringwood's protection is one emerald. Every citizen pays, so that the guards can feed their families and keep the economies of Ringwood flowing!" The toll guard began to go on a tirade as if he dealt with emerald-less Crafters all the time.

"Yes, but—"

"And if the economy fails, where would that leave us?" He interrupted as he eyed Floyd crazily.

"Um…in deep trouble?" Cobb suggested with a raised hand.

"Exactly!" The toll guard pointed to Cobb who looked happy to have answered a question correctly. "If the economy fails, chaos would rule our fair Kingdom! Looters would take from the rich and give to the less rich. Griefers and Mobs would destroy our walls! TOTAL ANARCHY!" The toll guard shouted.

It was at that time that the surrounding guards began to notice our argument. A few of them ran behind the toll window to try and pacify the toll guard with cookies and cake. The remaining guards walked up to us and tried to shunt us away from the gates.

"Wait, please! I have a friend in there waiting for me!" I shouted with increased desperation.

"Sorry buddy, but no emerald means no entry. No exceptions." One of the guards recited coldly as he pushed Floyd even harder away.

"But—

"Wait!" Cobb cried out as he held up a green gem gleaming in the sunlight. "We have an emerald he can use."

I gazed at the emerald with hopeful eyes as the guards began to back off. Cobb walked up to me and handed off the gem with a confident smile.

 _Wait. He's giving it to me? But then…_

"But what about you Cobb?" I asked as I gripped his shoulders. The Crafter's in line were starting to shout at us as we held up the line, but I didn't care. "How will you get in?"

Cobb shrugged. "I'll think of something. Right now, you're the one with a friend in there waiting for you."

I felt tears well up in my eyes and I rushed in to hug Cobb. A few of the Crafters began booing our manly form of gratitude. ("Get a room you two!")

"Cobb…thank you." I mumbled into his shoulder to which he responded by patting my back awkwardly. "I'm really glad to have met you in Miner's Warren."

"Yeah well, so am I." He stated as he removed me from the hug. "I'll find an emerald eventually. It might take some time."

"If you're looking for emeralds," One of the red-haired guards joined our conversation at the urging of the restless Crafters in line. "There's a village to the west. You could easily scrounge up an emerald…provided you have something to trade for it."

I wiped my tears on my sweater as an idea crossed my mind. "Cobb, in three days I'll be waiting at the very center of the Kingdom, wherever that is. Meet me there and we'll be able to team up with Soul and set off on an adventure." I brimmed with happiness at the thought of us working together.

"Alright, three days from now. Got it." Cobb memorized as I turned to present my emerald to the now pacified toll guard.

As I was filling out the citizenship information, I glimpsed Cobb getting pushed away from the toll gates. He stood over by the tree line and waved to me with a wide smile as I stepped into the doorway of an Inventory check-in room. I waved back to him before the iron door shut.

Once again, we were split up. Only this time, I knew it wouldn't be for long.

* * *

[Cobb]

"I hate my conscience." I mumbled as my smile immediately dropped and I started heading west through the forest.

Yeah, it was the decent thing to do and I wouldn't have done things any differently.

But damn! Doing the right thing can really screw you over!

 _Now I'm once again on my own, heading off to God-knows-where_ _to find another emerald._

And did I mention I have a three day time limit?

 _Just perfect. And here I was hoping to actually get some sleep within the safety of a Kingdom._

 _But nope. Just more walking. If only there were some tracks I could ride my minecart and make the journey a little bit more enjoyable._

Heart: _You did a good thing Cobb. Don't ever forget that. Floyd looked so happy._

 _Yeah, it did feel good to give him that emerald._ I admitted in my mind. But my mind had its own opinion.

Brain: _You also did a stupid thing Cobb. You don't even know where this western village is and you have three days to find it. Talk about poor choices._

 _Well what would you have done brainiac?_

Brain: _Brainiac. How witty. Well if it were up to me, I would have kept my mouth shut about the emerald and gone to the village with Floyd, as a team, to get more emeralds._

 _That…isn't actually a bad idea…Damnit brain! Where were these ideas earlier!?_

Brain: _They were taking a back-seat to your impulsive decisions._

Stomach: _Regardless, we need to find better food. Eating this much rotten flesh can't be healthy. There was a reason it was in the trash!_

Bladder: _Aren't we forgetting something important?_

Brain: _Bladder? Hey it's been a while. How are things?_

Bladder: _Meh. So-so. I was a little disappointed the cafeteria was out of chicken nuggets again. But more importantly, it's been one week!_

 _One week for what?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Heart: _Oh right! How could I forget? It's been one week since Cobb spawned into existence!_

 _Wait, really?_

Brain: _Yeah congrats on not dying. And you literally could have died in sooooo many ways._

Liver: _It's quite an accomplishment._

Brain: _Liver. You're ruining the moment like you always do._

Liver: _Why can't you be nice to me!? *sob* *sob*_

Brain: _I don't know. Why don't you cry some more and maybe I'll feel something close to pity._

Heart: _Lungs, help me separate these two. I don't want any fighting when we should be celebrating our continued existence._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Hey guys guess who I am! 'I hate being so depressed. I'm having a bad day so everyone should forget about themselves and feel sorry for me! Brain is picking on me again. I wish I were as confident and handsome as him.'_

Liver: _*SOB* *SOB* WAHHHHH!_

Brain: _'WAHHHHH!'_

Heart: _Brain! That's not funny!_

Stomach: _Pft! It is a little funny._

Brain: _Aw yeah! Brain: Master of comedy._

 _Hey, not that I don't enjoy listening to you guys argue but…how do I make your voices go away?_

Brain: _Oh I see. You don't want to talk to us anymore do you?_

Liver: _He wants to get rid of me too! WAHHHHH!_

Brain: _Oh my God, someone shut him up!_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Liver: _*Sniff* You…really mean that Lungs?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Liver: _Thanks Lungs. *Sniff* You're a true friend._

 _Whoa, what did he say to him?_

Stomach: _He said that the hateful slurs of a few pathetic bullies are trivial in comparison to the support and encouragement of one's friends and loved ones._

Heart: _And that no matter what Cobb says, we should know that he loves every one of us because we are all a part of him._

 _He said all that in one sigh!?_

Heart: _Of course. Lungs chooses his words very carefully. He never wastes his breath._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Heart: _Lungs also says that if you really want our voices to disappear, then you'll have to better understand yourself._

 _What...what does that even mean?_

Brain: _Dunno. Maybe you should ask the shady gentleman standing in front of you._

 _Shady gentleman?_ I shook off my thoughts as I focused my attention on the person in front of me.

"Hello there my young friend." The mysterious man greeted in a raspy voice and a smile. "Quite a lovely day is it not?"

"Um…I guess…sure." I spoke hesitantly as I observed his appearance.

The man had a shaved head, a brown goatee, and dark rings under his eyes showing how sleep deprived he was. His wardrobe included a full set of leather armor…and nothing else. He didn't even have the underclothes that most Crafters wore under their armor. Was it possible the guy spawned as a naked man?

I shuddered at the thought as the man held out a filthy hand to shake. I eyed it with the same suspicion as I would regard an approaching creeper.

"Um…no offense…but who the hell are you?" I questioned as I took an unconscious step back from the ragged-looking stranger.

Apparently, the stranger noticed my hesitance and retracted his hand. His smile faltered for a moment before growing two sizes. "Ah! Of course, where are my manners?" The man made an exaggeratedly low bow. "I am known as TheAvoided, but my friends call me… _TheAvoided!_ "

He slapped his knee and let out a wheezy cackle over his joke. I, for my part, remained silent until he finished.

 _This guy seems…off._

"But jokes aside my young friend, I couldn't help but notice your admirable display at the Southern Toll." TheAvoided stated.

"Oh! You saw that?" _So is this guy a creepy stalker or…_

"How could I miss it?" he praised in an oily tone. "Your selfless act for a friend. Giving up your only ticket into the impregnable Kingdom of Ringwood. Why, witnessing such sacrifice brought a tear to my eye." TheAvoided wiped a pretend tear from his eye and made an exaggerated expression of sadness.

"Okay…yeah…I'm glad you appreciated the sacrifice I made…random stranger." I replied as nicely as I could given how uncomfortable he was making me. "Well I better get moving. Bye!" I said the last part quickly as I attempted to walk around him. Instead he got in my way with his arms held out.

"Hold your horses, friend." He said in a low wheeze. "I wouldn't want you to miss out on the opportunity of a life time." He stated suggestively.

"What opportunity?" I couldn't help but ask. My curiosity was peaked.

"Hmm…" He looked me up and down. "Then again…perhaps someone as inexperienced as yourself is not ready for such a task." He said before turning an adopting a look of contemplation.

His words struck a nerve. _Inexperienced as me? Yeah right! I can handle whatever it is._

"What task?" I asked eager to prove myself to a complete stranger…for some reason.

TheAvoided sneered before turning back to face me. "Oh, nothing. Just a task that only a seasoned Crafter could perform. Nothing that concerns you."

My eye twitched at his statement. "I'll have you know that I can handle anything a seasoned Crafter can…and twice as well!"

"Really? Twice as well you say?" TheAvoided looked at my skeptically before returning to his contemplative look. "Well, I suppose…you _could_ be trustworthy enough…and after that display at the gates…"

I awaited his reply with bated breath while hopping up and down. _Come on! I can do it! I can do it! I'm trustworthy! I'm capable!_

He paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll give you the opportunity."

 _Yes! He's giving me a chance…wait. How did I go from meeting a complete stranger to wanting to do him a favor in under a minute?_

While I pondered, TheAvoided leaned in close. "Between you and me," he whispered in his wheezing voice, "I'm a bit of a celebrity in Ringwood." He gestured towards Ringwood's towering walls with a hiked thumb.

"Really?" I asked with a raised brow. I was surprised that anyone could mistake the man in front of me as a celebrity. His filthy leather armor and lack of visible clothes underneath made him look like garbage.

"Oh yeah." He assured as he slung an arm over my shoulder. "Everywhere I go, gua—er, _Crafters_ —are always getting in my way. Asking for autographs or trying to get all chummy with me. It's downright pathetic."

"What exactly are you famous for?" I asked.

"That's not important." He dismissed as he steered the conversation back to his proposal. "The point is, I can't get anything done in the Kingdom with all my 'fans' swarming me. So I need a veritable nobody to do my task for me. That's where you come in."

 _Ouch._

"If that scene at the toll was any indication, you've never set foot in Ringwood. You're the perfect candidate to run a little errand of mine." He leered at me as he said that and I reflexively extricated myself from his grasp and took a step back.

"That's cool and all, but I can't get into Ringwood without an emerald." I explained.

 _And I really want to find one quickly so would you get to the point already!?_

"But my young friend, you don't need an emerald to get in." TheAvoided said as he pulled out a book and a slip of paper. "All you need is the right documentation. And lucky for you, I happen to have said documentation right here."

My eyes immediately flew to the objects in his hand. "But…the guards said—"

"The guards say a lot of things." He dismissed with a wave as he brought the book and slip of paper closer to me. "In fact, part of the reason they turn Crafters away is to test their intellect. To see if they're foolish enough to relinquish an emerald or clever enough to find alternative ways inside the wall."

"No kidding?" Were the guards really trying to test Crafters? It seemed like they were simply asking for payment in exchange for their protection.

"It's all filled out, including your name." TheAvoided continued as he waved the book tantalizingly before me. "Just write in your number and it'll fool—er, get you past the guards."

"Aren't those passes supposed to be exclusive to the toll guards or something?" I asked still unsure about taking the documents.

"Please. If they were exclusive then I wouldn't have them, right?" He reasoned. "They're yours if you do me one small favor."

I mulled over my options. Option One: I turn the guy down, locate the western village, make a trade, and bring the emerald back within three days. Option Two: I accept shady guy's offer, enter the Kingdom, and do his favor within the three days before meeting back up with Floyd.

 _Decisions, decisions._

"I don't know, man. You seem kind of sketchy." I conceded awkwardly. "I'm not sure if I want to do a favor for—"

"Trust me, you _want_ to be in there. The Kingdom of Ringwood has gorgeous women!"

"That's great, but that doesn't really change my mind—"

"They also have delicious food."

"Well you seem like a guy with good intentions. It's a deal!" I concluded happily as I reached for the documents. Only for TheAvoided to pull them back at the last second.

"Ah ah ah. The favor." He reminded. "First, swear that you'll do it."

"Fine. I swear."

"Swear on your life." He urged.

"I swear on my life." I promised confidently. After all, how hard could the favor be?

"Good. Now, remember this well, because I'm only going to tell you once."

I sighed as I leaned in for him to whisper his favor.

"Go to the 'Razed Bar' in the Western District and ask for Kane. Tell him he'll get his payment within the month."

 _Razed Bar. Western District. Kane. Payment in a month. Got it._ I memorized as I nodded to the raggedy man and obtained the documents. I looked them over and scribbled down my number in the book. TheAvoided then snatched the book away and signed it before returning it to me. I noted how it glowed in the sunlight.

"And do try to relay the message within the week. I'm sure Kane's _dying_ to hear it." TheAvoided added before he backed away towards the trees. "And use the Western Gate so none of the guards will recognize you."

"Geez, the way you make it sound…it feels like this is illegal." I couldn't help but voice my concerns despite holding the book and slip of paper in my possession.

TheAvoided leered at me once more and let out a wheezy laugh. "Illegal? Don't be absurd." Then he disappeared into the trees.

"What a nice guy. Can't believe I thought he was creepy." I stated as I followed Ringwood's wall, west. "Now I can rejoin Floyd...after I complete the favor."

It took the rest of the day to circumvent the wall and make it to the Western Gate recommended by TheAvoided. By then, nighttime was claiming the sky and the moon shone with an ethereal glow.

I worried that the guards would say something as I presented them the pass and personal information. However, aside from laughing at me for my number, they let me through. After a quick check in their Inventory search room (which I found to be super cool) I was let into the Kingdom.

And boy was it not what I was expecting.

The Western District must have been the crappy part of the Kingdom because the place looked terrible. Garbage littered the street and most of the Crafters in sight looked as shady as TheAvoided. A few were even gathered around some makeshift fires to warm themselves up.

The tall wooden buildings that lined the streets were built tightly together leaving no space in between. And some of them were beginning to crumble away like the structures at Miner's Warren.

As I walked down the street I spotted several rails that lead into buildings. Some tough looking Crafters were pushing chest carts around and glaring at me suspiciously.

 _Do I just have a face that naturally draws attention?_ I wondered as I continued walking.

Iron-clad guards were patrolling the streets like crazy, keeping an eye on any shifty suspects. That is to say everyone. I tried not to stay on their radar as I kept my head down.

 _So…where's the delicious food supposed to be?_

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Glass Bottle, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Sticks, 19 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 1 Coal, 2 Gunpowder, 11 String, 4 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: Cue 'What could possibly go wrong?'**


	19. Experience

**AN: Alright, important stuff. I have a decision to make concerning my story and decided to crack out the 'Poll' function to make it easier to decide. The details are on my profile, top of the page.**

 **Anyway, t** **he answer to last week's puzzle was the letter 'E.' Don't believe me? Go back and check the riddle again. You'll see.**

 **Congrats to TheDiamondArcher for being the first to guess it correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment. Also, some people were wondering what type of cookie a Victory Cookie is...It's victory flavored. 'Nuff said.**

 **Puzzle: What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, fists would cause more damage.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 19

Experience

[Noman]

 _Incredible!_ I thought as I was dragged through the streets by Spark's invisible hand. _I never realized a Kingdom could hold so many people._

The Southern District (as the signs designated) was a massive urban area. Five-story high buildings of wood and cobblestone lined the main streets. Smooth gravel and stone paved roads served as paths for Crafters to walk along.

It was a good thing Spark was guiding me. The streets were packed with so many Crafters of all shapes and sizes. The myriad of hair and attire colors made the street appear as a moving rainbow. I would have easily gotten lost in the crowd.

A map along a bulletin board caught my attention and I subtly convinced Spark to steer us over to it.

The map showed the entirety of Ringwood and had signs to explain each landmark. The Kingdom had a wall that stretched around the entire inner city. The buildings themselves appeared to be arranged in a circular grid with a main street connecting the center to each of the four toll gates.

In addition, the Kingdom was split into five separate districts. The Southern District held merchants and marketplaces to trade and buy useful materials. The Northern District held the wealth of the Kingdom and was where all the major political and important people were housed. Contrastingly, the Western District was the run-down part of the Kingdom and was mainly responsible for coal mining, trash burning, construction projects, and other hard labor jobs. The Eastern District was mostly green, containing a lush park and large tracks of farmland responsible for growing the Kingdom's food.

And the final district was the Central District. It contained an expansive bastion and guard barracks, complete with training grounds for guards, and was situated atop a plateau smack-dab in the middle of the Kingdom.

I tried my best to memorize the map, but no matter how long I looked at it, all that registered was that the Western District should be avoided and the center of the Kingdom was a plateau.

And where exactly were the Crystal Catacombs? The map had nothing.

I heard a sipping sound to my left and turned to see a floating bottle containing a light-gray liquid slowly draining. Spark was probably recharging her invisibility effect. I covered her as she drank so that no one would notice a ghostly floating bottle.

Once she finished, she grabbed my hand again and led me further through the crowded streets. I figured she wanted to take care of her store of spider eyes before taking me to the Catacombs.

After a few minutes, we wandered into a large marketplace. There were carts and vendors set up everywhere; selling so many wondrous items that I felt I needed ten pairs of eyes just to witness them all.

They had it all. Multicolored bottles of potions. Trays of sugary confections. Cooked meats. Armor displayed on wondrous looking stands. Sets of tools in materials I never knew could be used: Gold, Stone, Wood. Books of Crafter tips and tricks. Records of music that added a beautiful symphony of sounds to the otherwise cacophony of bustling Crafters.

They had it all!

And with the stack of emeralds I had lining my pockets (or in this case backpack), I knew I could purchase all the necessary tools I would ever need.

If Spark would only slow down so I could get a better look at the wares…

"OW! Stop!"

A shrill cry of pain caught my attention and I turned to see what it was.

"See? I told you boys! The only way to get these beggars to leave you alone is to show them who's boss!"

The second voice I heard was deeper and burlier.

As I zeroed in on the source, I noticed it was emanating from a small group of iron clad Crafters in the middle of the marketplace.

 _What's happening over there?_

I peered over the heads of the crowd and noticed that one of the iron clad Crafters was gripping a young woman's arm. She looked like she was crying and in pain.

 _How dare that ruffian!_ I internally shouted as I yanked Spark's invisible hand and gestured to what was going on. She didn't respond (obviously), but she didn't pull me away either as I led us over to the distressed woman.

I didn't know why I couldn't stand the sight of one man hurting a young woman. Maybe it was my Billionth genes wanting to protect someone. Maybe it was just my good-natured and kind self. Maybe it was an unknown sense of normalcy that told me I should do the right thing.

Whatever it was, only one thought crossed my mind.

 _This looks like a job for the Billionth._

"What's going on here?" I inquired loudly as I stepped in between the iron clad man and the crying woman.

Immediately, the iron clad man released his grip on the young woman…

…and punched me in the face.

"Ow!" I cried out as I hit the ground and felt Spark's hand slip from mine.

"Mind your own business, skinny-boy." The man that punched me in the face threatened.

 _Not the best heroic moment._ I thought as I nursed the wound on my face. I stood myself up to confront the iron clad man—DomPiano—again.

"Uh…" I stuttered as I searched for the right words. "It…it _is_ my business when you try and hurt innocent people."

That sounded heroic enough…or it would have if my voice hadn't cracked on every third word.

DomPiano and his iron clad cronies guffawed at me. "Well boys, looks like skinny-boy here is some kind of hero!"

"H-how'd you know?" I asked thinking he deduced I was the Billionth.

"And a comedian too!" DomPiano joked to even more guffaws from his cronies. "Well if you must know, Mr. Comedian—"

"It's Noman actually—"

"—we were just minding our own business when this filthy peasant," he pointed to the tearful woman, "tried to make us donate our hard-earned emeralds for her selfish cause."

"It's n-not selfish." The woman spoke in a terrified squeak. "The emeralds g-g-go towards the Jibberman rehabilitation fund. It's p-purpose is to support them on their g-goal to reintegrate themselves into—"

"Do I look like I care!?" DomPiano roared as he stomped over to the woman. I quickly got between them again, despite the pain in my cheek.

"Move aside skinny-boy." DomPiano growled. "This is between me and the peasant behind you…unless of course you want to throw down."

"Uh…throw down what?" I questioned to even more guffaws from his cronies.

Unexpectedly, the woman I was protecting peeked over my shoulder. "H-he's not afraid of you!" She defended weakly as she clutched me for protection.

"Oh really?" Dom asked with a sneer and a raised brow. "Because he looks like he's about to wet himself."

As much as I hated to admit it, Dom was right. I was sweating bullets at the situation I had unknowingly walked into. And while the woman's words to defend me were well-intentioned, she was digging me into a deeper hole.

"Look, let's all just calm down—" I began in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"H-he'll take you on right now!" The woman behind me shouted. "One on one! You'll see!"

"Miss," I hissed under my breath, "please stop egging him on!"

"Now _that_ ," Dom began as he cracked his knuckles and downed a dark red potion, "is something I would _love_ to see." Immediately dark red particles began swirling around him. It must have been some kind of potion.

 _Uh-oh._

"W-wait!" I held up my arms in a placating manner while the woman behind me backed away. "L-let's talk this out. I…I don't want to fight."

"Did someone say fight?"

One Crafter uttered those words. That was all it took to gain the attention of every nearby citizen. They gathered around and formed a circle penning Dom and I in. Their comments were spreading like wildfire.

"There's a fight going on here?"

"Oh man! A fight is breaking out!"

"My money's on the burly guy."

"Yeah skinny-boy doesn't stand a chance."

"Taking bets! Taking bets!"

"This might get _messy_."

The blood-drained from my face as I realized I was trapped in a fight with a burly and drastically more armored Crafter.

*Gulp*

Dom wasted no time as he charged me like a bull with his arms swinging wildly. I quickly dove out of the way as his fists tore through a street sign unfortunate enough to make contact.

I got back up to my feet as he returned his attention to me. He lumbered forward and drove a fist straight towards my torso. I twisted my body to avoid it, but seconds later felt his other fist nick my shoulder. It was enough to make me wince in pain before feeling his left fist crash into my lower jaw, sending me tumbling into the ground.

In my hazy, stunned state, I could only hear the cheers and jeers of the surrounding crowd as Dom slowly approached.

 _How…how did this get so out of control?_

I glanced around and saw that the woman I defended was nowhere to be found. Well, at least I managed to 'save' her…in a way.

"Get up skinny-boy." Dom growled as he stood over me. "Get up so I can knock you back down!"

I tried to pick myself up, but suddenly found my face forced into the ground as Dom's foot pinned the back of my head.

"Come on skinny-boy. This crowd is looking for a better fight than that!" His face broke into a malicious smile. "So get up!"

I tried my best to displace his foot, but he was too strong. Whatever potion he drank must have strengthened his muscles. I couldn't budge him.

All I could do was lie there and wait for the inevitable beat down. Still, I had no regrets. I had saved a Crafter in need and had done what a true Billionth would do.

 _…_ _but it would've been nice to win._

No sooner had that thought formed in my mind, than the foot pinning me was swept away.

I lifted my head in surprise to see Dom sprawled across his back, groaning in pain. The crowd looked just as bewildered as they wondered how I had unbalanced the burlier man.

I didn't know at first…until I felt an invisible hand grip my shoulder comfortingly.

It was Spark who knocked him over.

I turned my head to flash a grateful smile, but before I could, the invisible hand yanked me away from the now recovered Dom's bull charge.

"You're gonna pay for that skinny!" Dom roared as he changed the direction of his charge without losing speed.

Just as I was wondering what to do, Dom's left leg jerked unnaturally, as if an invisible force had kicked it in the middle of his charge, and he staggered unstably towards me. I quickly dove to the side and the crowd parted to dodge Dom's reckless charge.

He was heading straight for a merchant and his stand.

"Dirt! Get your fine quality dirt here!" The merchant shouted before noticing Dom stumbling straight towards him. He backed up as Dom crashed into the stand, dumping dirt all over him.

This earned a couple of laughs from the on looking crowd as Dom extricated himself from the dirt pile. His once pristine iron armor had become filthy and he looked murderous as he charged back towards me.

Understanding Spark's strategy, I quickly positioned myself in front of another merchant stand and readied myself to dodge at the last second.

Once again, As Dom charged at me, his leg bent at an unnatural angle from Spark's invisible kick and he was sent stumbling. I dove out of the way and the crowd parted yet again.

"Cacti! Get your prickly, painful cacti here! Great for décor!" Another merchant shouted before he too noticed Dom and backed away to let the burly man crash into his cart.

Immediately, Dom howled in pain and leapt away from the cacti pricking him painfully. This earned even more uproarious laughs from the crowd and even I was beginning to chuckle amusedly.

 _Why was I ever afraid of this guy?_ I thought as the fear left me.

"NGHH! Hold still!" He hollered as he made one last charge towards me. I had already set myself up.

This time, his legs didn't bend unnaturally by Spark's kicks, but I was confident enough to shrug that off. I waited until he was right up in front of me as he aimed a heavy swing towards my face.

Then, in one swift movement, I fell backwards onto my back and aimed my left foot at his stomach. I pushed my foot against his gut while I was falling and used his momentum to flip him over the shocked crowd.

Right towards one of the stands.

"Flowers! Get your soft, cushiony flowers! Right here!" A merchant called out from his stand.

For a split second, Dom's face relaxed upon hearing the stand had no dangerous material.

"—riiiiiight next to this boiling hot pit of lava for sale!" The merchant finished as he gestured to the adjacent pool of lava.

Dom's eyes widened in fear and he screamed as he fell into the searing magma, splashing a few of his nearby cronies.

A few seconds of silence passed before Dom jumped out of the lava pool wailing like a baby and trying to put out the flames engulfing his body.

"WAAAAH! WATER! GET ME WATER!" He screamed as he crashed into a few more stands. His cronies quickly recovered and chased after the fleeing Dom with buckets of water held aloft.

As his wails petered away, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Some Crafters were even grumbling as they reluctantly slipped each other emeralds. Apparently, they bet on Dom winning, and lost.

"The winner is…this guy!" One of the Crafters declared as he gripped my arm and held it in the air. I was too relieved to care as people chanted my name.

Sort-of.

"Skinny! Skinny! Skinny!"

"I-it's Noman actually—" I tried to explain before a stronger hand gripped my shoulder and led me away from the cheering crowd. Some admirers attempted to follow, but Spark was fast enough to lose them.

We veered into an empty alley before we relaxed our pace. As we walked slowly, hands still interlocked, I couldn't help but blush at Spark's assistance.

"…Hey Spark—ow!" Once again I received a sharp flick to the forehead. "Sorry, nobody's around the alley so I figured it was okay to talk."

After a moment of consideration, Spark patted my head as an apology. I smiled at how much better I was getting at understanding her gestures. I guess talking with her through books heightened my sense of 'picking up on emotional gestures.'

"Anyway…thank you for helping me back there. I…would have been beaten to a pulp if you hadn't stepped in…or kicked in?" I questioned as I thought of a better phrasing. Spark apparently appreciated my thanks as she closed a second hand around mine.

As touching as the moment was, I had a few more questions for her. "So, where exactly are we going?"

Spark remained silent (obviously) and gave two sharp tugs of my arm to continue traveling down the alley. I simply nodded and followed, wishing that I could see the rest of her to read her expressions.

A few moments of walking led us to a back alley door leading into one of the penning buildings. The door was much different to the doors I had witnessed prior to Ringwood. It had no panes and appeared to be made of a darker wood than the oak doors. In addition, the wood of the door was set in vertically and the handle was replaced with a metal ring.

Spark released my hand before taking out a bucket of milk. It floated in the air as a sipping sound was heard. Moments later, Spark materialized before me.

She walked up to the door and knocked several times. A few moments later, footsteps were heard behind the door before it swung open to reveal a silver-haired woman wearing a blue shirt and white skirt.

Her eyes zeroed in on Spark's before her passive expression broke into a smile. "Spark!" She exclaimed as she walked forward and gave the orange-haired ninja a hug. "It's been a while. How've you been?"

Spark just waved her hand in a so-so manner.

"Aren't we all?" The silver-haired woman chuckled before taking notice of me. "And let me guess. He's another hapless Crafter eh?"

Spark nodded unashamed, despite the fact I was standing right behind her. Then again, she wasn't wrong. I was pretty much next to useless on my own.

"Nowhere_Man. Interesting name." The silver-haired woman commented as she scrutinized me. "I like your suit."

"Oh…thanks…I suppose." I replied politely. I wasn't exactly comfortable with strangers.

Thankfully, Spark snapped her fingers to regain the silver-haired woman's attention. I made sure to look above her head to find that her name was 'Rita98.'

"Right." Rita stated as she walked back to the door and gestured for us to enter. "Sorry for getting distracted. I bet you have some merch to sell, right?"

Spark nodded and tapped her eyes twice before moving her hand like a crawling creature across her arm.

"Spider eyes? How many?" Either Rita was a master at charades or the two had known each other long enough to establish a bond of unspoken communication.

Spark just parted her arms wide, as if to say 'this many.' Rita nodded before leading us into a dimly lit room. She guided us over to a small counter adjacent to a chest.

"Alright, let me see them."

Spark nudged my elbow and I quickly withdrew the stacks of spider eyes I was forced to carry and placed them in the chest. They looked disgusting and I wondered why anyone would even consider purchasing such revolting drops.

Rita, however, took an avid interest in the eyes. She examined them like a professional jeweler examines priceless gems. Finally, she nodded as if satisfied and exited through another door with a quick promise of 'I'll be back shortly.'

As we awaited her, I walked over to a nearby table and sat down. I was still thinking about the fight with Dom. I had been so stupid just rushing in without a plan, but my heroic instincts were what prompted me to intervene.

As I replayed the events in my head, a few questions came to mind. Why were Crafters so mean to other people? Why was the crowd so interested in fights rather than preventing violence? Were all Crafters inherently violent—no, wait—that wasn't true. Spark wasn't like that. She stepped in when I was in trouble.

…unless she was an exception.

No! Spark's a good person…even though she technically broke the law by passing the toll invisible…she's still a good person!

 _In fact, I dare say she'd make a better Billionth than me._

Just looking at the facts, the girl knew ten times as much about Minecraftia than I did. She's a nice person who seeks to help others. She probably would have stepped in to stop Dom if I hadn't done it first.

 _She has so much experience over me._

 _She…would be a great Billionth._

 _A lot better than me._

A fist bonked the top of my head and I clutched it in pain as I curled over onto the floor. I looked up to see Spark standing over me with a book in hand.

 **[WHAT'S WRONG, SKINNY?]**

"Not you too." I cringed at the terrible nickname. I didn't need to see the lower half of Spark's face to tell that she was smiling under her mask. "It's nothing."

She took the book back and scribbled in something new.

 **[IS IT ABOUT THE FIGHT?]**

 **[YOU FEEL EMASCULATED BECAUSE A GIRL HELPED YOU?]**

"What? N-no that's..." I began before considering her comment. Was what I was feeling emasculation? It was only because she was a lot more experienced that I felt inadequate as the Billionth. It didn't really have anything to do with gender. "No it's definitely not that."

 **[THEN WHAT?]**

"…have you…ever heard of the Billionth?"

Spark simply shook her head.

I smiled to myself as I began to explain the whole Billionth 'legend' as described by Notch. I made sure to glance over the parts where I was the Billionth and that the Crystal Catacombs were the next part of the Billionth's quest.

Spark's quill remained still as she listened to my explanation. When it was done, she still didn't write anything as she considered her reply.

Finally deciding on something, she scribbled it down and handed me the book.

 **[ARE YOU THE BILLIONTH?]**

…

 _Uh-oh._

"W-what?" I chuckled nervously. "Me? The Billionth? The…the savior of Minecraftia? HA! Please. Ridiculous."

 **[IT'S YOU ISN'T IT?]**

 _…_

 _How'd she figure it out!_

 **[YOU'RE BAD AT KEEPING YOURSELF NONCHALANT. JUST LIKE AT THE TOLL.]**

 _Easy for you to say. With half of your face covered up, people can only read half of your expression._

 **[ALSO, BACK IN THE ORIGIN FOREST, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A TEN-DIGIT NUMBER AND BEING A FAILURE. IT WAS WHEN YOU WERE LYING ON THE GROUND WAITING FOR THE SKELETONS TO GET YOU.]**

I cursed myself for being so stupid. Of course Spark would have overhead my depressing, and quite vocal, words.

 **[IS THAT WHY YOU LIED AT THE TOLL? SAYING YOUR NUMBER WAS 999,999,999? A NINE-DIGIT NUMBER INSTEAD OF A TEN-DIGIT?]**

 _So she picked up on that too._ I thought as I nodded sadly. "I didn't want people to think less of me…only to find out later that I'm supposed to be their savior. But really...I'm just a joke."

A sad smile adorned my face as I looked up to Spark's bright orange eyes. "I should have died to that Spider Jockey back in the forest. Then at least you could have stumbled upon my gear and become a better Billionth than I could ever be."

Spark's eyes widened at that before she looked down. Her quill was held loosely in her hand as she struggled to find the right words.

"I mean," I continued in a depressing tone, "you're obviously more experienced. I tried to help in the marketplace and that would have exploded in my face if it wasn't for you. And you help Crafters all the time, if those books are any indication. You can craft things so rapidly. Why would Notch even pass on a job like this to me when, literally, anyone else in the world would be better?"

Suddenly, Spark's eyes flared in anger and she furiously scribbled down something in her book. It was a very long message as she poured her emotions into the paper before abruptly shoving the finished text into my hands.

 **[YOU'RE WRONG!]**

 **[WRONG WRONG WRONG!]**

 **[ }:( ]**

 _What? Right curly bracket, colon, open parenthesis? What's that—Oh, it's a mad frowny face._

 **[YOU THINK YOU'RE UNWORTHY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO CERTAIN THINGS? YOU THINK EXPERIENCE MAKES A CRAFTER** ** _BETTER!?_** **]**

 **[WELL IT DOESN'T!]**

Her orange eyes were set in a scowl while I turned the page.

 **[YOU SAW MY ARCHIVE COLLECTION OF BOOKS, RIGHT?]**

 **[YOU SAW A BUNCH OF SIGNATURES FROM CRAFTERS I 'ASSISTED?']**

 **[WELL, DID YOU HAPPEN TO NOTICE THAT ONE OF THE SIGNATURES READ '** ** _DomPiano?_** **']**

Shock hit me upon reading that line. DomPiano, the burly guy picking on a helpless Crafter…he needed Spark's help at one point?

 **[THAT'S RIGHT! BACK WHEN I FIRST MET HIM, HE WAS HOPELESS! COULDN'T EVEN COOK HIS OWN FOOD! JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER CRAFTERS I HELPED OUT, HE WAS INEXPERIENCED. ALL OF THEM WERE NEWBS!]**

 **[SO, OUT OF THE KINDNESS OF MY HEART, I HELPED THEM. AND YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT AFTER I GUIDED THEM INTO THE KINGDOM?]**

Feeling a pang of guilt, but too riveted to the story to put the book down, I turned the page.

 **[THEY GOT EXPERIENCED AND STARTED PICKING ON OTHER NEWBS. THEY FORGOT PRETTY DAMN QUICKLY THAT THEY THEMSELVES WERE NEWBS BEFORE MEETING ME!]**

 **[BUT EVEN KNOWING THEY'D TURN INTO ASSHOLES, I KEPT HELPING INEXPERIENCED CRAFTERS BECAUSE I FELT** ** _SOMEONE_** **NEEDED TO BE NICE TO THEM!]**

 **[SOMEONE NEEDED TO REMEMBER THAT WE ALL SHARE THE SAME ROCKY START.]**

As I read that line, Spark gripped my hand with such force that I felt it would break. Still, I read on.

 **[SO DON'T SAY THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITH SOMEONE OF MORE EXPERIENCE! BECAUSE I WOULD MUCH RATHER PLACE MY FAITH IN AN INNOCENT CRAFTER LIKE YOU, WILLING TO INTERVENE IN A FIGHT TO SAVE A RANDOM PERSON, THAN SOME JACKASS LIKE DOM!]**

With that last sentence, I closed the book and stared silently at the floor.

Once again, that weird sense of normalcy hit me in waves. It was telling me that I should choose my next words to Spark carefully, since it was clear that sharing her past was done for my sake.

For the sake of my crumbling confidence.

 _Unbelievable. How is Spark able to write out words powerful enough to evoke so much emotion? I wish I could do that as well._

 _I guess being a woman of few words makes her choose them more carefully._

Finally, I settled on a statement. I lifted my head up and locked my royal blue eyes with hers.

"Spark." I began, and I was relieved that my voice didn't crack (it would have really messed up the whole 'heroic' vibe). "I promise you, that I will never become a…a…donkey."

Spark blinked at my words and tilted her head questioningly.

"What I mean is…" I stuttered out, "I will never become a…butt-hole"

Again she blinked and tilted her head to the opposite side.

 _Ugh. Really wish I could curse right about now!_ I internally groaned while making another attempt.

"Alright look…I—Nowhere_Man—swear upon my pride that I will never become a…"

"…"

 _Just say it!_

"…J-jack…ass."

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief as it took every amount of willpower I had to wrestle that one word from my mouth. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Spark rolling around on the floor, laughing (albeit silently).

"Hey! Don't laugh!" I shouted indignantly. "I'm being serious here! I won't become a j-jack…you know the word!"

I was astounded that anyone could laugh so hard without making a sound. Her eyes were screwed shut and her face was bright red. She even had to roll down her mask just so she could get enough oxygen to supply her hysterical laughter.

I folded my arms and waited patiently for her to calm down. The entire time, my face was set in a deep frown and my cheeks were flushed in embarrassment. This only served to fuel her laughter more as my expression was apparently too priceless.

Finally, she picked herself off the ground and rolled her mask back up to cover her mouth. Then she shakily scribbled something down on the book while the bright red faded from her face.

 **[SORRY. IT'S JUST THAT YOU WERE TRYING SO HARD TO SOUND HEROIC, BUT FAILED MISERABLY.]**

"Yeah, I surmised as much," I replied with my arms still folded and frown still upon my face.

She mimed a page turning motion.

 **[BUT I SUPPOSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT MORE GENUINE. KIND OF LIKE YOU.]**

 _Genuine, huh._

 **[MAYBE NOTCH CHOSE YOU BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE A GENUINE INNOCENCE AND DESIRE TO HELP. MOST CRAFTERS HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT FEELING.]**

I hadn't thought about that. Come to think of it, there was a crowd of Crafters that didn't want to intervene. Did that mean all Crafters were selfish?

If what Spark said was true, did experience beget selfishness? Why else would Notch entrust the task of protecting Minecraftia to some random newb?

Spark was right. Notch _wanted_ an inexperienced Crafter for the job.

Still, experience was needed if I was to be able to protect anyone. It would be a challenge to stay selfless through it all…

…But if it was easy, then anyone could be the Billionth.

"I think—no—I know you're right Spark. This is a duty only I can accomplish." I patted Spark's shoulder comfortingly. "Thank you for opening my eyes."

Spark smiled with her eyes just as Rita returned.

"Alright. I did the math, and I'll purchase your spider eyes for…10 emeralds." Rita stood over by the counter and displayed the payment.

Spark, on the other hand, didn't even bother replying with her book. Instead she just walked over to the counter and stared at Rita passively.

But for some reason, it was making Rita uncomfortable. "Nice try Spark, but I can't offer you anything more. Times are tough."

*Stare*

"Seriously, cut it out."

*Stare*

"Ugh…I…I can maybe go up to…15 emeralds? But that's the absolute max!"

*Stare*

"…18 emeralds."

*Blink*

"What!?" Rita looked affronted. "No way! That's WAY too much for what you're selling!"

*Stare*

"…"

*Stare*

"FINE!" Rita shouted as she nearly chucked 18 emeralds and a bonus five potions. "18 emeralds AND five Invisibility Potions! Just please stop the stares!"

Satisfied, Spark collected her payment and beckoned me over to the exit.

As we left the shop, I noticed how dark it had gotten. The only source of light in that alleyway was the glow of the moon.

It took us the entire day to reach the shop and we still had the Crystal Catacombs to find.

However, after noticing the subtle heaviness in Spark's eyelids, I could tell that she was struggling to stay awake. I, myself, was pretty exhausted after everything that had happened.

"Hey, Spark. Why don't we find someplace to stay for the night," I suggested. Spark seemed to roll the idea around in her mind, as if she was a bit reluctant about staying in Ringwood any longer than she had to. "We'll both be better rested for tomorrow."

Finally, she relented with a nod and downed an Invisibility Potion. I was unsure if it was one she initially brought with her, or one she got from Rita. I was also unsure as to why she had the need to stay Invisible while in the city.

 _Although considering how much she hates experienced Crafters, maybe she just doesn't like being around them. That would also explain why she lives away from civilization._

Once again, I was in the situation of being led around by an invisible, silent, ninja. We exited the alley and traveled to a quaint Inn. Spark was intent on paying (if the floating emeralds being forcibly pressed into my hand were any indication), but I managed to convince her to let me pay. I was worried they would question why I reserved a two-person room, but the woman at the counter didn't seem to mind as long as I paid her the emeralds.

Our room was nothing major. Two beds, two chests, a furnace, and a window overlooking the street. The oddest thing, however, was a lantern object hanging from the ceiling. It had a lever attached to it and appeared to be illuminating the room.

After I closed the door, Spark immediately drank a bucket of milk to materialize and plopped on the bed, face first. She probably fell dead asleep before she hit the bed.

I, on the other hand, just flicked off the lights and stared outside the window. The crowd of Crafters from earlier in the day had petered out to a few strays, probably hurrying home to friends.

"It's not going to be easy," I commented to myself as I observed the Crafters below, "but I'll do my best."

And with that final thought, I fell upon my bed and let long-awaited sleep claim me.

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Crafting Table, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Arrow, 52 Steaks, 10 Enchanted Golden Apples, 64 Emeralds, 33 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 1 Gunpowder, 12 Rotten Flesh

* * *

 **AN: Comedy, action, AND character development? How could I ever write something like this?**

 **This was actually the first chapter to not have Cobb in it at all. I think Noman and Spark were enough to hold up the chapter. We'll check up on Cobb next time.**

 **I used my extra Daylight Savings Hour to finish up a project I was procrastinating on. Time well spent.**


	20. Ringwood

**AN: I have a poll on my profile concerning the usage of a Minecraft Mod in my story. It's purely to add a new level of combat and diversity. Please offer your opinion as a vote.**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle: A stamp! It can travel the world, but stay at the corner of an envelope.**

 **Congrats to AwakenedKarbon for being the first to guess it correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What has no beginning, middle, or end?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be Potions of Inebriation.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 20

 **Ringwood**

[Cobb]

As I walked down the cracked street, I noticed several defaced signs pointing towards the center of the Kingdom. From what I could tell, the center of the Kingdom appeared to be a large ornate fortress stationed atop a towering plateau.

 _That's where I'm meeting Floyd in three days. Looks pretty fancy. Hope they let me in._

As I thought about Floyd, an idea hit me.

Without Floyd, would I have just become a wanderer with no goal in life?

It had been my experience with the blue-nette that convinced me to get stronger and prove that numbers are trivial in determining worth. Without that first meeting, would I have just meandered aimlessly without purpose? Would I still be running from Mobs while figuring out how to craft items?

Admittedly, the idea of forming a team with other Crafters was comforting in that it would mean I wouldn't be forced to figure things out on my own. I would be able to learn from others and become better. And…maybe I'd enjoy making friends.

But then there was the Endward Cult.

Sure, taking them down was for the good of Crafters everywhere and helping Floyd avenge his friend was…ambiguously moral. But it seemed like an enormous waste of time to go looking for an entire cult.

If fighting two cultists was a challenge, then fighting off God knows how many more would be impossible. Especially, given the lack of combat training.

 _Then again, who am I to argue with what Floyd wants to do when_ I _don't even know what I want to do._

My hallucination induced organs said that I'd need to better understand myself to get rid of their voices. But I didn't really know myself at all.

Frankly, I knew my organs' personalities better.

 _Brain is sarcastic and indifferent, but in a practical sense. Without him, I wouldn't be able to make rational choices._

 _Heart is caring and compassionate, but is willing to give in to anger at times._

 _Stomach…only cares about food. But there is strength to him. And a thin line between stubbornness and tenacity._

 _Liver is pitiable and depressing. He's also the only one not afraid to cry._

 _Bladder is reliable and is always willing to help out the others…even if it means helping Liver try and kill himself._

 _And Lungs is so wise and makes a great mediator. Not very talkative though._

 _They all have such different personalities._

 _…_

 _…_ _I wonder if there's a reason for that._

 _But back to knowing myself._

 _What exactly do I want from life? Wanting to get stronger and more experienced is fine, but how am I going to do that…and what am I going to do once I achieve it?_

That thought scared me. The idea that my life would become meaningless once I attained experience. That it would be as empty as the Void.

 _…_ _And if Floyd avenged his friend…would he feel the same emptiness?_

 _…_ _Would he even need me anymore?_

I shook those thoughts from my head and slapped my cheeks.

 _No!_

 _So what if I don't know where I'm going every second of the day. I'll just keep on surviving until I figure it out! And Floyd will be right there beside me, helping me figure things out too! As long as I have a friend, I know I can do anything!_

 _I'll know what I want to do eventually. And I'll stick with Floyd, even…even if I'm not entirely comfortable with taking on cultists._

 _Bottom-line: I don't need to know where I'm going!_

 _…_

 _…_ _now where am I going?_

Locating the Razed Bar was proving to be a difficult task considering how big the Kingdom was. And I was only wandering in the western quadrant. Just how massive was Ringwood?

Deciding that I needed to ask for directions, I walked over to the nearest guy I could spot.

Needless to say, he looked very dangerous.

"Um hi, excuse me." I began as I tried to get his attention. The man merely ignored me as he bumped into my shoulder and continued down the road.

 _Really need to work on my people skills._

"Hey excuse me, sir." I tried again as I approached a man standing by a makeshift fire. He appeared to be burning something. Perhaps he was cooking a steak.

"I'm a bit lost. Could you maybe direct…me…to…" My request died upon my lips as I saw what the man was burning. He was tossing Crafter Heads into the fire. He fixed me with the deadest look I had ever seen and growled at me.

"NevermindSorryForDisturbingYouBye!" I promptly backed away as I attempted to search for some non-dangerous looking individuals.

One seemed to catch my eye. He looked rather normal with Latino skin, black hair, and green eyes. He wore a green baseball cap, a black t-shirt, sweatpants, running shoes, and was munching on a porkchop. His name was low_bttry.

"Excuse me, sir." I called out as I caught his attention. "I'm really lost right now. Do you happen to know where the Razed Bar is?"

He slowly finished his porkchop and licked his fingers as he considered my question. "Yeah I know where that place is. You need directions?"

"Sure!...but I don't have any paper to write them down." I admitted.

"No sweat. I got a book right here." Low_bttry said as he withdrew a [BOOK AND QUILL] and handed it to me. "Let me know when you're ready to write them down."

"Alright, go ahead."

"The Razed Bar is at the corner of 'Get a map' and 'Fuck off.'" He explained before somersaulting onto a nearby building and leaping across the rooftops.

 _..._

 _…_ _did that just happen?_

I just stared at the spot the acrobatic man disappeared to with a weary expression. I had possibly witnessed the most random thing ever.

"…I…why?" I questioned as I slipped the insulting directions into my belt. "Just…why does everyone have to be a…GAH!" I threw my hands up into the air, exasperated with all the weirdos of the Western District.

 _I hope Floyd is having better luck finding his friend._

* * *

[Floyd]

"This is the place." I said to myself as I entered the large wooden structure known as the Hall of Records.

Realizing the sheer size of the Kingdom, I had decided to ask around for help in locating Soul. I figured there must be some way of locating people in Ringwood.

Some guards had pointed me in the right direction. The Hall of Records held a copy of the Citizenship Information for every Crafter to pay Ringwood's tolls. The Hall kept tabs on everyone within the walls.

If Soul really had made it safely to Ringwood, his records would be there. And if he so happened to have purchased a house, the Hall would keep a record of the address as well.

Walking inside, my feet immediately took notice of the soft carpeted floor. An old man stood behind a counter as he flipped though some books and scribbled down some notes. A few guards stood in silence over by the corner and there was only one door that led to a room behind the counter. Other than that, I noticed a minecart track beside the counter that trailed down into the floor.

As I approached the old man, I vaguely wondered how such a large building could have so few rooms. Perhaps it meant the room behind the old man was massive in comparison.

"Hello there, sir." The elderly man greeted with a toothy smile. "How can I be of assistance?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. I know his name and number, but I'm not sure if he made it to Ringwood?" I explained as I rested my hands on the counter. "Is there a way to find out?"

"Well that makes my job easier." The old man chuckled as he took out a book. "What's his name and number?"

"Lost_Soul. Number 999,999,985."

He turned to open the door to the back room. "Just one moment."

As I waited for the old man to return, I thought about how Cobb was faring. He had willingly given up his only emerald to allow me to enter the Kingdom and find Soul. Although the guilt was eating at me, I had things much worse to feel guilty over.

Besides, Cobb was a smart guy. If anyone could find an emerald, he could.

The old man finally returned with two books. "You're in luck, sir. Looks like your friend made it after all." I let out a relived sigh that I wasn't aware I was holding in as he slid a book over the counter that contained Soul's citizenship information. "And he's also purchased a house in the Eastern District." He slid the other book over.

I checked the citizenship information to see that the description matched before memorizing the address of Soul's purchased home. "Alright. That's a big help. Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it son…but if you don't mind me asking…"

"What is it?" I asked perplexed by the old man's sudden fascination in me.

"Your name is Flawwed_Floyd."

"That's right."

"That's flawed…with two 'W's."

"Yeah?"

"…"

"…"

"…don't you think it's a bit misspelled?"

"Yeah. In fact the spelling is…flawwed." I worded wryly.

"Ah. I see." The old man nodded as he understood the meaning behind my name. "Well, sorry to bother you. Have a nice day."

"You too." I replied as I handed him back the books and left the Hall of Records.

 _Okay…Eastern District here I come!_

* * *

[Hall of Records]

"Doot-doot-doo. Keeping up with records. Doot-doot-doo. Record keeping's fun." The elderly man behind the Hall of Records counter hummed merrily as the blue-haired man left the building. He resumed his note-taking on the monthly population growth of Ringwood.

The Kingdom was flourishing with a total of one-hundred and twenty thousand Crafters. Although considering the craftiness of some, the actual population was likely far greater than what was reported. The old man marveled at how the Kingdom could hold and provide for so many people. And with the amount charged for citizenship, the treasury must be bursting at the seams.

The old man remembered when he first arrived in the Kingdom. He was much younger then…at least in experience since Crafters don't age. Back then, Ringwood barely had enough guards to patrol the walls.

But things were different now. With a Captain like Private_Showers, the guards were more numerous and eager to help the Kingdom. It was truly incredible how far they've all come.

The old man was snapped out of his thoughts when the front door opened. He looked up to give his routine greeting.

"Hello there, ma'am. How can I be of assistance?" He smiled his trademark toothy smile to the young black-haired woman (who looked vaguely familiar), but she didn't visibly respond as she walked up to the counter. Her boots made a distinctive sound despite the carpet.

*tk tk* *tk tk*

"Hello." She greeted in a polite tone. "I'm afraid I need some help in locating some… _friends_ of mine." She said that last part through clenched teeth, but if the elderly man noticed anything, he didn't say it.

"Alright, sure thing. Do you have their names or numbers?" The elderly man asked as he put his book down and prepared to enter the back room.

"Just the names. King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd. Two B's on the Cobb and two W's on the Flawwed." She conveyed the information quickly as she glanced at the guards stationed in the corner. One of them was eyeing her carefully and began whispering something in his fellow guard's ear.

The elderly man's eyes lit up in recognition of one of the names before he slinked off into the back room.

As he walked in, he pressed a button to the left of him that immediately illuminated the otherwise pitch black room.

The room had shelves upon shelves of chests arranged into aisles and labeled alphabetically. Performing annual checks on the records was a nightmare, but the system was relatively easy to understand. Each aisle represented a letter with the lower digits in the back and the higher digits at the front.

As a result the Hall had to be expanded several times and would probably be expanded several more given the expected population growth.

 _Hopefully, they'll install a few windows next time._ The old man thought as he began his search.

The elderly man quickly found Floyd's information, proving how recently he entered. However, King_Cobb's information proved to be more elusive. He doubled checked the entire 'K' aisle but found nothing matching the woman's description.

The elderly man did, however, find some names that resembled the one she described and decided to bring them over in case the woman made a mistake.

Upon returning to the counter, the old man noticed something odd.

The black-haired woman was still standing in the same place, looking rather bored, but the four guards stationed around the room were no longer there.

"Did you see where the guards went?" The old man asked as he laid the citizenship books across the counter.

"I believe they mentioned something about taking their break?" The woman answered as she idly examined her nails.

"Those boys…I told them to limit their breaks to once per day." The old man shook his head in exasperation as he sorted through the books.

"It's so hard to find good guards these days, eh?" The woman inquired with a dark smile while subtly patting the sword at her belt.

"I'll say. Anyway, I found Flawwed_Floyd for you. But he hasn't purchased any property yet so I don't have an address."

The woman examined Floyd's book as she noted the number. "And what about Cobb?"

"Well I couldn't find a name that matched your description." The old man sighed as he fished through the remaining books. "Could it possibly have been King_Cong?"

"No. It's definitely King_Cobb." The woman confirmed as she drummed her fingers across the counter.

"Hmmm." The old man fished out another book. "Perhaps King_Pinn? Or maybe KinGobbler?"

"King. Cobb." The woman annunciated each word as she drummed her fingers faster against the counter. Obviously growing impatient.

"What about KinglyCornHusk?"

"NO!" The woman ceased her drumming with a slammed fist to the counter. "His name is King_Cobb! K-I-N-G! Underscore! C-O-B-B! Nothing else!"

The old man took a step back and held his arms up in front of him in an attempt to placate the woman. "I'm sorry Miss…" He glanced at the name above her head and immediately felt his blood freeze.

"…C-C-Carys?" The old man backed away upon realizing who was standing before him.

The now identified Carys unsheathed her iron sword and leapt over the counter to press its cold metal against the old man's throat. "Shout and you die."

The air the old man had inhaled to shout for help left him like a deflated balloon as he stared fearfully into Carys' crimson eyes.

"Now, why don't the two of us go back into that room and search carefully for Cobb's file?" Carys suggested as she guided the old man at sword point over to the back door.

The old man could only nod in silence as he led the way with his hands help up.

 _I already double-checked! The file isn't here._ The old man thought as he walked over to the 'K' aisle with Carys following closely. _But if I can't find her what she needs…_

He shuddered as he opened the first chest and began frantically searching for the name that would possibly spare his life.

 _I just need to stall her. The guards will be back from their breaks any—!_ Suddenly, the old man realized that the guards weren't on breaks at all.

Carys killed them.

The woman was already wanted for killing over a hundred guards and civilians. From what the reports described, she was a prodigy with the blade and incorporated multiple fighting styles in order to maximize her combat proficiency.

It was no wonder the guards appeared to have 'vanished.' She was just that quick.

"I do hope you're not trying to stall." Carys stated off-handedly as if she could tell what the old man was thinking. "Because it won't do you much good."

"No…no…forgive me. I'm just a little…tired today." The old man explained nervously as he moved on to the next chest.

As time passed and the amount of chests grew less and less, the old man's terror increased, as did Carys' impatience.

The old man had enjoyed working at the Hall of Records. He considered the job of locating specific documents as a sort of treasure hunt. And he always felt enjoyment whenever he found what was asked of him and presented it to the awaiting Crafter.

But that same enjoyment was now cruelly replaced with horrifying anxiety.

How ironic.

Finally, mercifully, came the last chest. The old man already knew he wouldn't find the name, and a quick check confirmed his suspicion.

"It's not here."

Carys sighed as she pressed the blade further into the old man's back, forcing him against a wall. "I suppose it was too much to hope I'd discover both of their numbers."

The old man remained silent as he closed his eyes to await his end.

"FREEZE!"

Seven guards were blocking the aisle with their bows aimed at Carys. An extra guard patrol must have decided to check up on the Hall of Records, only to discover that nobody was behind the counter.

Carys whirled around and grabbed the old man by the neck. Backing up against the wall, she used the old man as a human shield. "I was wondering when some nosy guards would check back here." Carys stated with a grin.

"Carys_Angel!" One of the guards spoke in an authoritative tone. "You are under arrest for the murder of over a hundred Crafters! Release the old man at once!"

"And why would I do that?" Carys inquired playfully as she positioned the sword over the old man's neck.

"You must realize that there is no escaping us." Another guard stated. "We have you cornered and it's seven against one."

Carys let out a dark chuckle. "I like those odds."

A few moments passed as the guards could only hold their bow strings back, tensely awaiting someone to make the first move. The old man had broken into a sweat for being in the middle of such a stand-off.

Finally Carys spoke. "Let me see if I understand something correctly."

The authoritative guard blinked in confusion at Carys' statement.

"You guards want this old man," she shook the frightened old man as she addressed him, "to live."

"Of course!" One of the guards shouted as he tightened his hold on the bow.

"So the only thing keeping us in this stand-off…is this living geezer?" Carys inquired darkly as she gripped her sword more tightly.

The guards realized a second too late what Carys was insinuating before she slashed the old man with her iron sword.

The sword's Knockback Enchantment sent the old man flying across the room in a pained scream as he crashed into three of the aiming guards. The remaining guards, tense on their bowstrings, shot a flurry of arrows at the dark-haired criminal.

Carys swiftly ducked into the adjacent aisles as she dodged every arrow. Withdrawing a dark red potion from her belt, Carys quickly downed it and felt the surging might of the Potion of Strength II.

"Corner her!"

"Don't let her escape!"

"Take her down!"

The guards were trying to keep up with Carys in an effort to corner her. She fled past the 'E' aisle and climbed one of the shelves to get a better view of her pursuers.

 _Hmm. One more potion should do._ She concluded as she downed a medium blue Potion of Night Vision. After that, she swapped to her bow and searched the room for the redstone object that would drastically improve her chances of winning.

There, alongside the door, was what she was looking for: A single wooden button that controlled the lights.

Aiming carefully with her bow, she shot across the room and hit the button dead center. Immediately the room was plunged into darkness.

The guards and old man were completely blind as they stumbled and crashed into each other in an effort to gauge their general locations.

But not Carys.

To her the room was clear as day.

And she could easily spot the eight bumbling targets.

She grinned as she crept silently along the shelves.

"Guys! I can't see a thing!" One of the guards shouted as he bumped his head on a shelf. "What happened to the lights!?"

"Somebody find the light sw—AUGH!" A blood-curdling scream pierced the darkness as Carys plunged her sword into the guards face. He burst in a collection of gear and a single head.

"Charles! What happened!?" One of the other guards shouted as he groped around for his friend. "Charles!? Say something!"

"GAH!"

"AIII!"

"MOMMY!"

The additional dying shrieks only served to increase the level of fear gripping the remaining guards as Carys silently and effectively exterminated each one.

"It's Carys!" One of the guards screamed in terror as he violently waved his sword in an attempt to keep the killer away.

"I'm looking for the light switch!" The elderly man called out as he leaned against the wall to guide himself.

"Just hurry up before she—NOOOO!"

*SHUNK*

"Billy! Please say something if you're still alive!" One of the guards cried in desperation as he continued to swing his sword wildly.

"Show yourself you coward!" The authoritative guard shouted as he kept his back to the wall and strained his eyes to glimpse Carys.

His bravery in such circumstances was admirable…until Carys unloaded half-a-dozen flaming arrows into him. His burning body thrashed around before exploding into a shower of loot.

"Found it!" The old man shouted triumphantly as he removed the arrow from the button and clicked it again to turn on the light.

All he saw was a single guard madly swinging his sword in every direction and six individual piles of gear with the corresponding heads of the guards who had tried to rescue him.

Five seconds later, the final guard was put down as several arrows pierced his skull, killing him instantly.

The elderly man could only look in horror as Carys_Angel turned her attention on him. He quickly bolted to the door and tripped over the counter in his haste to reach the exit.

Carys simply aimed a single fiery arrow at the door he was desperately running towards before shooting it.

And just like that, Carys claimed the lives of eleven more guards and one elderly man.

* * *

[Carys]

"So much for keeping a low profile." I deadpanned as I deposited my bow into my belt.

As I shuffled through the guards' gear for anything useful, I couldn't stop the smile creeping across my face. Losing to Cobb and Floyd made me worry that my combat skills were getting rusty. However, facing off against several opponents at once proved that my skills were still as sharp as my blades.

 _Those two idiots just got lucky._ I concluded happily as I readied an Invisibility Potion. It was best to avoid further detection otherwise I might just have to kill an entire district (as fun as that sounded).

Verifying one of their numbers was good enough. Odds were that, if the two were traveling together, then Cobb would be around the same number as Floyd. And if Floyd was a citizen of the Kingdom, then there was no doubt he would use it as his home.

 _Now that I know which Kingdom they'll be staying in, I just need to hire some spies to keep tabs on them. Keep track of their friends. Lovers. Cherished pets. Objects of value._

 _But that can wait._

 _Right now, I need to take care of some…personal business to the far north. Not to mention I still need to recruit potential fighters to take on a certain cult._

 _So much to do. So little time._ I thought as I downed the Invisibility Potion and removed my protective armor.

 _But it will be done. I swear Mr. Piggles._

 _It will be done._

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Why do I suddenly feel an incredible bloodlust directed towards me?_ I thought with a shiver. I looked around the street to see if I could locate the source, but everyone was ignoring me.

Well…almost everyone.

"Hello there sir!" An adorable girl with a bow waved over to me from a makeshift stand. "You look like you could use some assistance."

I looked around before pointing to myself to verify she was talking to me. Then I proceeded to walk over to her stand. It was small, but consisted of a counter and a pen filled with puppies. There was another guy standing beside the adorable girl and above the two of them was a sign that read 'Donate to Dogs.'

Heart: _Perfect! You can ask them for directions._

Brain: _I don't know…that girl looks too adorable to be trusted._

The girl in question was smiling sweetly and her eyes were shimmering like two flawless emeralds.

Heart: _What? That's ridiculous. She's the only normal looking person we've seen._

I tuned out my organs as I walked up to the counter and cleared my throat. "I _could_ use some help. There's this bar I'm looking for—"

"Would you like to donate an emerald to our charity?" The little girl interrupted without losing her beaming smile. "Every emerald goes to feeding these little guys." She gestured to the pen filled with puppies playfully scrambling over each other and wagging their tails.

But I was immune to their cutesy charms.

"No thanks. I'm kind of in a hurry. Now back to my lost situation—"

"Did you know that every one of these puppies was abandoned by some heartless monster?" The little girl interrupted again, keeping that frustratingly sweet smile plastered across her face. "It truly is a tragedy…but you can help by donating just one emerald to our—"

"I don't care," I interjected brusquely. "I just came here because I thought you would give me directions to—"

"You…don't care?" The girl tilted her head to the side, as if trying to register what I had just explained. It would've looked normal if she didn't keep that damn smile on her face. Now it just looked creepy.

I turned my attention away from the sickeningly sweet girl and tried to explain my plight to the man standing next to her. "Look, I just need to find—"

"Did you know that for every emerald we don't earn, a puppy dies?"

I slowly turned my attention back to the beaming little girl. "Is…is that an actual statistic…or a thinly veiled threat?" I ventured.

"…Yes."

"…Yes to what?" I pressed.

"..."

"Yes to the statistic or yes to the thinly veiled threat?"

"…Yes." The girl snapped her fingers and the man beside her pulled out a sword and picked out one of the puppies from the pen before whisking it down an alley. "My friend over there is just giving one of the puppies a…check-up."

I just gazed in horror at what I had just witnessed. "What kind of charity is this!?"

The little girl tittered as if I had asked a stupid question. "It's a charity to ensure these adorable little puppies are happy and healthy. Now wouldn't you feel bad knowing that you were responsible for one of these darlings' deaths?" She still had that damn smile on!

"N-no! You can't pin this on me!" I shouted in outrage. "Your buddy is killing that puppy right now isn't he?"

"I don't know what you mean sir."

*WHINE*

A series of pained whines pierced the air from the alley the man had taken the puppy.

"You don't know what I mean?" I asked skeptically to which the girl just shook her head. "You don't hear the dying whines of a puppy right now?"

"Nope."

I peeked my head around the stand. "I…I can fucking see him!" The man was repeatedly bashing the adorable puppy's head in with a sword. "He's killing the puppy right now!"

"Don't mind that. Just focus on the emerald donation." Her smile grew sinister. "It's the only way to save these little guys."

"But…I don't have any emeralds!" The little girl's smile broke and her eyes twitched erratically at my confession. "And even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't give them to some messed up charity like this!"

The girl was struggling to keep her sweet demeanor. "Well then sir," she hissed between gritted teeth, "if there is nothing more you wish to discuss, please vacate our stand."

"I'd like to discuss your charity's pitch tactics…" I muttered as I backed away from the disturbing girl and resumed my search.

 _Guess Brain was right about her._

Heart: _…not a word Brain._

Brain: _What? I was just gonna say that someone should pick up that phone._

Heart: _Huh?_

Brain: _The phone. Don't you hear it ringing? Somebody better pick it up._

Heart: _What are you talking abo—No._

Brain: _Yes. Somebody better pick up that phone…_

Heart: _Don't you dare!_

Brain: _BECAUSE I FUCKING CALLED IT! OHHHHHHHHH!_

Heart: _…I hate you so much right now._

 _Back to the search, maybe the bar is down one of these alleys._

As I took a turn into one of the alleys, I noticed several piles of rotten flesh littering the ground.

 _Well…food is still food._ I conceded as I reached for the sickening drop.

Immediately, a bedraggled looking man popped out from behind a trash bin and started shouting at me in some weird language.

"HGZB ZDZB UILN NB UOVHS!" He shouted as he crouched in front of the rotten flesh pile looking ready to bite my arm off.

"WAH! Stay back!" I threatened as I withdrew my pick. "I have a wooden pickaxe and I know how to use it!"

The man hissed at me in that same gibberish before diving towards me. I was knocked down as the man clawed and scratched at my face.

I quickly kicked him off of me before escaping out the other end of the alley. His incomprehensible howls began to fade as I rounded the corner of the alley and found myself on a larger street.

Panting to catch my breath, I took a glance around to spot the location of TheAvoided's errand. Unfortunately, none of the surrounding buildings bore the name 'Razed Bar.'

But there was a group of Crafters crowded around a wooden scaffold. It looked like something interesting was about to take place.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I walked towards the crowd and tried to get a better glimpse of the popular event.

As I peered over several heads I noticed a terrified Crafter wearing leather armor similar to TheAvoided's. Beside him were several guards with their swords held at the ready.

 _Is this supposed to be some kind of production or something?_

One of the guards handed the terrified man a green potion while another contributed a maroon potion. The leather-clad Crafter eyed the two potions carefully before sighing in acceptance and downing the green potion.

Immediately, the leather-clad Crafter began to groan and clutch his stomach as his skin turned a sickly shade of green. I gasped as I realized he showed the same symptoms that Floyd had when he was poisoned.

 _What did he just drink!? Somebody needs to get him some milk!_ I thought as I turned to see how the audience was reacting. They just stood still, eyes fixated on the poisoned Crafter. The expressions they were making were full of cruelty and malice.

 _Why isn't anyone doing anything?_

After the poison effect subsided, the leather-clad Crafter took one last look at the audience…before presenting them all his middle finger and downing the final maroon potion.

Instantly, the man exploded in a shower of leather armor and useless junk. Some of it pelted the audience and I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to catch the Crafter's dropped Head with the leather cap still on.

"UGH!" I shouted as I instantly dropped the disgusting object. _Why do I keep getting into situations involving Heads!?_

The leather cap, however, automatically slipped into my Inventory.

As the crowd finally dispersed and the guards left the scaffold, I could only think to myself: _What did I just witness?_

One of the guards saw I wasn't moving and walked up to me. "Hey buddy. Show's over. Clear the area."

"What…what did you guys do to him?" I asked as I gestured to the Head lying on the ground.

The guard immediately picked it up before tossing it in the nearest trash can. "We executed a criminal. What else?"

"A criminal? What did he do?" I asked. I couldn't help but cringe at the poor way the man's remains were disposed of.

"He was a Testificate trafficker." The guard shrugged. "The guy was luring Testificates from villages and selling them for personal trade usage. The sick bastard kidnapped dozens of Testificate children too."

"Oh." I replied lamely as I tried to comprehend the circumstances of his crime. "That is pretty bad."

"Yep. But thanks to us," His chest swelled with pride, "We're another criminal closer to ridding the streets of filth like that." He gestured behind him to a set of posters and signs.

I peered over him to get a better look at the posters and immediately recoiled and fell on my butt.

It was Carys!

 _What!? N-no! She should be dead!_

"Hey, pal! Get a hold of yourself! They're just wanted posters." The guard calmed me down and allowed me to realize the image of Carys was just a sketch.

He offered me his hand and I pulled myself up, still staring at Carys' wanted poster. The sketch artist deserved a medal for getting Carys' cold crimson eyes and spiky black hair. It was no wonder I thought it was real.

"Here. See for yourself." The guard comforted as he guided me over to the posters. "These are some of the baddest criminals at large." He pointed to a white-haired man with dark skin. "That's 4Blite: A ruthless killer and known Lieutenant of the Endward Cult." Then he pointed to Carys' picture. "And that femme fatale is Carys_Angel: A woman responsible for the deaths of over a hundred people. Both inside and outside of the city."

"...quick question." I interjected. "Are the rewards below given only if the criminal is apprehended alive?"

"The reward is 'dead or alive,' but you need to bring us a head—literally their head—as proof of the deed."

 _Damnit!_ I cursed in my mind as I realized Carys' Head would have burnt in the lava. I could have really used the reward too. 100 Emeralds? Cha-ching!

The guard resumed his description. "And this guy is the most recent. He's wanted for fabricating counterfeit entry passes into Ringwood, among other petty crimes."

I followed the guards gaze and realized he was referring to a poster that depicted a certain familiar yet shifty individual.

"His name is TheAvoided. But unlike his name, he can't 'avoid' us forever." The guard smirked at his own clever word choice, but my brain was too busy piecing things together to care.

Brain: _HOLY SHIT! He_ was _shifty! And our pass is counterfeit! We're technically illegal refugees...and we're talking to a guard right now! Abort conversation Cobb! ABORT CONVERSATION NOW! Use an excuse maneuver!_

"Uh…thanks for the explanation…But I need to go…get a drink." I excused as I began to inch away from the guard.

"Well if it's a drink you want, there's a bar about a block away." The guard directed as he pointed in a general direction. "It's called the Razed Bar. Good prices and somewhat decent drink. And the women there…woo boy."

 _Of course I find out where the bar is now that I know TheAvoided is a criminal._ I forced a smile and nodded to the guard before leaving. I had to go towards where he was pointing since he was watching me leave. It would have looked rude to ignore his kind directions.

Bladder: _So…What's the plan now?_

Heart: _I don't know why we shouldn't tell the guard back there the truth. He seemed…nice enough. Maybe he'll hear us out._

Brain: _Yeah right! Didn't you see the way he tossed that Head in the trash? He has no sympathy for criminals._

 _I'm with Brain on this one. I don't want to end up like the guy on that scaffold._ I paled remembering how malevolently the crowd was gazing at him. _Nothing good would come of turning myself in._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Heart: _Lungs is right. If we can't tell anyone, we should just get rid of the pass and citizenship information, leave the city, and look for an emerald elsewhere. That way we can become legal citizens._

 _No. That'll take way too long. We don't even know where the western village is._

Liver: _It's probably west._

 _Not helping Liver._

Liver: _Sorry…_

 _Besides…I promised TheAvoided. I swore on my life._ As much as I wanted to forget about the mission, I couldn't go back on my word. TheAvoided had been smart enough to make me promise.

Brain: _Yeah? Well TheAvoided neglected to mention that his so-called 'fans' were guards trying to arrest him._

Stomach: _And he promised food! Delicious food! None of which I've seen!_

Heart: _Is food all you talk about?_

Stomach: _I'm the stomach. So, yeah._

 _Can we all focus!_ I shouted in my mind as I leaned against a street sign. _We'll follow through with TheAvoided's errand. Then we'll lay low somewhere—preferably the non-shitty part of the Kingdom—until the three days pass. Hopefully by then, Floyd will have found his friend and be able to pay us back the emerald we lent him. We'll get a pass legitimately and never talk about this ever again. Sound good?_

Heart: _…Not really. We're still breaking the law and I don't feel comfortable doing this._

 _Neither do I._ I admitted. _But a promise is a promise. Gotta stick with it._

Now that I settled on what I was going to do, I leaned off the street sign I was against and scanned the streets for the bar. But still, I couldn't find it.

 _Geez, where is this place? The guard said it was a block away, but I don't see anything._

I turned my attention to the full moon. Its pearly glow calmed my mind while I tried to collect my thoughts. Although I could have done without the street sign obstructing its view.

"Stupid sign." I mumbled as I turned and kicked it. It shook form the force, waving its corresponding signs labeling the streets.

My brain registered one of the words on the sign as 'Fuck' and I had to do a double take to see if I was imagining the name or not.

Turns out, the word really was on the sign. It was strung along with several words that read: 'Fuck Off Ave.'

 _Fuck Off Ave? Why would they allow someone to deface a sign…like…_

 _…_

 _Wait a second._ I pulled out the rude directions that low_bttry gave me. _No friggen way…_

[The Razed Bar is at the corner of 'Get a Map' and 'Fuck Off.']

I checked the street sign again and noticed another sign below it that designated the street perpendicular to Fuck Off Ave.

'Get a Map Blvd.'

And the corner where the two streets met was a low building that I had neglected in my internal thoughts.

A frame holding a glass bottle hung like a sign on the building and written above was a dirt sign that read the words I had been searching for.

The Razed Bar.

 _So low_bttry's directions were…genuine?_ I surmised in disbelief as the direction book slipped from my numb fingers. _Huh._

 _I take it back. Not everyone in the Western District are weirdos._

The bar had no windows and the entrance appeared to be stairs that led underground. It was kind of ironic that the bar was below ground when it had a name like "Razed Bar." Then again, there's a difference between 'raised' and 'razed.'

At least they got the 'bar' part of the name right.

 _Alright, now that I know I'm doing a favor for a criminal, I can be better prepared for whatever's down there. I just need to stay calm. I'll be in and out before anyone even remembers my name._

I took a deep breath to calm myself as I descended into the Razed Bar.

* * *

The dimly lit stairwell stank of rotten flesh (a scent I was fairly familiar with) and some other indescribable musk. And upon exiting, I found myself in a large, wooden tiled room.

There were no windows or torches. The only illumination was a set of erratically blinking lamps suspended from the ceiling. It was so bad, I worried I'd get an epileptic seizure just be watching them.

 _…_ _what's a seiz—_

 _Y'know what? Doesn't matter._

Anyway, the room had a bar on one side and dozens of booths and tables on the other. Also, just as the guard said, there were women who served drinks to the customers…and maybe something else if the curtained booths in the back were any indication.

Some of the women were eyeing me as soon as I walked in. I couldn't tell if the looks were of suspicion, disgust, intrigue, arousal, or just indifference, but I didn't have time to care.

I had to find…Kane was it?

 _Crap. Did I already forget the guy's name? Or worse, did I forget the message?_

 _Brain, I—_

Brain: _Yeah, yeah. I got the memories right here. His name is Kane. And he gets his payment in a month._

I sighed in relief. Maybe having organs keeping track of things for you was a good thing.

…Also having organs for life sustaining functions was good too.

I made my way over to the bar, ignoring some of the looks I was getting, and sat down. Immediately, one of the woman serving drinks walked over to try and flirt with me, but after taking a purposefully large bite out of some rotten flesh, she abruptly left.

 _It's like rotten flesh is a Crafter repellent._ I thought smugly.

I called down the bartender, a large man with a handlebar mustache and a gray leather tunic, and asked if he had anything for an emerald-less customer.

He quickly pulled out an empty bottle and passed it to me. "Fresh bottled air. Enjoy."

I thanked him and humorously took a sip of the empty bottle. "That's some good air." My attempts to alleviate tension didn't go so well if the bartender's grim face was any indication. Instead I just cut to the chase. "I'm looking for a man named Kane. I have a message for him."

"From who?

"TheAvoided."

The bartender stood up straighter and eyed me carefully. "Well if it's Kane you want, you're lookin' at 'im. What's the message?"

Confused, I checked above the man's name. It didn't read 'Kane.' It just read 'Hammond.'

"How can I be sure you're Kane? Your name doesn't—"

"Kid, you're obviously new to the underground game," the bartender interrupted gruffly, "so I'm gonna make it nice and simple. We can't go around tossing our names willy-nilly, especially with names literally over our heads. People hear things. We get put away. So we use nick-names."

"Ah…I see." I nodded in understanding, wishing I had just told the guy so as to not antagonize him. "Anyway, he says that you'll get your payment in a month."

The bartender sent a glare my way. "What was that?" His voice sounded irritated and I had no idea why.

Still, I had honored my promise and delivered the message. I had no further business with the bartender, so with my message delivered, I got ready to leave. "You heard me. One month. Now if you'll excuse me—"

The bartended slammed his fist against my hand, pinning it to the table and making me cry out in pain.

"I think I may have misheard you, kid." The bartender spoke in a forced calm and out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a couple of customers look up apprehensively. "It sounded like you said 'one month' instead of 'one week.'"

I tried budging Kane's hand, but he was too strong…or maybe I was too weak. Either way I was trapped. Why couldn't things ever be simple?

"Sorry, he was very specific…one month." I repeated since my mouth was the only thing that could get me out of the current situation.

"Well then let _me_ be more specific." Kane explained as he reached under the counter and pulled out a sharp stone blade.

 _You can make swords from rocks? I wish I knew that earlier!_ I thought as I watched the weapon carefully.

"Tell TheAvoided, that if he doesn't sneak his ass back into the city and pony up the emeralds, then he's gonna end up like the last messenger he sent in here. Bloody, bruised, and near _dead_." He gave me an intense look and I suddenly realized that _I_ was the last messenger.

 _Time to use my quick thinking._

"Before that can I ask you something?" I questioned calmly as I reached my hand down to my flint and steel.

"Yeah? And what would that be?" The bartender asked in mock interest.

"…Why is Carys_Angel behind you?"

The effect was immediate as the bartender whirled, panic streaked across his ugly face, to locate Carys.

Too bad for him I was bluffing. But the second the bluff gave me was all I needed to set the counter on fire. Right by his hand.

Realizing I had lied and feeling the heat from the flames, the bartender relinquished his hold of my hand and slashed with his stone sword. I quickly ducked as his blade stuck in the wood counter, before bolting to the door.

Too bad he had some goons waiting. Each armed with a dull stone sword.

 _Crap!_ I internally groaned as I changed course from the exit to one of the booths. The women passing out drinks immediately found cover under tables when I rushed past them. It's like they were used to customer-bartender 'disagreements.'

"Get 'im!" Kane roared as he patted down the burning counter. "That little shit is gonna pay for burning my bar!"

I scanned through my Inventory for anything useful for combat. Flint and steel. Wooden sword…Leather cap! I quickly put it on, hoping the armor would be of some assistance.

There was a total of four goons, plus Kane. If I could get past all five of them, I would be clear to escape.

 _So Kane doesn't want his bar on fire, eh? Arson powers: Activate!_

I quickly set fire to several tables (making sure there were no Crafters nearby), and kept my distance as Kane began to panic.

"NO! Put 'em out! PUT 'EM OUT!" Kane howled as he ran forward with some buckets of water. Half of his goons quit their chase and aided the bartender in fighting the fires. The other half managed to corral me into a corner.

Maybe I would have been more afraid of the goons a week ago, but after going toe-to-toe with Carys—alright I couldn't even land a hit on her—I was confident I had enough experience to handle two goons. Even if they did have stronger weapons.

I blocked the first goon's sword swing with my wooden sword, and I was pleased to see my weaker blade didn't immediately snap. But a second sword soon followed from my unarmed side. To dodge, I was forced to drop my weapon.

A second later, a well aimed kick caught me off guard and sent my stumbling into a booth…right into a relaxing Crafter.

"…wha?...Hey! I'm trying to drink here!" The Crafter shouted. By the voice, I could tell it was a woman. She had long, ivory hair, amber eyes, and a pink bow atop her head.

I muttered a quick apology as I dove to avoid another sword strike. The goons apparently had no qualms about accidentally injuring a customer, seeing as how the sword missed the woman by a scant three inches.

The woman, on the other hand, didn't immediately react. It was as if she was half-dazed from whatever she was drinking.

I rolled to my feet and withdrew a different tool from my Inventory as a weapon: A fishing rod.

The goons guffawed at my latest attempt at defense. They had no idea what the fishing rod was capable of.

"Laugh it up, block-heads," I taunted. "But you should know that this fishing rod killed _the_ Carys_Angel! No tricks or gimmicks!"

 _Except being over a massive pool of lava._

Still, my taunt had the desired effect. The goons stiffened, wondering if I was bluffing or telling the truth, and glanced at the fishing rod with tense suspicion.

"He's lying you morons!" Kane shouted while putting out the last fire. "Just kill 'im already!"

Understanding Kane's orders, one of the goons leapt forward to deal a finishing blow.

"And CAST!" I shouted as I whipped the rod and latched a hook onto the goon's leather armor before reeling him in. The goon, not expecting the sudden pull, was unable to stop his momentum while flying forward.

I ducked as he sailed overhead and crashed into a table, startling a few more customers. He slumped unconscious and dropped his stone sword, which I quickly picked up to replace my wooden one.

The other goon brought his blade down in a heavy swing. Instead of blocking, I rolled underneath a table, hoping it was strong enough to withstand the strike, and swept at the goon's exposed legs.

He fell like a sack of bricks and I stood over him, ready to deal the killing blow. My sword was raised to cruelly come crashing down upon his skull.

 _'_ _I'm worried about…are we…going to turn into…you know…the cult?'_

As the memory came to mind, I slowly lowered my sword, realizing I was way too close to killing someone…purposefully.

Noting my hesitation, the grounded goon kicked at my legs, sending me tumbling onto another table. He regrouped with his other goon buddies and Kane, who had by now finished putting out the fires.

I shakily got back up to my feet. I was running low on Hunger and my rotten flesh wasn't going to satiate it.

Instead, I swapped my sword for my flint and steel and prepared to set fire to even more tables.

 _Hey, when in doubt…arson._

But just as I was about to light up a table, my arm was caught and held in place by someone. I turned to get a better look, and realized it was the ivory-haired woman from the booth.

"King_Cobb," she began in a calm, yet firm tone, "you're under arrest for conspiring with TheAvoided, using excessive fire within the Kingdom…and spoiling my drink."

"Wha—" That was all I managed to say before she kneed me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I collapsed onto the wooden floor, flint and steel slipping from my numb hands and sight fading.

The last thing I saw were the woman's white leather boots walking towards the goons, before darkness fully claimed my vision.

 _The leather cap…didn't do shit._ I thought as I passed out.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 2 Glass Bottle, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: Twenty Chapters. Twenty Weeks. Longest Chapter so far.**

 **Special thanks to gs gaming for the OC: low_bttry. I know his inclusion was short and minor, but I needed a stranger to give Cobb directions. Not to mention the character's description was so short and I had little to go on, so I decided a random passerby was the best option.**

 **That being said, don't think I'm just tossing in OCs willy-nilly. I take into account backstory and personality to make them feel apart of Minecraftia. I wanna try to make characters as memorable and real as Creation's_Spark, but the timing needs to be genuine.**

 **IMPORTANT: I have a poll on my profile regarding the usage of Tinker's Construct (a Minecraft Mod) and I need you, the viewers, to vote and help me decide. Please, it's important.**


	21. Floyd

**AN: Alright Tinker's Mod poll is officially closed. It was surprisingly close. Thanks for voting. Also, another meter-stone has been passed. 3000 views! WOOOO! And 100,000 words have been typed. DOUBLE WOOOO! And I've officially reached 1000 visitors! TRIPLE WOOOO!**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle: A donut! No beginning or end (cuz it's a circle) and no middle because...because the hole-pressing thing...presses a hole into a donut...thereby taking away the middle bit...**

 **It was a donut.**

 **Congrats to The Ravenclawed Demigod for being the first to guess it correctly...and also for his/her kind review. Positive feedback is the best reward for writing. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: You're running a race and pass the person in 2nd place. What place are you in now?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be a soap.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 21

 **Floyd**

[Floyd]

"Alright. This is the place." I thought as I stood outside a small cottage in the middle of the night. "Soul's home."

The Eastern District must have specialized in agriculture because, aside from a forested park, the neighboring landscape was all farmland, dotted with the occasional cottage or barn.

Soul's address was one such cottage. It looked plain enough. One story. Three or four rooms max. It actually looked to be part of a large community of cottages; the neighboring homes all had the same structure. It seemed more like a plantation.

It would explain how Soul was able to find a house so quickly. He probably agreed to do farm work in exchange for food and board. That also probably meant he had little to no emeralds to spare.

 _Best not to jump to conclusions._

I walked past the cottage gate and approached the front door. I raised my hand to knock, but found myself hesitant to make contact with the oak wood. I also saw that my hand was shaking in anticipation…and fear.

I closed my eyes, took a shaky breath, and held it. _You have to face this, Floyd. You have to face him._

Abandoning all anxiety, I simultaneously exhaled and rapped upon the door.

As I heard footsteps within the cottage, I broke out into a cold sweat and my vision began to blur. Still, I didn't run away. I held on, waiting for Soul to open the door.

The door slowly creaked open and a crimson eye peaked out at me. Then the door completely opened to reveal a face with short spiky brown hair and a scar across his nose.

It was him. It was really him.

There was no mistaking the brown military jacket or the grey undershirt. There was no mistaking the camo colored cargo pants or the navy green hiking boots. There was no mistaking the metal dog tags hanging from his neck.

But most importantly, there was no mistaking the name that hovered over his head.

It was really Lost_Soul standing in front of me. Alive!

"Soul…" I half raised my arms to hug him.

*POW*

For a second, I missed what had just happened. One moment I was standing up, getting ready to hug a lost friend. The next, I was flat on my back, a dull pain in my jaw. What happened in between?

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face to me." Soul was gritting his teeth and looking at me with pure contempt. My eyes hung on his slightly outstretched fist before it finally clicked.

 _He…punched me._

"So, let me guess," he growled coldly. " _You_ opted for the safe, cushy route here, right? That's your style."

I sat up and hung my head low. "Soul…I-I'm sorry for—"

"Or—wait, wait—you got cornered by those cultists and agreed to help them so long as you stayed intact, right? That's also _classic_ you!" Soul's voice was practically dripping with venom.

"No!" I picked myself off the ground and massaged my injured cheek. "I made it through the mountain! Same as you."

"Ha. That's a laugh." Soul looked me up and down. "And I suppose your invisible armor made it easier to fight through all the Mobs."

I was getting impatient with Soul's attitude. "I did what I had to to make it here. To see if you were—"

"Okay? Well, I'm fine," Soul interrupted. "Better than fine, in fact. I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach…and friends I can count on."

A memory of three friends walking through the forest flashed before my eyes before I shook it away. "Soul, about what happened to Silent…you have every right to—"

"Oh, that's good to hear," Soul commented sarcastically. "Y'know, I was really worried that my anger wouldn't be _justified_ by you. I gotta say it's such a relief to hear you say I have the fucking right."

I remained silent as Soul's acidic words stung my heart. I wished he would just hit me again. Damage could be regenerated easily, but words couldn't be taken back.

"I hope that's all you came here to say." Soul turned his back to me as he walked back to his cottage. "Because I have nothing more to say to a coward."

"I'm not a coward anymore!" I pleaded desperately as I took a step forward. "I've changed! I'm stronger, I swear! And I want to avenge Silent with you!"

Standing at the threshold of his house, and our steadily crumbling friendship, Soul fixed his red eyes to my pleading purple ones, his face stone cold.

"You're no friend of mine and you're no friend of Silent's. I've seen your true colors, Floyd. Now get off my property before I sock you again."

Whatever argument I wanted to say died on my lips as the door slammed in my face. My raised, outstretched arm fell numbly to my side and I lost focus of the cottage. In the face of Soul's rejection, I lost focus of everything. For the past week I had been desperately trying to find Soul. To reconnect after my moment of weakness.

But after finally finding him, he wanted nothing to do with me.

He hated me.

…And I deserved it.

Self-loathing and guilt made me respect Soul's wish and leave immediately. As I approached the gate, I bumped shoulders with a light purple haired woman. She muttered an apology…I think. It was hard to tell when there was a faint ringing in my ear.

I felt a dull ache in my gut, irrelevant to my hunger, as I wandered aimlessly around the Eastern District. I only had the pale moon to light my way.

Pained by my argument with Soul, I once again felt as if I skipped a whole middle part of my walk. One moment I was trekking across a field of wheat, the next I was sitting beside a serene pond in the middle of a forest. In my daze, I must have wandered into the Eastern District's park.

I felt absolutely miserable. It was a combination of failure and heavy exhaustion. I chuckled humorously, recalling my plan to ask Soul to stay the night after we had reconciled.

How quickly that fell apart.

And what about Cobb? He gave up entering the city for my sake. And in the end, that fell apart too!

 _How am I even going to face him? To tell him his emerald was wasted?_

I struggled to keep my eyelids open while focusing on the moon's reflection in the calm water. I needed a place to sleep. I needed a soft, warm bed. I needed the safety of my friends. I needed emeralds to get supplies. I…I…

Unable to cope with the mounting stress, I collapsed onto the soft grass and let the sweet oblivion of sleep whisk my problems away.

…or so I thought.

* * *

[Dream]

Floyd was suddenly standing in the middle of a dense forest, daylight streaming through the canopy of oak leaves. Pigs were grazing near some brightly colored flowers.

"It's daytime already?" Floyd began as he looked around the scene. "Wait…this isn't the park. Where—"

*SQUEAL*

Floyd whirled to look at the source of the noise. One of the pigs was being attacked by a Crafter with a wooden sword.

But it was the appearance of the Crafter that really surprised Floyd.

The man had slick white hair, light blue eyes coupled with rectangular pince-nez glasses. Freckles dotted his cheeks and from his neck hung a golden cross. He wore a long-sleeve lavender shirt with black sleeves and a pair of cobalt jeans.

And above his head was his name: Silent_Game.

Floyd couldn't believe what he was seeing and rubbed his eyes just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating the man killing a pig in front of him.

"Hey, slowpokes!" Silent called out behind him. "Guess who's eating porkchops for dinner?"

"Come on, you're gonna share that right?" A second man emerged from the trees.

It was Soul!

"Hey, you want to eat? Then you better hunt for it." Silent gobbled up the porkchop whole.

"Shouldn't you be cooking that?" A third voice inquired before he too emerged from the trees and forced Floyd's jaw to drop.

It was…him!

Another Floyd was standing beside Silent and Soul, this one more fidgety and nervous.

Silent considered Floyd's suggestion as he gulped the last of his porkchop. "Nah. It's safe. Salmonella poisoning is a myth anyway."

"Salmonella?" Soul asked with a raised brow. "What's that?"

Silent opened his mouth to elaborate, but his words died on his tongue as he wondered just what salmonella was. "Curse this weird sense! It's making me say things I don't understand."

"Moving on…" Soul interrupted as he stepped ahead of the group. "I think I see some buildings up ahead."

"Buildings? Like…a town or something?" Silent asked intrigued while trying to peer over Soul's spiky hair.

"You think it's…safe? M-maybe we should stick to the forest." Floyd, or rather the other Floyd, suggested. The real Floyd stood stock-still, mouth still agape, as he observed the interaction in front of him.

"Are you kidding?" Silent raised a brow. "There could be anything in there. Maybe even some Crafters with better gear."

"Well…" Floyd rubbed his head and eyed the buildings nervously. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out…"

"That's the spirit!" Silent cheered as he pulled Soul and Floyd forward. "Onwards to adventure!"

"Adventure!" The three comrades cheered in unison, leaving the real Floyd in the dust.

With the absence of the three Crafters, the natural silence once more permeated the air. Floyd took a shaky step forward as his mind tried to make sense of what was going on.

 _This place…this moment…it's the Origin Forest. And today was the day that…_

Floyd's eyes widened as he realized what the day meant. Without wasting any more time, he sprinted after the three Crafters heading into the ruined town known as Miner's Warren.

"Silent! Soul!...Floyd!" He called out to the three friends, even as they split up to investigate the decrepit and abandoned houses.

Silent walked into the ruined school, which was now absent of any explosive damages cause by TNT.

Floyd ran in after him. "Silent! You need to run now! Get out of this place before they show up!" Despite all his shouts, Silent ignored him and remained intent on searching the school for any useful gear.

"Guys, I found a book! Though I'll probably be the only one to read it. Just like the Mob book." Silent grumbled as he flipped open the first couple of pages.

"Didn't you hear me!?" The real Floyd shouted as he approached Silent to shake his shoulder. Instead, he found his hand phasing right through Silent's body as if it were vapor.

 _What is this? Why can't I—_

"Pshh! You call that a find?" Soul's voice rung from a neighboring building. "I found a prime emerald!"

Realizing that Silent wasn't going to hear or feel him, Floyd sprinted out of the school and over to the ruined hotel where Soul's voice was coming from. "Soul! Please! You have to hear me! You gotta warn Silent to—"

Floyd trailed off as he saw that Soul wasn't hearing him either. To verify, he walked forward with his hand outstretched and phased it through Soul's back. Soul's body erupted into formless vapor. Then when he turned to leave, Soul passed right through Floyd, as if he wasn't there.

"No…" Floyd mumbled in despair as he fell to his knees. "No, no, no..."

"AGH!" The fake Floyd shouted from one of the other buildings. "HELP!"

"Floyd?" Silent asked as he rushed towards the building with the tree growing out of it. "Floyd! What's up!?"

"Zombies!" Fake Floyd bolted out of the building while clutching something under his arm and cowered behind Silent.

Soul was right beside him. "Don't worry, Floyd. We got these lame-brains."

The real Floyd walked out of the hotel in time to witness Silent and Soul dispatch dozens of Zombies pouring out of the building.

Soul's strength allowed him to easily overpower Zombies in one-on-one bouts, but Silent was fast enough to deal with crowds. The small blows he dealt with his wooden sword would accumulate damage for the enemy until they fell.

Whatever Zombies survived Silent and Soul's onslaught were slowly burning in the bright sunlight. But there was one more Mob to deal with. One that posed a more significant threat.

"Creeper!" Silent warned as he and Soul took a few steps away from the suicidal creature. Both looked unsure of how to handle the Mob.

Thankfully, an arrow pierced its face before it could get any closer. It disappeared in a puff of smoke and a single gunpowder.

Both Soul and Silent turned their attention from the killed Creeper to the person that shot the arrow: Floyd.

"Oh, wow!" Floyd looked at his newly acquired bow with a mixture of amazement and pride. "I shot the hell out of that thing, huh?"

"I'll say." Silent looked impressed as he walked over. "Who knew Floyd was such a badass?"

"It was a lucky shot." Soul downplayed the achievement with crossed arms. "Besides we could have handled it."

"Whatever. I'd say Floyd lucked out with finding a bow." Silent examined the weapon in Floyd's hand. "So does it automatically come with arrows or…"

"No. The arrows are separate," Floyd explained as he withdrew a couple of arrows. "I found a few, but as long as you have them in your backpack, it seems like the bow automatically loads them for you."

"Certainly saves time." Silent nodded appreciatively. "Do you mind if I give it a shot?"

"Knock yourself out," Floyd agreed as he handed over the bow and arrows. "…I'm kidding, don't actually hit yourself with it."

"Pft." Silent chuckled as he aimed the bow up. "As if I would—OW!" He quickly shot an arrow without drawing the bowstring all the way back. The arrow sailed half an inch above him before losing momentum and crashing down into his face.

"What'd I tell you?" Floyd shook his head amusedly as Silent tried removing the arrow sticking out of his head. Soul was doubled over in laughter with Silent trying to shut him up with half-hearted kicks.

Meanwhile, the real Floyd watched the scene of the three friends getting along so well. He was witnessing the exact event that happened just days ago. Tears came to his eyes as he knew what was about to happen to rip the amiable group apart.

Silent handed the bow over to Soul to test out while withdrawing the book he found in the school. He browsed over a few pages before his eyes widened.

"Guys," he struggled to keep his voice calm. "Listen to this. According to this book, this place is called Miner's Warren. It's an abandoned town or village or whatever, but it's the entrance to a network of underground minecart tracks spanning below that huge-ass mountain." Silent pointed to Mt. Mur as he addressed it. "And one of those tunnels leads straight…to…" Silent paused dramatically as he looked at his two companions.

"Don't leave us hanging!" Soul groaned as he attempted to make a grab for the book. Silent, however, kept it just out of his reach.

"Maybe if you guys had the willingness to read once in a while…" Silent suggested with a smirk, enjoying keeping his friends in suspense.

"Oh, is this about not wanting to read the Mob book?" Soul complained as he made another swipe for the book. "It's not my fault the thing was so long."

"It was twenty pages…max. And there was even a dumbed-down version."

"Give me that." Floyd yanked the book from the distracted Silent's hands and flipped the pages. He skimmed before letting out a gasp. "The tunnels lead to a…Kingdom?"

"Yep." Silent beamed as he turned to gaze at Mt. Mur. "Over that massive pile of rocks is a mass of civilization. It's just screaming 'adventure' don't you think?"

"Hell yeah it does!" Soul cheered. "What are we waiting for? Let's get moving!"

"If I could interject," came a new voice from behind one of the buildings. The three comrades tensed and attempted to locate the source.

The real Floyd just stood and observed. He knew perfectly well that Parallel_Parker, wielding a bow, was the one that addressed the group of friends. He knew that Spring_Fever was with him too. The bloodthirsty sadist was probably shaking with anticipation.

Floyd didn't want to see it again. He didn't want to have to witness it twice. His own regrets. His own mistakes. Thrown back into his face.

Yet he was unable to look away. His eyes were fixated on his friends meeting the two cultists that ruined everything.

The only mercy his mind would allow is that the sound came to him muffled, as if two pillows were covering his ears. Shielding him in a small way as the events played out.

First, they talked. Parker showed himself and Spring to the group. Trying to calm them down with honeyed words. Trying to convince them that Mt. Mur wasn't safe. That the group should wait for the rest of the cultists to show up tomorrow night…

What was unspoken was that the cultists would kill them all.

Silent figured it out first. Parker's words may have won them over if not for Spring constantly hovering his hand over the sword at his belt.

Silent politely declined their offer and Floyd and Soul followed suit.

Then, Parker fired the first arrow.

Silent dodged. Soul returned fire on Parker, but his amateurish bow skills were useless. All of his shots missed and Floyd noted Parker pulling them out to use as his own ammo.

Then Spring ran in, going straight for Floyd.

He was too shocked at the turn of events, and too underprepared in combat to deal with a belligerent Crafter. The exchange of blows was short, and Floyd was knocked down.

As Spring laughed and prepared to deliver the final strike, Silent stepped in. He was better at fighting than Floyd and was able to hold his own against Spring for a while.

Floyd was crawling back, trying to dodge Parker's arrows and recover health. Soul had swapped to his sword and kept trying to gain ground on Parker.

Silent vs Spring. Soul vs Parker. Floyd vs…

Fear.

Floyd was scared.

He couldn't understand why this was happening. Why people were fighting.

What was wrong? Was a line crossed? Is it punishment for something?

Silent called out for Floyd's assistance, but Floyd was too confused and too frightened to be of any use.

And then Spring cut Silent down.

A single stroke between strikes was all it took to end Silent's existence.

It was so quick. Silent didn't even have the chance to cry out in pain.

Gone in an explosion of gear.

Floyd watched in horror as Silent's Head tumbled right in front of him. His eyes, once full of life, looked dead attached to his disembodied head.

Floyd was shaking as so many emotions flitted across his face. Anger, grief, fear.

Especially fear as Spring turned his attention to Floyd.

Soul was screaming in anger as he turned to charge the orange-haired cultist.

As the two engaged in battle, Floyd got to his feet…

And ran away.

Soul shouted for him to come back and help. He called him a coward.

But Floyd just kept running and disappeared out the gates of Miner's Warren.

And that was it.

As soon as Floyd ran away, the scene of Miner's Warren began to dissolve. Soul, Spring, and Parker all erupted into formless gas and were whisked up into the cloudy sky.

The real Floyd looked sadly upon the only thing left: Silent's Head.

He walked up to it and patted it, taking small comfort in the fact that this object he could touch.

"…I'm sorry…" Tears gushed from Floyd's eyes as he choked out his guilt and grief. "I'm sorry I was too weak to protect you."

Miner's Warren continued to dissolve around them. The wooden structures melted away and the sky began to darken.

"…I'm…I'm stronger now…and I'll keep getting stronger…" Floyd assured the disembodied head. "I...I know I deserve Soul's hate…I just…" Floyd trailed off as he struggled to keep his voice steady.

"I just wish I could go back."

 **You Can't.**

Floyd recoiled as a demonic voice sounded from Silent's disembodied head. His eyes were worse than dead, appearing black and crying tears of blood.

 **You Can't Go Back.**

The blood just kept flowing and pooling around Silent's head. The scenery changed in tandem and became the dark emptiness that could only be the Void.

 **It Should Have Been You!**

* * *

[Floyd]

"AUGHHH!" I screamed as I woke up from my dream with a start.

I was drenched in cold sweat and visibly shaking, but I was away from that hellish dream. I was back in the park I collapsed in. Only it was day time. I must have spent the night sleeping on the grass.

It was a miracle no Mobs had stumbled upon me. I would have been a sitting duck.

I crawled over to the pond and washed the sweat off my face. The cold water was also helpful in waking me up from my stupor.

I munched on some rotten flesh as I thought on my nightmare. Silent's disembodied Head. All the blood. The Void.

 _'_ _It should have been you!'_

I shook the thoughts away before consuming my last piece of flesh. _Don't let those words get to you…even if you do deserve them, dying isn't going to bring him back._

 _And Silent would never say something like that…it was just a dream._

 _I can't dwell on it…I need to keep myself busy. Worry about surviving._

I was full on Hunger, but I would need to stockpile food for later. The only question was where to get food. I was dirt-poor and unless there was a soup kitchen, I'd have to hunt for my own sustenance.

I looked down at the pool of water and, despite my jarring nightmare, smirked.

I set down my crafting table and transformed some planks into sticks before adding some string.

Voila: A fishing rod.

"Let's see what I can catch," I spoke to myself as I cast the line in. I watched the bobber float along the serene surface of the pool, patiently waiting to hook some breakfast.

It wasn't long before I got a nibble. The bobber broke the surface before I yanked my prize from the water.

A nice delicious…puffer fish?

"…let me try that again."

I sat by that pond, fishing until noon. I didn't have a clock, but I was able to judge the time by the position of the sun. By then I had caught enough fish to last me a few days. I also managed to bring in the occasional piece of junk.

 _Why does this pool even have ink sacs floating around?_ I contemplated as I stored the drop in my backpack. I then proceeded to place a furnace to cook the freshwater animals. It was a shame I only had one lump of coal left.

"What else can I use as fuel…" I tried placing some planks in the furnace and was pleasantly surprised when the fire roared to life.

The only downside was that the wooden planks burned much faster than the coal. Good thing the park had dozens of trees to cut down.

Trees fell, the furnace was kept long enough to cook all my fish, and I constructed a makeshift shack by the water to serve as a shelter. By then, it was getting dark.

I sealed the entrance to my 'lakeside' shelter with a door and, being without torches or anyone to talk to, sat in silence.

I didn't want to go to bed again for fear that my nightmares would plague me. So instead I thought about my next course of action.

 _I agreed to meet Cobb two days from now in the center of the Kingdom. But it looks like there's some kind of castle sitting there. There could be chance that civilians aren't allowed up there._

 _I better scope it out tomorrow just to be sure. Maybe I could even find work. I'm sure Cobb wouldn't mind earning emeralds._

 _And as for Soul…_

 _…_

I still didn't know what to do about Soul.

He was so disgusted by me and I lost all of his trust. I didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive me.

I just wished there was some way I could convince him of how sorry I was. Of how guilty I felt.

But maybe there was no way to fix things. Maybe things were destined to stay broken.

At the very least, I would make sure my friendship with Cobb wouldn't end the same way.

I munched some cooked fish, impressed with the taste and chuckling at the idea that if Cobb were there, he'd be absolutely envious of the food.

Cobb's absence had its perks. On the plus side, I got to eat more. But on the negative side, I was bored out of my mind. The hapless Crafter was fun to talk with…even if he did mumble things about internal organ disputes under his breath.

 _Wonder what the inside of his mind is like?_ I thought as I maintained my silent vigil through the night.

* * *

The next day, I wasted no time in getting to the center of the Kingdom…mainly because some guards chased me out. Apparently it's illegal to loiter in the park. But I wasn't loitering. I was living in a shelter.

Either way, words were said. Threats were made. And I had to deconstruct my shelter.

But back to the center of the Kingdom…it was huge. The plateau jutted out of the ground, leaving steep vertical cliffs of stone. However, the stone appeared as bricks, meaning the entire thing was man-made. Stone steps connected the mass with the Kingdom's streets at four spots: North, South, East, and West.

Naturally, I took the closest: The East stairway.

Some guards were standing watch by the stairs and demanded to know what business I had with the Central District.

 _Is every guard so hostile?_ I thought annoyed. "I'm meeting a friend here in a few days and I was wondering if you allow civilians up there." I gestured to the plateau.

One of the guards relaxed slightly. "Yes and no. Under special conditions, civilians _are_ allowed up there. Otherwise…" He trailed off, but I got the idea.

"Then in that case, would you know where I could find work? I need emeralds badly."

"Ha! You and everyone else in this Kingdom kid." The other guard stroked his chin absentmindedly while observing my belt. "Tell me, how good are you with that sword?"

I glanced at my blade and shrugged. "I can hold my own."

 _Now._

The guards shared a look with each other before nodding. "Well if you want to check out the plateau _and_ find work, I recommend joining the Ringwood Guards."

"The pay is decent and you'll be allowed up into the barracks for evaluation," the other guard chimed in. "Play your cards right and you might even be placed on the Princess' bodyguard duty."

I thought the offer over. I was in desperate need of emeralds and if I wanted to meet up with Cobb I'd need to get access to the Central District. Hopefully, Cobb would realize the same thing and not do something stupid like try and scale the plateau's cliffs.

Plus, I wanted to get stronger. Maybe protecting Ringwood as a guard would be the best form of training. It was a good choice all around.

"Alright, sounds good." I nodded gratefully while the guards described how to find the barracks.

"It's a long brick building with a dark oak roof, right past the prison. Can't miss it."

* * *

Once I located the barracks, I quickly addressed an iron-clad guard behind a counter.

"So you think you're guard material eh?" He eyed me up and down, apparently skeptical I could put a dent in anything. "Well, it's not my call to make. You'll have to wait for the Captain. He'll be back in a few minutes." He gestured to some seats in the corner.

I nodded respectfully before taking a seat. _Hopefully, the so-called Captain will give me the job…and maybe pay me in advance? No, that's hoping too much._

 _Also where am I gonna live? If I go back to the park I'll risk running into those guards again, but it had a pond filled with fish. Literally. There was always fish to pull out. To the point where it made no sense that a pond could hold so much fish._

 _Infinite fish._

 _But back to the living situation. Maybe they'll let me live in the barracks. Yeah! I mean, it_ is _for guards right? Then again…_

While I trailed off in my thoughts, a group of guards walked in and took up seats across from me. They seemed to be discussing some gossip.

 _Gossiping guards…something about that doesn't seem right._ Nonetheless, I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Hey, is it true we caught Kane?" One guard asked hopefully.

The other guards nodded. "Yup! It took a while, but we finally caught the son-of-a-bitch. Apparently he was hiding himself as a bartender. Y'know that Razed Bar at the Western District?"

"Yeah, I've been there," another guard spoke up. "Seedy place. Female servers. Adequate drink. Perfect location for Black Market trading."

"The Captain and her men searched the place after Kane's arrest. There was enough contraband to link Kane and a dozen other criminals." The guard leaned back in his chair. "Soon as we get the word to pursue them, the prison will have some new occupants."

The guards all let out a collective sigh of relief. I supposed hearing that several criminals would be off the streets was a huge burden off their shoulders.

 _Being a guard must be more responsibility than I thought._

"I gotta say," a female guard broke the silence, "I'm impressed. I thought the Captain was a bit irresponsible, but to catch the elusive Kane…she's the real deal."

One guard chuckled. "Well…I wouldn't say that," he hinted mysteriously.

A few of the guards looked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

The guard who made the hint smirked and placed his hands behind his head "I heard that the Captain wasn't there to scope out the bar. She was just there drinking on her day off."

The guards looked surprised.

"Yeah. She was just sitting in a booth, minding her own business, when this guy in a black and white hoodie shows up—"

I froze upon hearing that. The back of my mind was registering something about what the guard just said. _Black and white hoodie?...no…there was no way…it couldn't be._

"—and loudly asks for Kane. He apparently mentioned TheAvoided as well."

"You saying he spoke _loudly_ about that stuff?" One guard questioned skeptically. "About a top ten most wanted criminal _to_ a top ten most wanted criminal?"

"No one could be that stupid."

 _Uh-oh. The description is beginning to match more and more._

"Well this guy was." The guard continued the story while the other guards listened with rapt attention. "Then there was a falling out, I guess, between Kane and the hoodie guy. They started to fight in the club. The hoodie guy started lighting the place up with fire!"

 _Um…that could be anyone! Sure Cobb had a flint and steel…that I taught him how to make…but he wouldn't—_

"Then—get this—the hoodie guy, outnumbered by all these goons, pulls out a fishing rod to defend himself!" The guards laughed and tried to deny such a ridiculous story while Floyd's mind was trying to deny something else.

 _Anyone could have used a fishing rod as a means of defense! It's a surprisingly good weapon! It doesn't mean—_

"And _then,_ " the guard continued, bolstered by his uproarious friends and trying to finish the story through his giggles, "then the hoodie guy says, 'you should know that this fishing rod killed _the_ Carys_Angel! No tricks or gimmicks!'"

And that's when the guards finally lost it. They started rolling around on the floor, beating their fists against the walls as their laughter shook them to their core. Their hilarity echoed across the barracks and drew the attention of several onlookers.

But in my mind…

 _…_ _godamnit Cobb._ I facepalmed so hard I lost a heart of health. But I felt that the facepalm was needed because of the sheer stupidity a certain companion of mine was capable of.

 _How, in the span of two days, TWO DAYS, could Cobb possibly get embroidered with two of the most wanted criminals in Ringwood!?_

 _Two days. Two criminals. If I had heard about this a day later, would it be three criminals? Hell, if we were apart a month, would he get caught up in a gang war!?_

The guards had finally reigned in their laughter over the hilarious tale. "Ahaha. Ahhhh…but seriously, what happened to the hoodie guy?"

"Well, our Captain, with all her subtlety, kneed him in the gut, beat up Kane and his men, and brought them all in." The guard smirked as he finished his story. "The hoodie guy is in the prison now if you wanna see what he looks like. I'm sure they'll let you check his cell."

And that was all I needed to hear. I nonchalantly got up from my seat and briskly walked out of the barracks.

After a quick glance, I spotted a stone brick building attached to the palace. The bars on the building's windows were enough to indicate it as the prison, and I hurried over to it to help my friend.

My incredibly stupid but genuinely decent friend.

* * *

[Cobb]

When my senses began returning to me, a few simple thoughts crossed my mind.

 _Ugh…I feel like someone kneed me in the gut._

 _Why would I feel…oh right. That white-haired woman._

I opened my eyes and registered that I was lying face down on some soft material. I stood myself up by my elbows and tried to get an idea of my location.

I was in a stone brick room with one entire wall made up of iron bars and an iron door. The only source of light was the sunlight streaming through some barred windows. I was lying on a small bed stationed in the corner.

I tried to recall everything that happened between the Razed Bar and then.

 _Let's see…first I went into the bar, got into a fight, burned some stuff, got kneed in the gut,…and now I'm waking up here._

 _…_

 _That tells me nothing!_

I got out of bed and stumbled to stand upright. My stomach was gurgling loudly, demanding sustenance.

Stomach: _FEED ME! FEED ME!_

 _I'm working on it Stomach! Calm down!_

"Well, well," a voice that wasn't my internal organs spoke up, "looks like 'His Majesty' has finally woken up."

I turned to face the voice and saw that it was a guard standing on the other side of the bars. Beside him were two other guards who were ogling me for some reason. As if I was an exhibit at a zoo.

 _Wait a minute…the bars…the enclosure…am I in a zoo!?_

 _…_ _also what's a zoo?_

"So that's the fishing rod guy from the rumors?" One of the ogling guards peered closer as he addressed me. "He doesn't look like a criminal."

"Criminals have all shapes and sizes," the first guard advised sagely. "You two keep him company while I go find the Captain. She'll want to know that he's awake." The first guard then left my sight as he moved past the bars.

"Ugh…where am I?" I asked aloud as I clutched my empty stomach. A quick glance of my Hunger Meter told me I was about to starve and lose health. _My Hunger Meter wasn't this low when I passed out. How long have I been asleep?_

"You're in the Ringwood Prison." One of the guards took out their sword and dragged it across the bars to make a distinct metallic clacking sound. It grated at my nerves. "Arrested for crimes too numerous to mention."

"Prison!?" I shouted in dismay. "But…but I didn't do anything wrong! Name one crime I committed."

"Attacking and endangering several citizens," one of the guards stated.

"It was self-defense," I defended.

"Association with TheAvoided, a man on the top ten most wanted list." The other guard began ticking off the crimes with her fingers.

"He seemed like a reasonable, shady guy."

"Damaging property."

"They were just tables—"

"Arson."

"…they were just tables."

"And using counterfeit citizenship documents to enter the Kingdom illegally."

"…"

"No defense?" The guard asked with a raised brow.

"...I didn't know?" I attempted with a shrug. The guards, however, were not buying it.

"It was pretty convincing documentation though. Clearly TheAvoided's work. But closer inspection revealed a single misplaced comma in the Ringwood Pledge of Authentication, paragraph four. All the other citizenship books contain it." One of the guards held up a book that looked remarkably like the one TheAvoided gave me. But that wasn't possible seeing as how that book was still in my Inven—

I patted my belt, expecting to feel the leather-bound tome, but felt nothing. Not even my tools were hanging from my belt. My recently acquired stone sword, my clock, my shovel and pickaxe. All of it was gone.

And it wasn't just my belt. I reached into my backpack, but my hand met nothing but empty air. Even my leather boots and leather cap were missing. I was stripped of everything, but the clothes I had spawned in…which I couldn't remove anyway.

"Looking for these?" One of the guards opened up a chest on the other side of the bars. In it I could see all my useless gear, crying out to return to my Inventory.

"Give those back!" I shouted as I reached through the bars towards the open chest. "That's my gear."

The guard cruelly slammed the chest closed before walking up to my outstretched hand, just outside of its reach. "Your gear has been confiscated and until you are no longer deemed a threat to Ringwood's populace, it will remain in that chest just as you will remain behind bars."

A groan elicited itself from my stomach just as I groaned in annoyance. "Can you at least get me some food? I haven't eaten in…how long have I been out?"

"A day and a half."

"WHAT!? That long?" While I grumbled to myself, one of the guards nodded at my request and went to get me food. That just left the female guard to watch over me.

 _Oh man, how could things have gone so wrong?_

Heart: _Because you didn't heed my advice on turning yourself in?_

Brain: _Because you're you?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Stomach: _FEED ME!_

 _That was a rhetorical question!_

Brain: _Well don't you worry Cobb. For I have some prime words of wisdom on how to survive prison._

 _Really? How?_

Heart: _Yeah, Brain has been in organ jail for multiple counts of being an asshole._

Brain: _I prefer the term, 'using excessive wit and sarcasm to creatively insult my peers…and Liver.'_

Liver: _W-why can't I be a peer? *sniff*_

Brain: _Because—Bladder fetch me my dictionary._

Bladder: _Sure thing. *hands over dictionary*_

Brain: _—Because a peer is, by definition, 'something of equal worth or quality.' Therefore…not you._

Liver: _B-but…but…WAHHH!_

Brain: _As I was saying, I have experience with prisons. Just follow my tips and you'll be fine._

 _All right, so what do I do?_

Brain: _Rule #1-Don't drop the soap._

 _Right…huh?_

 _Why wouldn't I want to drop soap?_

Brain: _Don't ask stupid questions. You know why._

 _No, I don't. I feel like I'm missing some context and my Normal Sense isn't filling anything in for me._

Brain: _Just don't drop the soap! It's a metaphor for getting raped!_

 _What!?_

Brain: _Yeah it won't be pretty. So hang on to that soap tightly and don't ever lose it._

 _But…but I don't even have any soap! My Inventory is empty, remember?_

Brain: _…_

 _…_ _Brain?_

Brain: _Ok…Rule #0.5-Ask guards for soap._

 _Are there any rules that don't involve cleaning supplies?_

Brain: _Um…no._

 _Are you sure this advice is going to help—_

Brain: _It sounds like somebody_ wants _to get raped in prison!_

 _NO! Okay I'll ask!_

I walked up to the cell bars. "Hey, you mind lending me some…soap? I—uh—want to clean my cell."

The guard raised an eyebrow. "While I appreciate you wanting to keep your living area as sanitary as possible, protocol states we're not allowed to give prisoners items aside from food or water. Also, there's no soap in Minecraftia." She added as an afterthought.

Brain: _WHAT!? This is ridiculous! What kinda prison doesn't have soap to not drop!? This place is a sham!_

 _Shouldn't this be a good thing? If I don't have soap in the first place, then I can't drop it._

Brain: _Yeah, sure, whatever. *grumble* *grumble*_

I plopped onto my bed with a sigh. A whole day and a half had passed, which meant that I only had another day and a half before Floyd would be at the meet-up point.

And I was stuck in prison.

 _Maybe the guards'll let me send a letter to him. Yeah, I'll just address it to Floyd and…uh…hope he has a place of residence…_

 _…_

 _Okay, Plan B. I'll describe Floyd's appearance to the guards and ask if they can find him…in the expansive Kingdom...um…_

 _…_

 _Right, Plan C. Jailbreak. I just need half a dozen spoons, some paper mache, and a bird suit…_

 _Oh who am I kidding!? If soap doesn't exist in Minecraftia, then there's no way any of those other things do!_

Just as my plans were growing exceedingly convoluted, one of the guards returned, bringing with him the same white-haired woman that kneed me in the gut. Only this time she was wearing a diamond chestplate and leggings.

"Ma'am." The female guard saluted the white-haired woman. "Nothing unusual to report about the prisoner."

The white-haired woman glanced at me with mild interest before returning her attention to the guards. "Thanks for watching him for me. I can take it from here."

"Yes Ma'am." The two guards bowed before quietly leaving the room. It was just me and the white-haired woman now.

For the first time, I took note of her appearance. She had long ivory-white hair that reached her lower back with a leveled hime-cut style just above her forehead and chin-length strands framing her face. Her eyes were a vibrant amber and looked full of life. A big pink bow clung to her pristine hair and, for some reason, black marks resembling whiskers were etched across her cheeks…her face cheeks!

As for her wardrobe, under her diamond armor she wore a sleeveless white zip-up blouse with light green around the neck, black Capri pants, white leather boots, and silver armbands.

She had a white backpack and belt from which an assortment of potions and one iron rapier hung.

 _Whoa. How do I craft one of those bad boys?_ I thought to myself as I eyed her thin blade. It looked sturdy enough, but was much different than the iron swords I had seen.

After I finished evaluating her appearance, I returned my eyes to her face. From her darting eyes, I could tell she was sizing me up as well. Noting my characteristics and expression.

Finally, she broke the silence. "So ' _Your Majesty,'"_ she made a mock curtsy, "it's good to see that you're finally awake. I was worried I hit you into a coma."

I remained silent, mainly because I didn't feel like I really knew this mysterious woman. I glanced at the name above her head: Wynn_Whispers.

All I really knew about her was her name, her status as a Captain (according to the guards), and the fact that she packed a punch…or a knee…she could cause a lot of pain!

"Y'know, I wanted to be here when you woke up," she continued as she paced in front of my cell bars. "So I could personally thank you."

"Thank me?" I questioned before I could stop myself.

"Yes. All of Ringwood has been trying to find Kane, and you were kind enough to identify him in the very bar I was drinking at. Quite the coincidence don't you think?" She turned to lean her body against the bars as she observed me. "You have done the Kingdom a great service."

"Oh…well…it was nothing." I shrugged like it was no big deal. "And I'm always happy to help."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure you are."

I glanced at Wynn apprehensively as she uttered those last words and the cell was plunged into an awkward silence. I twiddled my thumbs while the Captain continued to stare at me. As if she was expecting me to say something.

Finally, I decided to break the tension. "So, here's a crazy idea—"

"Let's hear it."

"Since I was nice enough to help you find Kane, maybe you would be kind enough to let me out of prison?" I ended it as a question rather than a statement, hoping that the Captain was lenient enough to consider my request.

Sadly, that was not the case.

"Well, see, I _would_ let you out…IF I didn't think you were a criminal." She walked over to the chest and opened it, once again revealing my confiscated Inventory. "But I've got quite a bit of evidence saying otherwise. Falsified Citizenship Information, counterfeit Entry Pass—"

"Look this is all just a big misunderstanding. I'm no criminal." I tried to defend myself only to be met with Wynn's dismissive shakes of her head. "What have I even done to deserve imprisonment?"

"Gee, I'd love to clarify crime and punishment to an idiot like you, but I have neither the time nor the colorful picture books to explain it." She insulted with a flip of her ivory hair. "So I'll just wait and let His Eminence explain it."

"Hey! I resent being called an idiot!" I stood up from the bed and rushed over to the bars, trying to part them with my mediocre strength. But they weren't budging. "Even if I am one!"

Wynn scoffed as she examined the chest again. "I'm just basing my assumptions on your style of fighting. A fishing rod? Really?"

"Desperate times call for desperate fishing tactics! And it worked on Carys_Angel! Y'know that deadly dangerous criminal? She was killed by that very fishing rod." I didn't want her belittling my gear after all the good it had done me. It was useless in most ways, but was still able to save my butt dozens of times.

"Suuuuure it did." She drawled, not even bothering to mask her skepticism. It was then that the guard that went to get food returned. He was carrying a handful of…

"Rotten flesh?" I groaned as the guard tossed hunks of it into the room along with a bottle of water. "I know this is a prison, but don't you have, like, stale bread…or anything else?"

Wynn looked smug as she withdrew her own food from her Inventory: Cooked chicken. "Sorry, ' _Your Majesty_ ,'—"

"You don't have to call me that."

"—But rotten flesh is reserved for lowly criminals." She took a large bite out of her cooked chicken and made audible sounds of enjoyment. "Criminals need to be kept as miserable as possible in here. That way, they learn not to cause trouble. So tell me, how does rotten flesh taste? Does it taste like regret? Remorse? Knowing the error of your ways?"

*BURP* "Can I have seconds?" I asked politely as I polished off the last of the rotten flesh.

Wynn's smug expression fell from her face as she examined the ground to see if I was lying about finishing the Zombie drop. When she found nothing she nudged the guard in the shoulder and whispered something into his ear before he left. Hopefully to get me more food.

Meanwhile, I was smiling inwardly at the situation. I had eaten my fair share of Zombie flesh and had grown accustomed to it. It was so satisfying that her idea of keeping me miserable was feeding me a drop I had already been desperate enough to turn to.

"It looks like you've built up a resistance to rotten flesh." Wynn commented with folded arms. "But let's see how you handle…Spider eyes!"

"Oh, I've eaten those too."

"…you what?" The other guard had returned to the room with bunches of spider eyes held in his arms. Wynn could only stare at me in disbelief. "What could have prompted you to eat such disgusting drops?"

I shrugged. "Meh, I was hungry." I looked at the pile of spider eyes. I knew the poison effect I'd get from eating them would be painful, but it would be worth it to see the look of shock on their faces.

"So…are you going to hand those over?" I pointed to the guard holding the eyes, but just as he was about to toss them into my cell, Wynn pulled him back.

"Forget it. There's something wrong with this guy." Wynn narrowed her eyes at me while I whistled innocently. "You can return to your post."

The guard nodded before leaving me alone with Wynn again.

"You're not supposed to enjoy the food here. It's supposed to make you regret your actions." She explained.

"Well I guess I'm the one guy where that doesn't apply," I offered with barely contained mirth. I had to at least appear remorseful, lest I tempt her to come up with a worse punishment.

She walked up to a lever and flicked it, opening my cell door. "Come on. His Eminence will decide what your punishment will be. And don't try to run because you won't get far."

"Alright, I get it." I kept my arms raised as I left the cell. Wynn made sure to stand in front of the chest in case I dove for my gear, and once I passed it, she stayed close behind me as I was escorted. She seemed confident enough to think additional escorts were unnecessary.

When she led me out of the cell blocks and into some kind of lobby area filled with guards, I noticed that they were all whispering and pointing at me. Some of them were smiling, even laughing, and I had no idea why.

But then I registered a familiar voice.

"Look Miss, my friend is in there. Can't you just let me see him…a few minutes is all I need…yes I know minutes can translate into hours in Minecraftia, but still—"

It was my favorite (by default) blue-haired companion: Floyd.

"Hey Floyd!" I called out to which the blue-nette whirled in response. "You're…early." I glanced at Wynn pushing me to keep walking with my hands still held up before returning my attention to Floyd. "This isn't what it looks like."

Floyd rushed over to us and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because it looks like you somehow got embroiled into serious criminal shit in the two days I was gone."

"Oh," I laughed nervously. "Then, yeah it's exactly what it looks like."

Wynn moved from behind me and got up in Floyd's face. "And who are you? An accomplice of Cobb's?"

Floyd took a couple of steps back, but stood his ground otherwise. "I'm Cobb's friend. I know him well enough, and I can assure you that he's no dangerous criminal mastermind."

"Why would I care about the opinion of someone I don't even know?" The Captain took another step forward to try and intimidate Floyd, but Floyd didn't move back this time. "I have all the proof I need to condemn this man for fifty years to life imprisonment for his crimes. I just need the say-so of His Eminence."

I visibly panicked at the mention of my sentence and I was lucky Wynn's attention was focused on Floyd.

 _Life Imprisonment? But that's like for…1…15…46…75…LIFE YEARS!_

Floyd, for his part, looked completely calm as he responded. "Well, if you're presenting my friend's case, then I will gladly defend him."

"What, are you a lawyer too?" Wynn inquired with a scoff.

"No. But for Cobb's sake…yes."

Wynn and Floyd remained silent as they engaged in a glaring contest. Neither one of them wanted to budge for the other. Meanwhile, I was standing with my hands still up like the awkward third wheel.

Surprisingly, Wynn was the first to back off. "Fine. You can tag along in your pathetic attempts to win your friend's freedom." Floyd smiled as he made to follow, but Wynn stopped him by pressing a hand against his sweater clad chest. "But once I've condemned him, I'll do a little digging into _your_ background. See how much of a criminal you really are. With any luck I can rid this Kingdom of one more piece of filth."

The Captain removed her hand from Floyd and returned to guide me out of the prison, Floyd following just behind. Apparently, the prison was connected to a rather large stone fortress that must have been the one I had observed atop the plateau.

As we were led around, I tried to contain my anxiety, knowing that the fate of the rest of my existence, and possibly Floyd's, was on the line.

But I took small comfort in knowing that Floyd was willing to stick his neck out for me. I was truly glad I had found a friend in him.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): {Empty}

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 57 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 1 Pufferfish, 25 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: Flawwed_Floyd-Ace Attorney is on the case.**

 **This chapter was tricky. I wanted to keep it in Floyd's perspective to flesh out his backstory a bit more...but it felt a little too depressing and morbid for an Adventure/Humor story. Hopefully, Cobb in prison was able to balance it all out...even if he did lose his entire Inventory.**

 **In other news, we got two new characters. Lost_Soul, who's pissed in his own right, and Wynn_Whispers. Both of which are not viewer submitted OCs...though I did leave a hint for one this chapter. (:3)**

 **Leave a follow or fav...or don't. I'm easy.**


	22. Compromise

**AN: This Chapter...Dear God this Chapter.**

 **But more on that later. First off the answer to last week's puzzle: Second Place...I'll admit it was super easy. I'm ashamed I tried to pass that off to you intelligent readers as a puzzle. I am deeply ashamed of myself (Y_Y).**

 **Still, congrats to the mysterious Laner for being the first to guess it right. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **Also, thanks for everyone taking the time to review this story. I actually feel good reading your words and comments. It keeps me going.**

 **And I drew a little something, something. I uploaded it to Inkitt (if you've heard of it). Just search 'My Craft' on Inkitt and the drawing should show up.**

 **Puzzle: I see the graves of two father's and two sons, but there are only three tombstones. How is that possible?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, there would be a gavel item.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 22

 **Compromise**

[Floyd]

Past the palace gates, through the antechamber, and up some steps, we were led into a large throne room. The wooden ceiling stretched several stories above us, supported by thick log columns. From it, hung a chandelier of some glowing material. A red carpet stretched before us towards an ornate wooden throne embedded with what looked like gold.

Stationed atop the throne, I presumed, was His Eminence, flanked by two diamond clad guards wearing green leather caps. It must have been the Ringwood uniform, a green leather cap, seeing as how every guard wore one. The Endward Cult's leather caps were the same way, but black. It made me wonder how the leather got that particular color.

Wynn continued to push us forward until we were in front of His Eminence. He had blonde hair with white tips, light blue eyes, a bushy beard, a golden helmet atop his head and an orange rod in his hand. Apart from that, however, he appeared more casual than king-like.

He wore a black leather jacket, a purple striped undershirt, and black knee-length shorts. And above his head was his actual name: MilesPerMinute.

I was interrupted from my observations when Wynn kicked me and Cobb's legs, forcing us to kneel in front of the throne. She then kneeled herself. "Your Eminence, I have brought the prisoner I spoke of as well as a suspected accomplice. If you'll allow me to begin, I will quickly remove this filth from your sight."

The King scratched his beard before nodding to Wynn's request.

Wynn stood up before pacing in front of us. "Exactly two days ago, I was granted a brief reprieve from my tireless work to uphold the safety of this Kingdom. However, I wasn't satisfied enough with my work and, upon receiving an anonymous lead on a dangerous criminal, decided to go undercover at a local bar. There I—"

"Undercover?" Cobb interrupted, to which I glared at him to shut up. Now wasn't the time to go pissing people off during their explanations. But he just kept on going, not even noticing my frantic glare. "You said you were just there drinking. That it was a coincide—"

"Silence!" She smacked Cobb in the face to shush him. "Your lies will do you no good here."

Cobb massaged his cheek looking aggravated while Wynn returned to her explanation. "As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, I was undercover at the Razed Bar when this criminal," she pointed to Cobb, "walked in. And I could immediately tell how dangerous he was. He was clearly a criminal to be reckoned with."

As if on cue, a bat hanging off the high ceiling fluttered down and hovered over Cobb. He immediately began to panic and swat at the mammal before getting up and frantically running around the throne room, shrieking in fear. The bat chased after him, refusing to leave him alone.

The watching guards shared a skeptical glance while the King began chuckling at Cobb's antics. I just facefloored (an action one step beyond facepalming) in response.

However, Wynn's face grew red in embarrassment at how effortlessly her argument had been rendered useless by Cobb's behavior. He was looking more like a fool than a criminal. Maybe he purposefully overreacted to the bat to seem like less of a threat? What a smart tactic!

* * *

[Cobb]

"AGH! BAD BAT! BAD BAT! GET IT OFF! ITS CREEPY LITTLE BAT FINGERS ARE TOUCHING ME!"

I know I should have been taking the 'trial before the King' more seriously…but there was a damn bat chasing me! At that point, all common sense went out the window. It was like I had chiroptophobia…whatever that was.

 _Damn Normal Sense needs to fill me in on things!_

* * *

[Floyd]

Wynn looked flustered as she tried to support her previous argument. "D-don't let his idiotic antics and slacker demeanor fool you! He's a criminal, dangerous as they—"

"AAAUGH! HELP! It's latched itself onto my faaaace!"

For a second, I think Wynn's left eye twitched as she whirled on Cobb, withdrawing the thin sword from her belt. She quickly skewered the small mammal, without harming Cobb's face, before it vanished in a puff of smoke.

Cobb let out a sigh of relief as Wynn roughly dragged him back over to his spot and forced him into a kneeling position. Meanwhile, the King's chuckles were growing louder.

To regain control of the case, Wynn quickly blurted out the rest of her argument. "You may think I'm overestimating this man, but I have evidence linking him to _two_ of Ringwood's Most Wanted. The Testificate trafficker, TheAvoided, and the Black Market director, Kane." That got a reaction from the King. His amused expression morphed into one of trepidation as he scrutinized Cobb more carefully. The guards skepticism vanished to be replaced by angered glares.

 _Not good. I need to convince these guys that Cobb is innocent…or at least not as bad as wanted criminals. But how am I supposed to argue without knowing the full story?_

The King cleared his throat. "Well Captain Wynn, you've always had the Kingdom's best interests at heart." The Captain beamed proudly at the praise. "If you think this man, this King_Cobb, is a danger to Ringwood, then I'll trust your judgment."

"Thank you, Your Eminence." Wynn bowed, shooting me a smug grin unseen by the King, before raising her head. "Based on the severity of his crimes, I recommend imprisonment for no less than 75 years. And I'm sure the dull work in the coal mines will teach him the error of his—"

"Please, wait," I interrupted to Wynn's chagrin. "As Cobb's friend—and lawyer, I guess—I have the right to defend his actions. But it sounds to me like you're already condemning him based on the sole…" – _Crap! What's that word lawyers use to describe spoken statements…Oh, right!—_ "…testimony of one of your own. We deserve a chance to explain his side of the story! For instance what crimes is he even being charged for? Your Captain doesn't seem intent on sharing."

"Hmph," Wynn huffed in annoyance. "Knowing his crimes isn't going to change anything. And what about you?" She pointed an accusatory finger at me. "Are we meant to accept _your_ testimony when you're an obvious associate of his? It's biased both ways."

I ignored Wynn's words and looked straight at King Miles. "Please, Your Eminence. If you'd just list his crimes, I'm sure I can clear up this misunderstanding."

The King rubbed his chin in consideration. I could tell he was mulling over my request even though Wynn was dead set on imprisoning Cobb. What did she have against Cobb anyway to want to imprison him so badly?

Finally, the King cleared his throat. "Very well. In the spirit of fairness, I'll allow you to make a defense." Wynn clenched her fists in frustration before relaxing them. "Captain, please explain to the defendant his crimes."

"…Yes, Your Eminence," Wynn agreed in an even tone.

Before she could begin, I leaned my head over. "Cobb," I whispered, "as she's explaining each one of your crimes, tell me _your_ side of what happened. And be discreet."

He nodded and I could tell that he was truly taking the case seriously. Hopefully, I would be able to draw a defense that would satisfy everyone.

I leaned my head away just as Wynn began. "First, King_Cobb was discovered to have in his possession a counterfeit Citizenship Information. Upon further investigation, the Hall of Records has no documentation of a King_Cobb to have ever entered the Kingdom legally."

"After you entered Ringwood," Cobb explained in a hushed whisper, "some guy approached me, saying he could get me into the Kingdom without an emerald if I did him a favor. The guy turned out to be a criminal named TheAvoided and the favor was passing a message to Kane."

I processed both facts…and realized how tricky proving Cobb's innocence would be. His only defense was he didn't know, and that wouldn't be enough.

Still, I had to listen to the whole account. "Second, I discovered Cobb while undercover at the Razed Bar." Wynn continued. "He was passing a message from TheAvoided to a bartender later identified as the Black Market director Kane."

"That's…actually that's exactly my side of the story." Cobb shrugged helplessly.

 _Terrific._

"But by then, I had actually figured out that TheAvoided was a criminal based on some wanted posters." Cobb commented in his defense. "I even found a wanted poster for Carys if you'd believe it. Apparently she was a big danger to Ringwood."

"You knew he was a criminal and you did it anyway!?" I hissed in outrage. He was making it _really_ hard to defend his case. "Why the hell would you pass the message then!?"

"He made me swear on my life! I had to do it!" Cobb hissed in response. Who knew that his honest promises could have such negative consequences?

Well, besides anyone with half a brain cell.

Still, that tidbit about Carys_Angel might come in handy.

I refocused on Wynn's explanation. "Then, there was an argument between the two. Kane and his goons attacked Cobb who began to set property ablaze, demonstrating an unabashed usage of fire within our predominantly _wooden_ Kingdom. It could have easily become a situation similar to the Blaze of 420!" The guards shuddered at the mention of those words as if reliving a traumatizing catastrophe.

"I needed a distraction to try and get away…and they were just friggen tables!" Cobb conceded with an aggravated grumble.

"So, Mr. Flawwed_Floyd," Wynn strode up to me, "after hearing all of his crimes, would you care to come up with a suitable explanation?"

And just like that, I was put on the spot. My brain was working overtime trying to come up with an excuse, but no matter how I looked at the facts, I was convinced that Cobb, whether he intended to or not, broke the law. And saying that he made a mistake would do little to downplay the Captain's accusations or eliminate the King's suspicions.

"Well? We're waiting to hear your defense?" Wynn inquired sharply, already confident that she had Cobb dead to rights.

Finally, I came to a conclusion. There was only one way to prove Cobb's innocence.

A lawyer's Ace-in-the-Hole.

Lying!

* * *

[Cobb]

My eyes darted nervously between Wynn, Floyd, and the dozens of bats still hanging from the ceiling. _Maybe I really do have a phobia of bats. Just like Batman_.

 _…_ _who's Batman again? For some reason I feel like he's some bat themed vigilante who swings around the city with a young ward._

 _But that's too silly to be real. I probably just imagined it._

Anyway, I couldn't see how Floyd was going to get me out without partial lying. And even then it probably wouldn't convince Captain Punishment over there. The King, on the other hand, seemed more reasonable. Surely a lie would work on him. So long as the lie was believable.

But would Floyd be willing to do that?

No sooner had that thought formed in my head before Floyd began to laugh.

It wasn't a hysterical gut-busting laugh, but more of an amused chuckle. Although I couldn't quite see what was so funny. And judging by Wynn's narrowed eyes, neither did she.

"Should I take your laughs as a sign that you've finally realized the futility of your friend's defense?" Wynn inquired in a calm voice. But Floyd just shook his head, still chuckling.

"I think I see the confusion here." Floyd turned his attention to me. "Cobb, I know you want to keep your profession a secret, but I don't think we have any other choice here. We have to tell them."

I blinked in confusion with a dumb expression on my face. What the hell was he talking about? Profession?

Wynn, the King, and the rest of the guards seemed to be wondering the same thing. While the guards and King looked intrigued to hear 'my profession' Wynn still had that suspicious glare of hers.

Floyd let out an exhausted sigh. "Alright Cobb, I'll explain it for them." He turned his attention back to his audience. "I won't lie to you, Your Eminence. The reason Cobb committed all those crimes is because he is a Private Detective."

...

 _Wha?_

A loud silence permeated the room as the audience took in Floyd's confident statement. How exactly was he keeping a straight face when offering such a ridiculous lie…I mean, yeah, good for him for realizing a lie was the only way to prove my innocence, but could it have been more believable than that? I was of such low experience that they'd never believe I was some kind of Private Eye!

"You can't be serious." Wynn broke the silence, her voice heavy with deadpan, as she addressed my soon-to-be-ex-lawyer. "A Private Detective?"

"You mean like Sherlock Holmes?" The King spoke up, but it was with no trace of skepticism, as if he didn't believe it. It was more like he was trying to wrap his mind around the idea. Willing to give it a chance.

Also, Sherlock Holmes. Why did that name sound familiar? Some part of my mind registered him as a detective, but I had never heard that name before. And how did the King even know who that was? Was he just following his Normal Sense to pull a familiar named Detective to compare to?

Either way, the reference registered with Floyd, though he probably never heard the name either. "Exactly like Sherlock Holmes. See, Cobb has been undercover for weeks trying to uncover the identity of Kane. He has sworn to protect the innocent people of Ringwood by—"

"I've heard enough!" Wynn interrupted with a stamp of her white leather boots before she turned to re-address the King. "Your Eminence, please allow me to remove these two from your throne room so that they can no longer tarnish your ears with such ludicrous—"

"Hold on, Captain." The King held up a hand to silence her. "I would like to hear what they have to say."

Wynn's mouth hung open in shocked outrage. "But Your Eminence—"

"Do not interrupt their case." He pressed in a stern tone before returning his undivided attention to Floyd. "Please continue."

"Thank you, Your Eminence." Floyd bowed and I followed suit, finding hope in the fact that the King wanted to hear our lies.

"As I was saying…before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," –Wynn shot him a murderous glare, her red humiliated face contrasting quite nicely with her ivory-white hair—"Cobb, upon seeing this grand and wonderful Kingdom, had taken it upon himself to combat crime and apprehend the worst of Ringwood's Most Wanted."

"For weeks, he's been working underground. Trying to get close to the TheAvoided. Working off minor leads and petty two-bit criminals until the day he earns one of the Most Wanted's trust and worms his way into the Inner Circle of Ringwood's most dangerous activities. He had to appear inexperienced to seem like less of a threat than he truly was. He needed to make it look like he'd never set foot into a Kingdom before."

"Through hard work and caution, Cobb succeeded when TheAvoided gave him a mission to make contact with the Black Market director, Kane, at the Razed Bar."

Upon hearing Floyd's tale, I noticed the King's mesmerized expression. His guards seemed to believe it too. The only exception was Wynn, whose brow rose further and further in disbelief while her arms were firmly crossed in forced acceptance. It was taking a lot of her self-control to stay silent and listen.

"Now I know what you're all thinking." Floyd spread his arms out to gesture to his captivated audience. "Why didn't Cobb just apprehend TheAvoided when the opportunity presented itself? Well, I'm sure Cobb can explain his reasoning." Floyd turned his attention back to me and made a subtle movement as if urging me to take over.

I took a deep breath and tried to appear composed…

Then I figured I'd just wing it and overplay the whole 'selfless hero' façade.

"Well, as noble and self-sacrificing as I am,"—Wynn rolled her eyes—"I was bound under oath to follow TheAvoided's mission. He made me swear on my life, so I had no other choice."

"How utterly selfless of you." Wynn mock praised, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Indeed. A man of honor, through and through." The King commented, but in a respectful tone. He had obviously missed Wynn's sarcasm.

Brain: _You'd think that being in a Captain-King relationship would entail being at least_ remotely _on the same wavelength._

Heart: _I hate to agree with Brain, but yeah. Those two don't seem to understand each other at all._

Brain: _Wait…Heart is actually…agreeing with me!? Oh my gosh! I never thought this day would come!_

Heart: _Oh, ha ha. Very funny._

Brain: _Bladder! I need some confetti! And break out the wine coolers too! This is a special occasion!_

"So after agreeing to his mission," one of the guards inquired with a raised hand, "you went to the Razed Bar to confirm Kane's identity, intending to deliver the information to the authorities. Correct?"

 _Uh. No._

"Absolutely."

 _But yeah, let's go with that._

Wynn whirled on the guard that asked the question. "Don't help them string their story along! They're spouting nonsense!"

"No, we're spouting some-sense. All-sense in fact!" I defended.

"Why just listen to the words they're making up! _'Some-sense!?_ ' As if this simpleton could possibly—"

"Wynn! I told you to let them defend themselves!" The King shouted back defiantly. "How can we possibly advocate justice if we just disregard the testimonies presented?"

"But…they…he entered the Kingdom with falsified Citizenship Information! Explain that!" Wynn was desperately fighting for her case.

Floyd stepped in. "I repeat, Cobb had to appear inexperienced to fool TheAvoided. Someone like him could get an emerald no problem to pay the tolls. As a matter of fact, he _did_ get an emerald no problem. But he instead offered it to…to a poor ill-experienced Crafter like me." Floyd exaggeratedly wiped fake tears from his eyes while his watching audience (save Wynn) adopted sympathetic expressions. "I am truly honored by his friendship."

 _Alright, you're overselling it a little, Floyd._

But I took over to continue the story. "The false documentation was part of the information passing deal involving Kane. I had to break the law to appear on their side. And for that I am sorry." I bowed lowly, feigning remorse. Floyd flashed me a subtle thumbs up in between his crocodile tears.

The next thing I knew, I felt a comforting hand over my shoulder. I looked up to see that the King had actually left his throne to console me. It kind of made me feel guilty since I was lying to him…but Wynn lied first. That makes it okay…sort of.

"It's alright son. I understand you did what needed to be done to uncover the truth. And your efforts helped us put away a dangerous criminal." He patted my shoulder reassuringly. "You have nothing to feel sorry for."

"Your Eminence!" Wynn protested. "Don't let yourself be fooled by their words! Are you honestly willing to trust them over me, your most vigilant Captain!?"

The King turned to Wynn, adopting a complicated expression. The argument came down to Wynn's word against ours. Sure our emotions may have swayed him to defend us, but if Wynn was alone with him, made him see reason, then our lies would be pretty obvious.

We couldn't let that happen.

We needed one more piece of information to fully convince him.

"There is absolutely no proof that King_Cobb is a Private Detective. I feel stupid just having those words come out of my mouth!" Wynn continued as she strode up to the King.

I turned to look at Floyd, silently asking him what I should say next.

He responded by mouthing the words: Carys Angel.

And suddenly, it clicked. The words were out of my mouth before I could even process them. "I killed Carys_Angel too!"

The reaction was immediate. The King, who was quietly conversing with Wynn just a moment ago, spun to see if those words had really been spoken by me.

The guards' eyes were as wide as dinner-plates before they schooled their features down to tentative wonderment.

But Wynn, of course, remained skeptical. Actually, scratch that. She just shrugged off my announcement as if it were a pesky gnat. She had already decided that everything out of my mouth was lies.

Too bad this time it was the truth.

"Before arriving here, I tried to subdue Carys_Angel." Ok _that_ part was a lie. We were just trying to run away like little girls. "But locked in mortal combat, I was left with no other choice but to knock her into a lake of molten lava…with my trusty fishing rod."

"Oh how very convenient." Wynn interjected as she walked right up to me. "You just so happen to have knocked her into a lake of lave, incinerating her and any evidence proving your story is true. How very neat. Without her Head or her gear, we're just supposed to take your statements as facts. Is that right?"

"I'll admit that it sounds absurd for you to trust that story, but it's the truth." And for the first time, I meant it. Funny.

"Very well." Wynn smirked as if she had figured out how to disprove my argument. "Since you claim to have met her in battle, I'm sure you'd be able to tell us the name of her trusted steed?"

"Mr. Piggles." I replied without missing a beat.

Her smirk vanished, but she was still intent on tripping me up.

"Her armor?"

"Diamond."

"Her weapons?"

"Three swords and a bow."

"Sword material?"

"Diamond, Iron, Gold."

"Enchantments?"

"Um…" There was that word again. Enchantments. Carys had mentioned something like that, but what was it exactly?

"Well?" Wynn inquired sharply as she got up in my face. "We're waiting."

 _Brain, little help buddy._

Stomach: _He can't answer right now. He's gotten himself drunk._

 _What!?_

Brain: _Heart…agreed with m-meeeee…this is…such a good, great, goo-*hic*-oood ocazion…I p-proposition a toast…to…ALCOHOL!_

Heart: _Quick somebody sober him up!_

Brain: _Liver…I know I g-give yous a lot of *hic* crap n' such…b-but I want you to know that…yeeeer like the brother I *hic* never evah…had!_

Liver: _I don't know. I kind of like him better this way._

Heart: _Damnit Bladder, why did you give him alcohol! You know he can't handle it!_

Bladder: _He asked nicely._

Heart: _Ugh! This is what happens when I agree with Brain! Sorry Cobb, you're on your own until we sort this—Brain get down from that chandelier this instant!_

Brain: _You can't *hic* make me! I'm Chandelier Maaan! Na-na-na-na na-na-na-na…I forget how the rest of it goes._

 _…_

 _…_

 _Um…_

 _…_ _I'll worry about that later._

 _Now think! What were those Enchantments called?_

 _My story may very well depend on that piece of information…_

 _THINK!_

 **[That is a combination of Knockback II and Sharpness III Enchantments. It certainly packs a punch doesn't it?]**

"Knockback II and Sharpness III on her…Iron sword!" I blurted out after intense concentration. My head felt a bit lighter from the effort (and hopefully not from Brain's drinking).

Wynn took a step back. She looked dazed that I had answered all her questions correctly.

Which hopefully proved to her that I was telling the truth.

"That—that's not…" She trailed off as conflicting emotions crossed her face. Relief? Disbelief? Anger? Elation? It was hard to tell what exactly she was feeling.

As for the King and guards, looking at Wynn's reaction was all they needed to gauge that I answered her questions correctly. They looked at me with newfound respect.

I knew I had fully won them over.

But someone was willing to argue to the bitter end.

"No." Wynn mumbled as her face finally settled on denial. "You almost fooled me for a second—"

"Wynn—" The King tried to calm her down.

"No!" She screamed as she pointed a threatening finger directly at me. "Let's say for a second that I believe you story. That you tossed Carys into lava with…a fishing rod…that doesn't mean she's dead!"

 _Wha?_

"She could have had a Potion of Fire Resistance on her. She's known for handling potions."

"Fire Resistance?" I couldn't help but question and Wynn pounced on my hesitation.

"Yes. An orange liquid that surrounds the user with a fireproof coating. Completely impervious to both fire and lava."

"She didn't have any potion like that." Floyd dismissed with a wave. "I saw her fall and I didn't see her take out a…well actually I didn't see her take out anything. I was pretty far away." He conceded.

 _Orange…liquid…_ My brain had jammed and it had nothing to do with Brain's heavy drinking.

"Cobb, you were closer," Floyd asked. "Did you see her take out any potion?"

 _Fireproof…coating…_

"N-no Floyd. I didn't see…anything like that."

 _There was no way…that potion she took out…I'm sure that orange tinge it had was just…just from the light of the lava! Yeah! That was it! No orange potion at all! Nope!_

 _She's dead!_

 _Dead, dead, dead!_

 _Nothing to worry about now!_

 _…_

* * *

[Carys]

"Hmm?" I looked up from handing the courier my letter addressed to the hideout. For some odd reason, I felt that somebody was thinking about me.

…

 _Oh well! Time to leave the Kingdom._

 _Horseback would be the quickest mode of travel._

 _Though I doubt any of the sorry excuses for horses will be able to measure up to Mr. Piggles' speed._

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Yep! Totally 100% dead!_

 _Cadaverific!_

And yet Wynn _still_ seemed adamant about refusing our story. "Your Eminence, I find it hard to believe that these two defeated Ringwood's most dangerous criminal, known for killing over a hundred Crafters, with nothing more than a simple fishing rod."

"But Captain," the King responded, "they answered all your questions correctly did they not?"

"…Yes, but—"

"Then how else would they know that information? And why are you arguing so intensely against their innocence?"

Before Wynn could respond, Floyd interrupted. "I think I can explain Wynn's behavior." He gestured to the Captain. "She doesn't want to accept the fact that Kane would have been arrested, regardless of her interference at the Razed Bar." Wynn just sent a perplexed stare towards Floyd. "She's convinced that she's the one solely responsible for the arrest, with no help from Cobb."

 _Oh, Floyd you evil genius._ I thought as Wynn's face morphed from surprise to flushed anger.

"Are you implying …that I would _lie_ to hoard the credit!?" She screeched.

"Is that true Captain?" The King inquired sharply.

"Wha…how…NO!" She sputtered, not even bothering to compose herself. "It was all me! I brought them all in!"

"It's okay Wynn, you can have the credit." I offered modestly, reveling in her increasingly angered state. And just for spite I added, "The important thing is that another criminal is off the streets. And isn't that all that matters?"

Wynn looked livid and I think her eye twitched a couple of times. "Stop that!" Stop sounding selfless as if I'm the bad guy here! You're just a lying—"

"I've heard enough, Captain!" The King boomed to which Wynn shrunk back. "This whole time you've been doing nothing but insulting this man when all he's done is defend himself! And while his methods are questionable and break a few laws, there can be no dispute that they get the job done!"

Wynn clenched her fists in anger and lowered her head so that her ivory hair obstructed her face.

"It is because of him that _two_ dangerous criminals are no longer a threat to the populace. Therefore, I hardly think his actions would warrant a lifetime of imprisonment."

I internally cheered and gave Floyd a thumbs up. Was I really going to get away with it all?

"However, at the same time, I can see where you're coming from Wynn. He _did_ break the law, and we cannot let him walk away scot-free." The King returned to his throne and sank into it. "Therefore, I think a simple week of imprisonment should suffice in teaching him a lesson. I'm sure the food will be punishment enough."

I could hear Wynn grinding her teeth hearing my lenient punishment. No doubt she was filled with impotent rage knowing that the prison's diet of rotten flesh and spider eyes would do little to make me regret my actions.

She had pretty much lost her case. Sure a week of prison sounded dismal, but it was a hell-of-a-lot better than a life term.

I would have felt bad for her…if not for the fact that she kneed me in the gut, knocked me out, sent me to prison, held my Inventory ransom, and actively tried to worsen my sentence.

So yeah. No pity from me.

"And Wynn. I believe you owe this man an apology." The King commented as he gripped his golden rod. "For wrongly accusing him when he was just trying to apprehend a criminal."

And there was the icing on the cake. She had to apologize to me! Oh sweet, sweet, karma…

Whatever karma was.

 _I take it back. Floyd can be my lawyer any day._

The Captain's head was still down, keeping her expression obscured, and I wondered if she would even offer any words of apology. What would happen if she refused?

She was probably incredibly angry and reluctant to swallow her pride.

 _She probably doesn't even want to look me in the eye now…maybe I should just wave off the apology._

 _Be the bigger person and all._

"I appreciate your concern Your Eminence," I began with an apologetic smile, "but there's no need for Wynn to apolo—"

"No."

I looked to see who had spoken that word and did a double take when I saw it was Wynn. Her head was raised and she was positively _beaming_ at me with a warm smile.

"His Eminence is right." Wynn bowed lowly. "I _was_ trying to hog the credit. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions when you were only trying to be selfless. Please forgive me for my actions."

She said that so sweetly and kept up her beaming smile that I was thrown off. A few moments ago she was screaming at me, but now it was like it had never happened.

"Uh…it's no problem…I understand." I forgave her easily (seeing as how I was the one in the wrong in the first place). Had she actually been convinced by our lie? Or was it the King's pressuring that caused her rapid attitude change?

"Oh, but it _is_ a problem." She spoke with remorse in her tone as she walked right up to me and took my hand in both of hers. "I hurt you and locked you in prison solely based off my rash sense of justice."

I was honestly surprised at how sincere she sounded. I shot a glance at Floyd who merely shrugged. Apparently he was equally perplexed by Wynn's sudden change.

Just as I was about to wave off her apology, I felt her hands tighten around mine. I winced in pain as her sharp nails dug into my skin.

"It _pains_ me," once again she tightened her grip, making me lose half a heart of health for nearly breaking my wrist, "to hear that you'll have to spend any more time in that dreadful, cold prison cell."

 _It pains me more that you're breaking my hand!_ I internally groaned as I tried to extricate it from her grasp.

Just as I thought I'd have to push her away to release me, she let go and turned to face the King.

"Which is why, if Your Eminence will allow me to rectify my mistake, I would like to propose an alternative form of punishment for Cobb. One more suited to his…selfless character." She struggled to speak that word and, as I nursed my sore wrist, I knew her proposal meant nothing but trouble.

"Um…I actually don't mind spending time in prison—"

"Very well Wynn. Since you seem apologetic, I will hear your alternative." The King interrupted.

 _Uh-oh._

Wynn smiled as she gestured to me. "Cobb is _obviously_ a skilled Crafter to have tracked down one criminal and kill another in combat. And prison would be such a waste of his time. I propose he put his skills to better use for the Kingdom he _so_ selflessly wishes to protect."

 _Not liking where this is going._

Wynn's smile appeared genuine and her words were nothing but praise, but I realized it was all a façade. A quick tactic change on her part so that she could have the last laugh.

But for exactly what? I did not know.

And neither did the King apparently. "What are you suggesting?"

"Simple." She placed her hands behind her back and stood up straight. "If you recall, I have an envoy mission to the Kingdom of Daymonte a few days from now. I was originally going to settle for a handful of my men to brave the difficult terrain, deadly Mobs, and dangerous Griefer packs."

 _Oh no no no._

"But," Wynn glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and I saw a faint smirk adorn her face. "I would feel _much_ safer knowing a Crafter like King_Cobb, so selfless and brave, was along for the journey. Ready to lay his life on the line to protect my men…or die trying."

 _…_ _Die trying?_

*Gulp*

"R-really Your Eminence…I think p-prison is a fine…"

"So you wish for Cobb to join you on your mission?" The King considered the request. Considered! As in he was mulling it over! Dear God he was mulling it over!

"Yes. And it would only take us a week to get there. Same amount of time as Cobb's term." Wynn commented happily. "Also, as an added condition to pay off his emerald debt, I would require that Cobb donate any resources he obtains during our journey directly to the Ringwood fund, thereby further assisting the Kingdom he so selflessly wishes to protect."

"Personally, I think a few days in prison would be better for me to learn my lesson! Honest!" I was raising my voice in an attempt to be heard. There was no way I could handle a strenuous journey to another Kingdom. I had barely made it to Ringwood!

Not to mention, traveling for a week with the white-haired Captain, I wouldn't put it past her to plan a little 'accident' for me along the way.

First Carys, now this.

"Oh, there's no need to be shy Cobb. I already apologized so there are no hard feelings between us." She was next to me in an instant, her arm slung over my shoulder in an image of friendship. Although really she had me in a subtle headlock and was choking me very painfully. "And maybe during the week you can show me some of your combat prowess! After all you _were_ able to defeat _the_ Carys_Angel."

"Look at you two!" The King smiled joyously, oblivious to my suffering. "Already becoming fast friends."

"Gak…air…need…air…" I choked out as Floyd rushed over to try and remove me from Wynn's grip.

"Alright, it's decided!" The King stood himself up from his throne as he gestured to me. "Cobb, your punishment will be for you to accompany Wynn and her guards on their envoy mission to Daymonte. You are to protect them from danger, supply Wynn with any resources you find, and follow her command for the duration of your sentence. Do you have any objections to this?"

I tried to object, but Wynn tightened her hold around my neck, cutting off the air needed to form any cohesive argument.

"He's speechless." Wynn laughed. "Obviously overjoyed by the compromise."

"Very good!" The King beamed as he clapped his hands together. "As for you Wynn, seeing how you two are already becoming good friends, you shall serve as his parole officer until the day of the envoy mission."

"WHAT!?" She screeched as she reflexively let go of me. I coughed and sputtered as sweet air entered my lungs.

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

I would have expressed similar outrage at being stuck with Wynn for the next few days—next bunch of days more like it—but oxygen was still making its way into my system.

"I know the few days before the mission were reserved for your vacation time, but you owe it to Cobb to be there for him." The King explained. "Besides it'll give you the chance to learn more about each other…you should even offer to let him stay in your home as an extended apology for locking him up. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"NO! He's not stepping one foot inside my home!"

"Really…I would prefer prison—"

"While I'm fine with the envoy condition, Your Eminence, please reconsider—"

"I've made up my mind. Case closed." The King slammed his golden rod into the ground like a gavel and ended our objections before they could begin.

 _Karma, I still don't know what you are, but you fucking suck!_

* * *

"Grab your gear and make it snappy." Wynn grumbled as she shoved me towards the prison chest. She was obviously annoyed by the terms of my punishment (despite the fact that it was all her fault), but had been ordered to return my confiscated Inventory.

Floyd joined me as I collected everything. My clock, my wooden tools, my new stone sword, leather armor, fishing rod, water bucket, and piles of useless crap.

But I felt like I was missing something. Even with the chest cleaned out, there was still something that made my backpack feel emptier than it should have been.

…

Ah!

My flint and steel!

"Hey I'm missing my flint and steel. Did one of the guards take that somewhere else?" I asked.

Wynn just shrugged. "The guards stripped you of everything after you were taken here. Your false documentation was sent to the evidence room. If it's not in that chest, I'd hazard a guess saying you dropped it at the Razed Bar."

"You mean after you kneed me in the gut?" I scowled at her.

"Perhaps." Wynn smiled innocently. "But what can you do? Things happen."

I groaned aloud. Chances were I did drop it and it was long gone by now. Picked up by some curious Crafter.

 _I will never forget you flint and steel. May your fire inspire the hearts of Crafters with its arson capabilities._

Floyd placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I can always make you a new one."

I smiled at Floyd's support. "Thanks Floyd. And thanks for everything. If you hadn't had my back in that trial…I may have been serving a life sentence." I couldn't specify how Floyd's lies had given me the back-story needed to fake my innocence. Not with Wynn within eavesdropping distance.

Though the King was adamant about the envoy punishment, Wynn could still convince him if she found evidence contrary to our story.

Floyd waved the thanks away. "You don't need to thank me. After all, I didn't completely get you out of your sentence."

"You did your best. Which, surprisingly, was better than what I expected. Who knew a great friend could be an awesome lawyer?"

Floyd looked down and rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. "You…really think of me as a good friend?"

"Of course." I assured as I closed the chest. "Not just anyone would be willing to take a case against a King and his uptight—"

"Ahem!" Wynn cleared her throat while glaring at me.

"…uh…charming and…heroic Captain." I finished carefully.

Suddenly, talking about good friends made me realize something. "Oh yeah! What about you? Did you manage to find your friend?...Song was his name right?"

"No. His name is Soul. Lost_Soul."

"Oh…well they sound pretty similar." I shrugged. "So did you find him?"

Floyd hesitated as if he was trying to find the right words. "Y-yeah I found him…But…I don't think he wants to be my friend anymore."

"What?" I was shocked by how sad Floyd sounded. He was talking non-stop about finding the guy, so then why didn't he want to be friends anymore?

"He…how do I put this…" Floyd contemplated the best way to explain the situation. "Right now…he hates my guts."

"Why? What happened?" I honestly wanted to know what the big problem was.

But Floyd looked hesitant about explaining. "It's…complicated. I don't really want to talk about it, if that's okay."

Despite my overall obliviousness, one look at him and I could tell how uncomfortable the topic was. Something had happened between the two. Something bad.

But that shouldn't matter!

"Alright, I won't ask what the problem is. However, I will tell you the solution." I gripped both his shoulders and shook him a little. "You need to keep trying."

"Wha—no, Cobb. You don't understand. I…did something really, _really_ terrible. And Soul might never forgive me."

"I may not get what happened between you two, but with how you've been talking about him, you really want to be his friend." I offered a small smile to instill in him some confidence. "So you need to go back to him, apologize for whatever you did, and become his friend again."

Floyd let out a defeated sigh. "It's not that simple, alright! What I did…the way he acted, I don't even know if it _can_ be forgiven. He already thinks I'm a terrible friend."

I frowned at his statement. "Well that's obviously a lie! Would a terrible friend defend another friend who got himself involved with a crazy, justice obsessed—"

"AHEM!"

"…wonderfully…benevolent Captain? No."

"But…"

"In fact, I think I'm the terrible friend for dragging you into that mess." I considered. "Sorry."

"That's another case entirely! Look, I stuck with this because I didn't want another friendship to fall apart." Floyd conceded as he gripped the bars of the cell. "I didn't want to be a bad friend twice."

"Well it seems to me like the only part of you being a bad friend is that you're willing to give up on Soul so easily." I countered pointedly.

"Ugh, you make it sound so simple!"

"That's because it _is_ simple." I walked over to Floyd. "Listen to this. A great man once told me, 'You only get out what you put in.' Know what that means?"

"…The basic rules of an empty box?" Floyd guessed.

"No. Funny, but no. It means that unless you put effort into what you do, you'll never get anything of worth out of it." I explained placing an arm around Floyd's shoulder. "Look at everything we've done this past week. Getting here took effort. Fighting off a Stickman took effort."

"Stickman?" Wynn questioned.

"Fighting Carys took effort. Proving my innocence…was actually quite effortless, but still!" Wynn's face heated up in humiliation. "That all took effort and from it we've pulled out tips and tricks on how to fight, eat, and survive."

"So if you really want Soul to be your friend again, you're gonna have to make that effort. And if he still doesn't want to be your friend, you say 'shut up Soul, I'm gonna be your friend again, whether you like it or not!' and give it an extra 100%."

Floyd remained quiet as my words rolled around in his head.

"He punched me in the face."

"Friends are allowed to fight. I mean, we did right? And remember how silly we felt when we resolved it?" It was over something stupid like food…and something deeper like proving oneself. "I'm sure if the two of you talk it out, you can resolve it too."

"What makes you so sure everything will turn out fine?" The blue-nette fixed his fearful purple eyes on my comforting green ones.

"Truth be told, I don't." I conceded with a grin. "Hell, half the time I usually wing it. But I know what you're capable of. And I know you can fix things. You just need to keep trying."

A silence permeated the air as my words took hold of Floyd. I could tell by his eyes that he was considering them. The fear from moments ago was replaced with determination and he smiled at me.

"Yeah…yeah you're right!" Floyd looked ready to find Soul and try again. "Thanks for that Cobb."

I shrugged. "Hey, that's what friends are for…also consider my advice payment for your legal services."

Floyd laughed and after a while I laughed too. It looked like Floyd had finally recovered from his initial failure with his ex-friend.

"Ugh…I can't stomach this melodrama!" Wynn groaned as she clutched her stomach. "If you need me, I'll be waiting outside the hall."

As she left, Floyd turned to me. "I need to go talk to Soul again. Do you mind—"

"Go on." I assured. "I'll be fine with Ivory-locks out there. Though the next few days will be brutal, I'll keep out of trouble."

"Thanks." Floyd patted my shoulder thankfully. "I'll meet back up with you tomorrow. Go to the Ringwood Park at nighttime. Head to the central pond and we'll discuss what our plans for the next few weeks will be."

I nodded in assent as Floyd hurried to leave the cell. But just as he made it to the exit, he turned back to toss some cooked fish at me. "Consider the fish as thanks for that advice. It was...really helpful. Who was the great man who told you it?"

"Oh it was…um…" I blanked at where I heard the advice. I know it was from someone important, but I couldn't for the life of me remember who it was.

Come to think of it, I didn't actually remember hearing it from anyone in Minecraftia. It felt like my Normal Sense was reminding me of something or someone.

Someone…someone of a duo…two people…a man and a woman of such importance to my life…who were there from the beginning…caring…loving…

Parental.

I couldn't remember the faces though. All that came to mind was the deeply ingrained words of wisdom they gave. One piece of advice from each person.

'You only get out what you put in.'

And…

…

Meh, I'll save that advice for a later time.

"I can't remember. Normal Sense, am I right?" I chuckled sadly, even though I didn't know what I was sad about. Maybe it was because I couldn't remember those two people.

Floyd just nodded in understanding before he took off once more. "You still owe me lawyer fees!" His voice echoed as he left the prison.

So, with all my gear in my possession, I walked out into the prison hall, ready to face my punishment with the irritated Captain.

"You finished?" I nodded. "Good, because we have a lot to do for the next couple of days…cutting right into my vacation time."

We walked past a few cells, and, being the asshole that I was, I couldn't resist taunting the inmates. "Haha! I'm outta here losers! Don't do the crime if you can't do the crime!"

I stuck out my tongue at a few growling goons…only to realize they were the same goons I had met at the Razed Bar.

 _Wait…if they're there…then where's Kane?_

"YOU!"

Strong arms sprung out from a nearby cell and tightened around my neck, strangling me. I gazed at my attacker and saw the bartender I had unknowingly doomed to a life-term of gloominess and rotten flesh: Kane.

"YOU SCREWED EVERYTHING! IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE FOUND ME!" I tried prying his hands off me, but he was too strong. "YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!"

"Alright Kane that's enough." Wynn commented insipidly as she sharply rapped her rapier across Kane's arms, causing him enough pain to release me. "I can't have this piece of filth dying…not until he gets what he deserves outside the Kingdom's walls."

I choked and sputtered on the ground. _Getting choked twice in one day!?_

 _Karma…you have a real sick sense of humor!_

But for the first time, I didn't question what Karma was.

The term, originally brought on by Normal Sense, had become part of my general understanding.

The term stuck.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 2 Glass Bottle, 6 Cooked Fish, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 57 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 1 Pufferfish, 19 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: PHEW. THIS CHAPTER!** **This was probably the closest I got to not fulfilling my chapter a week deadline. I was trying not to rush it, but in the end, I kinda HAD to rush it. I finished it Monday night!**

 **I barely managed to get it to my Beta...who is awesome for being so patient with my work. But with the semester almost over and Finals coming up, I'm gonna be hard pressed keeping up my writing. Hopefully, Thanksgiving Break will help me out. Thanks Pilgrims!**

 **So going over what happened in this dialogue heavy chapter. Despite what you've read, please remember that lying is the WORST possible thing a lawyer can do in a case...well that and defending his client naked...but that's not the point. Lying is wrong! Morals n' stuff!**

 **Wynn...oh boy Wynn. She was close to having a mental breakdown. And Floyd is going back to Soul for round two of friendship saving.**

 **And Cobb's getting a better grasp of Normal Sense. If a term comes up enough times, he no longer questions what it is and simply accepts it as a term. The same goes for all Crafters.**

 **See you all next week (hopefully). Corn Cob...Out!**


	23. Silver Intent

**AN: 4000 Views. 26 Favs. 27 Follows.**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle: Grandfather, father, and son. That would make two fathers, and two sons...most of you got that answer. Just means I'll have to try harder on these riddles! Congrats to joel348 for being the first to guess it right. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What has 6 faces, and 21 eyes?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Potions of Leaping would allow higher jumping capability.

Beta: Myself since I couldn't get this to TheWritingReader in time. My bad!

* * *

Chapter 23

 **Silver Intent**

[Cobb]

 _Alright guys. What's the status report?_

Stomach: _It's not pretty. Brain was swinging along the chandelier for hours before he slipped and banged his head._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Stomach: _Bladder could you clean this place up? And take back the wine coolers while you're at it._

Bladder: _You got it._

Heart: _Is he gonna be ok?...not that I care or anything._

Stomach: _I don't know. He might have a concussion._

 _Brain has a concussion? I feel like there's irony in there._

Bladder: _Ha! I get it._

Liver: _Hey! Maybe this means…I could be the new brain!_

Lungs: * _Sigh_ *

Heart: _Lungs is right. We shouldn't be trying to replace him after just a short while. We'll give him some time to heal._

Liver: _Oh, yeah, of course...time to heal…_

Stomach: _In the meantime Cobb, you'll have to advise your own decisions from now on._

 _Works for me. Your advice has been digging a deeper grave for me ever since I got here._

 _Cobb, over and out._

I returned my attention to the Captain I was traveling with down Ringwood's bustling Southern District. I was right in thinking that the Western District was the shitty part of the Kingdom.

The buildings were way more pristine, the people more collective and friendly, and the air breathable.

Not to mention, we were cutting through the crowd like a hot knife through butter. Wynn's reputation as a discipline-crazed Captain proved to come in handy as the populace parted at the mere sight of her. I just had to follow in her wake.

"So…where exactly are we going?" I questioned. "Are we heading to your house?"

Wynn let out an irritated sigh. "No. I'm putting off that unpleasant inevitability as long as I can. We're going to the Hall of Records."

I blinked in confusion. "The Hall of Records? Is that a music store?"

"Your ignorance is painful." She grumbled with a flip of her hair. "The Hall of Records is where every citizen of Ringwood is catalogued. Their name. Their appearance. Their number. Housing records…and criminal records." She glared at me saying that last part.

*Gulp*

"And since you will be living in my personal abode, you will need to be registered as a citizen. _Properly_ this time." Another glare was sent my way and I could only chuckle nervously.

Eventually, we arrived at a long wooden building. Two iron-clad guards with green leather helmets were stationed outside the entrance. Upon seeing Wynn, they immediately stood up straight and saluted her.

"At ease." She responded, relieving them. "Anything to report?"

"No ma'am. Nothing out of the ordinary." One of the guards responded.

Wynn hummed before stepping past them. "Keep your eyes open."

As we walked inside, I noticed a bunch more armored guards. There had to be at least a dozen in that one room!

"You guys sure take your records seriously." I whistled impressed. "Afraid someone might steal something?"

Wynn glanced at me as if considering answering my question. "Well, while the Hall of Records is of major concern to us…four or five guards would usually be enough." She gazed around the room, making sure to take in each and every guard. Ensuring nobody was slacking off.

"The extra security is because of the recent…incident."

"What happened?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know?"

I nodded. I could've said no, but she had already piqued my interest! I had to find out.

"Then tell me something first." She responded a little too quickly.

I just gave her a confused look, prompting her to elaborate. "How did you know about Carys' gear? The Enchantments. The pig. Only a handful of people know that, so how did you?"

It took me a second to realize she still didn't think I fought Carys_Angel. Was it really so hard to believe? Sure she was tough and I didn't so much as scratch her in combat, but the way everyone went on about her, it sounded like she was Death Incarnate.

 _…miiight be why she nicknamed herself the Angel of Death._

"I was telling the truth." I responded evenly, to which Wynn just shook her head.

"Right. Nothing, but the truth from your mouth, oh selfless hero."

Before I could retort, a young man met us at the counter. His eyes slid over me and stuck on Wynn.

"Ah Miss Whispers! A pleasure as always. You here to compare citizenship backgrounds?" Apparently Wynn came to the Hall of Records often if the young man's familiar response was any indication.

"Afraid not Chester. I'm here because this…" —she struggled for a suitable noun as she gestured to me— "… _guy_ , needs to fill out his Citizenship Book and get an Entry Pass. Slunk right through the walls."

The man named Chester returned his gaze to me with a bonus look of dislike. "Illegal entry? Should I be concerned?"

"Not at all. He's harmless and stupid."

"I'm standing right here!"

"He also loves to point out the obvious. Makes him feel smarter."

"HEY!"

"I understand." Chester then turned to me and addressed me very slowly, as if he was talking to a child. "Can. You. Tell. Me. Your. Number."

I frowned in annoyance before answering. "It's nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine…nine." I ticked the nines off my fingers, making sure not to miss one.

Chester nodded, mentally reciting my list of nines. "Alright, just give me a minute to check things." He exited through a back door to some chest filled room.

Wynn scoffed beside me. "That's really your number? Because lying at this time isn't going to do you any good."

"That's the number Helena gave me—y'know what. Let's try something." I turned to her. "I can tell you don't trust me—"

"Naturally."

"—But I also can tell that the King—"

" _His Eminence!_ "

"—Has already decided that I'm mostly innocent." I kept going, ignoring her intermittent comments. "And now we're stuck with each other for the next bunch of days—"

"Ten days. _Minimum._ " She specified.

"—Therefore, no matter what you say to him,… _His Eminence_ …is not going to change my punishment. Right?"

"…No." The Captain grumbled grudgingly. "He was quite taken with your… _tale_."

"So whatever I tell you from now on will have no effect on my punishment?" I posed it more as a statement than a question, to which she nodded curtly. "Then how about this. From now on, I'll tell you the truth about…everything…as long as you _trust_ my words. Because, honestly, being scrutinized by your skepticism is getting on my nerves."

I waited in silence as she considered my offer. I figured that if I explained how my crimes were accidents, then she'd drop her hostile attitude. And surely her own curiosity would sway her to accept.

Finally, Wynn spoke up. "Very well. Since you answered my question first," she took a quick glance around the room, "two days ago, eleven guards and a clerk working the Hall, were murdered. Their Heads and gear were found stuffed in the backroom's chests."

My eyes widened in shock. "Murder? But…but we're in a Kingdom!"

"So? Just because we're in a Kingdom, protected by guards and people like me, doesn't mean crime is nonexistent." She held up her hand to tick off her fingers. "Theft, kidnapping, illegal entry, Black Market dealings, and murders. I've seen it all."

"But…but who would do something like—" Suddenly a certain cult crossed my mind. "The Endward Cult?"

Wynn shook her head. "No. While the Endward Cult has been a problem for Ringwood, I don't think it was them."

"Because…"

"Because the Heads were still present." Wynn stated darkly. "It's the Cult's M.O. for keeping track of how many Crafters they've killed. Since the victim's Heads were present, it was someone else…someone able to handle eleven guards simultaneously."

"Oh…um what's M.O?" I questioned.

"Modus operandi."

"Gesundheit."

A nerve popped out of Wynn's forehead. "No. Modus operandi is what M.O. stands for."

"Oh…"

"…"

"…uh—"

"It means methods of operation." She explained with a sigh, predicting my question.

After concluding that discussion, we waited in silence. Wynn tapped her foot impatiently while I twiddled my thumbs.

 _Think, Cobb! You have a golden opportunity to learn more about Minecraftia. Wynn is probably way more experienced…_

 _Actually…_

"Hey, Wynn—"

"You will address me as Captain or Miss Whispers for the duration of your sentence." She interrupted coldly.

"Alright." I consented irritated. " _Captain Wynn._ What's your number?"

"642,005." She stated proudly.

"Wow. That's…a lot less than mine." I stated lamely. "So you've been around for quite a while right?"

"Yes. I've lost track of the exact amount of years, but I suppose it's been around…350." My mouth hung open in shock. "I look younger because Crafters don't age. So you can close your agape mouth now."

I quickly obeyed her suggestion and thought about how to phrase my next question. "So you probably have a lot of experience and knowledge at under your belt, right?"

Before she could answer, Chester returned with a frown directed towards me. "Nice try asshole."

"Huh?" I couldn't understand what I had done to earn so much animosity.

"Someone's already registered under that number you gave." I stared dumbly at Chester as his words sunk in. "Were you just trying to be facetious? Or is this another deeper crime in the works? Trying to pass yourself off as someone else?"

 _Someone…already has my number?_

Before I could say anything, Wynn gripped the scruff of my hoodie and yanked me towards her. She looked angry as she leveled a glare at me. "Are you a pathological liar or what!? I thought we agreed no more lies!"

"Wait! Wait!" I tried desperately to calm her down. "I wasn't lying! That was the number Helena gave me! I-I would never forget a number like that!"

 _What's going on? I know I didn't make a mistake with the number…maybe the clerk messed it up?_

"You're positive it was back there? Nine nines?" I questioned the clerk who deepened his frown.

"Look, I may be new to the job. But even I'm not that big of a greenhorn to mix up numbers." He tossed Wynn a book. "See for yourself, Captain."

Wynn's eyes scanned the pages before she turned her glare back to me. "The number's taken. So either you're lying—"

"Which I'm not!" I defended indignantly.

"—Someone else is lying, or…Helena made a mistake."

Wynn released my hoodie and I fixed it so it didn't look stretched (not that my clothes received damage in any sense).

The Captain returned the book as she addressed the clerk. "Write a note alerting the clerks to find the supposed nonupal nine Crafter. If he purchases a house or re-enters this Hall let him know of the possible mix-up." Chester nodded.

"And as for you," she glared at me and I flinched, "you better not be lying to me. Because if you are—"

"I'm not! And why would I anyway? I wouldn't risk going back to prison after everything Floyd did for me!" I defended logically and that seemed to have calmed her down.

"Alright, then." She relaxed. "The other case is that Helena—as one of the oldest beings in Minecraftia—lost track of the numbering system, skipping numbers or, in this case, labeling two Crafters with the same one." She turned her attention back to Chester. "Therefore, Cobb will require a different number until we can discover the mix-up. Any suggestions?"

Chester took out a spare book and entry pass. "I already searched through the numbers. 999,999,998 is taken so the closest available number is 1,000,000,000."

Wynn cringed. "10-digits? Kind of a step down, but at least it can be said easier. And if there's no other number." She nudged me with her elbow. "Sign the book."

I quickly obeyed and signed my name, experiencing déjà vu from the last time I signed my name into a book with TheAvoided.

 _…what's déjà vu?_

"But wait, so what's my official number then?" I questioned as I returned the book. Chester then began furiously scribbling stuff down and took the entry pass to the back room for…whatever.

"Your official number will be one billion until we can straighten this mess out. Just remember the number given to you by Helena." Wynn affirmed. "Keep in mind though, Ringwood is a big Kingdom. We may never find the guy, so start getting used to your new number. It will also be the number the Hall uses to label you."

"…Got it." I mumbled depressed as I accepted the newly signed Citizenship Information and Entry Pass from Chester.

 _Aw man! I kinda liked my number with the nine nines in order. Now I'm a whole number up…I'll appear less experienced than I did before!_

 _But on the plus side, it is easier to say. And it's the first ten-digit number!_

 _But I wonder who has my number?_ I thought to myself as Wynn led us from the building to her next errand on the list. _Is it really possible Helena made a counting error?_

 _Or maybe what Wynn suggested first. Someone_ stole _my number._

 _…_

 _Ha! Yeah right!_

 _After all, what kind of person would be desperate enough to steal_ that _number?_

* * *

[Noman]

Standing between two alleys, I quickly glanced across the street to spot a patrol of two guards in front of the Central District's towering plateau.

I turned back to my black and orange companion. "So just to clarify," she rolled her eyes, "I just want to make sure. The Crystal Catacombs are inside that plateau?"

Spark nodded as she scribbled something down in her book.

 **[YES! FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, YES!]**

 **[THE CRYSTAL CATACOMBS ARE A BURIAL GROUND FOR THE KINGS AND CAPTAINS OF THE PAST. AS SUCH, ONLY OTHER KINGS AND CAPTAINS ARE ALLOWED ENTRY TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS.]**

"How do they get inside? We circled the whole plateau and found no entrance." I questioned as I handed the book back to her.

 **[THERE IS NO OUTSIDE ENTRANCE. MOST CITIZENS SPECULATE THAT THERE'S A SECRET STAIRCASE LEADING INTO THE PLATEAU FROM THE PALACE. IT WOULD MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR ROYALTY TO ENTER.]**

 **[AND WE DIDN'T CIRCLE THE PLATEAU TO FIND AN ENTRANCE. WE CIRCLED THE PLATEAU TO LOOK FOR A BLIND SPOT TO _MAKE_ AN ENTRANCE. THE GUARD PATROLS ARE MOST VULNERABLE AT THIS SPOT.]**

When I finished reading I began to panic. "Uh…that's great and all…but if the general public aren't allowed in there, what would happen if I get caught sneaking in?"

Spark shrugged before forming fists in front of her face. As if she was miming holding onto prison cell bars.

The message was clear. _Prison._

I groaned before realizing she had written another message. **[DON'T WORRY, NOMAN. NOBODY'S GOING TO SEE YOU BECAUSE I HAVE A PLAN.]**

She pulled out a leather tunic, an ink sac, a pumpkin, and two invisibility potions from her backpack.

It was the oddest collection of items I had seen and I could hardly fathom what her plan was.

She tossed me one of the potions while she quickly combined her leather tunic and ink sac. The result was a black dyed tunic, which she promptly put on. Finally, she placed the pumpkin over her head as a helmet of sorts. It was then I realized that the pumpkin had a spooky face carved into it.

 **[I'LL MAKE THE GUARDS LEAVE THEIR POSITION. WHEN I DO, DRINK THE POTION AND DIG OUT AN ENTRANCE IN THE PLATEAU.]**

 **[BUT MAKE SURE YOU REPLACE THE BLOCKS YOU DIG OUT SO NOBODY NOTICES THE ENTRANCE. WE'LL MEET BACK UP AT THAT INN WE STAYED AT. MIDNIGHT.]**

I nodded as I returned the book. "You sure you want to do…whatever it is you're doing? I don't exactly see what your plan is."

She waved off my concern as she exited the alleyway from the other end, leaving me alone.

Realizing I didn't have a pickaxe, I set my Crafting table down and used my ten planks to form a wooden pick as well as a wooden axe. I recollected my Crafting table and my two remaining wooden planks and waited for whatever Spark had intended to do.

A few minutes later and I saw it.

A floating pumpkin and black dyed tunic were hovering near the guards. No doubt it was Spark under the affects of an invisibility potion. I was surprised that not only items held were visible during the affects of the potion. Apparently, any worn gear would also remain visible.

Anyway, the guards quickly noticed the floating tunic and pumpkin and began shouting something at it. Then the apparition turned and ran away, leading the two guards from their post as they gave chase.

Noticing my opportunity, I quickly drank the potion she gave me and felt the familiar feeling of disappearance wash over me. I rushed over to the stone brick plateau and mined out a section of the wall. It was quite thick, but I slipped inside and replaced the stone bricks faster than a blink.

And it was then I had made it to the Crystal Catacombs.

As I turned to face what the inside of the plateau looked like, I was struck by how quiet it was. The noise of the urban crowds was silenced by the airtight walls.

The inside of the plateau looked hollow with a cylindrical staircase in the middle, extending up to meet the ceiling, which I assumed led into the palace above.

Glowing blocks decorated the ceiling in the image of an apple, serving to both illuminate the room and offer superb artistry.

It was a shame the general public were forbidden from seeing it.

But most important were the structures seen on the ground. Closer to the central staircase were dozens of statues. Each one towered at least a hundred feet.

I carefully walked over to get a closer look, making sure to keep an eye out for any other visitors. If what Spark said was true, there was always a chance some royalty or Captains would show up.

As I passed the statues, I noticed that each one had a sign listing a name, date of birth and date of death, a number, and a small message to be remembered by.

I quickly realized that the statues served as ornate graves to remember the fallen. That made sense since Crafters don't leave a corpse behind. Just a Head…

Which was displayed on a flat stone altar in front of each effigy.

"Ugh." I cringed aloud. Although the idea of graves commemorating those that died serving the Kingdom sounded noble, the idea of keeping the Heads around was still revolting. Surely having a giant likeness would be enough to memorize a deceased's features.

"Who said that?" I deep voice came from somewhere to the left of me. I turned on my heel to see a green-haired Crafter with a white button up gakuran ( _how do I even know what that is?_ ) tan jeans, and wearing diamond armor over it.

I froze on the spot, thinking of a way to explain myself, when all of a sudden he turned to look elsewhere. It was then I remembered that I was still under the effects of the Invisibility Potion. So all I had to do was stay quiet and he would be none the wiser.

After a while of vain searching, the green-haired man must have concluded that he heard nothing because he returned to the grave he was mulling over. I watched as he placed a single rose over the altar before patting the corresponding statue and heading towards the central staircase.

After he left, I walked over to the grave he was examining and read the sign…

And almost fell over in shock.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things just as my Invisibility wore off.

[Here Lies Notch (#2). January 1st, 0000-March 25th, 0150.]

[ _The only way forward, is endward._ ]

* * *

[Floyd]

"Soul! Open up! I know you're in there!" I shouted as I banged on his cottage door. The memory of my failure was still fresh in my mind, but I wouldn't let that stop me.

This time, I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer!

Several minutes of loud knocking later and the door was still unanswered. Fed up with waiting, I opened the door myself and searched for Soul so I could gain his forgiveness.

Through force if necessary.

The cottage was illuminated by torches, but all the rooms were empty of people. A few chests were scattered around containing everyday gear (sticks, string, rotten flesh, etc.) but there was no sign of Soul.

 _Where the hell is he?_ I wondered as I took another look through the cottage. There were some items I had never encountered before.

A flower pot holding a baby cactus.

A beautiful painting of mountains at sunset.

A frame holding a piece of paper.

Some bookshelves.

 _Wait a second…_

I returned my attention to the framed piece of paper.

 _Why would Soul frame this?_ I thought as I pulled the paper from the frame.

It had a message written on it...similar to the Endward Cult invitation I pulled off of Crawford.

[ _Granger's Barn. Behind the hay bales._ ]

I stared at the message, remembering passing a barn nearby with that name.

I returned the paper to the frame and considered my options.

 _Should I wait for Soul to come back? I'm sure he'll understand why I had to break into his home to ask his forgiveness._

 _…_

 _Or should I check out this message? If it's in Soul's cottage, it might give me an idea where Soul is._

 _…_

 _What would Cobb do?_

 _…_

 _He'd probably try and get himself involved in complicated things beyond what he originally intended to do._

 _…_

"Mysterious message it is." I concluded as I left the cottage, towards the Granger's Barn just up the street.

The barn itself was nothing special. It even looked like it needed repairs, what with all the holes in the ceiling.

Plus, weren't barns supposed to have horses in them? Or some kinds of farm animals?

This one only had hay bales. Piles and piles of hay bales. They stacked particularly high in the back.

Exactly where the message specified to go.

I sighed as I began climbing the bales of hay. They were surprisingly sturdy, able to hold up my weight, as I climbed them, but I still couldn't understand what the big deal about the hay bales was…

At least not until, crawling atop the highest pile, my hands met nothing beneath me. Losing my balance, I quickly grasped out for any sort of ledge or object of support.

My hands quickly met the rungs of a ladder. One that traveled into a hole in the hay pile. It was completely concealed from the outside, so only somebody who knew where to look would know that it was there.

Secret ladder.

I positioned myself so that my feet met the rungs and began my descent. The ladder stretched quite a ways down, illuminated only by sparse torches. It probably extended below the foundations of the barn.

Finally, my feet met the ground, and I exited the ladder into a small stone room. Bunk beds lined the walls and there were a few chairs here and there.

Over by the corner was a pool of water contained by some stone slabs. There was a furnace in the center, and some stands holding glass bottles on wooden tables.

And there was also another set of doors leading to another room.

 _Where the hell am I?_ I thought to myself as I walked over to the stands holding glass bottles. They looked like they were holding potions of various types and colors.

I picked one up at random. A bright green [POTION OF LEAPING]. I sniffed it, before returning it to its original spot. It would've been rude to steal from people who I didn't even meet yet.

 _Then again, I'm probably already being rude breaking into someone's secret hay bale base._

Suddenly, I began hearing voices steadily getting louder and louder. It was coming from the doors leading to another room.

I hastily dove behind the bunk beds and hid myself just as the doors opened, revealing two people.

The first was a woman with light purple hair. In fact, it was the same woman I bumped into outside of Soul's cottage two days ago.

She had wavy, light purple hair that reached to her collarbone in length, peach skin, and aquamarine eyes. Fixed atop her head was a pair of black goggles.

She wore a light blue gradient tank top, blue jean shorts, and tan Ugg boots. Her backpack and belt were the same shade of purple as her hair. And her name was Courageous_Cara.

The other person with her was Soul.

So the good news was I found him. The bad news was…I had no idea what I had stumbled into.

 _Maybe following Cobb's way of doing things wasn't the best idea._

While I thought on how best to reveal myself to the two, I saw that they were talking quite amiably with each other.

"So how did your lead turn out?" Soul asked as he walked over to the potion stands. "Any signs of cultist activity?"

"Yep." Cara smiled as she munched on some bread from her backpack. "The Endward Cult was definitely using that building as potion brewing site. But, strangely enough, there were no cultists guarding the place."

"They probably heard you were coming and ran for the hills." Soul chuckled as he withdrew a red potion from the stands.

"With my long range skills, they probably would be worse off running." Cara commented as she sidled up to Soul to grab a light gray potion of her own. "And I don't think that's the case."

Soul rolled his eyes. "Alright then 'O experienced one.' What's your theory?"

"Well since you asked so nicely 'O angsty one,'" Cara commented as she lightly swatted at Soul's arm, "Cultist activity within the Kingdom hasn't dropped this past week. It's vanished completely. Still missing people, but no missing Heads." Cara grabbed a pink Potion of Regeneration to go with her other potion. "It's almost like the Cult's just…left the Kingdom entirely."

Soul rubbed his chin in thought. "So is that good or bad for us?"

"Well," Cara began brightly, "it's good for us because with an unguarded potion brewing site, I managed to appropriate a sizable amount of potion supplies. Brett's gonna have a field day when he sees what I got him!"

"And the building?"

Cara suddenly stopped her cheering and adopted an embarrassed look as she turned away. "Building? Ha ha. What building?"

"The potion brewing site. Did you…" Soul deadpanned at her. "You burned it to the ground didn't you."

She stuck out her tongue apologetically. "Well, it belonged to the Cult. Toasting it with nobody around seemed the safest thing to do."

"Safest?" Soul raised an eyebrow.

"Let me rephrase that. It was the…bestest thing to do."

"Did you just burn it to save time and eliminate one of the Northern Division's key potion brewing cites, or did you do it because you're a little pyromaniac?"

"It was to save time and eliminate a key threat… _and_ I'm a little pyromaniac." She added with a wink.

In response, Soul pulled back Cara's goggles and released them, allowing them to nail her in the head with an audible 'SNAP.'

While Cara rubbed her head in pain and Soul shook his head in exasperation, I decided that the best thing to do would be to reveal myself to the two.

Hopefully, they wouldn't flip out.

"Soul." I called out as I rose from my hiding spot.

Soul whirled on me, his relaxed expression morphing into surprise and then anger. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Meanwhile, Cara, upon noticing me, hid herself behind Soul and drew out a bow.

 _Well, not the best start, but at least they're not flipping out…sort of._

"I came here to ask for forgiveness." I stated calmly. "And I'm not leaving until we talk. As in actually talk this out."

"I thought I made things pretty clear: Leave me alone." Soul countered as he pulled out an iron axe from his belt. "And instead of listening, you barge into our secret base without a care in the world. You have any idea who you could've alerted coming down here!?"

"I don't even know where here is. What is this place?" I questioned as I took another short look around the room.

"It's our base." A new voice sounded from the ladder behind me. I turned to spot an aged man with silver hair. "The base of the Silver Intent."

* * *

[Cobb]

"So then when I figured the guy wasn't really a celebrity, I knew that his message would probably lead me into trouble." I explained to Wynn as she purchased a set of leather armor from a merchant. "But, see, by then I had already swore on my life to fulfill his request."

Wynn nodded in understanding as we left the store. "I'm aware of the level of honor imbued in an oath. That being said, I can't believe TheAvoided managed to sucker you in so easily." She suddenly stopped as she turned her head to regard me again. "On second thought, it's not so hard to believe."

"Ouch." I cringed as if in actual pain from her insult. "I'll admit I'm not classically intelligent, but I can think on my feet…sometimes...on a good day."

"Then the past few days must have been bad ones." Wynn jabbed as she replaced her diamond armor and white leather boots with the leather set she just bought. "So you were planning on just passing the message and hope that none of it ever returned to bite you in the posterior."

"…uh what's—"

"Your rear." She specified.

"Well why didn't you just say that?" I complained as she led me into the Western District. "And yeah, I was kind of hoping everything would resolve itself after that…but, surprise-surprise, it just got more complicated."

"Well, tough." Wynn stated in a firm tone. "That's life for you. Your actions have consequences, both big and small…and now I'm stuck babysitting you for the next few days."

I frowned before an idea crossed my mind. "Well…technically you don't have to watch me." She raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "I mean, we could just tell the Ki—His Eminence! That's what I meant to say!—that we've been getting along, staying in each other's company—"

"When really we'd be staying as far away from each other as possible." Wynn finished as she rubbed her chin, considering the offer.

"Exactly." I internally cheered seeing my plan work. Stage one: Act honest and open yourself up to develop a level of mutual understanding.

Stage two: Try and make a deal to get away from the disciplinary Captain and back to friendly Floyd.

After all, if I was going on a week long journey to a far away Kingdom, I'd need to pack supplies. Train more against Mobs. Maybe try mining for ores.

Finally, Wynn broke me out of my internal thoughts. "While the offer is tempting, I'm afraid I can't leave you alone."

"What? Why?" I groaned as she lead us further into the Western District. ( _Where exactly are we going? And why did she change her armor?_ ) "I've explained that my 'criminal activities' were just accidents! Not to mention, I think I've proven that I'm NOT a most wanted level criminal."

"Oh that goes without saying." Wynn waved off my statement as if it was obvious. "You're about as harmless as a rabbit…and not the killer deadly kind."

I had to replay her statement in my head, just to check I had heard it correctly. _There's a killer deadly kind of rabbit?_

I shook that thought away as I refocused on the main argument. "Then why did you lie to the K—EMINENCE!—is what I meant to say. Why did you lie to His Eminence? Saying I was as dangerous a criminal as they came."

Wynn paused in her walking and leaned against a nearby sign labeled 'Get Good Newb Road.'

 _Are all the signs in this district insulting? And what's a Newb supposed to be?_

"His Eminence, in all his benevolence and wisdom, is a tad…naïve." Wynn hesitated on that last word. "He is unaware of the dangers even a single criminal poses to the safety of this Kingdom."

"When the populace sees a name on a wanted poster, they don't just see a threat. They see someone that has gotten away with breaking the rules." Wynn continued as she held up her rapier.

"'If that man can get away with robbery, why can't I?' 'I need those emeralds to support my business. And it's not like it'll hurt anyone to borrow a few.' 'That man threatened my friend. Surely an exception to the rules can be made. He doesn't deserve to live!' 'The Cult gets away with mass murder every day! They can't be stopped, so neither will I!'" Wynn listed all those events in different tones of voice. No doubt she was mimicking crimes she had witnessed.

"Even the lowest of criminals can spark a rebellion within the citizens. A desire to break established order and endanger others." Wynn gripped her rapier tightly. "That's why criminals need to be imprisoned. No matter how small the crime, they serve as a threat. No exceptions So—"

"So you lie to make common criminals seem more dangerous to His Eminence?" I interrupted with a scowl. "That's not exactly fair."

"I prefer to think of it as stretching the truth to protect human lives." Wynn defended crossly as she brandished her rapier against my neck. "And don't act so high and mighty on lies when yours were only intended to save yourself."

I looked away knowing I couldn't exactly defend my side after all the lies I had said to the King.

"Accidents or not, you broke the law. And what you said does nothing to change the fact that, if it were up to me, you'd be imprisoned just like the rest of the trash." Wynn leaned off the sign as she continued forward.

"No matter how unpleasant it is, I'm not leaving you alone."

I sighed dejectedly as I followed the white-haired Captain. "Because it's your code? Because you gave your word to His Eminence?"

"Yes to both of those, but also for another reason." She concluded with a hair flip. "It's actually the same reason we're traveling through the Western District."

"Which is…?" I trailed off just as Wynn pushed me to the ground.

"Hey! What was that—" I stopped my protest when I noticed half-a-dozen arrows lodged into the ground where I was standing moments ago. "What?"

Someone had shot those arrows at me. An archer, or archers, from one of the buildings.

"Looks like they took the bait." Wynn commented as she discarded her leather armor, put on her original set, and threw down two splash potions. One bright green, one electric blue.

"Wait there." She ordered before she took off in a whirlwind of movement. She reached the base of a decaying building…

And immediately scaled it with a series of high acrobatic jumps and somersaults. And she appeared to be at ease in her efforts. As if she had scaled buildings all her life.

I stared in amazement as she reached the top in just a few seconds. She pulled out her rapier and began crossing swords with the archer who had taken the shots. I couldn't see much of the fight, but it was over in a matter of seconds. Wynn finished the archer off with an elbow to the face, knocking him off the building, sending him into a heap along the ground.

The next moment, Wynn had leapt to an adjacent building, adding a back flip for dramatics, as she located another hidden archer.

Except this one was not alone. He was accompanied by a female Crafter with a stone sword.

Still, Wynn appeared undeterred by the numbers. Each swing the female assailant dished out, Wynn dodged. Either sidestepping a strike, ducking beneath a swipe, or flipping over the assailant's head. Her ivory hair, despite whipping and whirling in tandem with her movements throughout the battle, remained untouched by any of the assailant's strikes. Bright green and electric blue particles danced around her.

Her style of combat was so graceful and evasive. Like a ballerina…

Whatever that is.

Finally, her fight with the two ended when she struck the female assailant in the back of the neck, knocking her out, and disarmed the second archer with a flourish of her rapier. Wynn held her rapier at his throat and the archer quickly put his hands up in surrender.

Her fight with the three mysterious assailants had drawn a crowd. Various bedraggled Crafters watched as if it was the only entertainment around.

Wynn tossed the two assailants she defeated onto the ground beside the first archer. A second later, she leapt off the building, landing perfectly on her feet despite the height, before moving to stand over the attackers.

 _Why did those guys shoot at me?_ I wondered as I took a step towards Wynn.

The next moment, I noticed a glint of something out of the corner of my eye. Without thinking, I threw myself to the right, barely avoiding a razor sharp iron sword belonging to a burly iron clad Crafter.

I quickly drew my stone sword and blocked an overhead strike before an iron clad boot struck me under the ribs.

I coughed in pain, losing a few hearts of health, as I was pushed back against a building by the burly assailant. His hand gripped my throat, cutting off my air.

 _Why…do…people…keep…choking…me…today!?_

I reached down to my belt for my flint and steel…before remembering that I didn't have one.

Meanwhile, the burly assailant pulled his blade back in preparation to jab me in the gut.

Just as he thrust the blade forward, a white blur flipped over his head and landed hard on the blade, driving it into the ground.

It was Wynn.

She quickly kicked out at the assailant's face, sending him tumbling back and freeing my neck from his choking grip. The next second, as I gasped for breath, the Captain was repeatedly jabbing at the assailant, punching holes in his iron armor like a hole-puncher through paper.

It didn't look like the iron armor was doing much good against the rapier. Wynn's attacks were so precise and fast that they were passing right through the armor as if it wasn't even there.

The assailant made one last attempt to strike, but it was so pathetic that Wynn easily dodged it before kneeing him in the lower jaw and knocking him flat on his back.

Finally, the random battle seemed to have ended. Wynn kept her guard up, even as she called over two onlookers to drag the burly assailant over to the pile of knocked out assailants. I shakily got to my feet and used the building to support me.

After a quick glance around the street, Wynn returned her rapier to her belt and set a rocket shaped item on the ground. It soared into the sky in a jet of white sparks and exploded in a white burst extending into showering trails.

Wynn sipped a bucket of something and immediately the particles swirling around her died out. She called me over, to which I hesitantly followed as we left the street.

But I had so many questions. "What…what just happened? What was that back there!?"

"That was a firework. It signals the guards that there are apprehended criminals nearby and that they should hurry over to arrest them." Wynn explained without looking at me.

"Alright, but that's not what I meant." I continued. "Why did those guys attack us?"

"Not us." Wynn corrected, still not looking at me. "You. They were targeting you. Trying to kill you by the looks of it." She said that so nonchalantly!

 _It's not nonchalant, so don't act like it is!_ I wanted to shout, but I held my words because I still had some questions. Like…

"Why were they after me? I didn't do anything."

Wynn actually began to chuckle at my comment. "Indeed. You've done nothing. But, as I said before, your actions, big or small, have consequences." Wynn turned her head to face me. "You were seen during Kane's arrest and Kane has his own contacts that can undoubtedly smuggle a message out of prison for him."

I just blinked in confusion, not quite understanding her reasoning.

"Kane said so himself, didn't he?" Wynn commented with a flip of her hair. "You're a dead man."

Suddenly it hit me. "Wait, so…you mean all his Black Market buddies and goons—"

"They blame you for Kane's imprisonment." Wynn finished with a smirk. "They'll be gunning for you as long as you stay in this Kingdom. Especially in the most crime-dominated district." She gestured to the dilapidated Western District surrounding us. "That's why I can't exactly leave you alone. You won't last a day otherwise."

"Wait...wait, wait, wait." I tried to wrap my head around the concept of being on a wanted criminal's hit list. "If this is the most dangerous district, then why did we come here?"

Wynn actually looked slightly guilty as she turned away. "Well, I guess it just didn't cross my mind."

Ignoring her evasive answer, I thought more about how she acted before arriving in the Western district.

Suddenly it hit me. "You were using me as bait weren't you!? To catch Kane's men!" Shock flitted across my face as I realized why Wynn wore different leather armor to mask her appearance. She was using me as bait to fish for criminals!

How cold could she get!?

I was right in my assumption as Wynn merely ignored my accusation. "The reasons don't matter. You're alive, thanks to me, and more criminals are set to be put behind bars. Anyway, I think we've done all we could today. Time to head to my home."

"Don't change the subject! How can you use me as bait after I told you I'm a victim of circumstance!?" I shouted indignantly as she briskly strode away. "And for the record, it's not considered saving someone's life when you put it in danger in the first place!"

* * *

[Noman]

"Notch is dead!?" I questioned the very words I spoke aloud, but I had to say them just to clarify what I had seen.

Notch was dead.

Dead for quite some time if the date was any indication. His lifetime began when he spawned and ended 150 years later. Normally, an age like that would have sounded farfetched, but in Minecraftia, people can live forever and never age…so long as something else doesn't kill them first.

 _But what could have killed him? And why would he leave me the book message when he can't be here to teach me the rest of Minecraftia's dangers?_

It came as such a shock because Helena had stated that the First 100 were some of the fiercest survivalists imaginable. She was so sure they were alive, so, by extension, I felt so sure that they were alive.

But, his very Head was lying on the stone slab.

I guess a lot can change in 500 years.

I fell to my knees as I stared again at that tell tale sign. I even glanced up at the statue to see what the man looked like.

I was expecting some kind of God given the armor he bestowed upon me. Instead, all I saw was a bald man with beady black eyes, a black beard, brown tattered shirt, grey pants, and black shoes.

Nothing really screamed 'Legend.' He looked pretty normal too.

Also, for some reason, the statue's hands were pointing down towards the slab his Head rested on.

Odd.

 _Now what am I supposed to do?_ I thought as I pulled out Notch's message book. _The legendary Second that gave me the mission in the first place has been dead for 350 years! Why did he even want me to come here? Was I supposed to see that he was dead and couldn't support me in any way?_

 _…wait._

 _If he wrote the book, he had to have done that before he died._

 _So…did he know he was going to die…and purposefully entrust this book to Helena?_

 _And he mentioned a great evil…was that what killed him?_

There were so many questions and so little answers. I felt myself growing frustrated. _Did I come this far to be stopped?_

"What am I supposed to do!?" I shouted at the statue, hoping for… _something_ to happen.

Instead, the statue just stood as still as always. Almost tauntingly so.

"What am I supposed to do Notch!?" I shouted, not even caring if a guard or Captain overheard me. "Don't just call me here and then leave me in the dark! Answer me!"

But still, the cold stone of the statue remained silent. I shook in frustration.

There I was. The Billionth in name, but not in deeds. Masquerading as another number just in fear of being judged by others.

I thought Spark was onto something when she said that Notch chose me for a reason. That I had an innocence lost by most Crafters.

Well how was Notch supposed to appreciate his choice when he was dead!?

What am I even supposed to do now!?

Did Notch just reconsider choosing me in the first place and stop the trail of heroic world saving missions before they could begin? Was getting to the Catacombs just a cruel sick joke? To get my hopes up that I could actually be something!?

Or was the truth of the mission so blatantly obvious, that anyone but a newb could figure it out? Anyone but me!

"GRAH!" I shouted in frustration as I chucked the message book at the grave. Right at Notch's Head…

Only for it to vanish into the slab below.

…

*click*

"OW!" I fell backward after a book nailed me in the head and landed right into my lap…

*click*

…shortly joined by another book…

*click*

…and a cookie.

Something from the statue's head had spat those three things at me.

"What the…" I picked up the books and immediately noticed that neither were the same book I threw.

They were…different. One much older, ancient looking, and one about the same age as the one I threw.

And why the [COOKIE]?

I weighed the books and decided to open the same age one first. I immediately noted that it was signed by Notch.

 _Who knew that shouting and throwing things actually made stuff happen!_

Anyway, I began reading the book.

 **[To Billionth.]**

 **[If you are reading this, then I have died.]**

 **[…Or else I left this book in the statue's head after rigging up all the stupid redstone and decided I was way too lazy and waaaaay too sober to dismantle it.]**

 **[Easy way to check, though. If my Head is on the grave, then I'm dead. If not, I'm lazy.]**

 **[At least I left you a cookie as congratulations for finding the Catacombs! Good work!]**

 **[The book I left with Helena was set to trigger a hopper below my grave…it's all very complicated redstone crap that I had to have Jeb help me out with. I was actually debating putting a message in Helena's book describing how to unlock this message, but then I figured, 'I gave him the Severe Shield. He doesn't need any more help.']**

I frowned at that written statement. He certainly could have left a message detailing what to do next.

 **[But, anyway. Back to important things…that is, if I'm dead. Which I probably am.]**

 **[In a few days, I'm going to fight a great evil. I'm not so sure I can win, so I'm setting up counter measures. Thankfully, my opponent is giving me the time to give you, the Billionth, a trail to follow.]**

 **[The evil I'm fighting…it's bad. And our arena is the Nether. A hellhole if ever I saw one.]**

 **[But I'm leaving you these messages in case I die.]**

 **[As the Billionth, you possess a power greater than any other Crafter in existence. You're fresh. You're new. And you have the innocence needed to prove me right!]**

 **[But my opponent…his morals are eschewed and twisted. The Endward Cult are his agents and they will stop at nothing to eradicate all Crafters from Minecraftia!]**

I paused in my reading. _The Endward Cult. Those guys that died…I guess I attacked them before I knew I had to…or intended to._

 **[They need to be stopped, but I know very little about their identities. The Cult sticks to the shadows and strikes when you least expect it. Never forget and trust no one.]**

 **[I know it's a lot to ask of you. You may have to fight the great evil, should I lose today.]**

 **[But you won't be going in empty handed!]**

 **[You possess the Severe Shield! The best offense and defense around!]**

 **[But it won't be enough. It is only one of nine artifacts created by a very good friend of mine. The other eight are scattered throughout Minecraftia. It'll be up to you to find them all. It's like an Easter Egg Hunt, only instead of colored eggs, you're looking for crazy powerful gear.]**

I couldn't help but worry about that last line. The Severe Shield was dangerous enough, but there were eight more artifacts just as powerful? And I had to find all of them just to tackle the Cult? Just how strong was the Endward Cult?

And what if someone else already owned those artifacts? If Notch wrote the book trail before his death, then they have to be at least 350 years old! Anyone could have stumbled upon them!

 **[The other book will have more details on the artifacts. It was written by my good friend, Herobrine…though he'll probably be sore that I borrowed it…]**

 **[Meh, I'll apologize when I see him again…if I see him again…]**

 **[Anyway, keep in mind, the Cult may be forewarned by their founder, so keep your number to yourself. Nobody can know you're the Billionth.]**

 **[Guess that's it then. Best of luck. Enjoy your Cookie. And…uh…]**

 **[…]**

 **[YOLO!]**

 **[~Notch]**

I slowly closed the book, trying to take in all I had gleaned.

 _I take back what I said earlier. Notch_ did _tell me what to do._

 _I need to find eight artifacts, scattered throughout the world._

 _Take on a Cult bent on killing all Crafters._

 _And save the world._

 _…_

 _I…I don't even know what to think about all that._

I had already assumed I would need to protect people, but oddly enough, Notch's message was more focused on telling me to find items. It didn't even mention protecting people except as the main goal of stopping the Cult.

So I'm supposed to stop a group of killers. That's a lot different from saving people in need.

But that doesn't mean I shouldn't do both!

I flipped open the older book to check over some of the gear I would need to look for. I passed Herobrine's signature and several pages of informative text that listen one of the nine artifacts, its abilities, and its probable location.

I read the names to myself.

 _Let's see…_

 _Destierro del Palillo_

 _Arcticum Arma_

 _Stivali Magma_

 _Vivlio Zythopoiias_

 _Bottes Zephyr_

 _Yanhua Gong_

 _Endabou_

 _Voda Shlem_

 _And the Severe Shield._

 _…_

 _What was Herobrine thinking with some of these names?_

 _I don't even know if I'm pronouncing them right._

I flipped over to the last page to read the Severe Shield's information.

 **[Severe Shield]**

 **The greatest offense and defense of Minecraftia, it is a chestplate compacted with the greatest enchantments discovered through command block technology!**

 **The wearer will have the following properties:**

 **-four times their standard level of hearts courtesy of a Health Boost effect**

 **-a Protection Enchantment with enough power to limit standard damage to half a heart per hit**

 **-a Thorns Enchantment with enough defensive force to wipe out any attacking Crafter or Mob unless said Crafter/Mob was wearing full diamond armor with Protection Enchantment (for use against Mobs, keep in mind that the one hit protection only works on Mobs with 10 hearts of health. Endermen, having 20 hearts, will not die in one hit)**

 **-a damage effect that can cause ten hearts of damage when striking with ANY punch or item…even a flower**

 **-Infused with Infinite Potion of Water Breathing and Infinite Potion of Fire Resistance to facilitate travel through water and fire**

 **-Feather Falling and Resistance Effect to limit Fall damage**

 **I really went overboard with this…but it's not like I'm using it...Notch deserves it.**

 **Appearance: It looks like a glowing diamond chestplate, but it has the name Severe Shield**

 **Weakness: While useful on most fronts, the Thorns Enchantment is useless against Splash Potions, although it would take several potions of poison and harming just to take out a quarter of its boosted heart bar.**

 **A certain Mob may also be able to pose a threat…but I require more research.**

 **Ultimately, the greatest threat…is you. Don't shoot yourself with your own bow while wearing the chestplate as your damage output and Thorns defense would ultimately cycle into a huge chunk of self-inflicted damage per arrow.**

 **Also doing so would be incredibly moronic. So it's doubtful that it would occur.**

 **…**

 **Maybe I should reconsider giving this to Notch.**

 **Location: Ringwood**

 _Holy hamburgers._ I thought to myself as I took out the Severe Shield. Who knew it had so many other uses.

 _Still, I can't be tempted by it. It's too dangerous to be wearing so casually…even if I do need it to take on the Cult._

I put the books and Severe Shield back in my Inventory. As I headed back to the wall I had come from, readying my pick as I went, I munched on the cookie Notch had left me.

"Mmm…tastes like…my first step."

* * *

[Floyd]

"The Silver Intent?" I questioned as I looked upon the three Crafters: Soul, Cara, and the new guy named Brett.

"Yes." The silver-haired man named Brett replied. "We are an organization dedicated to stopping the Endward Cult and attaining justice for all the horrors they've committed."

"Brett! Why are you bothering to tell him anything?" Soul raised his voice as he stepped forward. "We don't need someone like him!"

"Really? You seem to know a lot about this man's character seeing as how you two just met and all." Brett stated pointedly.

"I…I've met him before," Soul reluctantly grumbled, "but trust me when I say the Intent is better off without him." I shrunk a little at his caustic words. "He's nothing but a coward who runs at the first sign of trouble."

 _Don't let him have his say. You can't just let him think you haven't changed! You have, Floyd! So show him!_

"I'm not the same person I was before Soul." I stated confidently. "I messed up, I'll admit it. But I want to redeem myself…for Silent—"

"Don't act like you give a damn about him!" Soul snarled as he rushed forward and gripped my sweater. "When he needed you, you stood by shivering! If I was in your place that day…if I wasn't preoccupied with fighting…I would have saved him without a thought!"

"I froze, alright!" I shouted as I extricated myself from Soul's grasp. "I wasn't as experienced fighting Crafters…but now I am…I-I even killed one in a fight—"

"One cultist? Big fucking deal." Soul rolled his eyes sarcastically. "The few days I've been in the Intent, I've killed _fifteen_ cultists."

"With help." Cara chirped up. I had actually forgotten she was still there with how silent she was being. She was also hiding behind Brett for some reason.

"Yeah, with help." Soul agreed as he glared at me. "Help from _real_ friends. Friends who don't bail. Friends who stick through thick and thin!"

"Then give me the chance to try again!" I begged as I got on my knees. "Please! Just give me one more chance to redeem myself!" I went a step further by bowing with my head touching the floor. "Please."

A silence filled the room as I awaited his response. I looked up to see his face, and saw something flit across for a fraction of a second: empathy. Only to be drowned out by his overwhelming harshness. "I can't give you that chance."

"But I can." Brett interrupted as he stepped in front of Floyd. "Young man, you wish to avenge your fallen companion and prove to Soul how sorry you are?"

I got up from the floor with hope in my eyes. "Y-yes!"

"Would you do anything to see this goal through? Risk anything? Even your own life?"

"Yes! Anything!"

The silver-haired man leaned his face closer to mine. "Then, as the founder of this organization, I hereby welcome you as the newest member of the Silver Intent."

…

 _What?_

"Brett—"

"We need the members Soul." Brett dismissed with a wave. "And you don't have to be this man's friend. All I'm saying is that, as a member of this organization, we should give him the benefit of the doubt. If he says he's changed, I believe him."

Soul looked mutinous, but he gave up with a grumble as he walked back to the double doors, Cara quickly following after him.

Meanwhile, I was still kneeling on the ground, wondering what I had just agreed to. Brett extended a hand to help me up.

"That was a very selfless thing you did." Brett stated as he dusted some dirt off my jeans. "Not many Crafters are willing to prostrate themselves for forgiveness. Very unorthodox, but effective."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned as I regarded the silver-haired man. "He didn't accept my apology at all."

"Not true. He was clearly struggling." Brett clarified as he held his two fists in front of me. "Between anger at you, guilt at himself, compassion for a friend, sadness for a comrade. I could see all of it and more. Which is why I think you can earn his trust again."

I blinked at the silver-haired stranger who had only known me for a few minutes. _How could he think anything of me when we don't even know one another?_

"It won't be easy, surely. But if you keep working at it, eventually the walls he's put up against you will drop. And of course, being in the same organization will give you plenty of opportunities to prove yourself." He patted my shoulder and guided me toward the double doors. "Now then, as our newest member, there are some things I should probably discuss."

Something about Brett made me feel…calmer. His words were nothing but genuine, and I was blindsided by how amiable he seemed.

So my easy reply was: "Lead the way."

* * *

[Cobb]

The Northern District was…to put it into words…indescribable.

It was the home of the Captains, politicians, and overall upper-class of the Kingdom so I expected it would be nothing short of perfect.

Yet it still blew away my expectations. The 'houses' looked more like mansions, abstract in design and situated on far more property than needed.

The entire district was surrounded by an iron fence labeled with 'no trespassing' signs and heavily guarded by patrols.

In the dimming sunlight, the Northern District's paved streets were lit up by lines of glowing lanterns. The lawns were so neatly cared for and some people sought to impress with the style of their lawn.

Some installed fountains and decorative pools. Others planted multicolored flowers in the form of lawn art. One mansion even had towering marble statues (at least it looked like marble) standing as sentinels guarding their main walkway.

I was so impressed, I completely forgot about Wynn using me as criminal bait…which was probably her intent in bringing me there.

Wynn's mansion was amazing in its own unique way. First, it had very little for a front yard. All of her property no set aside for her mansion seemed to be put into an enormous backyard shielded from view by towering shrubbery. There was no telling what her backyard held.

Second, her mansion had marble walls (again, it looked pretty much like marble), a dark wood roof, and white tinted windows. Two floors tall and wide.

And third…it looked so clean! It wasn't hard to believe that the Captain wanted to keep her home as neat as possible.

 _But wait…she can't be the one cleaning this place up. When would she have the time between her job as a Captain and correcting how people address the King._

 _Pardon me. His Eminence._

My question was answered as soon as Wynn opened the front door.

"AHH! M-miss Whispers! S-sir!—no—Ma'am! Forgive me, I was just in the middle of alphabetizing your private library when I noticed a speck of dust on the ceiling and I tried building a scaffolding to wipe it off but then I had to dismantle it because I made it from acacia wood and it clashes so poorly with the nether quartz walls and then I forgot that dinner needed to be prepared so I justthrewtogethersomepotatoesinthefurnaceandIknowhowlazythatisbutpersonallyIfeelthatlessismoreandthenuancesofasimplemeal—"

"Erin!" Wynn silenced the girl's one-breath rant with a single word. "It's fine. I'm actually in the mood for a simple dinner after everything that's happened today."

The girl, Erin, let out a sigh of relief before her eyes snapped open. "T-that sigh of relief wasn't because I felt relieved you had an exhausting day! I would never be so petty as to find solace in your misery! I mean even though your will stipulates that you'll leave everything to me and your death would provide me enough money to retire for several decades, I would never intentionally _want_ you to die! No, no, no! Iwasjustsorelievedyouhadnoqualmswiththepotatoes. Not that I wouldn't have prepared a different meal if you so said so! Because I would have! It would have been—"

 _God damn, can this girl talk._ I internally groaned trying to tune out her words. It was like her mouth was spewing out words at 100 mph. And how was she able to speak so much in only one breath of air?

She's be a perfect announcer for horse races. Or maybe one of those auctioneers.

While I waited for her tirade on types of meals (which sounded mouth-wateringly delectable) to end, I took note of her appearance by peeking over Wynn's shoulder.

She had black hair arranged in a ponytail, pale skin, and emerald eyes. She wore a black dress with white frills and a black skirt. Her belt and backpack were white. And the name over her head, read: ErinRunner.

After finishing my observations and tuning Erin out for an appropriate amount of time, I returned my attention to her.

"—after all, protein is very important in building up muscle. In fact, a good friend of mine once told me, 'Erin, there are five food groups: Meat, fruit, vegetables, desserts, and unmentionables. And of those groups, meat is the most important.' And then I responded with—"

 _STOP TALKING! Jesus-Hot-Sauce-Christmas-Cake this girl's still going!_

 _She's talking so much that her tangents are going off tangents!_

 _How can Wynn even tolerate this babble!?...actually…is she even listening right now?_

I glanced at Wynn's amber eyes and saw them glazed over. She had a vacant expression as she stared at a spot above Erin's head.

 _Gah! She's tuning her out!_ I waved my hand in front of Wynn's face only to be met with no response. _She's tuning her out really well too. Wish I could do that._

Anyway I need to make her stop before my ears explode from the word intake!

I coughed loudly to get Erin's attention, only to choke on a bit of spit mid-cough and proceeded to cough violently as I struggled to clear my throat.

For the record, it was probably because I was choked three times in one day that my throat was so messed up. Yours would be too!

Once I finally cleared my obstructed airway, I noticed the silence. The _LOUD_ silence only brought on when a room previously filled with excessive chatter was suddenly quiet.

I looked up to see Erin with…a blush on her face?...as she finally ended her tirade upon noticing me. She probably didn't see that the Captain brought company. And her blush was most likely brought on by embarrassment over her excessive talking.

The silence seemed to have snapped Wynn out of her stupor as her eyes refocused on the scene before her. "Right. Introductions. Cobb, this is Erin, my housekeeper. Erin, this is Cobb, my…nuisance." She settled on that word while I sighed at being regarded as such.

But Erin didn't seem to care about how I was addressed. In fact, her attention was focused solely on me. She didn't even look like she heard Wynn's comment.

And her face was still red for some reason.

Weird.

"Oh…I-I wasn't expecting you to b-bring company over…I would've cleaned up m-more." Erin fidgeted as she straightened her ponytail and clothes.

"No need." Wynn assured as she stepped inside and placed her rapier on a frame and her armor on a strange human-sized stand. The armor fit the stand perfectly. "Cobb's standards of cleanliness are probably smaller than his brain."

I would have shot a comeback at her, but Brain was still reeling from his hangover. Plus she was kind of right. I'd been living in ragtag shacks, caves, and other unmentionable places. Oddly enough, prison was the best place I had stayed in.

"T-that's not very f-fair Miss Whispers." Erin defended to my surprise. "I'm s-sure…C-Cobb was it?" I nodded in response. "I'm sure Cobb is q-quite intelligent to h-have made it to Ringwood." As she defended me, her face grew more crimson.

 _Odd. Does she have a fever or something? Are fevers even possible in Minecraftia?_

Wynn looked surprised at Erin's defense of me too. Then her eyes lit up in realization.

Then she looked from me to Erin's face.

Then she wore a knowing smile, until she schooled her features back to her neutral expression. "Well, if you could serve dinner then Erin, I would be glad to stop my insults."

As if suddenly realizing she was holding up dinner, Erin rushed out of the room.

Wynn guided us to a dining room with a large wooden table. She took her seat at the head of the table while merely pointing at a spot on the floor for me.

I sighed as I sat cross-legged on my designated spot. If she thought making me sit on the floor was punishment, she was mistaken. The soft carpet made it quite comfy.

As I looked idly around the room, I spotted the frame Wynn hung her rapier on.

 _Time to ask some questions._

"So, Captain Wynn. That was some amazing swordsmanship you used on Kane's henchmen." I praised trying to butter her up. "And the way you scaled those buildings and jumped everywhere…how exactly did you manage to do all that?"

Wynn glanced at the ceiling in thought before she withdrew a bright green potion from her belt. "They're called Potions of Leaping. One sip and you can jump a lot higher than normal. It's a staple of my combat style."

"And the rapier?" I asked.

"Also part of my style. Though I take it your style is, what, Crouching Criminal, Hidden Fishing Rod?" She chuckled to herself at her joke, but the reference went waaaay over my head.

"Don't mock the fishing rod until you try it." I replied sagely. "I'd be happy to instruct you on its usage…in exchange for the recipe for one of those rapier things."

"First, the day a newb teaches me something is the day the Nether freezes over."

 _Newb? Nether? Over?_

"Second, a fishing rod is meant for catching fish, not criminals."

"And third, it's not a 'rapier thing.' It's a rapier, and I don't have the recipe for it." She crossed her legs as she gazed at her weapon. "They're special order weapons. Exclusively from the Western Kingdom of Exter, not that you've ever been there."

"How much do they cost?" I questioned as Erin returned with a pile of steaming baked potatoes.

"More than you can afford." The Captain dismissed easily, but I barely paid attention. Those potatoes were calling to me.

 _Eat uuuuuuuuussssssss…_

 _Yes, oh glorious potato._ I thought as Erin handed me a sizable portion. How nice! Though her hands were shaking and her face grew three shades redder.

"Um, are you okay?" I asked the housekeeper to which she replied with a short 'Eep!' before scurrying back to the kitchen.

 _Odd. First she was talking to much and now she's completely taciturn. Wonder what her problem is?_

 _Maybe she's shy around strangers?_

"I must say, Erin has terrible taste." Wynn spoke up as she looked at me.

I munched on a baked potato and almost dropped the rest of them from the sheer delicious taste. "What are you talking about? These taste delicious!"

"I meant taste in men." Wynn clarified with a suggestive smile.

"What does that mean? You saying she's a cannibal?"

The Captain's eye twitched in annoyance before she returned to her meal. "I don't know why I'm not surprised at your denseness."

I shrugged at her insult as I continued to munch on baked potatoes. Waaaay better than rotten flesh. No wonder she couldn't believe I ate the stuff when she literally dined on delicious food. And the potatoes were her idea of a simple meal? HA!

After I ate all I could, I stored the rest in my Inventory for future use. _At least I'm stocked on food for the journey._

Erin returned with some water bottles. "D-did you enjoy the m-meal?"

"It was satisfactory." Wynn complimented as she wiped her mouth with a piece of paper serving as a napkin.

"It was delicious! I don't know why you were so worried about it." I praised as I flashed a smile. I figured it would be the best way to calm her shyness.

And it looked like it half-worked. Her face was still as red as a tomato, but she expressed a relieved smile. "Y-you really enjoyed it?" She fidgeted in place and refused to look me in the eye. "B-because if-if you want…I could…if you're still hungry…I could make some dessert…"

My eyes shot open. Dessert? On top of an amazing meal!? BEST DAY EVER!

"Yeah that sounds great." I smiled, happy that I was getting along with someone new. "If it's not too much trouble—"

"Oh no, no!" She waved off my concern with a nervous giggle. "No t-trouble at all! I'll b-be back in a jiffy!" She turned to the door and quickly rushed out of the mansion.

"Um…where's she going?" I asked the Captain.

"She's probably heading to the market to get dessert ingredients." Wynn stated as she sipped from her water bottle.

"Really? But I said if it wasn't too much trouble though." _If I had known she'd have to go out of her way for ingredients—I still would have been okay with her going._

 _Hope she's making cookies!_

"Yes. It _is_ peculiar how _my_ housekeeper is following _your_ wants." The Captain pronounced each word as she glared at me. "I wonder why she's so eager to please you." She stated sarcastically.

"What? You know something?" I stood up from the floor. "Care to tell me?"

"Not my place." She stated simply.

"Well…can you at least tell me about some of the terminology used…and the Kingdoms?" I pleaded. It was important I learned everything I could about Minecraftia from a seasoned expert.

Wynn sighed. "Fine. Since I can't exactly go to sleep when Erin could return at any minute. I'll tell you. But listen closely."

"500 years ago, the First 100 spawned into existence. They spread throughout Minecraftia, creating the foundations for the ten Kingdoms known to us today: Ringwood, Nitebane, Daymonte, Oak Docks, Jolin, Dover Plains, Exter, Lazuli, Zeppil, and Akasha."

"As for terminology, Crafters developed their own classifications for the millions of people existing in the world."

"First, are Crafters. Which is to say, every person capable of crafting items."

"Next, there are Newbs, or newbies. They are Crafters with very little experience or knowledge. Mostly harmless."

"Then, are Griefers: Crafters who take no interest in mere survival. They are scum that wish to ravage and destroy and ruin everything that is not theirs. They _feed_ off of despair and will often destroy everything a Crafter owns, without killing them, to cause as much grief as possible."

"But even they pale in comparison to—" Wynn stopped her explanation as she considered her next words carefully. She looked hesitant to explain the next section of people. "—I'll just skip _those_ people."

"And finally, there are Jibbermen. Every Crafter is given a set amount of time to come up with their own name and escape the Void. But Jibbermen, they…they lost their minds to the Void…they couldn't figure out the naming process and ended up spending months, years even, stuck there. The isolation, the loneliness, drove them insane."

"After their set time has passed, they are ousted from the Void with a random jumble of letters and numbers serving as their name. In addition, their speech is garbled and ineligible and their minds a bit…off. Thus, we named them Jibbermen after their gibberish dialogue."

"And that's the kind of people in Minecraftia." Wynn finished as she leaned back in her chair.

Meanwhile, I was still thinking about what Wynn had said.

Those Jibbermen seemed the worse off. It was hard to imagine anyone staying in that empty Void for so long. And even after leaving they would never be the same.

I shuddered. _Just thinking about it is traumatizing._ _I might not even sleep tonight. How am I ever going to get over what I just heard?_

"I'm b-back!" Erin called from the other room. "And I b-brought cookies!"

Suddenly my sullen thoughts were replaced with the sugary diversion that could only be summed up in one word.

Cookies.

 _No wonder the Cookie Monster is addicted to these things._ I thought happily as Erin handed me a stack of chocolate chip cookies. _They're works of God!_

…

 _Who's the Cookie Monster?_

 _Oh who cares!? COOKIES!_

*NOM* *NOM*

 _They taste like…Victory._

 _Victory Cookies. That has a nice ring to it._

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 2 Glass Bottle, 5 Cooked Fish, 24 Baked Potatoes, 64 Cookies, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 57 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 1 Pufferfish, 17 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Arrow, 1 Glass Bottle, 50 Steaks, 10 Enchanted Golden Apples, 64 Emeralds, 33 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 1 Gunpowder, 12 Rotten Flesh

* * *

 **AN: AGHHHHHHH! THIS CHAPTER!**

 **Phew. Alright, lot to discuss. Finals have been digging into my writing time so I literally finished this chapter Tuesday night. Cutting it soooooo very close. If the chapter feels rushed...that's probably because it is.**

 **I really wanted to split this up into two chapters to allow more time with each character, but the time constraints forced my hand.** **And I guess a TON of stuff happened this chapter. Hope I'm not dropping too much stuff of you readers.**

 **Special thanks to PinkPanther530 for her OC: Courageous_Cara. You'll see more of her in the future.**

 **I gave you readers a bit more of the world of Minecraftia and the people that live in it...as well as a list of Super Powerful Artifacts made by Herobrine himself! They're each named with a different language. Bonus points if you can translate all of them.**

 **I was actually intending for this chapter to be more centered around the Silver Intent...given the chapter title...but there was only so much I could fit.**

 **So...yeah...um...hm...eh...meh...uh... That is all.**


	24. Breather

**AN: The answer to last week's puzzle: A Die! 6 faces and 21 eyes...which can be represented as dots. Congrats to gs gaming for answering correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Also here to say that I really like reading the reviews you guys leave. I like gauging your reactions and any review is good as long as it's the truth.**

 **(And to 'The Ravenclawed Demigod,' I'm fine with the length of the reviews your sending...I'm bringing this up in the AN because your PM thing is disabled.)**

 **Puzzle: We are little airy creatures, all of different voice and features. One of us in glass is set. One of us you'll find in jet. Another you may see in tin. And the fourth a box within. If the fifth you should pursue, it can never fly from you. What am I?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, boats would not explode upon impacting lily pads.

Beta: TheWritingReader

* * *

Chapter 24

 **Breather**

[Wynn's Mansion]

Wynn liked to believe that she was very tolerant towards others. Sure she was strict and perhaps a _tad_ biased towards criminals, but it was only because, being the bloodsucking scum that they were, criminals deserved it for endangering the lives of the Kingdom's Crafters.

As for general citizens, she was polite and formal, confident that her own reputation would create a mutual relationship of respect and allow for minimal interference or prejudice.

And most of all, Wynn prided herself on her patience.

After decades of dealing with King Miles' naïve personality and Erin's incessant ramblings, the Captain learned the best ways to deal with both the simple-minded and the nervous-Nellies.

There was nothing that could run her swell of patience dry.

…

Except for Cobb.

"Hey, Captain Wynn. What's that thing?"

For the umpteenth time, Wynn looked up from the book she was reading to glare at Cobb's innocent question. She followed his finger to see what new object of wonder he wanted to know about.

"That's a cauldron." Wynn replied while biting back the outburst of annoyance she was feeling. "It's used to wash dyes off leather armor."

"You can dye leather armor?" Cobb asked in amazement as he took off his leather cap. "Because brown really isn't my color. Maybe a blue or green. What do you think, Captain? Blue or green?"

"I don't care."

Cobb frowned. "Well fine. I don't need your opinion anyway."

Wynn sighed in relief as Cobb walked away to whatever distraction he was occupying his time with. She knew having Cobb stay in her house would be unpleasant considering what happened at the Palace, but she had no idea it would be so bad!

He asked the stupidest questions about everything! Of course you can dye leather armor! The Captain was literally _wearing_ white dyed boots! Some simple common sense would have spared her such a moronic inquiry.

Ever since last night it had been like that. First, Erin kept insisting that she stay the night because of all the 'supposed' work still needing to be done. But she adamantly refused to sleep in the guest room, opting instead to give it to Cobb, even though the Captain had already designated a small outhouse in the backyard as suitable quarters for the criminal.

Then Cobb suggested bringing another bed into the guest room so that both Erin and he would have a place to sleep…to which Wynn immediately shot down. The offer may have been a good idea were it not for Erin's…emotional state and Cobb's obliviousness to said emotional state. Putting the two together in the same room overnight was just asking for unnecessary drama.

The situation was resolved when Wynn convinced Erin to go home, making sure to tell her that she'd give Cobb the guest room…and then five seconds after she left, Wynn 'convinced' Cobb at rapier-point to sleep in the cozy outhouse.

But now that it was morning, Cobb continually bombarded her with questions.

 _Captain Wynn, what's that?_

 _Captain Wynn, what's this?_

 _Captain Wynn, should I stick this in my mouth?_

It was exhausting! Like explaining rocket science to a five-year-old!

Usually with Erin, the Captain would just tune her out since her ramblings rarely demanded any kind of response. Not to mention Erin would cut off any comments you'd make with even more ramblings. It was better to stay silent and let her tire herself out.

And His Eminence only required small lies as response to his naïve personality.

But Cobb was just…just…

Stupid!

"Hey, Captain Wynn." Cobb returned holding a wooden hoe. "What is this tool supposed to do?"

Again, Wynn put her book down and addressed the hapless Crafter. "It's for farming. You use it on dirt so that you can plant crops."

"Hmm." Cobb weighed the tool in his hand. "So…I can't use it as a weapon?"

"Not unless you're very skilled with it."

"Alright thanks." He promptly chucked the tool in the fireplace and watched it burn.

So that was what he was doing: cleaning out his Inventory. Probably for the best seeing as how all he had was useless garbage.

How did that old Crafter quote go again? 'You are what you carry.'

"Alright, I think I'm…mostly set for the trip. Got my best gear handy." As he said that he whipped out his fishing rod.

Wynn stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the tool. "You won't get much time for fishing where we're going."

"Yeah, well, since we're traveling through Griefer infested territory and this thing managed to kill Carys_Angel—y'know that person you and your guards couldn't manage to kill?—I figure it's good to bring."

…

 _THAT DOES IT! NOBODY INSULTS THE COMPETENCY OF MY GUARDS!_

He lifted a cookie to his mouth, but it never reached its destination as Wynn knocked it out of his hands with a swipe of her blade.

He gasped before pulling out his fishing rod. "How dare you attack that cookie! That cookie never did anything to hurt nobody!"

"That's a double negative!" Wynn snarled. "And I'm tired of your bullshit stories! You want to prove to me that your flimsy fishing rod was a match for Carys? Then try and best me in a duel!"

Cobb looked hesitant for a moment at the prospect of challenging Wynn, but quickly recovered his confidence. "Fine! I'll fight you _and_ I'll win. And when I do, you'll finally take fishing rods seriously!"

"Don't hold your breath." Wynn scoffed as she led Cobb to the backyard.

"I won't. After all, I'm not underwater." He said as he took off his leather armor.

"…Do you even think before you talk?" Cobb just shrugged. "Also you can keep your armor on. It won't make a difference since the rapier can bypass armor defenses altogether."

"What!? How?"

Wynn just shrugged. "The thin blade can pass right through the chinks in any armor…even if I can't see them."

The backyard was Wynn's pride and joy. It had a small pond with lily pads, some training dummies for archery practice, an arrangement of colorful flowers, and a garden of potatoes, carrots, sugar cane, and watermelons.

Wynn and Cobb took positions across from each other. Cobb with his fishing rod held back, ready to whip forward and cast. Wynn with her Rapier held in an experienced stance. She certainly wasn't going to go easy on him. But it wasn't because of any desire to inflict pain upon the criminal filth that tricked the King, snuck into the Kingdom, and annoyed her to no end.

It was just a friendly duel between unpleasant acquaintances.

No animosity whatsoever.

"On the count of three!" Wynn shouted as she tensed herself for battle. "One…Two…Thr—"

"Wait." Cobb interrupted to which Wynn stumbled forward, unprepared for his sudden interjection. "Is it 'one, two, three, go' or just go on 'three?'"

"It's on the count of three!" Wynn shouted back as she rebalanced herself.

"Yeah, but, like…it could go both ways. I mean—"

"When I say 'three' that signals the fight to start!"

"Alright. So three it is?"

"Three it is." Wynn got back to her original position.

"Okay. Just wanted to clarify. Didn't have to go biting my head off..."

"…I'm going to stab him in the face." Wynn mumbled under her breath as she began the countdown again.

"One…Two…THREE!"

Wynn sprung forward, her rapier an iron missile aimed for Cobb's face. He quickly moved his head out of harm's way and aimed a blunt strike with the handle of his fishing rod. Wynn ducked and slipped into Cobb's guard before lashing at his exposed belly.

He hissed in pain, but remained standing, even as Wynn pelted him with a barrage of quick stabs, taking out seven hearts of health easy.

She finished her onslaught with a swift kick to the gut, sending him tumbling back.

He laid on the ground panting while Wynn simply polished her rapier.

Finally, he shakily got up to his feet. "You…you almost killed me with that last hit!"

"Please." The Captain dismissed with a flourish of her blade. "I already told you that I can't have you dying on me. When I combat criminals, I'm always keeping an eye on their arms, watching their Health Meter, gauging how many hearts they have left, and adjusting my strategy accordingly." She pointed the rapier back at him. "That last hit was purposefully meant to 'almost' kill you. But not quite."

Cobb waited for his health to regenerate while the Captain circled him, her ivory curtain of hair gently flowing with the wind. "Are you still convinced of the combat capabilities of a fishing rod or are you going to switch to a more effective weapon?"

"I'm…uh…the first one!" Cobb shouted as he darted, not towards Wynn, but towards the pond.

Wynn sighed before giving chase.

 _Just like a criminal. Running away._ She thought as she easily gained ground on Cobb. He was far too injured and inexperienced to match her pace. A few more hits and he'd learn his lesson not to make up stories about his 'all-powerful' fishing r—

Just as Cobb was about to reach the pond, he abruptly stopped on one foot and used his momentum to pivot, casting his fishing rod in a wide arc as it whipped through the air…and fastened itself to Wynn's blouse.

He then yanked forward, surprising Wynn as her forward momentum increased, sending her soaring over his head and into the pond. It was a similar move to the one she saw him use at the Razed Bar.

"HA! Fishing rod for the win!" Cobb cheered as he held the tool over his head, grinning like an idiot.

Wynn, after attempting to erase the memory of her being tossed into the pond, rose to the surface, embarrassment etched upon her face, and began to swim back to thrust her rapier into a certain Crafter's private area.

But just as she was nearing the bank, a bobber nailed her in the head, pushing her back to the center.

Cobb had cast the fishing rod, not to hook, but to 'bobber' Wynn in the face and prevent her from getting out.

Seeing this, Wynn began swimming to the opposite side of the pond where Cobb wasn't waiting. But Cobb rushed to the other side faster than Wynn could swim and bobbered her in the face again. Only this time he punctuated the action with the word 'bobber.'

"Quit that!" Wynn shouted as she tried another side of the pond. But Cobb kept cutting her off and sending her back to the center.

"Bobber."

"Bobber."

"Bobber."

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Wynn screeched.

"Not until you admit that fishing rods are cool! Bobber." Another cast knocked Wynn back to the center. The casts weren't even causing any damage, they were just damn annoying! Almost as annoying as the brown-haired Crafter using them.

Finally, Wynn had enough. She didn't want to wait for the rod's durability to break so she thought of something else.

She hoisted herself out of the water by one of the many lily pads floating around.

"Hey!" Cobb shouted in distress. "How can you stand on lily pads? They're plants, not pontoons! They shouldn't even be supporting your weight!"

Wynn smiled to herself as she prepared to end the fight with the next attack.

She sprung into action, parkouring from lily pad to lily pad and dodging Cobb's frantic 'bobbers' before reaching solid ground. Cobb attempted to push her back into the water, but Wynn caught his hand and used it to flip over his head before knocking him out with the handle of her rapier. His fishing rod slipped from his unconscious grip.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." Wynn commented with a smile as she dumped Cobb into the outhouse and returned inside to finish her book.

Hopefully, before Cobb woke up.

* * *

[Floyd]

"So the Silver Intent has operatives all over Minecraftia?" I asked.

"Yes." Brent confirmed as he walked up to a large map strung up against the wall. "From the icy tundra of Lazuli to the towering hills of Zeppil. From the sunny shores of Oak Docks to the barren badlands of Exter. North, South, East, and West. The Silver Intent is still small, but it has secret hideouts in several of the Kingdoms."

Brett got in between Soul and Cara and hugged the two of them. "And we're always happy to accept new members."

"We should only take in people of actual skill." Soul commented sullenly as he refused to look me in the eye. Brent just shot him a look.

Cara, on the other hand, remained silent. I wondered if she was basing her impression of me from Soul's words and attitude.

 _Great. So two people are giving me the cold shoulder._

"So how many other operatives are situated here?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"A few." Brett replied. "We prefer quality over quantity. Our other operatives have proved time and again that they're good people, worthy of trusting. Given the chance, I think _anyone_ can earn trust." The silver-haired man looked to Soul as he spoke those words and Soul just snorted. "I rent them one of my farm cottages and they live here. You might see them later, but right now they're on missions outside the Kingdom…and speaking of missions."

Brett let go of Soul and Cara and walked over to the map again. "I have a rather dangerous mission that needs to be taken care of." He turned to me. "Sorry to have to start you off with a tough mission right-off-the-bat, but this one is important and requires at least a three-man team: You, Soul, and Cara."

Soul groaned as he walked over to the wall and folded his arms. No doubt he was less-than-jubilant about us being on a team. I wasn't so happy either seeing as how two-thirds of the team didn't want to talk to me. Not to mention, I really wanted to help Cobb on his envoy mission to Daymonte.

 _What if one mission clashed with the other? Which one should I choose?_

"Now, here's the mission." Brett began as he took a seat behind a desk. "The Silver Intent has enough influence in Minecraftia to become a serious threat to the Endward Cult. But they don't really know about us and we can't exactly put up flyers declaring war on them."

"Which is why, I've thought up a solution."

"Staying quiet and _not_ alerting them of our presence like a bunch of idiots so that we can secretly continue to build up our forces and catch them unawares?" Cara suggested with a deadpan, eliciting a chuckle from me. She noticed the laugh and smiled a little before returning to her neutral expression.

"Close, Cara." Brett clarified with a smirk. "We're going to formally declare war on them in the most audacious slap-to-the-face way possible!"

"Hell yeah, we are!" Soul grinned as he looked pumped up for whatever plan Brett had. "We gonna hit their base? Kill a few hundred cultists?"

Brett shook his head. "I said audacious, not suicidal. There's a difference." He walked up to the map and pointed to a grey chunk of land by a large ocean, near the very southeastern edge. "This is the Kingdom of Nitebane, a ruined monarchy in shambles and the Griefer Capital of Minecraftia. But it's also infamous as the place where the Endward Cult originated."

Brett shuffled through some papers in a chest and took out a smaller map which he laid across the table. It was of a pristine white city and labeled Nitebane.

He pointed to a rather large circular building. "Here. It's called the Center of Planar Trade…or at least it was before Nitebane turned to shit." He looked sad as if recalling a great tragedy. "It's in ruins now. Griefed and torn apart and looted of anything useful…except at the top of its domed roof."

"There, you'll find the banner of the Endward Cult. A symbol that they once existed there…and a promise that they'll return and reclaim it from the Griefers." He went back to the chest and pulled out a banner. A black flag with a silver horseshoe dead center. "So, as the ultimate insult, I want you three to head over there, remove their flag, and place ours up there. And then every time the sun rises, the first thing those sunbeams will hit will be our banner. Illuminating it with a warm glow to symbolize the Silver Intent's goal to serve as a light of hope to the people of—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get it." Soul interrupted uncaringly as he accepted the banner from Brett. "You're a poet and we really don't want to know it."

Brett narrowed his eyes. "Just for that, I'm putting Cara in charge of the mission. _She_ appreciates my poetic words."

"Whoa, whoa! Hang on!" Cara stepped forward. "Brett, I've never led a team before. Maybe it would be better if you went instead."

Brett just waved away her concerns. "I'm kidding Cara. I'm not making you team leader because you appreciate my poetry." He put a hand on her shoulders. "I'm making you leader because you've been to Nitebane before. You know the landscape. You know the area. You think things through rationally, and it's about time I test your leadership skills to see if you have what it takes."

Soul patted Cara's other shoulder comfortingly "Yeah. Also the alternatives are me or…" He trailed off as he once again refused to look at me.

"Now, this mission requires a three-man team because…Cara!" Brett pointed to her as if expecting her to fill in the rest of the answer.

"Oh…um…" Cara thought for a moment. "Griefer filled territory?"

"Precisely! Ten points for Cara!" Brett congratulated while Cara lit up with joy at her recently acquired 'points.' "It's a dangerous and lawless Kingdom, and getting there is no walk in the park. So you better stock up on supplies. You'll be leaving in a few days."

 _A few days…ugh great. Just when I thought I could redeem myself._

 _Soul's gonna be pissed._

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry sir, but I can't go on this mission."

"Oh, big surprise." Soul remarked sarcastically. "Not two seconds and the coward's already trying to back out."

"Soul." Brett silenced him with a stern look before turning back to me. "Why can't you go on this mission? Didn't you want to make amends?"

"I do. But I already promised someone…if it was any other reason, I'd drop everything and follow them to Nitebane. Despite the dangers." I kept my eyes fixed to Brett's light blue ones. "But I have another friend leaving on a mission soon, and he needs my help too."

"Another friend? Now I _know_ you're making shit up." Soul interjected with a sneer. "Who would possibly—"

"Soul! Stop it." Once again Brett silenced Soul and even Cara placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "What's the mission?"

I raised an eyebrow, perplexed at his interest. "An…envoy mission. To a Kingdom called…Daymonte I think."

Brett smiled. "Well then you're in luck! Daymonte just so happens to be on the way to Nitebane."

My eyes widened in surprise. _Does that mean I can help two friends at once? If I accompany Cobb to Daymonte…I'll have fulfilled my promise to him and I'd be free to join Soul and Cara…but would Cobb be able to make it back safely?_

"Hold on a second." Cara interrupted my thoughts as she stepped towards the map and pointed to a dark grey 'X'. "This is Daymonte. Directly to the East of here." She moved her finger diagonally southeast. "And Nitebane is here."

"That's more southeast than Daymonte." Soul interrupted with a scowl. "We'd be going out of our way!"

"It would add a few days tops." Brett waved off their concern.

"We should be working _effectively_." Soul defended. "Going to Daymonte would be a waste of our time."

Brett frowned before addressing me again. "Who's leading the envoy mission?"

"Captain Wynn_Whispers."

"Ah! Perfect." He clapped his hands in elation. "She and I happen to be good friends. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you three tagging along."

"But Brett—"

"It would be better if we travelled as part of a larger group." Cara commented as she rubbed her chin in thought. "Griefers and Mobs would be handled quicker too. It could be worth the extra days to have safety in numbers."

"Cara! I thought you had my side on this!" Soul exclaimed in outrage.

"We are on the same side!" Cara defended heatedly. "I'm…just trying to think like a leader."

The argument Soul was about to make seemed to die in his mouth and he took a deep calming breath.

"I'll take that as an 'it's settled'." Brett remarked cheerfully. "The three of you will accompany Captain Wynn's group…provided she grants permission of course. Floyd, can I trust you to pass that on to her?"

I nodded, happy that Brett had a connection with Wynn to even arrange cooperation between groups.

"Good. Just say it's a precaution for your group's safety and I'm sure she'll agree. Now before I forget, Floyd, you could use some armor for the journey." He turned to Soul. "Would you mind taking him to the mine? I'd send Cara, but I have some important leadership business to discuss with her."

"Is that an order?" Soul grumbled.

"It's a request…the group should all be better armored, for the good of the mission." Brett clarified wisely.

Soul merely looked away before beckoning me to follow. We quickly scurried up the ladder and as I climbed out of the hay bale pile, I realized by the sun position that I spent almost an entire day underground. It was quite easy to lose track of time when there were no windows.

I remembered that I was set to meet Cobb at the park that night. Hopefully, mining for iron wouldn't take too long.

Opting to travel in silence, we set off towards the mine Brett was talking about.

* * *

[Wynn's Mansion]

"Aaaaaaand…done." Wynn closed the novel she was reading and let out a sigh of relief. It was always such an accomplished feeling finishing a book.

And Cobb still hadn't woken up. He was still in the outhouse, like the piece of excrement that he was.

Eventually, however, he would wake up and the Captain would be forced to endure his idiocy.

…

 _Perhaps I should reinforce the outhouse with obsidian._ Wynn thought to herself. _And if Erin asks, I could just tell her it's to keep him safe from Kane's men._

In reality though, him staying at the mansion was enough of a deterrent. Criminals wouldn't dare set foot in her home…not unless they wanted a re-education in the definition of 'pain' shortly followed by life sentences.

And, admittedly, having Cobb over drastically limited the amount of words Erin spat out. She was so shy and stuttery on her own, but in Cobb's presence it increased ten-fold.

But Wynn knew she couldn't just lock him in the outhouse…well…she _could_ , especially since he had days worth of cookies. But the neighbors might worry if they start hearing the yells of a trapped human-being from her backyard.

So where did that leave her on options? She had to stay with him so he wouldn't try to run away and so that Kane's men wouldn't kill him on sight. But his questions were grating on her nerves so much she would sooner shoot herself with her own bow!

What she really needed was a professional baby sitter. Someone responsible she could dump Cobb on and not have to worry about, freeing her up to enjoy what little vacation time she had left.

But who could…

…

"Aha!" She shouted in realization. "Yes. He's probably training by the barracks but…he could take Cobb off my hands…just for the day…just so I can be fully refreshed for the journey."

Suddenly, the back door swung open as Cobb stormed inside. "Wynn! Why did you dump me in the outhouse!? And where's my fishing rod?" He patted his belt but couldn't find it.

But Wynn had more pressing matters to deal with. Like getting Cobb to a babysitter.

"Say Cobb," she began in a voice dripping with sweetness, "I'm really sorry for knocking you out. I was just trying to show you how limited your combat style is."

"I'm still trying things out." He defended as he withdrew a stone sword from his Inventory. "My swordsmanship is good enough at taking out Mobs…but Crafters are way too unpredictable."

That's it! Now was her chance! "Well," she began tentatively, not wanting to tip him off, "if you want some lessons in sword fighting, I know the perfect Crafter for you."

"Who? It's not Erin is it? Because, while her cookies are to-die-for, I don't think the same rules apply to combat—"

"It's not Erin!" Wynn snapped before schooling her features back to calm and understanding. She had the patience. "He's a Captain, just like me. And he's _really_ nice."

"Really? Nicer than you?"

Her eye twitched, but Cobb didn't notice. She had the patience damnit!

"Yes." She managed to say through gritted teeth. "A lot nicer. He'll be sure to teach you the finer aspects of swordsmanship."

Cobb ran a hand through his hair, thinking the offer over, before he finally nodded. "Sure sounds good. So, where can I find him?"

"Just follow me." Wynn cheered in her head as she left the mansion, Cobb following behind. He'd be in for a rude awakening when he saw just how 'nice' the other Captain was.

* * *

[Cobb]

I was a bit wary of Wynn's personality change. The last time that happened, she changed my sentence so that I'd be going through dangerous territory.

But maybe it truly was genuine. She was irritable before and snapped at me…and my cookie, but maybe she just needed to blow off steam…by trouncing me in battle. And now she was going to take me to a nice guy that would teach me better swordsmanship.

"Thanks for doing this, Captain Wynn. I really appreciate it." I thanked her as we ascended the plateau's steps. We were heading to the Palace again.

"Oh no need to thank me." Wynn replied with a rather sinister smile. "In fact you might not want to after…" She trailed off, causing me to raise my eyebrow in alarm.

"Uh...what's that supposed to—"

"MOVE YOU MAGGOTS!" Came a thunderous roar. "I WANNA SEE YOU SWEAT! YOUR PERSPIRATION FEEDS ME!"

I covered my ears to keep my ears from bleeding. "Who the hell is screaming?"

"What!?" Wynn shouted. At least I think she shouted. Her question was muffled by both my hands and whoever was screaming. Her hands were covering her ears too in an attempt to tune out the loud yells.

"Who's screaming!?" I yelled again.

"Yes! Someone is screaming!" Wynn answered, not quite understanding my question. "Follow me! I'll introduce you two!"

"Why would I…is he the Captain you talked about!?"

"Yes the weather is nice today!"

"That's not what I said!" I shouted trying to get my message across. "IS HE THE—"

"CAPTAIN WYNN!" The roar sounded closer as a man with a green ponytail and goatee, dark blue eyes, a white button up gakuran ( _how do I even know what that is?_ ), tan jeans, and wearing diamond armor. "IT'S NOT OFTEN I FIND YOU COMING UP HERE TO WATCH MY MEN TRAIN!"

"I'm actually not here for that." Wynn explained with a cringe, most likely due to the ringing in her ear. "And could you use your inside voice?"

"WHAT!? THIS _IS_ MY INSIDE VOICE!" He shouted with a clap on her shoulder. The guy reminded me of a drill-sergeant and I was beginning to have second thoughts about him training me.

 _But if Wynn said he was nice then—hang on!...She lied to me!_

"I'm hoping you could teach this Crafter," she grabbed me and shoved me towards the loud man, "the basics of swordsmanship. He's going to be journeying through Griefer territory in a few days, and even if he says he doesn't want to train anymore…keep him occupied for the rest of the day."

"Wynn." I whispered pleadingly. "Don't you dare hand me over to—"

"VERY WELL! I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR A SPARRING PARTNER…SINCE MY MEN ARE A COUPLE OF NANCIES!" He somehow managed to belt the last part out louder, stunning me with his voice and enabling Wynn to make her escape before I could stop her.

She rushed to the edge of the plateau and, to my surprise, just leapt off. Did she realize how high up we were!?

"Wynn!" I shouted out as I ran to the edge. I looked over just in time to see her land perfectly fine before she sprinted back towards the Northern District. "How did—"

"NOT TO WORRY, CORN COBB! MIND IF I CALL YOU CORN COBB!?" The green-haired Captain somehow snuck up behind me, alarming me all the more with his blaring roars. "WYNN HAS LONG SINCE EQUIPPED THOSE WHITE BOOTS OF HERS WITH THE FEATHER FALLING ENCHANTMENT! ANY FALL SHE TAKES, SHE LANDS LIGHT AS A FEATHER!"

Feather Falling? Enchantments? Those terms were still new to me. A lot of things were still new to me. And, as much as I hated to admit it, if I was going into dangerous territory in a few days, I'd have to learn those new things to better defend myself.

Which left me hesitantly following the green-haired Captain…Iron_Lung (how appropriate), to learn better fighting techniques.

"YOU KNOW WHAT!? I DON'T THINK I LIKE THAT NICKNAME!" Captain Iron_Lung _loudly_ voiced his opinion. "I THINK STRING BEAN WOULD BE A MORE APPROPRIATE VEGETABLE TO NAME YOU AFTER! WHAT WITH YOUR FEEBLE STRING BEAN ARMS AND SUCH!"

I waved my arms in front of me. They really were like string beans, but I wasn't going to admit it and give the Captain the satisfaction.

"WELL SOME SPARRING WITH ME OUGHT TO CHANGE THAT!" He gripped my shoulder tightly and I winced in pain.

 _I miss the Origin Zone!_

* * *

[Noman]

I was back at the Inn with Spark. She had given the guard the slip the other night, but needed me to purchase another night's stay at the Inn while she stayed invisible.

After paying another two emeralds I sat on the bed while Spark read Notch's message to herself. Even though Notch had specified not to trust anyone…I felt that after everything she's done, Spark deserved to know.

Having her join me on the mission though…I wasn't really sure. She was capable at crafting gear and definitely knew more about items, but at the same time, she wasn't a fighter and constantly stuck to stealth.

And she already had a life, and a goal to help inexperienced Crafters. Was it really right to ask her to leave everything to help me?

Spark closed the book, signaling she read the entire thing and immediately began scribbling stuff down.

 **[I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO FIND OUT THAT NOTCH WAS DEAD. I HAD NO IDEA.]**

 **[I MEAN, PEOPLE ALWAYS REFERENCED HIM AS A LEGEND AND THE FOUNDER OF THE NOTCH APPLE, BUT THAT'S ALL I REALLY KNEW OF HIM. I SPAWNED WAAAAY AFTER HIS TIME.]**

"Notch apples?" I inquired while she scribbled more stuff down.

 **[OH RIGHT! I REMEMBER THAT TOLL GUARD MENTIONED YOU HAD TEN OF THEM! THEY'RE PRETTY EXPENSIVE ACTUALLY.]**

I pulled one of the 'Notch Apples' from my inventory. I had never looked at it closely before, but now I noticed it had a glow comprising of every color in the rainbow.

 **[IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS NOTCH IS FAMOUS FOR. HE DISCOVERED THAT PLACING BLOCKS OF GOLD AROUND AN APPLE COULD FORM SOMETHING CALLED AN ENCHANTED GOLDEN APPLE. HE LATER NAMED IT A NOTCH APPLE AFTER HIMSELF.]**

 **[IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF A FUNNY FOLK STORY I'VE HEARD.]**

She mimed turning a page.

 **[WEARY AND WEAK ONE NIGHT, NOTCH SOUGHT TO CRAFT A GOLDEN APPLE TO REGENERATE SOME OF HIS HEALTH. HE WAS SO WEARY, THAT ON THE CRAFTING TABLE, INSTEAD OF SURROUNDING THE APPLE WITH GOLD INGOTS, HE SURROUNDED IT WITH BLOCKS OF GOLD.]**

 **[AND AFTER MISTAKINGLY DISCOVERING THE MOST POWERFUL REGENERATIVE ITEM IN MINECRAFTIA, THE FIRST THING HE SAID WAS: 'THE TABLE ATE MY GOLD!']**

I laughed lightly at that comment. Mostly because it seemed that the Notch I was building up for so long as a legendary warrior…was just as normal as anyone. In fact he seemed a bit…dumb?

 **[I SUSPECT THAT'S WHY RINGWOOD'S BANNER IS OF A HAND HOLDING UP A GOLDEN APPLE.]**

 **[IT'S A SYMBOL OF HOW THE GREATEST THINGS CAN COME FROM MISTAKES.]**

I had to reread that last line. It was like one of those motivational sayings. And it even had a story tied to it.

 _I'm definitely going to keep that piece of advice for later use. But back to the whole Notch business._

"If Notch was in the Catacombs, then he was a past King. Does anyone know how he died?"

Spark was already scribbling down her answer. And from the looks of it, it was a big one. She kept crossing out and rewriting words, and her quill danced across the pages. I wondered what complicated answer she could possibly be writing down.

And as she handed me the book, it read:

 **[I DUNNO.]**

 **[^_0]**

I dragged a hand across my face. She had purposefully over-exaggerated her writings to make me think she was writing a novel for an answer.

But with all the book reading, another thought crossed my mind. "What about history books? There has to be something detailing his death, right? Maybe it'd give us a clue to what 'great evil' killed him. Is there a library you can maybe take me to?"

Spark nodded eagerly and was already taking out an invisibility potion. But before she could drink it, I stopped her hand, to which she raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, it's just…" I began hesitantly, not knowing how to breach the topic. "You don't need to be invisible all the time. And you're wasting all the potions you got."

She blinked in surprise before avoiding my gaze. She looked sad and shook her head before again attempting to sip the potion.

But I wasn't going to let up without an explanation. Again, I caught her hand, firmly but gentle, and lowered the potion. "Why don't you want to be seen?"

She didn't move for a moment, as if thinking over her response, before scribbling something down.

 **[IT'S MY OWN CHOICE.]**

And while I read the book, she chugged the invisibility potion before I could stop her. She grabbed my hand while vanishing from sight, and led me out of the Inn.

But I noticed a change.

Her hand that was once so warm and kind…now seemed stone cold.

 _Something's definitely bothering her…and I bet it's the reason she keeps drinking those potions._

* * *

[Floyd]

My pickaxe swung into the rugged ore, excavating it from the stone walls of the mine. A few more and I'd have enough…for iron boots.

The mine was located in the Western District and was primarily for pulling coal out of the ground. But any mineral was fair game and any Crafter allowed to mine…so long as they either paid an entrance fee or gave up 60% of whatever they found.

Being flat-broke, I chose the latter.

I turned to glance at Soul, who was staying quiet, though obviously hating the fact that he had to accompany me. His iron pick hammered into the ground rather violently, giving me an idea of how angry he was.

As I dislodged another chunk of ore, I munched on some fish to refill my hunger. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Soul look towards me. But as soon as I checked, he went right back to his mining. Almost ripping the ore from the ground.

I sighed in exasperation. "Alright look." I began, thinking of the best way to break the tension. Sometimes it was easier just saying something to get the ball rolling. "You hate me. I was a coward and ran away and you hate me for that."

"But…but I hate myself too." I ran a hand through my blue hair and realized how tired I was. "I hate myself and I hate that I have to live with this…this regret."

"But right now, I'm trying my damnedest to go on. To make amends…to…" I closed my eyes as I took another steadying breath.

Soul wasn't looking at me, but at least he had stopped his mining to hear me out. That was something…right?

"I'm willing to go on because I know…knew Silent. And I know that he wouldn't want either of us to be wallowing in sadness over anything."

"We both want to stop the Endward Cult. We're part of a team now." I reasoned. "And you can keep on hating me…but for Silent's sake, please, just stop with the petty silent treatment crap!"

My last words reverberated off the stone walls, leaving a long silence in their wake. Soul was still crouching in his corner, not bothering to look back at me.

After a while of expecting a response, I slowly turned back to mining.

It was after my eleventh piece of ore mined that he spoke.

"I'll trade you some iron for some fish."

I paused mid-swing and turned to see if my ears had not deceived me. Soul was holding up some iron ore and his eyes were focused on me. He still had a sullen frown on his face, but this was progress!

I quickly fumbled at my belt for some fish, preparing to toss him ten. "You don't need to trade me for them, I have enough fish to sha—"

"Iron. For. Fish." He interrupted as he narrowed his eyes.

It was enough to make me momentarily stop my search for the fish, before I acquiesced. He deftly caught it before tossing the iron ore to me. He had mined a lot. Almost enough to meet my needs and the 60% charge rate.

He easily tore through the fish, ravenous over the effort he put into mining. When he finished he wiped his mouth, gave me a curt nod, and returned to mining.

I watched him for a moment before returning to my excavation. Only I wasn't really paying attention or searching for iron.

I had found something of greater value.

 _Progress_.

* * *

[Silver Intent HQ]

"Brett. What are you thinking sending those two on the same mission? Can't you see they get along like fire and TNT!?" Cara exclaimed with her hands on Brett's table. "And what about me? One brooding loner with a tragic back-story I can handle. But TWO!?"

"Relax yourself, Cara. You'll get stress lines otherwise." Brett smiled as he stood up from his seat. "I'm sending them together because I want them to reconnect."

"Soul doesn't seem to want that." Cara supplied while folding her arms. She honestly didn't have anything against the new guy, but with his current relationship with Soul, befriending one likely meant angering the other.

She wasn't winning any leadership awards for ostracizing the new guy, but loyalty to elder members...albeit only by a few days...took priority.

Also…on an unrelated note…she was shy around strangers.

The same happened with Soul. Cara was immediately off-put by his depressing mood. But, over time, things changed.

Well, his personality didn't really change, he was still as depressing and cynical as ever…but Cara knew how to handle it better. Like an acquired taste. And the two had become…standard friends.

"What they want doesn't interest me." Brett announced and Cara had to see to make sure it was Brett that said it. He spoke it so coldly. "What matters is how they'll affect the Silver Intent."

He placed his hands behind his back and walked up to the map plastered across the wall. "Did you know, Cara, that people are willing to fight harder if they feel indebted to someone."

Cara just blinked in response, not quite getting what he was saying.

"If Floyd repairs his friendship with Soul, he'll be indebted to the Intent for giving him that chance. And the two of them will have each other to rely on. What I'm doing is making an investment towards Floyd's loyalty." He turned to face Cara. "And that is worth far more than any fair-weather mercenary."

"Which is why I want you to make sure they have plenty of time with each other to…hammer things out." He placed a hand on Cara's shoulder. "Think of this as an extra credit leadership opportunity…to work on the fundamentals of teamwork."

"I…I don't really feel comfortable doing that." Leadership was one thing, but Cara didn't want to manipulate them into becoming friends. That just felt wrong.

Brett gripped her shoulder harder. "We can't think about what's best for ourselves, Cara!" He shook her a little. "What we're doing is to completely eradicate the Endward Cult from existence. We _need_ the absolute loyalty of every member…including yours."

Cara blanched as she tried to extricate herself from Brett's grip. But Brett held firm.

"That's what being a leader is all about. And if you can't carry that burden…" He pulled her so close their noses were touching. "Then you're a liability."

He abruptly released her and walked past to exit the room, not even bothering to look back. He was no doubt going to brew more potions…but Cara was shivering. She had never seen Brett like that. Hell, she had never been alone with the guy before. He was always so calm and friendly…just where did that manipulative side come from?

Was that what being a leader meant? To sacrifice morals for results? That couldn't be right!

 _Just…just what have I signed up for._ Cara thought fearfully as she leaned on the table for support.

It was the first time she saw the dark side of being a leader.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 5 Cooked Fish, 23 Baked Potatoes, 54 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 57 Oak Wood Planks, 15 Cobblestone, 55 Iron Ore, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 1 Pufferfish, 12 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Arrow, 1 Glass Bottle, 49 Steaks, 10 Enchanted Golden Apples, 64 Emeralds, 31 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 1 Gunpowder, 12 Rotten Flesh

* * *

 **AN: I really needed this chapter as a breather, considering my last chapter was 13,500 words or so long. It jumped around quite a bit.**

 **The most enjoyable parts for me were the 'fight' between Cobb and Wynn and, strangely enough, the golden apple story.**

 **But overall, this chapter was mostly set-up. For what you may ask?...oh. You didn't ask?**

 **...Well...whatever...I don't care. (Y_Y)**


	25. Combat Plus

**AN: 5000 views! 29 Favs! 29 Follows! AND FINALS ARE OVER!**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle: Vowels! A, E, I, O, U...but not Y. Poor Y. It deserves Vowel Status. Congrats to Void of Shining Darkness for guessing it correctly first. It was pretty close. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: My first is in riddle, but not in little. My second is in think, but not in brink. My third is in thyme, but not in time. My fourth is in mother, but not in brother. My last is in time, but not in climb. What am I ?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Golden Swords would shoot lasers.

Beta: Myself since I couldn't get this to TheWritingReader in time. My bad!

* * *

Chapter 25

 **Combat Plus**

[Cobb]

I watched carefully as the mass of guards ran laps around the barracks. Captain Iron_Lung had informed me to stay seated while his men finished their exercises.

And man was the Captain brutal.

He kept yelling at the people lagging behind, and added more laps the longer it took them to catch up. Meanwhile the guards were so red-faced and weary, I was afraid some of them might collapse.

 _Then again, if they collapse maybe the Captain will postpone my sword training in favor of medical attention._

…

 _Pass out! Pass out!_ I mentally chanted.

But it was to no avail as the green-capped guards finished their run before collapsing on the well-kept lawn. They took out water bottles and bread to satisfy their thirst and hunger.

Iron_Lung looked them all over before speaking his next words. "NOT BAD! NOT BAD!" He marched in front of them all. "BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT OUTSIDE THOSE WALLS," he gestured to the Kingdom's outskirts, "GRIEFERS AND MOBS WON'T LET YOU OFF AS EASILY AS I!"

 _That was him being easy on them? Then what's he got planned for me!?_

*Gulp*

"STRING BEAN!" He suddenly turned to me. "STOP YOUR GULPING! IT'S LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS!"

…what? My barely audible gulp was deemed 'loud and obnoxious' by a man who could easily pass as a cross between a fire alarm and an air horn?

How the hell does that work!?

The green-haired Captain turned his attention back to his men. "OUTSIDE THE WALLS YOU NEED TO GIVE 1000% OF EVERYTHING YOU GOT…OR ELSE JOIN THE MILLIONS OF DEAD CRAFTERS IN OBLIVION! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The guards all shouted in unison.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"SIR, YES SIR!" They all blared.

"OKAY, A LITTLE BIT SOFTER NOW!" The Captain backed-down lamely. "THAT LAST ONE HURT MY EARS!"

"Uh…Sir, yes sir?" They repeated, softer, but rather questioningly.

"MEH, WE'LL WORK ON IT!" The Captain stated as an afterthought.

"IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE A SPECIAL TREAT FOR YOU ALL TODAY!" He gestured to my sitting form. "THIS LITTLE STRING BEAN NEEDS TO LEARN THE BASICS OF SWORDSMANSHIP, AND HAS THUS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO A LITTLE SPARRING MATCH BETWEEN HIM AND I SO THAT I CAN SHOW HIM, AND YOU LOT, THE ROPES!...OR… SWORDS IN THIS CASE!"

"I didn't say anything like that!" I argued half-heartedly, already knowing I would be dragged into it regardless of any words I offered.

After all, Wynn _had_ passed me off to Iron_Lung like some kind of unwanted puppy. Just to enjoy some time to herself. Apparently I was too annoying for her.

 _I hope she's having a miserable time right now!_ I thought spitefully as Iron_Lung dragged me to a small arena.

* * *

[Wynn's Mansion]

Wynn was not having a miserable time right now.

She was lounging on her bed, a soothing record playing relaxing music, while she enjoyed a long-time favorite book of hers. Even though she's read it numerous times, it was so enjoyable and immersive that she could almost feel her troubles melt away.

Being one of Ringwood's Captains was stressful work, and she was on her vacation after all.

No Erin. No Cobb. Just her and her thoughts.

She glanced at the clock framed above her bedroom door. It was roughly noon. She was planning to pick-up Cobb from his 'sword training' at sunset. That left her with enough time to train. She really hadn't gotten any exercise…apart from trouncing Cobb in a surprisingly exhausting duel.

She bookmarked her spot before walking out of her bedroom, down the stairs, and out into the backyard.

She had been trying to get Cobb to use a sword and lose properly, but instead he had stubbornly clung to his damned fishing rod. She couldn't stand it. All his boasts and bragging about how it took down Carys_Angel.

She thought they were all lies at first, but after dueling him, she realized that it was not as ridiculous as she once believed.

So what if the fishing rod did no damage. It wouldn't have to if they were suspended over lava. Just one simple hit would knock her down. No different from a tossed snowball or an egg.

But Carys is… _was_ …a monster.

Wynn remembered the first time she met her. There were reports of mass killings in the Western District. When Wynn went to investigate, she saw Carys, surrounded by piles of gear from guards and civilians alike. Her red eyes so cold and impassive, as if she had simply squashed a few ants instead of end fellow human lives.

And then they crossed swords.

Even with a superior weapon like the rapier against a diamond sword, Wynn and Carys were evenly matched. Trading blows, spitting out insults, red eyes staring down amber eyes.

Finally, when back-up was nearing, Carys gave a parting smirk before leaping on her pig steed and taking off. Wynn could have pursued her, but she didn't.

Because she had seen the tattoos on her arm. She only had two hearts left to Carys' five.

Chasing her would have been suicide.

Returning her mind to the present, Wynn found it hard to believe that someone like that would fall to someone like Cobb…over something so trivial like a fishing rod.

It was embarrassing!

Deciding to practice her archery, she withdrew her bow and began taking shots at the targets she lined up against the hedges. The shots hit the targets, but none of them were bulls-eyes. She was really better with a sword than long range weapons.

Which was a problem she was trying to rectify. If she had enough proficiency with a bow, than the incident with Cobb knocking her into the pond wouldn't have happened in the first place. She would have shot him in the face and extricated herself from the pond with ease.

Instead, she was humiliated by him.

Him and his stupid fishing rod!

After loosing all her arrows, she walked over to the targets to retrieve them and start over. That's when she noticed an item littering the lawn.

She stooped down to pick it up and discovered it to be…Cobb's stupid fishing rod! He must have dropped it after she knocked him out.

She scoffed at the tool as she weighed it in her hands, remembering Cobb's words.

 _'Don't mock the fishing rod until you try it. I'd be happy to instruct you on its usage…'_

"Yeah right." She mumbled as she walked over to a chest specifically designated for any garbage she found on her lawn. As she opened the chest, ready to drop the rod into it, she heard a faint grumble.

*UHNNN*

She glanced across the pond to spot a lone zombie. It emerged from a patch of darkness underneath an old tree and was steadily making its way towards her.

That is, until it caught fire in the sunlight.

It quickly abandoned its movements towards the Captain in favor of the cooling water of the pond. Perfect for extinguishing flames.

Also perfect for being a sitting duck.

Wynn walked away from the chest and moved to take out her bow and end the undead Mob intruding upon her property…but stopped half-way.

Watching the Zombie, she realized the situation was remarkably similar to how the duel earlier that day had gone. Opponent in the water, someone out of the water…and possessing a fishing rod.

She still had the rod in her hand and looked between it and the Zombie trying to get out of the water on her side. The idea was already forming in her mind before she realized…and Cobb _did_ seem to enjoy himself a bit.

She shrugged as she pulled back the rod, readying to whip it after the Zombie. _Just one hit to its face before I shoot it._ She thought confidently as she remembered the concept of fishing, hoping it would apply the same for hitting Mobs.

Although if Cobb could do it, how hard could it be?

She cast the rod and watched the bobber sail through the air before making contact with the Zombie, knocking it back a bit. Satisfied she hit her mark, Wynn smirked lazily while reeling the rod in, hoping to quickly swap to her bow and finish the Zombie off.

The only problem was, she reeled in with far too much strength. The hook of the bobber actually latched itself onto the Zombie's torn shirt and pulled it clear out of the water…straight towards the white-haired Captain.

Surprised and caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Wynn was knocked down as the Zombie swiped at her with its claws and tried to take a bite out of her. Holding the Mob at bay with her outstretched arm, Wynn fumbled at her belt for the familiar iron rapier.

Meanwhile, the Zombie, being in sunlight again, caught fire, adding a new element of danger to its strikes. Wynn dodged as best she could, but found herself catching fire as well.

 _What is happening right now!? I'm a Captain! I don't lose to simple, run-of-the-mill Mobs like this!_ She thought angrily as she finally withdrew her rapier and skewered the Zombie through its neck. The next instant, it vanished in a puff of smoke, EXP, and rotten flesh.

And she was still on fire.

She quickly rolled into the pond and came out sputtering and soaked, but alive.

As she dragged herself back onto solid ground she had to wonder.

 _What did I do wrong there?_

She cast the fishing rod, just like Cobb had. She hit the target, just like Cobb had. But instead of just knocking the Zombie back, it had actually yanked the Zombie from the pond.

Cobb hadn't done that…well actually he had. He yanked Wynn into the pond to begin with. But then he had switched to simply 'bobbering' her. His casts never pulled her from the water. If they had, then she would have sunk her rapier into him sooner just as the Zombie had attacked her.

So where did she go wrong with the 'bobber'?

Already she was analyzing possible techniques. _Perhaps I put too much strength into reeling in. Or took too long with the cast, allowing it to fasten securely to the Zombie before—_

 _WAIT A MINUTE!_

 _Why do I even care!? It's a fishing rod! It's not even a proper weapon!_ She mentally screamed.

She looked at the fishing rod with disdain, as if finally realizing what she was doing, before walking over to the garbage chest and dumping it unceremoniously. She also took a nervous glance around the backyard to see if anyone had seen her use the rod in the first place. Her pride depended on it.

She wasn't going to get dragged into Cobb's idiocy. A fishing rod is a tool to obtain food! And at best, it can maybe pull out useless junk and trash items.

But not for combat. Never for combat! And she'd be damned if she was going to waste the rest of her vacation obsessing over some useless tool. She had better things to work on. Like her archery!

Yes! Archery! Proper combat! That was what she needed to focus on.

She took out the bow again and began taking rapid shots at the targets, trying to repress the memory of her failing to use a fishing rod successfully…

While Cobb could.

* * *

[Cobb]

I stood across from Captain Iron_Lung, who I strongly suspected was a blaring-banshee-fire-alarm-in-disguise, while he put on his iron armor and, strangely enough, a green leather cap. The other guards were sitting on the sidelines, both content with taking a break from training and eager to watch their Captain trounce some no-name Crafter.

Namely: Me.

Before we began the spar, however, Iron_Lung called me over to whisper something to me.

And I only use the word 'whisper' because it was several times softer than how he usually…spoke.

"String Bean! I gotta ask, what's your combat experience like!? What exactly am I working with fighting you!?" If he was trying to be discreet, he was failing miserably as all the guards' attention was immediately drawn to us. "How many Crafters have you killed!?"

"Um…one." Being Carys_Angel.

Even though Floyd was technically the one that tossed her into lava, I had to stick with the story I told the King. That being, I had killed one of the most dangerous criminals in Ringwood…with a fishing rod.

 _Speaking of which, where did I lose my fishing rod? I know I had it with me when I fought Wynn._

"I see!" Iron_Lung continued. "In other words you're a Newb at Combat! Well then, how about I make this a bit more interesting!" He pulled a gold sword from his belt and it shined in the midday sun. "I don't want you to give up so easily! So here's the offer! You land a hit on me and damage my health, and I'll give you this gold sword, free of charge!"

Looking at the sword, I could see my own awestruck expression reflected right back at me. The sword had such luster that I couldn't believe I had never noticed it before.

Then again, the one and only time I had seen a golden sword was when it was pressed against my neck by a red-eyed killer.

Despite the awful yellow color, it had to be good. Stronger than my stone sword if Iron_Lung was offering it in the first place. Plus it was made of gold! It had to be powerful, right?

Defeating a trained Captain may have been an ordeal, but just landing a hit? I could handle that…even though I couldn't land a hit on Wynn.

"I'll take those odds." I agreed somewhat confidently. The Captain just smirked as if I had acted how he hoped I would.

"VERY GOOD!" He switched from his 'whispering' tone so quickly that I flinched backwards, ears ringing. "NOW WATCH CLOSELY ALL OF YOU! IT NEVER HURTS TO REMEMBER THE BASICS!"

He held the gold sword in a stance and I mirrored his actions with my stone sword. It had been a while since I held it, and once again I felt the stronger weight. I could feel that it could do a lot more damage than a wooden sword.

"LESSON ONE!" The Captain screeched as he aimed a simple slash at my torso. I quickly backpedaled, dodging it by an inch. "THE SIMPLE SWORD STRIKE! VERY STANDARD AND CAN BE DONE FROM ANY ANGLE YOU WISH!"

In response, he angled the slashes from various sides. Most of them I dodged, but some of them were too fast and nicked me in the shoulder. I quickly aimed some slashes at him, but he dodged them without even trying.

"LESSON TWO!" The Captain held up two fingers as I aimed a strike from the left. He held his gold sword vertically and stopped the strike with a block, sparks flying as stone clashed against gold.

"BLOCKING CAN REDUCE DAMAGE DRASTICALLY AND MAKE YOUR OPPONENT LOSE THEIR MOMENTUM!" As he said that, I tried another attack from the right. But his sword intercepted it again, stopping my blade cold. "IT WORKS THE SAME WITH ARROWS! SOMETIMES A BLOCK CAN BE BETTER THAN A STRIKE!"

 _Come on, I just need to land one hit!_

Slash after slash I struck at the green-haired Captain, but each time he just blocked. I noticed the guards on the sidelines, cheering for the Captain, while I felt myself slowing down. I really needed to eat something.

"AS YOU MEN CAN SEE FROM STRING BEAN HERE, HE'S LOSING STEAM AND HUNGER WITH ALL HIS RAPID STRIKES!" The Captain kicked my calf, easily toppling me to the ground before he backed off. "A STRATEGY RELYING TOO MUCH ON OFFENSE CAN BACKFIRE! SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO GAUGE YOUR STRENGTH! SWITCH FROM OFFENSE TO DEFENSE WHEN APPROPRIATE!"

I quickly munched on some baked potatoes to fill my Hunger Meter before returning to my feet. The Captain noticed this and readied his own sword to strike me.

Remembering his advice, I tried blocking his slashes. They were slower than Wynn's strikes and I vaguely wondered if he was going easy on me for the sake of teaching.

 _This is the basics of sword fighting? But I've already done all this stuff! This can't be all there is._

After blocking two of his strikes, he leapt back…and got into an odd stance. Both of his arms were gripping his sword to the side and his eyes were focused on me. The next instant, he rushed forward, sprinting all out. "LESSON THREE!"

I had my sword ready to block, but just as his blade crashed into mine, I felt my blade and myself get battered back.

More like launched back. He had so much momentum in that strike when it crashed into me and I was sent into the air before landing on my back.

"THAT WAS A KNOCKBACK STRIKE!" He explained to the watching guards. "WHEN RUSHING AN OPPONENT IN A SPRINT, YOUR FORCE CARIES INTO YOUR STRIKE! IT CAN STAGGER A BLOCKING OPPONENT AND SEND THEM REELING BACK!"

"THERE'S A KNOCKBACK ENCHANTMENT THAT CAN PULL OFF THE SAME THING WITHOUT RUNNING, BUT SOMETIMES, YOU NEED TO RELY ON YOUR OWN SKILLS!" I got back up to my feet and wiped the sweat from my forehead. "ENCHANTMENTS RUN OUT, BUT YOUR SKILLS STAY WITH YOU!"

I got into a stance similar to the Captain's Knockback Strike (damn that sounds cool!) and rushed at him. For sure, that would land a hit.

But just as I was about to hit him, he sidestepped out of the way and stuck out his leg. I tripped, rolled, and slid across the arena, getting a face full of dirt.

"HOWEVER, THE KNOCKBACK STRIKE PUTS SO MUCH FORCE INTO ONE BLOW, THAT A SIMPLE DODGE CAN MAKE IT FALL APART!" He planted his gold sword in the ground and leaned on it as he regarded my prone form. "IT ALSO DOESN'T HELP WHEN YOU TELEGRAPH THE ATTACK SO OPENLY LIKE STRING BEAN HERE! TAKE NOTES NANCIES. _THAT_ IS WHAT _NOT_ TO DO IN COMBAT!"

I seethed in annoyance as the Captain's comment elicited some laughs from the crowd, which was steadily growing larger as more guards came to watch our spar. I got back up to my feet, ready to try the Knockback Strike again, but with more subtlety.

 _Alright. Maybe I should pretend to be too slow. Make him think I'm exhausted and have no energy left to attack. Then, I'll surprise him with a—_

Heart: _Hey, Cobb. I know you're busy, but I felt you should know that Brain has finally recovered._

 _What?...oh…that's great, but, yeah, I'm kind of busy._

Brain: _GAH! Stop shouting! I have a splitting head ache!_

 _I'm…not scream—wait how am I supposed to scream in my thoughts anyway?_

Liver: _Like this. BRAAAAAIIIIIN!_

Brain: _GAH! LIVER! CUT IT OUT! My head is pounding!_

Heart: _He still has a hangover. Even after a day._

Stomach: _And I think Liver is using it as payback._

Liver: _Hey Brain. I heard that hangovers give killer headaches and make every sound feel 100 times louder. IS THAT TRUE!?_

Brain: _AUUUGH! Liver you little shit! Shut up!_

Heart: _Perhaps this will teach you not to drink so much._

Brain: _But…I was celebrating you agreeing with me…_

Liver: _Hey Bladder. Do you have an air horn I can borrow?_

Bladder: *hands over air horn*

Brain: _No, Liver, p-please…have mercy._

Liver: _After all those insults you threw at me?_

Brain: _Oh come on…those were…I was just messing around…heh heh…_

Liver: _Alright then. I won't use the air horn, but you have to promise not to make fun of me from now on._

Brain: _…_

Liver: _…_

Brain: _…just use the damn air horn._

Liver: *mashes air horn in Brain's ear*

Brain: _AUUUGHHHHH!_

Heart: _You'd rather go through agonizing pain than to just not make fun of Liver anymore?_

Brain: _…it was an easy choice…and you're gonna pay for this, Liver…as soon as this splitting headache subsides…_

Liver: _I believe the phrase is…YOLO!_ *mashes air horn*

Brain: _NGHHHHH!_

 _Why do you guys only speak up at the WORST possible times!_ I internally complained. I was so focused on my internal organ squabble that I failed to notice Iron_Lung taking a new stance. Only one arm was holding the sword before he charged right at me.

"LESSON FOUR! NEVER LOSE FOCUS IN BATTLE!" I tried to ready my sword to block, but I was too shocked to position it in time. "AND LESSON FIVE!"

At those words, the Captain leapt into the air, and pulled his sword back. What I saw next were tiny white stars gleaming off his sword. They were so unnatural that I could tell they had nothing to do with the golden sword's shine.

And that they somehow meant trouble for me.

He slashed with the blade, white stars dancing of the surface as it struck me. I was blasted back, taking a lot more damage than the regular hits, and found myself spread out against the ground, belly-up, like a helpless turtle.

"CRITICAL HITS!" The Captain roared in triumph as he sheathed his sword at his belt. "WHEN A CRAFTER MAKES A STRIKE WHILE AIDED BY GRAVITY, THE FORCE TRANSLATES INTO THE BLADE, COATING IT IN WHITE STARS OR, AS I LIKE TO CALL IT, 'CRIT AURA!'"

"THE SAME OCCURS WITH ARROWS FULLY PULLED BACK ON BOWS! CRIT AURA INCREASES YOUR DAMAGE OUTPUT SO LONG AS YOU'RE FALLING WHEN MAKING THE ATTACK!" He took out some steak from his belt and tore at it ravenously. "ANY AMOUNT OF FALLING WILL ACTIVATE THE CRIT AURA! THE ARROWS DON'T REQUIRE AID BY GRAVITY, BUT THE SWORD STRIKES DO! REMEMBER THAT!" He pointed to the crowd who had all nodded, some probably taking mental notes.

As for me, I just laid flat on my back, admiring the clouds drifting through the peaceful blue sky. Everything hurt, and I figured my health was below half.

 _Would it hurt for there to be_ one _fight I could win?_

* * *

[Wynn's Mansion]

"Missed again." Wynn complained as she walked over to the targets. After her failure with the fishing rod, whatever meager skill she had with a bow was slowly dwindling. Her arrows had gone from at least hitting the wooden targets, to hitting the hedges behind them.

And she knew full well what was throwing her aim off.

It was that garbage chest. If it had eyes, she knew it would be staring at her, almost mockingly, because of what was inside.

The fishing rod.

It was in that chest, sitting on a pile of garbage, as a constant reminder that I had failed to do something that even a moron like Cobb could do.

That was a scary thought. That Cobb might actually possess a skill that she didn't. Even if it was a completely useless skill.

She had sword fighting, minor archery, enchanting, and so much more experience under her belt.

But Cobb had a skill that she didn't. A Newb had more experience than her. And it was tearing her up on the inside. Making her lose focus on her shots. Her swordsmanship would probably be lacking as well. And that was something she couldn't allow to unfold.

She couldn't jeopardize her skills just by the mere failure at using a fishing rod in a specific way.

So, with great reluctance, she opened the chest and withdrew the fishing rod, performing a few practice swings to test the timing. But she still needed some targets. Moving targets.

She hurried inside and grabbed a ton of cobblestone.

By the end of the day, she would master the completely useless skill…so she could immediately repress it from her memory and get on with more useful tools.

 _Curse you Cobb!_ Wynn thought to herself as she began constructing a cobblestone structure in her backyard. _Even when you're not here, you plague me with your stupidity!_

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Would it hurt for there to be_ one _fight I could win?_ Cobb internally groaned.

 _Actually, not even win! I just need to land a solid hit! But every time I try, he just blocks or dodges…or yells._

"HEY, STRING BEAN!"

 _See? More yelling._

"I HOPE YOU'VE GOTTEN YOUR SECOND WIND! BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST A WARM-UP!" He screamed as he gripped the scruff of my hoodie and yanked me to my feet.

 _Warm-up!? He was going_ easy _on me!?_

He withdrew the gold sword and gave it a deft flip before catching it in his left hand. "C'MON, I'LL EVEN USE MY NON-DOMINANT HAND!"

I rolled my arms to get feeling back into them as I thought up a strategy.

 _He's strong, fast, and experienced…but he's underestimating me because I'm a Newb. Which means he won't be expecting me to get a solid strike in._

 _If I could surprise him, just for an instant, then I'll have an opportunity. But I'll need to do something unexpected. Something…unorthodox._

I smirked as an idea popped into my head. "Timeout!" I shouted as I fumbled in my Inventory for my Crafting Table.

"TIMEOUT!?" The Captain roared with laughter. "I GET THAT YOU NEED A BREAK FROM THE CAN OF PAIN I'M DISHING OUT, BUT IN A LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION YOU DON'T GET 'TIMEOUTS!'"

The watching guards, too, were chuckling at my inappropriate timing. But screw them! They wanted to watch me get my ass handed to me. I placed the table and formed some sticks before arranging them with some string.

"HEY! NO BOWS! THIS IS A SWORD FIGHTING LESSON!" The Captain shouted as he saw the materials I was laying out.

"It's not a bow I'm making." I stated simply as I completed the tool: Fishing Rod Mark II!

"A FISHING ROD!?" HAHAHAHA!" The Captain guffawed and some guards joined him.

That is, until one guard spoke up. "Now I remember! I knew that Newb looked familiar! He's the fishing rod guy!"

At once, the neighboring guards gasped in shock or began to murmur rumors at the recent revelation. It was kind of hilarious how the rumor mill assisted my story, which now sounded more like a legend coming from the guards' hushed whispers.

"That's him? The guy claiming to have killed the Carys_Angel?"

"There's no way! That witch could kill legions of guards without breaking a sweat! How could a Newb stand up to that?"

"I heard from the King's guards that he's an undercover detective!"

"So what? He's posing as a Newb?"

"If so, then he's really convincing."

"Convincing enough to discover Kane's identity."

"I thought Captain Wynn handled that arrest."

"Maybe they were working together. The guards said they looked pretty chummy. And she even took him back to her home."

"Maybe things are _more_ than chummy between them. Eh? Probably sharing a bedroom and all?"

 _If by sharing a bedroom you mean getting forced at gun-point into an old outhouse…then yes. We were totally sleeping together._ I thought dryly as I readied my fishing rod.

"WELL, WELL, WELL! LOOKS LIKE I UNDERESTIMATED YOU!" The Captain shouted before adopting a suspicious stare. "OR MAYBE I'M JUST OVERESTIMATING THOSE RUMORS! AFTER ALL, THESE NANCIES ARE EASILY IMPRESSED!"

The guards protested to being called 'nancies,' but the Captain's words had also made them reconsider the rumors.

"Yeah, who can say for sure he did any of those things?"

"Carys' wanted posters have disappeared. But maybe he's just taking credit for someone else's accomplishments."

"Plus, he's using a fishing rod to fight a Captain? That's newby no matter how you slice it."

"Ha! Yeah, what's he going to do? Fish him to death?"

"Now now. We don't know what his strategy is. Maybe he'll pour some water down, catch some salmon, and cook the Captain a nice dinner! Y'know, to lull him into a false sense of security?"

"Pftt! I'd actually like to see that."

A tick mark appeared on my forehead at their jeers. _Oh yeah assholes? Maybe I_ will _cook him up a nice salmon dinner! Just to spite you!_ It seemed bizarre that the most obvious use for a fishing rod (catching fish) was something I hadn't tried yet.

Meh. One day at a time.

"WELL, STRING BEAN, IF YOU THINK THAT LITTLE TRINKET OF YOURS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BY ALL MEANS, USE IT TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT!" He held his gold sword loosely in his left hand. "JUST KEEP IN MIND, A STRIKE WITH A FISHING ROD DOESN'T COUNT AS DAMAGE! ONLY SWORD DAMAGE!"

I nodded to his words and slowly circled him with my fishing rod ready to whip forward. He mirrored my movements, the both of us circling each other with the guards cheering the Captain on or jeering at me.

The Captain sprung first. Both hands gripped his blade as he sprinted towards me.

 _Knockback Strike._ I recalled. In response, I just stood my ground, not even attempting to evade, with my fishing rod ready to whip forward at a moment's notice.

As soon as the strike met my chest, I was once again launched backwards with tremendous force.

But this time, I was ready.

While getting launched back, I whipped my fishing rod towards the Captain and hooked him by his gakuran. I skid to a halt, feet still on the ground, and used the force the Captain hit me with to pull him towards me.

Not expecting the action and still recovering from the Knockback Strike he used, the green-haired, human air horn was pulled off his feet and met the ground with his face.

The watching crowd had gone silent at that, but I was more concerned with the opening I just created. I swapped to my stone sword and raised it to deliver a simple strike to win me that gold sword.

But the Captain wasn't going to lose so easily. He quickly rolled out of the way before sweeping at my legs in a low kick. I fell onto the ground just as the Captain recovered and struck at my face.

I blocked his first strike before battering it back. He backpedaled to put some distance between us. At first, I thought I had scared him off. But then I saw how he was gripping his blade.

 _Critical Hit._ I concluded a second before he sprinted towards me again. I swapped back to my fishing rod and took aim. He leapt into the air, white stars dancing off his blade…

Until a quick bobber nailed him in the face.

"Bobber!" I shouted with a grin as I rolled out of the way of his interrupted Critical Hit. I noticed that the white stars had faded as soon as the bobber hit him.

 _Now's my chance!_ I thought as I aimed a low strike at his legs. He responded by leaping over the blade before aiming a strike at my shoulder, which I blocked in turn. Whether he was intentionally going easy on me or not, my response time was improving.

Again we clashed blades. Our faces were close enough that I could see the determination in his dark blue eyes. Our blades were straining against each other, neither of us giving an inch. The crowd was getting into it too. Actually cheering _both_ of us on instead of just the Captain.

"NOT BAD STRING BEAN!" He praised with gritted teeth. "MAYBE THOSE RUMORS ARE TRUE! BUT YOU WON'T BE GETTING THE GOLD TODAY!"

I growled in frustration as I recalled everything the Captain taught. There was the Crit Aura, but I needed to be falling.

…Would just jumping work?

I disengaged the Captain to test it out, but the Captain had immediately aimed a slash at my torso. With no time to waste, I crouched below his strike before springing up in a jump. My sword was held back, and I saw the white stars erupt from the grey stone surface.

With no time for amazement, I swung the sword crashing forward.

And I got a hit in!

It nailed the Captain in the head and destroyed his green leather cap, but I got a hit in. That _had_ to have done damage!

I was so overjoyed at my accomplishment, I failed to notice the Captain's hand which caught my head and held me off the ground by it.

 _Uh-oh! Human beings shouldn't be suspended by their heads like this!_

The Captain glared into my eyes with a cold unmatched fury.

…before his frown split into a grin and his uproarious laughter filled the air.

It was about as confusing as it sounded.

"WELL STRING BEAN, YOU SURE SHOWED ME!" He put me down and patted off the dust I accumulated during the spar. "IN ALL MY YEARS AS A CAPTAIN, NEVER HAVE I BEEN BESTED BY A FISHING ROD! AS PROMISED, YOU HIT ME, SO HERE'S YOUR VERY OWN GOLD SWORD!" He handed his shining blade over to me, which I gratefully accepted.

While I felt perplexed by his joy over losing, I vaguely noticed some clapping coming from the crowd of guards. They were actually applauding the fight. Applauding me! There were whistles too.

And a bit of comments, here and there.

"He's the real deal, alright! Did you see that!?"

"Yes we're all standing right here! Of course we saw it!"

"He landed a strike on the Captain. No guard has ever been able to do that…ever!"

"How…how did he…with a fishing rod…"

"Dude! Dude! We have GOT to get one of those!"

"What's the recipe for a fishing rod again? It's been so long since I used one of them."

"Geez, I don't know. There's sticks and string…but how many?"

"Why don't we ask King_Cobb?"

"No way! What if he heard my comment about the salmon dinner? You think he'd hold a grudge?"

"I think I may have some string lying around."

"The market might have some rods and string handy."

"Hey, good thinking…Can I borrow some emeralds?"

"No way man! I want a fishing rod too!"

"Oh shoot! I think everyone wants one now. We should hit the market right after training."

I laughed in disbelief. I had drastically changed their perception of a 'useless' tool with my performance. It wasn't too different from my goal of proving to Crafters everywhere that numbers and experience aren't everything. And accomplishing such a task with a simple fishing rod just felt right.

"NANCIES!" Iron_Lung screamed as he pointed to the crowd, immediately silencing their excited murmurs. "MY GREEN LEATHER CAP APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED! FIRST ONE TO GET ME A NEW ONE DOESN'T HAVE TO RUN LAPS TOMORROW!"

At those words, all the watching guards stampeded over to the barracks to retrieve the Captain a cap. It seemed weird how he valued something like that.

"Why do you wear a leather cap for armor anyway? Couldn't you get an iron helmet or diamond?" I asked as I munched on some cookies.

The Captain looked at the chocolate-chip dessert with disgust before withdrawing some steak. "SURE, I COULD HAVE THE MOST POWERFUL HEADGEAR IN MINECRAFTIA! BUT IT WOULDN'T MEAN A THING TO ME IF IT WASN'T DYED!"

"THE GUARDS AND CAPTAINS DON'T JUST WEAR THEM AS A FASHION STATEMENT! GREEN IS THE COLOR OF THIS KINGDOM! IT'S OUR SYMBOL! AND MOST IMPORTANTLY..."

Surprisingly, he pulled me in and adopted his 'whispering' tone to speak the last part.

"…it shows that I'm a brother in arms to those nancies!" He pointed to the handful of guards who had managed to procure a green-dyed helmet as they ran towards us. "Our color is the symbol of our camaraderie. And every guard or Captain worth their salt knows it!"

As we separated, one of the leading guards almost crashed into the green-haired Captain as he presented him a fresh green-dyed cap.

"VERY GOOD JONAH! NO LAPS FOR YOU!" The guard named Jonah smiled in relief despite his exhausted pants. "AND AS FOR THE REST OF YOU SLOWPOKE NANCIES! TRAINING IS DISMISSED! YOU'RE GONNA NEED YOUR REST FOR TOMORROW'S LAPS! I'M THINKING…5 TIMES AROUND THE PLATEAU…FOR EVERY HIT I LANDED ON STRING BEAN!"

The guards all groaned in despair, still holding their own green-dyed caps, before they trudged back to the barracks.

I should have felt bad hearing they had to run laps, but I was too busy thinking how awesome it was that _I_ didn't have to run laps.

Unless, of course, Wynn sent me back to the green-haired drill sergeant.

*Gulp*

"STRING BEAN!" The Captain roared. "YOUR GULPING IS GETTING TOO LOUD FOR MY DELICATE EARS! SO KNOCK IT OFF!"

 _Delicate ears? Is this guy serious!?_ I mentally screamed as I walked away from the training grounds, intent on practicing my newly learned sword skills before Wynn came to pick me up.

…

 _…she…she did say she was going to pick me up right?_

* * *

[Wynn's Mansion]

Wynn cast the fishing rod into the pool several times. Figuring out what technique was necessary to effectively grapple an opponent. Or how to better hit an opponent with a bobber (a move she reluctantly named bobbering to save time).

But mostly she was waiting. Waiting for an opponent to appear. And Wynn knew an opponent would appear eventually because of the laws of Minecraftia.

Mobs were a constant threat to Crafters everywhere, especially since they spawned from the darkness itself. However, if someone _wanted_ to fight a bunch of Mobs, they would construct a sealed room devoid of light and wait for them to spawn.

Wynn was just desperate enough in her need for a proper opponent (that couldn't spread news of her using a fishing rod in combat) to construct such a structure in her backyard. It was made out of cobblestone and was a huge eyesore, but Wynn wanted to be done with the fishing rod as soon as possible. And for her to master the useless weapon and get on with the rest of her vacation, she needed Mobs to test the skill on.

And it looked like her time of waiting was nearly over.

She could hear moans emanating from the cold rock. A few Zombies by the sound of things. Maybe a silent Creeper or two.

She would just need to be careful.

She mined out an exit in the cobblestone for the Mobs before quickly retreating to the furthest edge of the pool. The Mobs spilled out of the room and into the sunlight: four Zombies, two Creepers.

The Zombies caught fire instantly, giving Wynn the chance to test her 'hook' skill. She cast the rod towards the nearest Zombie and yanked it into the pool.

Flawlessly.

The hook skill was easily the most useful for the fishing rod. It pulled Mobs in so quickly. Although the combat applications of pulling dangerous Mobs _towards_ you were as nonexistent as Cobb's common sense, it was still easy to perform.

But that wasn't what Wynn was after. She wanted to perform the bobber technique. Just to prove to herself that Cobb wasn't some kind of fishing rod genius with masterful skills.

And yes that did sound as ridiculous as it sounded, but Wynn was frustrated. And frustrated people tend to shove rationality out the window.

The other Mobs had fallen into the pool, whether to put themselves out or get to Wynn, and the Captain readied the rod to cast again. She aimed it at one of the Zombies, seeing as how if she screwed up bobbering against a Creeper it would result in a smoking crater in her backyard.

With a flick of her wrist, the bobber sailed through the air and right into the Zombie. She waited before reeling in and noticed that the undead Mob was pulled towards her. The hook was given too much opportunity to snag onto something.

Alright. That meant she just needed to be quicker.

She cast at a different Zombie that was getting closer and watched how, once again, the bobber nailed the Zombie in the head. Again she reeled and again the Mob was drawn towards her, albeit a bit less.

She was getting closer to the proper wrist-flicking and reeling-in speed.

 _One more time._ She mentally edged herself on as she cast once more.

*SNAP*

The 'one more time' she gave the fishing rod was all it had left. Its durability gone, the broken pole and snapped string crumpled in her hands before disappearing into dust.

Wynn could only stare at where the fishing rod had existed just a few moments ago. It wasn't until twenty seconds later that she registered what had just happened and what it meant for her.

 _It broke._

…

 _It broke._ She mentally repeated.

…

 _I broke it._

 _I broke Cobb's fishing rod._

Another more terrifying thought crossed her mind.

 _And Cobb_ knew _he left it in the backyard. He'll know it was here._

 _And when he sees that it's not here…_

 _He's gonna blame the only other person who was here the whole day._

 _Me._

Wynn could already picture how things would transpire.

 _'Hey, Wynn. I just wanted to tell you that you were right all along. I was being a stupid newb, thinking I could ignore swordsmanship in favor of a simple fishing rod.'_

 _'Oh…don't worry about it Cobb. I know you can't help your idiotic personality.'_

 _'It is but the curse I bear. If only I was as graceful and talented as you. Instead I am nothing but filth polluting this fine Kingdom.'_

 _'Well admitting the problem is the first step to turning your life around. It won't be easy, but I'm sure you can become an upstanding citizen…in a few years.'_

 _'Golly. I better start right now by using the fishing rod how it was intended to be used. For fishing.'_

 _'That…that won't be necessary, Cobb. Why don't you…help Erin out in the kitchen. Preparing dinner and—'_

 _'Hey, shouldn't my fishing rod be back here? I know I dropped it during our fight.'_

 _'I haven't seen it. Fishing rod? What's a fishing rod? Why are you looking at me? I have nothing to hide!' *whistles innocently*_

 _'Where could it have…wait a moment...*gasp*…Wynn! You used it didn't you!?'_

 _'What!? N-no! Of course not!'_

 _'You used it so much that the durability ran out! And to think I thought you were a dignified Captain.'_

 _'I am a dignified Captain! And wipe that smug smirk off your face!'_

 _'I knew you couldn't resist using it. Looks like you're just as newby as me. Forget becoming an upstanding citizen. Stupidity for the win! Derp-Derp!'_

 _'Nooooo!'_

 _Just then, his Eminence walked into the backyard. 'Wynn. I can't believe how newby you are using a fishing rod for combat. I can't wait to tell this to all the citizens of Ringwood. They'll find it hilarious and your reputation will be forever ruined! Oh and Cobb. Fishing rods for the win! Derp-Derp!'_

 _'Ha-ha! Thanks, Your Eminence! Derp-Derp!'_

 _'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'_

NO!

She would NOT let those overly exaggerated events happen!

She quickly sliced apart the Mobs in the pool.

Her pride was on the line and she would make sure nobody discovered the truth! She would dispose of the evidence, get Cobb a new fishing rod, and repress the events of the day into the furthest corners of her mind, never to see daylight again.

And she would have to get all that done, before she picked up Cobb.

So much for her vacation.

"M-m-ma'am?" Wynn whirled around expecting a nosy eavesdropper, but relaxed when she saw it was her housekeeper Erin…holding an armful of pumpkin pies. "I was just c-coming to ask if you've seen Cobb anywhere? I w-wanted to give him some of these p-pies I made since he says he loves my cooking so much. Then I noticed the structure in your backyard. Are y-you building a new addition? If s-so I have to say cobblestone doesn't m-match well with—"

"Erin! There are more pressing matters to attend to." Wynn silenced the housekeeper's tirade before it began. Time was of the essence. "I need you to go to the market and buy a fishing rod. It's very important that I get one before dark."

Erin looked perplexed at the command. "A f-fishing rod? D-doesn't Cobb have one you can use—"

The Captain cut her off by pressing a hand against her mouth. "Cobb can't know about this. Ever. Lives are at stake. Understand?"

The last part was a complete lie, but Wynn needed to make her point clear. Nobody could know. And judging by how Erin's eyes widened in worry, she understood the implied severity of the situation.

"O-okay! I'll b-be right back." She hurried away while Wynn withdrew her pick and dismantled the cobblestone room. There could be no evidence tying Wynn to that fishing rod.

She mentally kicked herself for not realizing that fishing rods lose durability faster when used against Mobs. It's almost as if it was never _meant_ to be used against Mobs.

She mentally kicked herself a second time when she realized she could have spared herself so much hassle if she had just dropped the stupid fishing rod in the garbage to begin with.

* * *

[Floyd]

"I still say those rates are ridiculous." I attempted to start up a conversation as we walked across the wheat fields carrying what percentage of iron we were allowed to keep.

"Hm." Soul mumbled half-interested as he took a bite of fish. Despite the…minor truce, he still wasn't talking. But he was trying to keep his personal feelings from affecting his behavior as a Silver Intent Member.

By the time we reached his cottage, the sun was beginning to set. Time sure had gone fast during the day and I still had to meet up with Cobb come midnight. I'd probably have to explain everything that happened recently too.

Even though conversing with him would certainly take up a huge chunk of the night, it didn't bother me that I might lose sleep over it. In fact, I was sort of dreading sleep after that dream with Silent.

The decapitated Head.

The pool of blood.

The Void.

…

And it wasn't like a few sleepless nights would affect me at all. Traveling to Ringwood, I didn't sleep for two to three days and I was fine. And there was no way I'd give those nightmares the chance to resurface.

So, without seeing Soul to the door of his home like a weirdo, I offered a simple 'see you tomorrow' and began to walk to the park.

"You have a place to stay?" Soul spoke words. Actual words. And it sounded like he actually cared if I was to spend another night braving the elements. Whether they were words as friends or associates…probably more associates.

"Sort of." I replied vaguely. Even though I'd risk getting busted by some guards, the park was a nice camping spot. The pond had a source of food. Trees offered decent shelter from onlookers. So long as I left before the guards saw me, I'd be fine. "I'm meeting a friend. Lot to discuss."

Soul narrowed his eyes at the last bit I said. "You really have a friend?"

I nodded, wondering why it was so surprising I had made friends when Soul had too.

Soul scratched his spiky brown hair. "Well, just don't mention the Intent's HQ. We don't want uninvited guests."

I chuckled at that comment before responding. "He's trustworthy enough. Also, if you want to keep you HQ a secret, you should probably burn that framed piece of paper." His eyes widened at my remark, no doubt realizing how stupid he was in framing the directions to a secret organization.

"Take care." I concluded as I walked towards the park. I had a few things I needed to do, and I could probably get them done before Cobb arrived.

First and foremost: A full set of iron armor.

* * *

[Wynn's Mansion]

Wynn was pacing the floor as she awaited Erin's return. She had already dismantled the cobblestone structure, but now she was desperately searching her mind for a specific piece of information.

The durability level of Cobb's fishing rod.

There was a small chance that he'd notice the replacement fishing rod was fresher and newer than the one he last saw. Therefore, Wynn would have to specifically wear it out to the point where he couldn't tell the difference.

And just to be absolutely safe, she wasn't going to hand over the new fishing rod until it was capable of deceiving her. Those were the standards she had set for herself.

However, when Erin finally returned, she wasn't expecting her to arrive empty-handed.

"I'm s-sorry ma'am!" She pleaded with frightened eyes. "I-I looked everywhere! Every market every vendor. But they were out of f-fishing rods and string! Apparently a crowd of guards purchased the entire stock of it for some reason."

Wynn clenched her fists in frustration. Of all the times for something to go wrong! And where did the sudden wellspring of fishing rod enthusiasts come from? Was it some new trend or something?

Wynn checked her clock. Cobb would need to get picked up soon or he might just start wandering the streets. And that would be bad if Kane's men found him.

But if Cobb was brought back, he would discover the missing fishing rod and her pride and reputation would be down the toilet!

She needed more time and an alternative source for fishing rod materials.

"Alright, listen Erin." The Captain gripped the housekeeper's shoulders firmly. "Cobb is at the Central District by the barracks. I need you to pick him up and bring him straight here. No detours." Erin nodded.

"In the meantime," Wynn took out her rapier, "if we can't buy the materials, I'll just go hunt for them myself. Two string and three sticks." She sprinted to the door, but stopped to utter one last order. "And if you get back here before me, keep Cobb from going into the backyard…or bringing up fishing rods."

"T-tell me again how l-lives are at stake over a fishing rod?" Erin inquired tentatively.

"Just do it." Wynn dismissed as she rushed out the door and headed to the Northern Toll Gate. All the while she was thinking about killing Spiders for string and hoping she'd find enough outside the walls.

* * *

[Cobb]

I had begun waiting to get picked up by sunset.

And now it was night.

…

And I was still waiting.

…

I sighed loudly as I looked through my inventory for the umpteenth time. Turns out the gold sword Captain Iron_Lung gave me was weaker than my own stone sword. Not only that, the durability on the gold sword was so low after being used by the Captain. It made the whole battle seem like a pyrrhic victory.

…Whatever that is.

And I was supposed to meet Floyd at some park in the Eastern District. I checked my clock and saw that I only had a few more minutes until midnight.

 _You'd think Wynn would be a bit more punctual given her haughty nature. Or is she just living it up without me to bother her?_

 _…I hope I don't miss dinner. Erin even said she'd make mutton for the occasion. Bless her for her cooking._

"C-Cobb."

 _And now I'm even hearing her in my thoughts. That's odd—oh wait, no, there she is._

I turned to the approaching housekeeper. "Hey, Erin. I take it Wynn asked you to pick me up?"

She nodded silently, her face turning scarlet again. I swear, either she was always like that around me, or her face only lit up on days ending in 'y.'

Still, there was a problem. "I'm actually meeting someone later so I was hoping she would let me go off on my own."

Erin shook her head frantically. "N-no Cobb. M-miss Whispers was very specific that you sh-should come home immediately."

"I will, I will, but my friend is probably waiting for me and I don't want him to stay in the park all night." I needed to reason with Erin to let me go, or at least accompany me.

"The…park?" Erin inquired as she tilted her head, her black ponytails swaying from the movement.

"Yeah. In the Eastern District. You've been there?"

"Y-yes I h-have." Her face was once again red. "T-there's this pond in the center that reflects the midnight m-moonlight at just the right angle to set the s-surface aglow. It's quite…r-romantic."

"Yeah it does sound romantic." I agreed only half listening to her words. I really needed to convince her quickly, no time for pointless chit-chat. "Would you want to accompany me to the park? Wynn doesn't have to know we're taking a detour."

I think I said the wrong thing since her red face became ten shades darker and she devolving into a stuttery mess.

"Y-y-you m-mean l-like a…d-date?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." I agreed quickly as I looked at my clock again. "Let's just hurry it's almost midnight." I grabbed her hand and rushed us towards the plateau's eastern staircase. All the while she had a blissful expression on her face and was mumbling things about holding hands and romantic outings.

 _Must be a girl thing._ I shrugged as we continued towards our destination…

Unaware that an obscured figure was following us.

* * *

Finding the park was easy. Just a big mass of trees in a landscape of farms and fields. We quickly navigated through the foliage until we found the pool. And true to Erin's words, the moonlight reflected off the pool at just the right angle to give it a pearly luminescence.

But I wasn't there for that.

I spotted someone standing by the edge of the pool with full iron armor and fishing. But other than that I couldn't find Floyd.

 _Did I get here too late?_

"Cobb." I looked up as the iron-clad man walked over to us, speaking my name. Surprisingly, it was Floyd. "It took you long enough."

"It's nighttime isn't it?" I countered as I walked over to him. "I see you're fishing for—"

"W-wait!" Erin interrupted as she came between us. Both Floyd and I raised an eyebrow at her odd disruption. Realizing she was the center of our attention made her fidget in embarrassment and mumble out an excuse. "D-don't mention f-fishing…or f-fishing rods."

"Uh…why?" I questioned while Floyd scrutinized Erin as the newcomer she was.

"It's…er…it's taboo…to m-mention fishing in the park?" She posed it more as a suggestion than a reason and it made little to no sense either way. But honoring her request was the least I could given that she agreed to accompany me to the park without tipping off Wynn.

"Okay my bad." I conceded as I returned to my conversation with Floyd. Maybe it would be better to introduce Erin. "Floyd this is Erin. She's Wynn's housekeeper and a genius cook." She blushed at my statement and looked away. "And Erin this is Floyd. He's a good friend that doubles as a damn good lawyer."

Floyd laughed at his introduction before walking forward to shake Erin's hand. "Nice to meet you." After parting hands, he turned to me. "Not to be rude or anything, but any reason why you brought her with you?"

"I'm still on parole remember? But Wynn couldn't be bothered to do her job so Erin has to act as my…chaperone?" I tested the word to see if it fit properly. "A lot's happened in the past few days and I have loads to tell you."

"Same. Although I'm pretty sure what's happened to me over the past two days tops whatever happened to you."

"Challenge accepted." I countered with a grin before remembering what he was wearing. "Glad you finally found some decent armor."

At my words, Floyd scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah. I would have gotten you some, but the mine charged an enormous percentage. I barely managed to scrounge up this armor."

"It's fine. Because _I_ 've learned proper swordsmanship techniques." To prove my point I reached to my belt to whip out the sword, only for it to fly out of my grip mid-whip and 'ding' off of Floyd's armor.

"Oops." I offered as I picked up the stone blade, Floyd just shaking his head the whole time. Erin offered a giggle at my antics before returning to her silence. "What about you and Song?"

"His name is _Soul_." Floyd corrected. "That's the second time I've had to correct you—"

"They're very similar names!"

"—And I think we've worked something out." He looked up into the night sky. "We're not exactly friends, but he's giving me a chance as a co-worker."

"Co-worker?"

"Oh, that's right!" Floyd smacked his head in realization. "I have so much to tell you."

"Well I do too, but I also have to get back to Wynn's place before I'm gone too long." I explained as I ran a hand through my hair. "So, in the interest of saving time, why don't we just explain our stories to each other simultaneously."

Floyd stroked his imaginary beard in thought. "Alright…let's try it."

I nodded before holding up three fingers. I slowly ticked them off as a countdown for our explanations.

3…2…1…

"So after we left I went back to Soul's house where I discovered a secret note leading to a barn. The cool thing about this barn was—"

"—I went to register my number, but it turns out some Crafter already had it. And I'm thinking to myself, 'like whaaaaaa?' and then Wynn called me a pathological liar, whatever that is, and then—

"—secret organization called the Silver Intent. Their symbol is a silver horseshoe…not sure why I mentioned that…and they want to eradicate the Endward Cult from existence—"

"—Wynn was all like, 'BAM!' and 'WHOOSH!' and 'KA'PLAH!' and she was jumping around and doing flips like some kind of ninja-bunny-rabbit-lady…don't quote me on that…and she tells me the attackers were Kane's men—

"—they want me, Soul, and some purple-haired woman named Cara to go to the Kingdom of Nitebane to replace the Cult's banner with our own. Apparently banners are a big deal—"

"—Potatoes! Baked Potatoes! You have no idea—"

"—I struck a deal, if you'd want to call it that, where I could go along with your mission to Daymonte before parting with my group towards Nitebane. It's a little out of our way, but Brent was understanding—"

"—Cookies! Mounds of Cookies! You have no idea—"

"—I talked with Soul about reaching an agreement, and he was nice enough to give me all the iron he mined! That's got to be a sign I'm getting through to him, right? Although he—"

"—and my first thought was 'cannibal' but apparently that was wrong. Also I slept in an outhouse…I've suffered worse…but the next day Wynn was dissing the fish—"

Erin coughed loudly.

"…oh, my bad… _rod_. But then—"

"—I know he hates me, but I'm still trying to figure out what I can do—"

"—and if the first Captain wasn't bad enough, this next one was a walking, talking, fire alarm! And he gave me a crappy gold sword, which isn't as amazing as I first thought, as a reward for all my hard work. But on the plus side I think I started a… _rod_ …trend with all the guards."

Erin's eyes widened in shock at my statement. Although I had already covered myself from calling it a fishing rod, so I had no idea what was so shocking.

"—But I know if I work hard, I can convince him to forgive me, somehow."

After finishing our tirades, we both took a long breath of air.

"Looks like I was wrong." Floyd broke the silence. "Your story beat mine."

"You got all that?" I asked.

"I think so…I heard the word 'cannibal' in your story. Did I mishear that?"

"Nope. That's how I said it." I placed a comforting hand on Floyd's iron-clad shoulder. "And I'm positive you can win Soul over."

He smiled confidently at my assurance and I was glad that we were both caught up with each other's accounts.

"Well, well, well!" A deep voice emanated from all around the park, shocking us into defensive positions. Erin just cowered between us. "Look what we have here."

The surrounding bushes rustled before ten or eleven Crafters walked out. Each of them was clad in iron armor and wielding stone and iron blades.

And they didn't look too friendly.

The Crafter with the deep voice spoke out again. "I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to waltz around the city without that white-haired witch's protection." He smirked as he hefted his blade onto his shoulder. "Congrats on proving me wrong."

"And you were even gracious enough to come to a secluded park. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you and your little lady friend by yourselves, but that makes things much easier for us."

"Um…who are you people?" I questioned as I felt Floyd withdraw his own iron sword. He was right to be on edge.

At my ignorance, the deep voiced Crafter's eyes bulged out of his face. "You don't know!? We're part of Kane's Black Market heirarchy…or at least we _were_ , until some shit-faced punk in a black-and-white hoodie blew the whistle on us and ruined EVERYTHING!"

At that moment, I really wished I had the ability to stash my permanent black-and-white hoodie away.

"We had good pay working for Kane." One of the other goons spoke up. "I was weeks away from opening up my own cat farm. Now it's a struggle just to keep myself out of jail."

"You may have escaped death once, but the Captain isn't here to save you now." Another goon spoke menacingly as he took a step towards us. The rest of the goons followed suit.

"Cobb," Floyd spoke up from beside me. "If we die here today, I just need to tell you one thing, and one thing only…so I leave this world with no regrets."

"What is it Floyd?"

"…This is all your fault."

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 16 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Stick, 5 Cooked Fish, 20 Baked Potatoes, 49 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Boots {weak}, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 41 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 1 Pufferfish, 5 Raw Fish, 12 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: DUN DUN DA!**

 **I felt really good about this chapter...even though I'm literally typing this Author Note an hour before publishing it. Finals took priority, but I still managed to hammer out a good chapter.**

 **This chapter has some genuinely funny moments for me. Action isn't as good, but writing fights is always hard. Something about making the actions feel real.**

 **I don't really want to discuss it too much since I have to publish it really soon. I'm actually gonna publish this a bit earlier since I'm going to be driving home during the usual publish time. So have a good day and I'll be back next week.**


	26. Fray

**AN: A shorter chapter, but chalk full of action...and essential vitamins and minerals.**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle: RHYME. The letters all fit, but I don't fell like pointing each one out separately because I'm lazy. Just check out last chapter if you don't believe me. Congrats to Slenderbrine for getting it right...and also for being an amazing riddler himself/herself (probably himself). Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Anyway, no puzzle this week. But before you take out the pitchforks and torches, let me explain that it's for a very important reason.**

 **I am planning a humorous chapter in the future. It will involve several short stories strung together on the basis of Cobb's travels with Wynn's group to Daymonte. Therefore, I have decided to give the viewers a chance to devise part of the story and give me their best A-game humor.**

 **Here's the prompt: Cobb has set off to Daymonte with Wynn, her guards, Floyd, Soul, and Cara. The trip takes seven days, and each day Cobb finds himself in situations demonstrating his 'newbiness' to those around him. Resulting in mockery and laughs. Anything goes.**

 **If you wish to send an idea, I'd prefer it sent as a PM (if you can't PM, then a review is fine). And if the idea makes me laugh enough, I'll include it in the story and credit the brilliant writer that suggested it.**

 **So if you're interested, give me your A-game humor. I'm certainly looking forward to the entries (if there will be any).**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, then the fishing rod would be OP as hell.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness (previously known as TheWritingReader)

* * *

Chapter 26

 **Fray**

[Ringwood Park]

In Cobb's defense, it totally wasn't his fault.

No matter what Floyd said.

Yes, he was the one who exposed Kane. Yes, without his involvement, Kane would have remained an enigma to the guards. And yes, he and Floyd had fabricated the story that he was a private detective, thereby earning all the credit for imprisoning one of Ringwood's Most Wanted…as well as the enmity of all the people currently surrounding them...

But it really wasn't his fault!

How was he supposed to know there would be retribution for his actions…well, besides accompanying Wynn through dangerous territory. And it was just bad luck that he and Erin were followed.

Speaking of Erin, she was quivering in fear between Cobb and Floyd, not even bothering to withdraw any weapon she might be carrying. Was it too much of a long-shot to hope that 'sword fighting' and 'badassery' were job requirements for housekeepers?

Probably.

Which meant that not only would he and Floyd be fighting eleven goons. They would also have to protect the defenseless Erin.

Cobb cursed as his eyes darted to the goons getting closer and closer. Where was Wynn when he actually needed her!?

* * *

[Ringwood Outskirts]

"Where are all the Spiders!?" Wynn complained as she skewered a skeleton.

Who knew string would be so difficult to find. Especially since Spiders were one of the most common Mobs.

She only needed two for the fishing rod…right? Ugh! It had been so long since she made one of those!

She had to hurry. It was only a matter of time before Cobb noticed the missing fishing rod. And Erin couldn't divert his attention forever.

So with that thought, the Captain travelled deeper into the forest, praying for a cluster of Spiders to miraculously drop before her.

* * *

[Ringwood Park]

While Cobb sized up their defensive options, Floyd stepped forward to speak up.

"Wait! You're making a huge mistake in fighting us. Don't you know who this man is?" He gestured to Cobb while the goons shared confused looks. "He's the man that killed Carys_Angel…single-handedly, mind you. So trust me when I say you don't want to mess with him."

Realizing the argument Floyd was making, Cobb quickly joined in. "Uh…yeah! You don't want to see me get angry! I'll…sheath my blade in your abdomen if you don't get lost fast!"

At those words, the goons just laughed openly. And it wasn't the kind of laugh that meant they learned the errors of their ways and were going to leave before things escalated.

"Oh, we've heard all the rumors about his 'accomplishments.'" One of the goons explained with a smirk. "And it's got us thinking…if we axe off the guy that killed Carys," he slid a finger over his throat as he said that, "then we'd get one hell-of-a reputation to ride."

"It might not scare off the Captains," another goon supplied, "but it'll keep the two-bit criminals out of our hair long enough for us to spring Kane out of the slammer. Then we can rebuild his Black Market connections, stronger than ever."

"Enough talking! Let's just kill them and be done with it." Again, the goons raised their weapons and closed in.

 _Well, shit._ Cobb internally groaned.

That didn't work so well. But hoping that Floyd could talk his way out of any situation was asking a lot. Even for a smooth lawyer like him.

Time for Plan B.

Cobb kept Erin at his back just as the first goon lunged forward. Their blades met, stone against iron, and they traded blows.

The goon's attacks were relentless, constantly stabbing and slashing. But remembering his training with the Captain, Cobb blocked as many of the strikes as he could, hoping to tire the goon out.

Meanwhile, Floyd was engaging in his own battles. He used his flint and steel to light up a semi-circle of flames, keeping the goons on his side at bay.

And Erin was just…standing awestruck with tiny hearts in her eyes as she watched Cobb defend her.

When the relentless goon began to grow tired, Cobb retaliated with a slash to the torso, sending the goon reeling back. Only to be replaced by two more goons.

They attacked from both sides with heavy strikes. The first Cobb was able to block, but the second caught him in the leg. Forced to take a knee, Cobb was unprepared for the follow-up kick to the side that sent him to the dirt.

"Cobb!" Erin shouted tearfully before directing a furious glare at the goons. "Y-you leave him alone!"

The two goons turned their attention to Erin and sneered menacingly with raised swords. Thus, Cobb was given the opportunity to recover.

He swapped his sword out for, what else, his trusty fishing rod, and sent the hook flying at one of the goons. It caught on a goon's shirt and, with a mighty tug, swung him into the other goon, knocking them both onto the ground.

Erin quickly rushed to Cobb's side while he reeled the hook in. He noticed Floyd fighting two opponents at once and sent the line flying towards them. It snagged on a pant leg and yanked the poor thug into the flames Floyd created.

With a howl of pain, the thug rushed to the cooling waters of the pond.

Just as Cobb was getting ready to cast again, another thug tackled him to the ground. The two grappled in the dirt for a few seconds before the thug came out on top, pinning Cobb's hands with his knees.

Cobb tried to dislodge the man, but he barely had enough room to move. The thug smirked confidently as he raised his blade to deliver a crippling blow.

Until an egg nailed him in the face.

A few more eggs added to the assault as the thug feebly tried to bat them away, giving Cobb the opportunity to flip the attacker off of him.

As Cobb got back to his feet, he turned to the direction the eggs came from and saw Erin holding them like ninja stars. "I had a f-few eggs l-left over from the pumpkin pies." She smiled sweetly as she directed a handful of eggs at a thug locking swords with Floyd.

Before Cobb could reply, the thug he flipped launched a meaty fist at him. It caught him right in the shoulder, but he fought through the pain with just a wince.

The thug then directed an overhead strike towards him, to which Cobb dodge-rolled to the side. He came up quickly with a horizontal slash, to which the goon redirected with his sword, sending sparks flying as stone clashed against iron.

The thug then launched a flurry of stabs at Cobb's torso. He twisted and blocked as best he could, but some of the strikes slipped through and struck his unprotected chest.

What he wouldn't give for an iron chestplate right now!

As the thug's attacks slowed down, Cobb raised his sword to counterattack…

Only for an arrow to hit him in the arm. Courtesy of one of the other goons.

Cobb clutched his arm in pain and observed how his Health was at three-and-a-half hearts.

As if sensing their nearly won victory, two more goons rushed towards Cobb. Their joined Knockback Strikes blasted him backwards, causing him to tumble into the ground before skidding to a stop.

"Cobb!" Floyd shouted as he attempted to intervene, but there were too many goons blocking his way. Erin tried to aim some eggs, but her hands were shaking so much over watching Cobb's injuries that none of them hit their mark.

Smirking at the amount of time they had, the three goons surrounding Cobb sheathed their weapons and began kicking and punching his prone form.

They were going to beat him to death.

Cobb couldn't get a chance to retaliate and was forced to shield himself from the blows as best he could. But his Health was going down every second.

Two Hearts…

One-and-a-half Hearts…

Half Heart…

*SWISH*

Just as one of the goons prepared to land the final blow, an iron axe cleaved into him from behind, knocking him into the two other goons and saving Cobb's existence. The beaten and bruised Crafter looked up, expecting to see Floyd.

But was surprised to see spiky brown hair instead of short sky-blue. Or stalwart crimson eyes instead of Floyd's purple ones.

"Soul!?" Floyd cried out in surprise while he defended Erin from a larger thug.

 _So he's Soul?_ Cobb thought to himself as he observed the stoic Crafter. He was wielding his iron axe backhanded in a reverse grip and his eyes darted to the three thugs surrounding him. No doubt they were looking for an opening to finish the weakened Cobb.

And the only thing standing in their way was Soul.

As they prepared to attack, Soul withdrew a Potion of Healing from his backpack and tossed it to Cobb. "Drink it." He ordered gruffly before sipping his own dark red one.

As dark red particles swirled around him, he twisted his body to add centrifugal force to his axe swing and struck one of the goons in the neck. The goon screamed in pain before another strike buried itself in his chest, ending his existence in a shower of gear.

It was that fast.

The other two thugs looked petrified after witnessing one of their allies fall so easily. Cobb himself looked shocked that the Crafter named Soul had so brutally murdered someone. If not for the low Health and bruises he was sporting, he would've been horrified by Soul's actions.

But in terms of self-defense…it had to be done.

"You…you killed him!" One of the thugs shouted in anger as he raised his sword. "You'll pay!"

Soul snorted humorously. "You came here to fight and kill people. But don't you know it works both ways?" He intercepted the thug's strike with his axe blade. "Good news for me, I get to fight some assholes. Bad news for you, you and your thug buddies are dead!"

As Soul continued his fight, Cobb downed the Health Potion and threw himself back into the fray. He didn't exactly have time to wonder where the heck Soul had popped out from, but he was grateful for him saving his life.

He rushed towards the nearest goon and struck with his own Knockback Strike, sending his opponent splashing into the pond.

A fast movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he quickly ducked. A second later, an arrow whizzed past where his head would've been. It was the archer thug again.

A flurry of arrows was sent towards Cobb, who twisted his body this way and that to dodge most of them. He was even able to pick up some that had lodged themselves into the ground.

Finally, Cobb had a bow AND arrows! He quickly took it out and, with better familiarity with bow-holding, loaded an arrow and fired.

…

It barely made three feet.

New Plan!

He ran over to where Floyd was battling two thugs at once. His armor was tanking most of the hits, but he looked winded. Erin was just chucking eggs as fast as her arms could manage, disrupting the goons' focus…and making the whole fight more awkward and weird than it should have been. Cobb had the strange urge to laugh while watching her 'fighting style.'

As Cobb closed in, he leapt into the air, checking the white stars erupting from his stone blade to signify activated Crit Aura, and swung at a goon's leg. The goon immediately crumpled to the ground before Floyd set him ablaze.

"Thanks!" Floyd shouted over the burning goon's screams. Together they were able to beat back the other goon and knock him out with a well-timed punch. "What do you need?"

"Here." Cobb supplied him with the arrows he picked up. "Take out the archer behind us!"

He nodded before withdrawing his bow and taking off.

"Help!"

Cobb turned frantically to see Erin surrounded by three thugs. Her eggs were doing little to discourage their attempts to attack her.

"Leave her alone!" Cobb called out as he cast his fishing rod and hooked one of the thugs by the scruff of his shirt. The next second, the thug was yanked over Cobb's head and into the pond, giving Erin an escape route.

The thugs pursued her with raised swords, but Cobb rushed over and tackled them to the ground before they could land a hit. They struggled beneath his weight, so to knock them out, Cobb tried to do that sleeper hold/ninja pressure point thing like in the movies.

Unfortunately, movies are not like real life and the jabs he made in their necks did nothing but make them _more_ furious. So Cobb's plan backfired faster than he could say 'shit my plan backfired!'

"Shit my plan backfi—OOF!"

An elbow was rammed into his gut by one of the downed thugs, causing him to loosen his hold and allow one of the thugs to wriggle away. Still Cobb kept his hold onto the other thug, desperately trying to swap to his sword.

Cobb and the thug rolled around in the dirt; Cobb trying to withdraw his weapon and the thug trying to get into a better stabbing position. The thug that wriggled away had gotten to his feet with sword raised, waiting for the right moment to skewer Cobb rather than his friend.

They rolled and tumbled around. Cobb managed to pin his enemy's sword arm and bit down onto his neck. The thug yelped in pain and dug another elbow into Cobb's gut to throw him off.

They rolled and ended with Cobb on top.

They rolled again and ended up with the thug on top.

Another roll positioned Cobb on top and the thug standing by raised his sword to stab his back.

But, as the standing thug thrust his sword, Cobb released his hold and rolled away, enabling the thug's iron sword to make its mark in his friend's torso. The accumulated damage was enough to end his existence as he exploded into a shower of gear.

The standing thug barely had enough time to register what he had done before Cobb _finally_ withdrew his blade and struck at his arm. The pain was enough for the thug to drop his sword and take a few steps back.

Disarmed and injured, the thug turned and fled deep into the park.

Gasping and out of breath, Cobb greedily devoured some baked potatoes while he assessed the numbers.

Erin was standing by the pond's edge, chucking eggs to keep one of the goons thrown into the pond from getting out. Good for her.

Floyd had just taken out the archer in a bow duel and was now engaging another thug in combat. Though he looked fine.

And Soul…holy crap…Soul had _two_ piles of gear, each symbolizing a killed thug, surrounding him. That brought his kill count up to three! And he was currently fighting another thug who looked ready to pee his pants in fear!

Those dark red particles were still swirling around him too. Just what kind of potion did he drink?

So one goon stuck in the pond, five dead, one fled, one knocked out, and Floyd and Soul were facing one each. That made ten.

Out of eleven.

…

 _So where's the last guy?_

His question was answered when a sword nearly bisected him. It was the thug with the deep voice, now recognized by his name: Grengo.

"You little shit!" Grengo roared as he sent another slash towards Cobb. "Why won't you just die!?"

"Because…um…I don't feel like it!" Cobb countered lamely. He swung at Grengo's side, but it was deflected back.

The two fiercely clashed blades, neither one of them letting up an inch.

But they were evenly matched. A strike from Cobb was met with a slash from Grengo. A punch from Grengo was met with a punch from Cobb.

It was sure to be a fight down to the wire.

…

Or at least it would have if not for Floyd's interjection.

He shot an arrow into Grengo's calf, causing the larger man to fall to the ground and giving Cobb the opportunity to deal a crippling slash across the thug's chest. He fell like a sack of bricks.

Grengo rolled onto his back, but before he could get up, Cobb positioned his blade so that it was hovering over the thug's neck.

The thug could only lie there helplessly as his eyes darted from the sword to Cobb's face. "Um…heh heh…W-when I called you a…uh…little shit…I-I meant it as a term of endearment." He tried to laugh off the previous conflict as if it was just horsing around as opposed to a life-or-death battle. "Like, as in 'oh, how I love those little shits.'"

"Yeah…no." Cobb countered keeping his blade steady. He looked over his shoulder to see Floyd depositing his bow in his backpack, a pile of gear representing the thug he killed close-by.

The goon Erin was keeping in the pond had finally got out, but, upon seeing the present situation, fled into the woods. Erin hurried over to Cobb's side, eyes focused solely on him. But what was that look she was giving him?

Cobb shook those thoughts away as he considered the defeated thug in front of him. Just…what was he supposed to do with him? He had already surrendered so killing him was out of the question, even if he had almost succeeded.

Was he supposed to bring him to Wynn or a guard? Or did he have the authority to arrest him himself?

"Uh…" the brunette Crafter began while scratching his head awkwardly. "Grengo you're…under arrest for…" he trailed off as he turned to Erin. "Can I make an arrest like this?"

Erin nodded supportively. "As an associate of M-miss Whispers, you're f-free to m-make arrests."

Right. _Associate_. If only she knew.

"Okay then you're under arrest for attempted murder…and…er…"

"Association with K-kane?" Erin supplied helpfully.

"Yeah—association with Kane…anything else?"

"And loitering in the park." Floyd interjected as he walked over. "That's a big one."

"And loitering." Cobb finished strongly. Although loitering was mostly overshadowed by the other two. Would it even add anything to the thug's sentence?

"No! Please! I give up! I—"

*SWISH*

Cobb turned his head just in time to catch an explosion of gear at the end of Soul's iron axe. The dark red particles were no longer swirling around him, but he had finished his last opponent.

Yet Cobb couldn't help but scowl at his actions. He had so ruthlessly cut the thug down, even when he already surrendered. It was one thing when it was for self-defense or protecting someone. But unprovoked and killing a foe with no desire to fight?

That was wrong.

But Soul looked unbothered as he marched over to us. "Four kills in one fight. Looks like following you was worth it after all."

"I'm glad you were here." Floyd smiled as he moved to pat Soul on the shoulder. However, Soul's glare stopped him in his tracks and forced him to lower his arm.

"Thanks for saving me back there." Cobb extended his arm to shake, but Soul didn't take it, making the whole action awkward. "How'd you know we'd be in trouble?"

"I didn't." Soul replied simply as he gave his axe a toss before catching it in his other hand. "Floyd mentioned meeting a friend in the park. I assume that's you." Cobb nodded in response. "I just came to see if he was making you up or not."

"Why would he make up having a friend?" The blue-nette had lied about plenty of things in front of the King, but what advantage would there be in lying about a possible friend?

Apparently, Soul didn't feel like answering as his red eyes spotted something more interesting nearby. As he brushed past them, Erin took his place. The switch in personalities from intense and strong to shy and kind was greatly appreciated.

"Cobb! Y-you were incredible! I've never seen such skill with a rod b-before! A-and you were s-so brave!"

Cobb blushed at the praise. "You really think I was brave? Well…you were amazing too with those eggs. I never would have pegged them for weapons."

Erin's face heated up and she traced circles in the dirt with her boots. "I-it was n-nothing. I just s-saw you m-making s-such great use of a rod and f-figured s-something as simple as eggs could—"

*SWISH*

*HACK*

The sound of an axe swing stopped their conversation and made Cobb's blood run cold as he turned towards the source.

There, Soul was standing over the knocked out goon. He hefted his axe to deliver another blow.

"Whoa, whoa! STOP!" Cobb shouted as he rushed over in a vain attempt to stop the axe-wielder. But he was too late as the heavy iron blade came crashing upon the unconscious goon's neck.

He was killed instantly, his gear scattering across the ground like spilled guts.

* * *

[Cobb]

I could only look in wide-eyed horror. "What…what was that!?" I shouted angrily.

" _That_ makes five." Soul shrugged uncaringly as he walked towards the downed Grengo. "So are you going to finish him or do you want me to do that too?"

Grengo scrambled back on all fours, fear obvious in his eyes, as the red eyed Crafter approached him.

But I got in between them with arms raised. "That's not what I meant." I leveled a glare at Soul. "Why the hell did you kill that goon when he couldn't even move?"

Soul looked genuinely surprised at my statement. As if he couldn't fathom why there was any protest to begin with. "These men tried to kill you and your friends. They almost beat you to death. You can't tell me that you're okay with that."

"No," I replied with a shake of my head, "But they're subdued! They've given up! So—"

"So that makes it okay?" Soul scoffed. "What if Floyd or your girlfriend over there got killed? Would you feel the same way?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but no words came. Truthfully, I probably would have been too furious to think straight if anyone I knew got killed. It hadn't come to that, but it easily could have been. Especially if Soul hadn't intervened.

While I searched my thoughts for an answer, Soul became impatient. "If you're too squeamish to do it then just move out of the way." The stoic Crafter tried to get around me, but I moved to stay in his way.

"Things didn't turn out that way. So there's no 'what if's' to be discussed."

"Only because I was there to save your sorry ass—"

"Which I'm grateful for." I interrupted. "Still, I'm not going to allow you to kill this man."

"Get off your high horse." Soul growled threateningly as he got up in my face. "You won't _allow_ me to kill him? Did I require _allowance_ from you to save your life? Eh?"

I narrowed my eyes and tried to act brave, even though Soul had gripped his axe more firmly. "He can rot away in prison. Killing in any other way except self-defense or protecting one's friends…makes you an active killer. No better than the Endward Cult."

At those words, Soul's eyes burned with fury…and something else. "An active killer? That's the thanks I get?" He took a step away from me and paced back and forth. "Let me tell you something."

"After a certain Crafter abandoned me," Floyd shifted awkwardly at his words, "I was on my own. I had to escape the 'active killers' trying to slaughter me through miles of underground tunnels. I barely made it to Ringwood, but from then on I vowed to eliminate the Endward Cult for everything they did to me. It was tragic, but it taught me a valuable lesson."

"I was let go, and I vowed vengeance against those that pissed me off." He pointed to the downed Grengo. "If you let him live, he'll just do the same to you. Prison or not he'll want payback. So why wait for a threat to resurface when you can silence it here and now?"

"I-I won't! I swear!" Grengo spoke up fearfully. "Please let me go! I'll leave Ringwood, I-I'll—"

"Shut up!" Soul shouted as he once again tried to push past me. But I pushed back. He wasn't going to change my mind.

"He won't be a threat!" I pleaded desperately. "Floyd back me up."

Floyd had stayed silent through the whole argument. But being put in the spotlight, instead of making him want to speak up, made him look away awkwardly. He was staying silent.

"Floyd?" I urged again, but was met with no response. Soul used the opportunity to push me to the ground and rush over to Grengo. The thug screamed as the axe swung towards him.

"Wait!" Erin screamed as she threw herself between the two, eyes scrunched shut. The axe blade stopped inches before crashing into her skull.

She slowly opened her eyes and, despite shaking in fear, spoke with determination.

Sort of.

"T-the Ringwood p-prison offers r-rewards—emerald rewards—for thugs affiliated with Wanted C-criminals! Even the l-lowliest of thugs, when t-turned over to the g-guards, can earn you f-four emeralds…m-minimum."

Soul lowered his axe and looked at Erin coldly. Meanwhile, I stood myself up and clenched my fists in anger. Not just at being so callously pushed aside, but also because Floyd hadn't made a move, either to help or stop Soul.

Erin fidgeted nervously under Soul's glower. "I-I j-just thought I'd say…" She trailed off as she averted her eyes.

Soul drummed his fingers across his axe in thought. Finally, after several tense seconds, he lowered his axe to his belt. "Fine." He pointed to Grengo who stiffened in fear. "But only because he's worth more alive than dead," then he turned to point at Floyd, "and he needs the emeralds desperately."

Erin let out a sigh of relief and sent me a nervous smile. Floyd too looked relieved.

"But as for you," Soul walked right up to me until our faces were inches apart. "Listen well."

"It's do-or-die out there." He gestured to the surrounding world. "And if you keep doing the way you're doing…you're going to end up dying." As he finished his 'advice' he lunged forward before stopping short, making me flinch. Then he walked past me with a gruff 'hmph' and disappeared into the woods.

* * *

"Well that was a shit storm." Floyd concluded as we hauled Grengo towards the Central District. Erin had explained that the guards at the base of the plateau would help transport the thug and the prison would provide the payment. She led the way while me and Floyd held on to the thug.

But keeping hold of the guy was a tedious task. Especially since he kept trying to talk his way out of things.

"Look, I'm sorry I attacked you three. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you, believe me. I was just a little mad about—"

"Shut up." I dismissed his empty words easily. After TheAvoided's lies, I was much less trusting of criminals.

 _Maybe that's why Wynn doesn't believe anything I say._

"So what was that back there?" I asked my blue-haired companion.

"What was what?" He responded, trying to play dumb. I knew he was trying because of how masterful I was at actually _being_ dumb.

"You know what _what_ was." I replied as I pushed Grengo a little forcefully. "Back with Soul. I needed you to back me up and you just stood there, silent as a Creeper. Even when he pushed me over you made no move. What happened?"

Floyd sighed and scratched his head awkwardly. "It's…complicated. Things between me and Soul are…fragile at the moment. I barely got him to accept me as a co-worker. So I'm worried…I'm worried if I make a move against him, he'll cut me off without giving me a chance."

"So if him and I were arguing, you'd take his side?" I asked with a scowl.

"It's not like that." Floyd rubbed his temples. "We're friends, you and I. Nothing is going to change that. Not criminal charges, not a pack of thugs—"

"Again I'm dreadfully sorry about—"

"Shut up!" We both shouted in unison at the pathetic Grengo.

Floyd cleared his throat to continue. "But right now, repairing my friendship with Soul takes priority. It's more in jeopardy, and I…I really want to bring it back."

I looked at the strained expression on his face, and knew that he was struggling with a lot. Juggling two friendships, trying to repair one without ruining another. And that was minus the Silver Intent mission he was embroidered in. Going into a Kingdom full of Griefers and declaring war on the Endward Cult. All in one fell swoop.

And he had even convinced his group to tag along with Wynn for as long as they could manage. So maybe it was my turn to compromise.

I let out a sigh. "I get what this means to you. So if it'll make it easier…" I ran a hand through my hair. "I'll…be fine with you taking his side over mine. If it means you stay in his good graces…if he even has any of that." I mumbled the last bit to myself.

Still Floyd had gotten the message and he visibly relaxed. "Thanks, Cobb. That means a lot."

Our moment of camaraderie was interrupted by Grengo. "Y'know if you let me go, I could pay double—no— _triple_ what paltry sum those green-caps could offer." He was using his most charming smile while trying to win us over. "Or-or if you prefer, I could arrange a _very_ pleasant stay in one of the Western District's brothels. Good drink, lovely women—"

"He isn't interested!" Came a shrill scream and I was momentarily surprised that it came from the timid Erin. She immediately blushed and, as if to make up for her momentary outburst, fidgeted with her fingers.

 _Who knew she had it in her?_

 _Although shouldn't she have said that neither of us were interested?_

Brain: _Oh Cobb. You sweet, little, ignorant shit._

When we finally reached the base of the plateau, Erin explained the situation to the guards stationed there. Since Floyd needed the emeralds, I left him to go collect the reward at the top while Erin and I circled the plateau to the Northern District.

"W-well, I can't say that this n-night wasn't interesting." Erin began as we walked side by side.

Oh yeah. I kind of dragged her into a gang war.

Just another typical day.

"I'm sorry I got you caught up in that." I apologized sincerely. I felt genuinely bad for involving a timid person like Erin into armed combat.

Now if it was Wynn on the other hand…

"It's f-fine." She assured me. "It was my f-fault for not listening to M-miss Whispers' instructions. W-we should have gone straight home."

"Maybe, but I forced you to come along anyway." There was no way I was letting her take all the blame for my mess. "So when Wynn lectures us for being late, I'll take the blame. Okay?"

"B-but—"

"Throw in some of those pumpkin pies you mentioned and we'll call it even." I shushed her protests with a chuckle, to which she giggled before handing me some of the pumpkin flavored dessert.

By the time we reached Wynn's mansion, the sun was beginning to rise. Meaning I was definitely going to get an earful from Wynn. And I was waaaay too exhausted from fighting thugs and goons to even stand up straight much less listen to her bitching.

 _Although maybe she's still asleep._ I thought hopefully as I quietly opened the front door.

And received a white boot to the face.

* * *

[Erin]

"C-cobb!" I wailed as I knelt down beside him. I couldn't believe it. The beautiful angel-of-a-man who had fought ruthless thugs and ruffians and protected me like a hero protecting his princess, had done all that only to be felled by a single kick from Miss Whispers. The poor lamb must've been exhausted!

"Erin! Where have you two been all night?" Miss Whispers asked with a raised brow. "Explain yourself."

I looked helplessly between her and Cobb's unconscious form. He had said he would take the blame, but how was he supposed to do that while knocked out?

"I-I…we…"

"Don't tell me." Miss Whispers placed a lone finger on my lips to silence me. "Let me guess. Cobb was growing suspicious due to the absence of both his fishing rod and myself from the mansion. So to divert his attention, you took him for a walk around the Kingdom."

I remained silent as Miss Whispers filled the gaps in herself. Which story was better to use? Hers or mine?

Which one meant the least trouble for Cobb?

…

Probably her account.

"Y-yes ma'am." I nodded frantically. "He kept b-bringing up the fishing rod. I d-didn't know what else to d-do."

"Well your quick thinking was right this time." Miss Whispers agreed as she gripped poor Cobb's hoodie and dragged him across the living room. "Now help me get him to the outhouse. Oh and get some lava buckets from the storeroom."

"Oh s-sure I'll…WAIT!" I screeched as I replayed her words inside my head. "Lava? Outhouse?"

Miss Whispers sighed in frustration, opting to roll Cobb over the kitchen floor. "I searched the entire forest and only found _one_ spider! And the one string it dropped isn't enough for a fishing rod! I need more time!"

"You mean you knocked him out so he wouldn't notice his missing fishing rod?" She nodded in response. "B-but the lava…you're going to lava t-trap him in the outhouse!?" I screeched while trying to keep Cobb's head from bumping into the kitchen table.

"Don't be absurd Erin." Miss Whispers waved my concerns off as if they were pesky mosquitoes. "I'm going to lava trap him in the outhouse before pouring water over it all. Effectively trapping him inside an obsidian tomb until I accrue the required materials."

My mouth fell open in shock. "Ma'am, with all due respect, you can't do that!"

"Yes I can. I have enough lava buckets to surround a—"

"I mean that's inhumane!"

"He has enough food." She dismissed easily as she kept rolling Cobb's unconscious body across the lawn. "He's awfully heavy. What exactly have you been feeding him?"

"Cookies and pumpkin p-pies, but that's beside the point!" She was actually shoving him into the outhouse. It was bad enough for her to suggest sleeping in there, but encasing him and it in obsidian? I had to do something.

But I needed a way to get a fishing rod fast. It would be the only way to convince Miss Whispers that she didn't need to trap Cobb for more time.

But where to find a fishing rod when the whole market was sold out?

…

Unless…

* * *

[Cobb]

"Ow…my aching…everything." I grumbled as I clutched my head. I was lying on Wynn's couch, though how I got there was a blank.

All I remembered was a white boot…

 _Wynn_.

I sat up and noticed something lying on the table.

It was a fishing rod.

I stared at it confused. _Why is that there…actually, is that mine?_ I checked my Inventory and belt and found no trace of the tool, so it must have been mine.

I picked it up and examined it. _Why would Wynn or Erin take it out of my Inventory though?_

"I found that in the backyard. Littering my immaculate lawn." A voice came to my left and I saw that it was Wynn. She was reading a book with her legs crossed and bobbing her foot nervously. "You'd best keep your worthless tools to yourself."

"Huh?" I questioned, wondering if she was referring to the fishing rod. _But…how…_

"It was l-lucky Wynn saved it for you." Erin's timid voice spoke up from my right. "Especially since your n-newest fishing rod broke on our _walk_. R-remember?" She was winking sporadically as if to tell me to secretly follow her story.

Either that or she had something in her eye.

"I…broke my fishing rod?" I questioned, having trouble remembering if I had actually snapped it fighting a thug.

"Yes, you did." Erin urged with a nod. "You were showing me your fishing techniques on some _Zombies_ " *Wink Wink* "And the fishing rod broke."

I could tell by her winks that Zombies meant thugs. I searched my memories, but the whole fight was more of a blur. Something as small as my fishing rod breaking was drowned out by all the tension caused by Soul's bloodlust.

But Erin was there. So if she noticed something I didn't, I wouldn't doubt her.

"Oh right. I must have forgotten." I stated as I deposited the fishing rod into my Inventory. It truly was a useful weapon. One that I would further master.

And then rub in Wynn's face when I defeated her with it.

Speaking of Wynn, she, along with Erin, let out a sigh of relief upon my admission of forgetfulness.

 _Must be a women thing._ I concluded.

Honestly, it felt good to relax on rest on Wynn's couch after all the craziness last night. But back to more important concerns. Like…

"Why the hell did you kick me in the face!?"

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 16 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Glass Bottle, 10 String, 1 Stick, 5 Cooked Fish, 17 Baked Potatoes, 14 Pumpkin Pies, 48 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Boots {Weak}, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 41 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 1 Pufferfish, 5 Raw Fish, 12 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 2 Arrows, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 5 Emeralds

* * *

 **AN: Short, but sweet.**

 **You may have noticed the entire battle was in third person from Cobb's perspective. I was experimenting with it, but to me I felt like I used the word 'Cobb' way too much. And it was really hard distinguishing who was who. So I might not try that again or try something different next time.**

 **Meh. I'm flawed.**

 **Now let's talk about Soul. No-nonsense Soul who busts in like-a-badass and saves Cobb. Bet none of you saw THAT coming!**

 **And then he kills thugs that are either knocked out or already gave up...dark. But that's Soul for you.**

 **Merry Christmas to you all!...unless you don't celebrate Christmas...it's not like you're missing much. Just free presents from Santa. ^_^**

 **And because it's Christmas...**

* * *

Omake: Christmas

"Wow!" Cobb cheered in awe. "You all got me gifts? What's the occasion?"

Wynn gave her ivory hair a flip. "Well, once a year, our 'Normal Sense' as you call it, tells us to celebrate a holiday in which we give each other presents, hang poisonous plants off the ceiling to which we're supposed to kiss under, and bring trees into our homes...we don't really get it either."

"W-why don't we just s-start handing out presents." Erin suggested as she pointed Cobb towards a chest by the tree. For some reason, all the chests had become colorful wrapped gifts instead of wooden chest. But they still opened like chests. Very odd.

"T-that one is from me." Erin explained with a blush while Cobb opened the chest. Inside was an assortment of cooked meats! Steak, fish, porkchops, mutton, rabbit, chicken!

It was glorious!

"I'll go next." Floyd announced as he pointed towards a second chest. "I put a lot of thought into it."

Cobb opened the chest and frowned. It was a lump of coal.

"This looks just like a lump of coal." Cobb deadpanned to which Floyd nodded.

"Yeah. Everyone needs coal to burn things! Or you can use it with a stick to light up a dark cave. It's a multi-purpose gift."

Cobb thought for a second, before nodding respectfully. "That is true. Coal is useful."

"Well it's going to be hard to top that." Wynn stated dryly as she pointed to the third gift. Cobb carefully opened it, not sure what 'gift' the Captain had gotten for him.

It was a slip of paper. Cobb examined it to see the words. 'Get out of Insult Free.'

"What is this?" Cobb asked as he waved the paper back and forth.

"That," Wynn pointed, "is a 'Get out of Insult Free Coupon.' Redeemable for one usage only. Next time you say or do anything stupid, flash the coupon and I'll look the other way." She looked confident that her gift was like a gift from the heavens.

Cobb just looked at the coupon before grinning. "You really want to give me the chance to do something incredibly stupid without consequence of your lecturing?"

Wynn opened her mouth to retort, but paused when no words came out.

She blinked twice.

Then she snatched the coupon out of Cobb's hands before tossing it into the fire.

"Oops it slipped." She offered halfheartedly as she sunk in her chair.

"Still, it's the thought that counts." Cobb chuckled to himself while admiring his gifts. "Thanks you guys. These gifts were really something."

"W-wait." Erin interrupted as she pointed to the tree. "There's still one more."

Cobb followed her fingers to see a fourth gift resting beside the tree. "But...there's only the four of us at this party." I glanced to Wynn, Erin, and Floyd. "And you all gave me a gift already."

"Maybe it's from a secret admirer." Floyd suggested. Erin visibly stiffened at those words, as if a great cold had gripped her heart.

"And maybe dogs can talk." Wynn commented skeptically. "Just open it. That ought to give us a clue on who sent it."

Cobb nodded as he cautiously opened the fourth chest.

It was a book.

Cobb picked it up and opened it to find a poem.

 **[I see you when you're sleeping.]**

 **[I know when you're awake.]**

 **[I know if you've been bad or good.]**

 **[I'M GONNA DRUG AND KILL YOU!...for goodness sake.]**

 **[^_^]**

The book fell from Cobb's quivering fingers. His face grew pale.

"Definitely not a secret admirer." Wynn commented as she looked over the book.

* * *

Carys_Angel peaked through the window to see the object of her hatred faint from her 'kind' gift.

Some people would argue that the holidays meant forgiving enemies.

But she would gut those same people for suggesting she forget Mr. Piggles' killer!

Still, it paid to keep tabs on Cobb and his new friends. Definitely targets of interest.

Especially the dark-haired girl with the pony-tails. Obviously in love with the pig-killer. It would be so easy to eliminate her.

God she loved the holidays.

* * *

 **AN: No bearing on the plot. Just fun holiday themed writing.**


	27. Departure

**AN: Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a happy new year...unless you don't celebrate either of those holidays...or you celebrate one but not the other...or you celebrate them at different times...**

 **...**

 **Anyway. No puzzle again this week. But I have reasons, both good and bad, at the bottom. As from last chapter, I'm putting the prompt for the humorous story suggestion below. If you've already read it, you don't have to read it again.**

 **I am planning a humorous chapter in the future. It will involve several short stories strung together on the basis of Cobb's travels with Wynn's group to Daymonte. Therefore, I have decided to give the viewers a chance to devise part of the story and give me their best A-game humor.**

 **Here's the prompt: Cobb has set off to Daymonte with Wynn, her guards, Floyd, Soul, and Cara. The trip takes seven days, and each day Cobb finds himself in situations demonstrating his 'newbiness' to those around him. Resulting in mockery and laughs. Anything goes.**

 **If you wish to send an idea, I'd prefer it sent as a PM (if you can't PM, then a review is fine). And if the idea makes me laugh enough, I'll include it in the story and credit the brilliant writer that suggested it.**

 **So if you're interested, give me your A-game humor. I'm certainly looking forward to the entries (if there will be any).**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, then Potion's would stack.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 27

 **Departure**

[Noman]

Ringwood's Southern District had a number of bookstores and libraries. Each one housed hundreds of books dedicated to various facets of Minecraftia. Cooking, sword fighting, fishing, camping, interior designing, etc.

But the most important topic was history. Dozens of books outlined Ringwood's past, from its founding by Notch, to its rise as the largest Kingdom in Minecraftia.

And yet, after pulling an all-nighter, neither I nor Spark were able to find anything on Notch's death.

He had stepped down as King 25 years prior to the date on his tombstone and had mysteriously dropped off the face of the earth. He was widely respected and well known, and the entire Kingdom fretted over his disappearance. Then, one day, his grave and Head were found in the Crystal Catacombs. Nobody knew who killed him nor did they know who set his Head there, but the Kingdom grieved heavily.

So, with a loud sigh, I snapped ' _The History of Ringwood_ ' shut and turned to the floating book besides me, entitled ' _The Life of Notch'_.

"Anything?" I asked the invisible space besides me. Its response was the book shaking back and forth: _No._

"Same here." I rested my head on folded arms. There was no clue as to what 'great evil' had silenced Notch. And for some reason, there were no books about the Endward Cult. Was it possible the cult was so feared that nobody dared write about them? That was a scary thought.

Just how tough were they? How numerous were they?

Was it too much to hope that they had a single self-destruct button that, if pressed, would cause the entire cult to implode?

 _Maybe that's one of those artifact things. A self-destruct button._

I glanced around the library to make sure no unwanted eyes were watching before I withdrew the artifact book. No matter what we historical information we found, I would need to decide which artifact to go after first.

Okay, so they're eight artifacts and each one was last sighted at eight of the nine remaining Kingdoms.

Location would definitely be a factor. How close is the Kingdom? Are the people there friendly or hostile? What kind of events are occurring within said Kingdom? Any dangers? Cultist presence? All important questions.

Then there was artifact worth to take into account. The descriptions from the book made the artifacts range from useful to powerful to insanely-out-of-my-league-Severe-Shield-level. And since the Severe Shield was arguably the strongest, it made sense to obtain artifacts of similar strength.

But on the other hand, there was no guarantee that these God-like weapons would be lying on the ground just waiting for someone like me to pick them up. More likely they were in the possession of a Crafter. One who had discovered the true value of the artifact and were wielding it for great good.

Or great evil.

Or great…neutral…gray area.

And if that were the case, the wielders wouldn't relinquish the artifacts with the excuse of 'they're for a special mission given to me by Notch'. Some might even get violent and it would be one God-like artifact versus another.

The weaker artifacts may not be as powerful, but if owned by a hostile wielder, they wouldn't do much damage.

Finally, the power of the artifacts themselves. The Severe Shield had unintentionally killed Crafters (albeit cultists). It could be possible that the other artifacts are as equally dangerous or worse, unpredictable. It would be more prudent to target the artifacts with the least amount of dangers, to either the wielder or the people around them.

So many options swirled in my head as I skimmed the artifact book.

Which one to choose?

Which one to choose?

Which one to choose?

I was saved from my cycle of thoughts when I felt an invisible nudge to my shoulder. I turned to where I assumed Spark was sitting and saw a book slide over the table towards me. It was her message book.

 **[WHY ARE YOU SKIMMING THAT BOOK OVER AGAIN?]**

"I'm just trying to figure out which artifact to go for first." I whispered so as not to attract attention from any other Crafters. "Furthest or closest. Strongest or weakest. Most Dangerous or…most super dangerous."

The book retreated and was quickly scribbled upon before returning.

 **[WELL, IN TERMS OF DISTANCE, THE CLOSEST KINGDOMS WHERE AN ARTIFACT WAS LAST SIGHTED ARE DAYMONTE, LAZULI, OR DOVER PLAINS. RESPECTIVELY EAST, NORTH, OR WEST.]**

Well that was a start. It at least narrowed down the Kingdoms from eight to three while at the same time giving me options. The artifacts sighted at Daymonte, Lazuli, and Dover Plains were, respectively, Endabou, Stivali Magma, and Voda Shlem.

Endabou and Voda Shlem seemed normal enough and easy to understand. But looking over the descriptions, Stivali Magma was more powerful and dangerous than the other two combined.

 _Would it be better to go for the more powerful one, or settle for the less powerful artifacts? Provided they're even there in the first pl—_

"HEY!" A loud voice thundered from behind me and I turned to see a face I hoped I would never see again.

It was DomPiano. The same Crafter who had attacked me on my first day in Ringwood.

And he looked mad.

"Thought I wouldn't find you. Eh, skinny?" He drawled as if locating me was the most impressive things he's ever done.

Which wouldn't be surprising.

"Oh, yeah." I responded uninterested. I knew he was trying to scare me, but I had more important things to concern myself with. Not to mention the memory of him flailing away like a frightened child overshadowed the memory of any pain he caused me. "Looks like you found me."

He grinned stupidly. "And now that I have you right where I want you, it's time for some payback." He cracked his knuckles menacingly, but I really couldn't care less.

"Unless you couldn't tell, this is a library, not a boxing ring. So if you could postpone your 'payback' until after I'm done reading that would be great." Although shrugging off tough guys on the street would end in street fights, it was perfectly acceptable in a public building like a library. After all, what staff would want their customers punching each other between book aisles?

"Oh! Is that so?" Dom inquired as he slammed a hand on the table. I felt Spark's comforting hand on my shoulder to show that I had her support. "Well, it seems to me like you're just finding excuses to back out of a fight."

I sighed before depositing my book and turning my full attention to the muscle-headed jerk looming over me. "Would you leave me alone faster if I just acquiesced?"

"Akwe…Acqui...don't go making up words to sound smarter!" He struggled dumbly.

I rolled my eyes at his idiocy. So long as he didn't kill me, I'd gladly let him win the fight. Especially if it got him out of my business for a while.

"And don't think you'll get lucky like last time." He assured confidently. "After all, you're still just a Newb."

I was suddenly reminded of what Spark told me about Dom. "Don't we all start off as Newbs." I countered.

"Whua?"

"We all started as Newbs right?" I continued. "We all lacked experience at one point or another. Even you."

Dom's eyes widened for a second and his face grew pale as he tried to laugh off my statement. "Ha! What are you saying? Of course I was…I was always this experienced! I-I never needed any help."

"That's not what I heard." I pressed on, even when I felt Spark's hand trying to silence me, telling me I didn't have to convince him. That I didn't have to stress all the noble work she's done. That she didn't care what Dom thought.

But I did.

"You're satisfied harassing people who were once like you." I advanced on Dom who began to back up in fear. Not from any violence, but from my words. "Is that what makes you happy? Giving others a hard time?"

"Wha—No! I-I…uh…" He trailed off as beads of sweat formed on his brow.

"Y'know what I think?" I continued sharply, finding confidence in Dom's retreating figure. "I think, deep down, you resent being inexperienced at one point during your life. That you couldn't even cook your own food properly."

His eyes widened again. "How…how did you know I—"

"And to repress it," I continued on, "you target Newbs in a vain attempt to prove you're better. But you know what? You're worse!"

Dom's back hit a bookshelf and he no longer had anywhere left to go. He was cornered by my words.

"So go ahead and beat me up! When it's all over, I'll still be the better person and you'll still be a…a…"

 _Just say the word!_

"...Jack-Ass!"

After ending my rant, I stepped back to see if any of what I said registered to the brute. Surprisingly, however, I saw his eyes tear up before he ran out of sight.

 _Was he…crying?_ I thought to myself as he fled. _Maybe I said too much._

Before my guilt could manifest, Spark patted my shoulder and turned me around. I saw another book practically shoved in front of my face.

 **[WOW. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW A GROWN MAN TALKED TO TEARS.]**

 **[YOU SURE HAVE A WAY WITH WORDS.]**

"And you have a way with no words." I countered while pointing to the message book. "I can't believe you're afraid to show your face to people like that."

 **[IT'S THE LIFE I CHOSE TO LEAD. HELPING THE NEWBS, LIKE THE SILENT NINJA I AM, BEFORE VANISHING INTO OBSCURITY TO ASSIST THE NEXT GROUP OF NEWBS. STILL, IT'S NICE 'TALKING' WITH PEOPLE EVERY NOW AND THEN.]**

 **[ALMOST LIKE I ACTUALLY HAVE FRIENDS.]**

Those words sounded sad, but they told me why she stayed invisible. It truly was her personal preference to help those in need out of the kindness in her heart. Despite the burden of loneliness that came with it.

She could never advance with the rest of society if she was always hanging back helping the next generation of Crafters.

I thought for a moment before smiling and draping an arm over where I assumed Spark's shoulders were. "Well, you're in luck Spark. Because I'll always be a Newb. Which means I'll always need your help, one way or another." As an afterthought I added, "That's the closest thing to a friend if ever I heard it."

I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was beaming at my genuine words.

 **[THANKS, NOMAN. I KNOW THAT, EVEN WHEN YOU BECOME THE BILLIONTH HERO, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE A NEWB TO ME.]**

 _How nice of her…_

 **[ALSO, THAT'S NOT MY SHOULDER YOU'RE TOUCHING. IT'S MY BREA—]**

I immediately recoiled my hand as if the cloth I had draped my arm over had become white hot. The message book slipped from my hand, but was caught by Spark before it hit the ground. My face was as red as a tomato as I attempted to stutter out an apology.

"T-the invisibility…I-I couldn't quite s-see…I-I didn't m-mean to…" I trailed off as Spark pressed a finger to my lips and held up a new message.

 **[I NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD BE SO FORWARD NOMAN. AT LEAST BUY ME DINNER FIRST~]**

 **[^3^]**

"Th-that's…I mean…not that you're not attractive…but…um..." I looked around the library for anything that could distract me from Spark's teasing. All I saw were several Crafters giving me odd looks. I suppose appearing to stutter to an invisible space would earn such stares.

 _Really wish Spark could be visible right now!_

Spark patted my cheek good-naturedly and led my embarrassed self from the library.

However, despite my 'heated' state of mind, my exchange with Spark had convinced me of which artifact I should go after first.

If I was to retain my Newbiness and not let the power of the artifacts corrupt me, I should start with the weakest: Voda Shlem.

Which meant Dover Plains would be my first destination.

* * *

[Floyd]

It was an unusually foggy day.

I stretched my back as I walked over to the Silver Intent's HQ. Soul would probably be there, maybe with some comments about last night's brawl in the park.

Maybe Cara or some other members would be there too. It couldn't hurt to branch out and make friends within the organization.

As I glanced forward, I noticed smoke steadily rising from one of the barns ahead of me. Judging by the color and plumage of the smoke, it was a big one.

As I stared at the smoke, a frightened thought crossed my mind. I broke into a frantic run to get to the HQ.

 _It can't be!_

 _They're fine!_

 _They're all fine!_

I tripped over my own feet and slid face first into the gravel path. When I struggled to my feet, I could see it more clearly.

The Granger Barn, the structure concealing the entrance to the HQ, was ablaze. A ravenous fire devouring anything in its reach and billowing black smoke into the sky.

And laid strewn in front of it were several piles of gear.

 _Soul._

That was the only thought that registered as I got back up to my feet and rushed over to the piles of gear.

Each one with a Head of the killed Crafter.

I saw the light purple of Cara's hair.

The silver locks of Brett.

And…

I sank to my knees. "No…" I mumbled in a vain attempt to deny what was before me. To deny the spiky brown hair or the red eyes that stared coldly into mine.

To deny that Soul's Head was before me.

"Well hello, again!" A chipper voice sounded above me. I looked up and immediately recognized the face of Silent's killer: Spring_Fever. "Didn't think I'd find you again, hmm?"

I didn't answer. All I saw was red as my unbridled fury for this one man increased ten-fold.

"I gotta say," the cultist continued as he lazily kicked at Soul's Head, "this guy was one tough nut to crack. Put up a better fight than Silent, that's for sure." He chuckled to himself as a thought crossed his mind. "But not you. You were the weakest.

"In fact, I bet if _you_ were the one that died back at the Warren, then these two would have had less to worry about." He laughed out loud. "They might have even been better off without you to burden their sorry asses."

I rose to my knees and gripped my iron sword so hard my knuckles hurt.

"It's a real shame that they have to pay for your weakness. Amirite?"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I shouted furiously as I lunged towards Spark, sword poised to cleave him in half.

But the next moment, it wasn't Spring or his cocky grin standing before me.

It was Silent. His white hair immaculate, face pale, and eyes empty.

 **I told you before Floyd.**

I stopped cold in my tracks as Silent spoke to me. I didn't even notice him reaching into his belt.

 **You could have saved me.**

He withdrew a sword and stuck it into my torso. It burned like fire, and yet it was still less painful than being stabbed by a friend.

"No…" I called out again as I gripped my head.

 **You could have saved Soul.** The sword twisted further into my torso.

"No! It's not my fault!" I shouted louder as I desperately tried to wish away whatever I was experiencing. Nothing about it made sense!

 **All you had to do was die!**

"STOP!" The foggy world around me began to shatter, letting in streaks of darkness. Black inky tendrils of the Void.

 **It should have been you!**

* * *

"AUGHHHHH!" I yelled as I woke up in a cold sweat for the second time that week. I whipped off the covers and looked around the room, frantically searching for Silent or Spring or anything that could have indicated the experience was real.

After finding nothing in the small room, I fell back onto the small bed. I vaguely registered that I was panting like I had run a marathon. I willed myself to calm down and take a few deep breaths to steady myself.

I needed to distinguish from memory what truly happened. Whether I was dreaming or not.

 _I…I was with Cobb. We defeated those thugs…I took the prisoner to the guards…they paid me some emeralds…and I used my newly acquired to pay to rent a room…sleep on a bed for a change._

That was the room I was currently in. And looking out the window, it was morning, and not foggy at all as in my dream.

 _I couldn't have run there and back._ I reasoned logically. _I didn't go back to the Granger Barn yet._

 _It was all a dream._ I concluded as relief relaxed my tense muscles. I nibbled on some cooked fish.

Nobody was dead.

…But it had seemed so real.

…

I quickly packed up all my gear before leaving the Inn. It wouldn't take long to reach the HQ. Just to confirm everyone was still okay.

I yawned and rubbed at my eyes tiredly. Those damn dreams were still harassing me. Making it impossible to get any sleep.

 _Well, then who needs it!?_ I mentally shouted as I turned the corner towards the Eastern District. _I'll just do without sleep!_

If not for my sleep-deprived mind, I would have realized how idiotic my internal statements were. But at the moment, I was only praying that my dream was just a dream.

Also I was praying that Brent could concoct a Potion of Coffee to wake me up.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Let me just see if I understand this correctly." The Captain began while sitting on the couch. I gulped nervously. Judging by how she began that sentence, she had some problems with the proposition I relayed to her.

"While you and Erin were on your walk, a walk that was well within the confines of the Northern District," I spotted Erin fidgeting slightly and prayed that she would stop, "you just so happen to have spotted your friend, hovering outside the walls."

I nodded in agreement, not trusting my voice enough to verbally attest.

"And your friend suggested that he and some of Brett's men accompany my envoy mission to Daymonte, on the grounds that it was 'on the way' to a destination of theirs."

That, I had no trouble speaking for, seeing as how it was _actually_ true. Erin felt the same way, not even fidgeting in the slightest. "Strength in numbers right? If the land is as dangerous as you say it is, then why not?"

"That is not for you to decide." She snapped. "This isn't some party we're attending where you can just bring whoever you want. This is a mission."

I remained silent as she meshed her fingers together and leaned forward in contemplation. I shared a brief glance to Erin standing behind her, who just shrugged helplessly.

"Brett and I," Wynn stated simply, "are by no means friends. Even if he'd like to believe we are, we're not."

 _So Floyd was lying? That couldn't be right._

"However, we are not unlike acquaintances."

"So…" I trailed off as she raised a hand to silence me.

"We're allies with a common interest: the ousting of the Endward Cult from this Kingdom." Wynn stood herself up and walked around the room. "Brett and his…people…serve as informants on cultist activity. And every lead he's presented to me has been 100% accurate and has led to the imprisonment of no less than fifty cultists."

"So you trust him then?"

"No." She answered bluntly. "His information has a price. He asks that he 'interrogate' any cultists we capture. Alone."

I shuddered at that thought. The way she stressed the word made it sound like he was torturing cultists for information. But Floyd had described Brett as a good guy. Understanding and charming.

Wynn continued on. "And I can tell just by looking at him the kind of person that he is. That 'happy' face he puts on for people is just to win them over. Make him seem like an angel. But I've seen more than enough of the results from his 'interrogation' sessions to argue otherwise."

So now it was Floyd associating with dangerous people. It was an ironic, yet welcome change of pace. Too bad it was overshadowed by the fear I felt for Floyd.

Wynn clapped her hands together to shake me from my thoughts. "But I suppose since Brett himself isn't coming along and I don't want to risk losing his informants…his men can be allowed to come."

I relaxed upon hearing those words. That meant Floyd would be coming with us…at least until Daymonte. Hopefully I'd have the chance to warn him about Brett.

"Well with all of us working together, I'm feeling a lot better about this mission." I stated confidently. And I really meant it. I was brimming with assurance. My spirits buoyed by last night's actions…

…making sure to ignore the parts where Soul brutally murdered half of them…

…and when Erin saved me by chucking eggs…

…and when Floyd interrupted my battle with Grengo…

But all the rest was confidence boosting! Really!

Too bad Wynn had a professional career as a wet blanket. "Don't get overconfident. Even with their addition, any of us could die at any…well not me…or most of my men…all of my men are actually trained enough to handle two Griefers apiece…and Brett's people can probably hold their own…but aside from them, any of us could die at any moment."

 _Wouldn't that just leave…_

 _…_

I frowned at her implications. "I'm not the same Newb I was yesterday."

"A few orbs of EXP aren't going to change much." She replied while pointing to my left arm. "I assume you met a couple of Mobs during your walk?"

I glanced at my arm, and realized she was pointing at the green meter. It shone with the number 7 and was partly filled. It was the same color as the green orbs I picked up every time I killed a Mob. Those must be the EXP she was talking about.

The only problem was I didn't remember killing any Mobs between yesterday and now.

The only thing that died near me was that thug.

 _Is it possible Crafters drop green orbs as well?_

But shaking those thoughts away, I realized Wynn was right. I did need training. My newfound proficiency with a sword barely saved me from those thugs. I didn't want to think what would have happened if I didn't learn those skills from Iron_Lung.

I wanted to try out the Crit Aura again. See if I could use it more frequently.

And if it saved my life out there, it would be worth the effort.

"Then, I better get some training in." I stated as I walked towards the backyard.

"A few years should be enough time." Wynn called out as a parting shot before I left the room.

* * *

[Wynn]

I made sure Cobb was well out of earshot before turning my attention to Erin. "That was some quick thinking replacing Cobb's fishing rod. You've just earned yourself a substantial pay rise."

Erin bowed low in thanks. "Th-thank you, ma'am. I-I only figured that, since he had his own fishing rod and his attention to detail is negligible, he w-wouldn't notice the swap. I-I have the same problem with drinking water bottles, since I can never tell which one is mine or someone else's…maybe that's not a good comparison…it's like—"

"I understand, Erin." I interrupted. She should really learn when to accept a raise quietly. "Anyway, I'm sorry I have to make you do this, but if Brett's men are accompanying us, I'll need you to tell him we leave early tomorrow morning. East gate."

"Y-you're leaving tomorrow?" Erin whimpered as she looked down. "A-and Cobb is g-going with you?"

"Unfortunately." I strolled over to a chest and searched for Brett's address of residence. It was somewhere in the Eastern District. Some farm or something.

"Oh…that's too bad…I was hoping I could spend some more time with Cobb." Erin looked crestfallen. Although in hindsight, it never would have worked out between her and Cobb. She was shy and he was oblivious.

And I mean REALLY oblivious. So much so that it would take an outright sappy confession just to convince him.

"But you'll come back in two weeks…both of you. Right?" Erin ventured hopefully.

"I said it before. Cobb doesn't have the experience to last out there. I'm just hoping his idiocy won't risk the lives of my men."

Erin frowned at my cold statement. "How can y-you say that about him. He's not the c-complete idiot you think he is."

I rolled my eyes. "Erin, I know you have a crush on Cobb, but you need to know that he's a criminal." I rummaged in the chest before finally finding the address. _Granger Farm._ "He broke the law several times. And whether he meant to or not, he's a danger to himself and those around him."

Erin shook her head. "That's not true. Sure Cobb might get involved in dangerous situations, but he's a nice guy. And brave. A-and heroic." She paused for a second. "A-and, hypothetically, if I was surrounded by deadly thugs, I'm sure that Cobb would be the type of person to d-defend me without a thought for his own safety."

"How could you possibly tell that by just looking at him?" I inquired skeptically.

"Just a hunch." She stated with an innocent smile while taking the address from me. "I'll g-get the message to Brett, don't you worry." She walked over to the door before stopping at the threshold. "B-but you really should give Cobb a chance. And quit putting him down."

I scoffed as she left. A chance? Absurd.

 _He may be a Newb, but that doesn't mean he's harmless. His naivety will get him killed one day. And anyone sticking with him will suffer the same fate._

But thinking back, that wasn't quite right. If what he said was true about Carys, then he survived. He didn't run like so many others would have. I'd seen more experienced men than him defecate themselves just from the killer's cold crimson eyes.

So…why even bother challenging her when he could have just run? Did the threat…just not register to him?

In that sense, his obliviousness saved him.

Common sense usually dictates what people should and should not do. But Cobb, being a Newb (or maybe because he's just an idiot), has no common sense.

So he just does whatever he wants, with no fear of repercussions.

That's just as bad as being a criminal!

Still, perhaps he just couldn't help himself. If that were the case…then maybe he could be taught how to properly think. Perhaps he could be redeemed.

I walked over to the backyard window to see Cobb jumping and swinging a golden blade around like an idiot. An exercise in futility. There was no way he would be prepared by tomorrow morning. And despite his…admittedly noteworthy skill with a fishing rod…it would never be able to kill a Griefer.

 _Although that golden blade is something. Where did he get it?_

I rolled Erin's words inside my head. It _would_ benefit the envoy mission if Cobb could better defend himself. Plus it would prevent any of my men from risking their lives for him…or dying from his stupidity.

I let out a heavy sigh and reluctantly walked over to the frame holding my rapier.

But as I reached out for it, I was taken aback by how a trick of the light made it look like a fishing rod for a second. I recoiled before narrowing my eyes, confirming that the tool was, in fact, my trusty rapier.

"Great." I muttered sarcastically before hanging the rapier at my belt. "Now I'm starting to see the fishing rod wherever I go…and now I'm talking to myself."

Maybe Cobb's crazy was contagious.

* * *

[Cobb]

I slashed at the air again. White stars erupted from the golden blade before fizzling away.

The Crit Aura was powerful, but it was tricky getting the timing between jumps right. Sometimes I was too late, other times too early.

It wasn't like using the fishing rod.

But to effectively use it I would have to be jumping around during battle. The imagery of that alone made me chuckle.

*Ahem*

I turned the source of the cough to see the ivory-haired Captain, watching me swing my sword around. _What could she possibly want now?_

"I see you've discovered Crit Aura from your training session with Iron_Lung." She stated simply, no contemptuous tone to be heard. "Is that where you got the golden sword too?"

I held the sword loosely in my hand and stood there awkwardly. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way, for warning me of his…deafening character."

She let out a single laugh, but I didn't quite trust it. I had seen the way she could change personalities in front of the King. Like flipping a switch.

"Iron_Lung has always been like that. I believe his motto is 'Actions speak louder than words…but I speak louder than actions!'" She smiled to herself as she tossed something to me. "Here. A peace offering."

I caught the item in my hand and discovered it to be a [LEATHER TUNIC] dyed green as the lawn I stood on.

"You said yourself that you couldn't decide between blue or green." She casually stated with a flip of her ivory hair. "Well green is the color of Ringwood so I decided for you. It's not strong, but it'll help a bit."

As I stared at the tunic, Iron_Lung's wise (if not ear-bleedingly loud) words drifted to me…

 _'_ _Our color is the symbol of our camaraderie. And every guard or Captain worth their salt knows it!'_

Despite my own obliviousness, even I couldn't ignore the implications of what Wynn had given me. She was serious about the peace offering.

I turned the tunic over in my hands before putting it on. It felt warm and smelled of…cacti.

"Thank you." I spoke each word clearly, not wanting to settle for the common 'thanks' or mutterings of gratitude. The gift felt deserving of more than that. "Really. Thank you."

The Captain nodded at my appreciation, but was left standing lamely, unsure of how to proceed next.

So I took the initiative. "Hey. I know you think badly of the fishing rod," I deposited my gold sword for the fishing tool, "But it can be useful at times. I wouldn't use it for combat, otherwise."

She scratched a spot under her chin and looked away. "Yes…well, we all have our preferences." She patted the rapier at her belt. "Different ways to get things done."

I smiled. "And if you ever want to learn how to use it—"

"Let's not get carried away." She urged sharply before breaking out into a smile of her own. "C'mon, Mr. Billionth. Let's see about strengthening your gear." She beckoned me back over to the house and I quickly followed. Eager to learn how to strengthen my weapons.

* * *

"So it's…magic?" I questioned as she pointed towards a black table with red tablecloth, light blue gems at the corners, and a gold covered book hovering atop.

Wynn groaned in exasperation. "It's not magic. It's _Enchanting_." She gestured to the black table. "That is an Enchanting Table and it's one of the most practical items in Minecraftia. It is an inexhaustible source of power, flexibility, and convenience for Crafters everywhere."

Looking at the table was all I needed to confirm Wynn's description. There was something mystical about the way the table appeared. Positioned amongst shelves of books in a dim light. Its book hovering ceaselessly above. It made the table seem…sacred.

"Knockback, Sharpness, Smite, Unbreaking, Power, Punch, Flame, Efficiency…Feather Falling." She lifted one of her white leather boots. "And that's just to name a few. There's an enchantment for practically anything…even your fishing rod."

I walked up to the table in awe. "So I can really have whatever enchantments I want?"

"Not quite." Wynn admitted while fishing around her backpack for something. "There are a few…rules. Limitations would be a better word. First, you need EXP orbs. Those green things you get whenever you kill a Mob, or in some cases other Crafters, will always float into your left arm whenever you get close enough to them."

I looked at the green bar on my left arm with the number 7 imprinted on it. "The number represents your level of EXP, and each additional level requires more EXP to reach. The same amount of EXP to get you from level one to level two would barely register getting you from eleven to twelve. And even though you can hold onto your levels to get to the high thirties, you'd be more practical spending what you get on anything to beef up your gear."

"The second rule is that generally, the higher level you have, the better chance you have of getting a powerful Enchantment." She showed off her diamond armor. "Since diamond is pretty durable, I saved up to enchant it and lucked out with Protection III and Unbreaking III, and Feather Falling IV for my boots. It really made my fighting style more convenient."

Finally she withdrew what she was searching for from her backpack: a handful of deep blue gems. "And third, you need these gems, called [LAPIS LAZULI], to initiate the enchanting. And that's pretty much enchanting in a nutshell."

She placed the blue gems in my hand while my mind was too busy catching up with everything she said.

"The Enchantment Table can reinforce flimsy leather armor to withstand explosions. It can make a simple wooden sword burn with the power of fire, it can supply a bow with limitless amounts of arrows. The possibilities are endless…provided you have the EXP and luck to attain them."

That…sounded cool. The table was my ticket to wielding gear on Carys' level. It was Sharpness and Knockback she had on that iron sword. If I had that same strength, those Griefers wouldn't stand a chance!

But a sudden thought rained on my parade. "So it's mostly luck?"

Wynn nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately not every Crafter can have the precise enchantment they want. But there are ways around this." She walked up to a nearby chest and pulled out some books. "Every time you use an Enchantment Table, it gives you a maximum of three options. The first requires one lapis, the second two, and the third three. After you pick one, the table randomly resets to give you three new ones. However, if you enchant a book instead of a tool or armor, you can save a particular enchantment for later."

"That's why enchanting books are so valued. The books holding higher tiered enchantments can go for hundreds of emeralds at auction."

"So…does that mean you're—"

"I'm not buying you a book." She spoke bluntly. "I'm not that generous."

I sank in disappointment, but perked when hearing Wynn's next comment. "But luckily we have something to aid us."

She pointed to the gold sword at my belt. "Gold is an excellent conductor of both redstone and EXP, improving your chances of getting better enchantments. Even though it's weaker than stone, it has an advantage that none of the other sword materials have."

I withdrew the gold sword and stared at it in new appreciation. _So Iron_Lung offered this to me, knowing that it wouldn't matter if it was low on durability or weak._

 _What was the saying? 'All that glitters is not gold.'_

 _Except…it's kind of the opposite. I thought it was crappy, but it turns out it's not. So…all that glitters…_ is _gold._

 _…_

 _Still doesn't sound right._

I stepped up to the table to enchant it. As I got closer, the golden book hovering atop opened so that it was facing me. There was writing gleaming off the pages in some unknown language, and it mesmerized me.

I slowly placed my gold sword on the table along with three lapis gems. In response, the book hummed to life in a mysterious tune.

Suddenly, the words of the book lit up in the same shade of blue as the lapis. Not only that, I could actually read them!

But only two of the three options.

The first one had one orb of EXP to the left of it and read 'Unbreaking I…?' along with a level requirement of 2.

The second option had two orbs of EXP to the left of it and read 'Sharpness I…? along with a level requirement of 6.

And the last one, which I couldn't read at all, had three orbs of EXP to the left of it along with a level requirement of 8. So I couldn't read it because I didn't have the necessary EXP.

But that didn't stop me from making my choice. Carys' Sharpness enchantment was insanely powerful, so without a moment to waste, I selected the second option.

Immediately, the glow from the writing surged forward into a blinding light. I stumbled backwards from the brightness, but upon opening my eyes, I saw I was holding the same golden sword that gleamed with a faint purple-blue hue.

And the enchantment on it was Sharpness I…

And another one? Unbreaking I.

"Wait. I got Sharpness and Unbreaking?" I pondered aloud.

Wynn walked up to the table and took the leftover lapis. "The options you're given only represent one possible enchantment you can get. If an option reads Unbreaking, that doesn't mean you can't get an additional one like Smite or Sharpness. It's all about luck. And getting two for one seems pretty lucky to me.

"Now your sword will be able to do more damage than a standard golden sword and will last longer too." She handed me back the lone lapis. "You still have one level left. Try enchanting your new tunic."

I took the lapis with a nod and walked up to the table. This time, the options had different level requirements, but it didn't matter since I could only afford one of them. And one enchantment later, I had a Protection I, green-dyed leather tunic.

"Good. Now you'll stand a better chance out there." Wynn commented as she left the enchanting room. "Now if you'll excuse me, Mr. Billionth, I need a nap. You'd best do the same since we're leaving tomorrow morning. Early."

"Sure thing!" I agreed a bit too boisterously. But I couldn't help it. The enchanted items just felt so amazing. Like I was a new Crafter.

Although it was a shame I didn't have any leftover levels for the fishing rod.

* * *

[Floyd]

I collapsed at the gate to the Granger Farm. But it wasn't in despair.

It was in relief.

Because the barn was still standing and not burning to the ground as in my nightmare. And there were no piles of gear scattered across the ground.

The cult hadn't found the place. Spring_Fever hadn't found the place.

And everyone was still alive.

"Floyd, was it?" I turned around to see Cara holding up some glass bottles. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ah, well, I kind of did." I commented mysteriously as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "But it was just a bad dream."

At my words she smiled in sympathy. "Yeah I have bad dreams too. Usually after I've eaten a ton of sugar." She walked towards the barn and I walked beside her, content to start up a conversation. "If you ever have them again, I find that a good bucket of milk before bed can help."

"That's nice of you to suggest, Cara." It was a little awkward calling her by her name since we didn't know each other very well, but she didn't seem to mind. Probably because she had used my name first.

It was then I remembered the bottles she was carrying. "What's with all the glass bottles?"

"What glass bottles?" She inquired playfully. "Ooooh, you mean _these_ glass bottles." She pretended like she had only just realized she was carrying them. "Brett needs them to make—"

Her sentence was stopped when she abruptly smacked into a wall just to the left of the barn entrance. The bottles fell out of her arms and she rubbed her head in pain.

"Ow ow ow." She hissed as she fixed her goggles. "Who put that barn wall in front of me?" She joked.

"Don't you think it was just you not paying attention to where you were going?" I suggested while helping her pick up the bottles.

"Nope." She spoke, popping the 'p.' "Not possible. Someone must have just picked up the whole barn and moved it a foot to the right while I was talking with you."

"I see." I played along jokingly. "Someone must have really wanted you to embarrass yourself in front of me."

"I'm betting it was Soul." She stated suspiciously while trying to keep a straight face. It was honestly nice to joke around with a co-worker. It made the Silver Intent seem less like an organization and more like a family.

"So…what were you saying about these bottles…before you fell victim to a convoluted barn-moving plot."

She laughed as we entered the barn. "Well, Brett needs bottles for potions. Y'know, the jumping, running, strengthening, healing, and whatever-else-you-can-think-of ones we all know and love."

"How many other potions are there?" I questioned with interest.

"Um…let me think…" she counted with her fingers, "one, two…five…seven….Twelve—no wait. Thirteen. I forgot Potion of Weakness." She then climbed over the hay bales to the secret ladder.

Once in the HQ, she beckoned me over to the brewing stands and began filling the glass bottles with water from a well in the corner.

"Brett should be the one to tell you about this stuff." She commented as she rigged each brewing stand with three water bottles. I did the same. "I can manage some of the minor ones, but he's a _master_ alchemist."

"Is it really complicated to understand?" Knowing how to brew ability enhancing potions seemed like a valuable skill.

As Cara opened her mouth to respond, she stopped when she saw Brett entering from the map room.

"I thought I heard interest in potion brewing." Brett spoke with a charming smile. "And no it's not complicated at all."

He gripped my shoulder and guided me towards the stands. Meanwhile, I noticed Cara slinking away, her purple hair vanishing into the map room.

"Now, the most basic root of potion brewing…is the base! No pun intended." He opened a chest and withdrew an odd looking item. "Nether warts are the best base ingredient around. Just pop it into the stand and watch the magic of distillation at its finest."

I raised an eyebrow at his wording but complied all the same. I placed the [NETHER WART] above the hot golden rod and watched as the water bubbled and frothed.

"Shouldn't a cauldron be better for potion making?" I inquired. "Like the kind witches usually use?"

"No. Cauldrons are used for storing water and washing off dyes." Brett responded easily.

"Then…shouldn't you be using a cauldron to hold water instead of that water source in the corner?"

"Well, the cauldron can only hold three bottles worth of water while a water source can hold an infinite amount of water."

That confused me. "…Then what's the point in even having a cauldron to begin with when water sources are better?"

The silver-haired man just shrugged. "Décor?"

Finally, the wart was done cooking, resulting in three Awkward Potions. _So that was what they were for!_

"Nicely done." Brett congratulated. "Now we need to add an ingredient. Perhaps I should handle this part." I scooted over and allowed the man to work.

As his fingers flew to the ingredient chest and the stands, I was suddenly reminded that I forgot to say something. "Thank you, sir. For letting me join the Silver Intent."

"Oh, no need to thank me." He replied without taking his eyes off his work. "You seemed like an upstanding sort with noble goals."

"But you had every reason to distrust me after what Soul said." I thought back to Soul's distrustful words.

Brett just chuckled. "You know, I'm sure he didn't mean them half the things he said. Why, I'm confident that the two of you will be able to reconcile by the time your mission is done."

My hopes perked up. "You really think so?"

"Of course!" He placed nether warts in each of the neighboring stands and tossed a pufferfish into one of them.

 _Pufferfish?_

While Brett wasn't looking, I withdrew the pufferfish from my inventory and placed it into one of the stands as an ingredient. The water frothed and bubbled until it turned a shade of blue unlike the initial awkward potion. It was a potion I was familiar with.

I had made three Potions of Water Breathing.

"Ah! Well done!" Brett clapped a hand over my back. "Seems you're on your way to becoming a top-class alchemist.

I grinned tiredly before I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see Soul climbing down the ladder.

"Ah Soul!" Brett greeted with a wave. "You're looking chipper, today."

Soul just grunted in confirmation as he slid his hands into his belt pockets. "Captain Wynn sent us a message. We're to meet her group over at the East gate. Tomorrow morning. Early." He groaned at the last word.

Cara took the opportunity to return from the map room. "Well, since we're all here, why don't we stock up on potions."

"Brett clapped his hands together. "A wonderful idea, Cara. I knew I was right to make you mission leader." I expected Cara to beam from the praise, but she looked away with an expression akin to shame.

 _What's with her?_

"I call Strength Potions." Soul called dibs as he rushed to grab a set of three dark red potions from the stands.

"What!?" Cara shrieked at being out-dibbed. "Um…then…I call Sw—"

"Swiftness!" I raised my hand, as is the ancient art of dib calling, and swiped a set of electric blue potions.

"No fair!" Cara called as she hurried over to grasp at straws.

"Actually, Cara, dib calling is legitimate in claiming fresh-brewed potions." Brett stated sagely.

"Ngh…then I'll take Night Vision!" She grabbed a set of medium blue bottles.

"Harming for me." Soul reached for some maroon bottles, but his hand was slapped away by Brett.

"They're not done yet. Give me a minute." Brett growled as he added some glowing dust to the stand.

"I better take Fire Resistance…for a friend." I grabbed the amber potions while thinking about all the times Cobb caught fire.

"Could you make the Invisibility Potions into Splash Potions?" Cara asked.

"Do I look like an alchemist that can't turn Invisibility Potions into Splash Potions?"

"…I don't like rhetorical questions Brett."

"I—Just…give me a minute."

"I don't suppose you have anything to wake me up?" I asked the silver-haired man.

"Afraid not."

* * *

[Noman]

 **[YOU SURE YOU WANT TO LEAVE TODAY?]**

I put down Cara's message book and nodded. "The longer I wait, the more likely the artifacts will get snagged by someone else." I had purchased a horse and map of the Dover Plains Kingdom (at Spark's urging) for the journey and we had left Ringwood. As soon as we were away from the walls, Spark had downed a bucket of milk to reveal herself.

Now we were saying goodbye.

"Thank you for all your help Spark, but this mission I'm going on is dangerous." I really wished she could come with me, but without a constant source of Invisibility Potions, her stealth wouldn't do much good. She would be endangering herself, and she knew it.

 **[I UNDERSTAND. AFTER ALL, I MUST STAY AND HELP CRAFTERS AS THEY SPAWN INTO EXISTENCE.]** She smiled with her eyes, but it seemed sad.

I fiddled with my horse's saddle. "I hope you won't mind if I visit you every now and again."

She nodded eagerly. **[OF COURSE! ANYTIME!]**

I smiled as I read the message, before a thought occurred to me. I scribbled something down into the book before signing it and handing it to her.

 **[It was a pleasure getting to know such an** ** _outspoken_** **woman. You and your goals are noble, but your responsibilities should not only be for Newbs.]**

 **[You have a responsibility to yourself to enjoy life. To make friends. To find love. To be happy.]**

 **[So don't you forget.]**

 **[Because you deserve happiness too.]**

 **[^_^]**

 **[P.S. I didn't mean to touch your…chest. I thought it was your** ** _shoulder_** **.]**

Spark read the message.

And she reread the message.

I could just imagine the big smile forming on her face under the mask. Tears of joy were streaming down her face.

Finally she wiped her face and pulled down her mask, flashing me a thankful smile. Then she tossed me an Invisibility Potion for the road.

The next instant, she slapped the horse on the rear, making it whinny in surprise before racing off, taking me along with it. Straight towards Dover Plains.

* * *

[Ringwood East Gate]

Wynn stifled a yawn as she waited besides Cobb for her and Brett's men to show up. Even after going to bed early, it had been torturous getting up at such an ungodly hour.

She stole a glance to Cobb, who was trying his best to stand up straight. She appreciated his effort, but he really had no excuse. He only had himself to blame for his lack of sleep. After all, she allowed the ten-digit Crafter to sleep on the couch instead of the outhouse. Erin had even packed him some additional pumpkin pies for the road.

 _What does she even see in him?_ The Captain questioned as she noticed a group of three people approaching. By the potions at their belts, she assumed they were Brett's men.

Although, since they had a female among them, 'Brett's people' would be more appropriate.

A purple-haired woman stepped forward to greet the Captain. "Wynn. It's nice to finally meet you. My name is Cara and I hope to be of assistance to your envoy mission." She was positively beaming, undaunted by the early morning mission.

 _I like her._ The Captain thought while flashing a rare smile of her own. "The feeling's mutual. It's a pleasure to meet someone so eager to help. I only hope the rest of your team is the same."

Cara chuckled nervously before casting a hesitant glance towards her 'team'. The two were deathly silent. The blue-haired one (whom Wynn immediately recognized as Floyd) looked exhausted with dark rings under his eyes. Not to mention he looked guilty about something.

Meanwhile the brown-haired one looked disgruntled and upset. Obviously from waking up so early as well as some hidden tension from what the Captain could glean.

She was already regretting letting them come.

Hopefully, her own soldiers would arrive any minute to demonstrate proper preparation for a mission.

In fact, there they were now!

All eight of them, marching in order. Armor and uniforms pristine. No weary expressions. Fishing rods at the ready. Enough food stocked for—

…

All eight of them, marching in order. Armor and uniforms pristine. No weary expressions. Fishing rods—

…

FISHING RODS!?

Wynn furiously rubbed at her eyes, convinced that this was just another trick of the light like yesterday. There was no way her soldiers, ones she handpicked for that particular mission, would be absurd enough to wield fishing rods like hallowed diamond swords!

She was just hallucinating! A combination of little sleep and her mild frustrations over not mastering the tool!

Yes! That had to be it!

And once she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, everything would be as it should!

No more fishing rods!

But as she lowered her hands, those same damn fishing tools were held with the same grace and care.

Mocking her.

At that moment, only one thought crossed the ivory-haired Captain's mind.

 _This is somehow Cobb's fault._

She didn't know how, but she knew it was him. And glancing to her left to watch his reaction was all it took to verify her suspicions.

He looked proud to have tainted their combat style with his flimsy fishing rod. A smile already beginning to form on his face.

Then he froze. Undoubtedly feeling someone directing a large amount of hate in his direction.

He subtly tried to steal a glance towards Wynn to gauge her reaction. The fool. Thinking she wasn't already watching him like a hawk.

And then their eyes met.

And judging by the way Cobb's smile vanished, he knew that she knew.

And she knew that he knew she knew.

Cobb, in an attempt to not catch any more attention, shakily returned his gaze forward and tried to inch away from the Captain. Slowly. With no sudden moves to instigate a violent confrontation.

The Captain merely stretched her left arm before resting it softly on Cobb's shoulder, freezing him in his tracks. To any onlookers it appeared to be a friendly movement. Harmless.

But it was really to trap the ten-digit Crafter. Daring him to try and shrug the arm off.

The Captain put on a big smile and pulled Cobb closer to her. She leaned towards him so she wouldn't be heard by her men, already recognizing Cobb as the 'fishing rod champion'.

"Cobb." She hissed darkly. "Why are my trained soldiers convinced that a fishing rod is the weapon of choice for traversing deadly territory?"

The guilty man gulped while silently trying to convey distress to his blue-haired companion. His BS skills wouldn't do much good here.

After several failed attempts to send S.O.S. signals through blinking, Cobb took a deep breath before turning his head to face the Captain. Preparing what could possibly be his greatest excuse.

"I would like to speak with my lawyer first."

And then the Captain broke his arm.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 16 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Glass Bottle, 10 String, 1 Stick, 4 Cooked Fish, 13 Baked Potatoes, 24 Pumpkin Pies, 48 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots {Weak}, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 37 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 14 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 2 Arrows, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 1 Glass Bottle, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 46 Steaks, 10 Enchanted Golden Apples, 64 Emeralds, 27 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 1 Gunpowder, 12 Rotten Flesh

* * *

 **AN: And that concludes the Ringwood Story Arc. It lasted less chapters than the last Arc, but probably had more words. It concluded rather nicely with Cobb and Noman going their separate ways.**

 **So...I got good news and bad news.**

 **The good news is I'm posting another chapter on January 1st. Kind of like a late Christmas present. Two chapters in one week. I'm also working on uploading a map of Minecraftia to replace the story picture. But the corn stays as my profile picture.**

 **And the bad news...I'll tell you in Chapter 28.**

 **And since you enjoyed last chapter's omake...Here's another one.**

* * *

Omake: Should We...?

Cara stared at the spectacle before her. "Should we...do something?"

"Nah." Soul commented while he munched on some bread, never once taking his eyes of the scene of the leather-clad Crafter getting the crap kicked out of him by the Captain.

Cara glanced to her axe-wielding co-worker before returning her attention to the fight. Although it really couldn't be called that. "She broke his arm."

*CHOMP* "I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Soul..." Cara raised an eyebrow skeptically. "He has tears in his eyes and he's literally screaming he doesn't know what he's doing."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!" The leather-clad Cobb cried out in fear.

"YOU AND YOUR STUPID FISHING ROD!" The white-haired fencer roared as she flipped Cobb over her shoulder and into the ground.

"I'm sure it's all just an act." Soul defended halfheartedly as he began munching on a second peace of bread as if it were popcorn at a show.

Cara shook her head. "There's no way this is a act. I'm gonna try and calm her down."

She moved to intervene, but Soul grabbed her hand.

"Cara, please, I had to get up _real_ early to be here. And right now, this fight is making all of my exhaustion worth it." He pointed to the watching guards. "See? Even the guards are getting into it."

And indeed they were cheering both Captain Wynn and the man, referred to as the 'fishing rod champion', to win the fight. Even though Wynn was currently strangling him with his own fishing rod.

"SAY IT AGAIN!" The Captain screamed while choking him. "I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT THE FISHING ROD IS A GOOD WEAPON!"

"Hkk...it...grk! G-good...ugk...wea...pon..." He managed to choke out.

Cara just blinked before turning her head from the fight to Soul's pleading face.

 _Well..._ Her mind thought traitorously. _We did have to get up pretty early._

She glanced back to see what Floyd, who was surprisingly quiet the whole time, thought to do.

Only to find him dozing off. Obviously still tired after not getting much sleep last night.

...

"Five more minutes, then we intervene." Cara concluded as she withdrew some bread of her own and munched on it while keeping track of the fight.

"Five emeralds betting it won't take three more minutes." Soul commented.

" _Ten_ emeralds it won't take _two_ more minutes." Cara responded.

Soul thought for a moment. "I'll take those odds."

* * *

 **AN: I like these omakes. Gives me the chance to write pure funny.**


	28. Gathering

**AN: 6000 Views. 30 Favs. 31 Follows. Thank you all _sooooooo_ much for liking my story. Kind of hard to believe I've been typing up chapters for half a year. Kinda thought I'd go crazy by now.**

 **To all my reviewers, don't panic that the reviews aren't showing in the review section. Something is wrong with fanfiction . net. It counts the reviews and I get them via email, but I can't see them through fanfiction. I hope this problem resolves itself because I like reading the reviews on here, but don't let that discourage you from writing them. I can still read your praise and criticisms after all.**

 **No puzzle this time. But only because I'm promoting the humorous chapter prompt one more time. Read below if you haven't already.**

 **I am planning a humorous chapter in the future. It will involve several short stories strung together on the basis of Cobb's travels with Wynn's group to Daymonte. Therefore, I have decided to give the viewers a chance to devise part of the story and give me their best A-game humor.**

 **Here's the prompt: Cobb has set off to Daymonte with Wynn, her guards, Floyd, Soul, and Cara. The trip takes seven days, and each day Cobb finds himself in situations demonstrating his 'newbiness' to those around him. Resulting in mockery and laughs. Anything goes.**

 **If you wish to send an idea, I'd prefer it sent as a PM (if you can't PM, then a review is fine). And if the idea makes me laugh enough, I'll include it in the story and credit the brilliant writer that suggested it.**

 **So if you're interested, give me your A-game humor. I'm certainly looking forward to the entries (if there will be any).**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add chocolate cake.

* * *

Chapter 28

 **Gathering**

[Spring]

"I-I-It's f-freezing out h-here!" I shivered while trying to rub some warmth into my hands. My attire was terrible for traversing desserts and tundras and we had been traveling for several days. Why did I have to spawn in something with the sleeves ripped off!?

Thankfully, you couldn't die from exposure to the elements in Minecraftia…unless of course those elements included fire, water, or lava. Those you could very much die from.

"Just hang in there." Park advised. He had been smart enough to bring a thick leather tunic and pair of leather pants for the journey. "We're almost at the meeting point."

"R-r-remind me again w-w-why the Gathering is b-b-being held in the Redbone Dessert?" The temperatures were either blazing hot during the day or freezing cold during the night. And there were miles and miles of empty red and white sand. Most Crafters died trying to cross it!

Park rolled his eyes. "I suppose you would have preferred it to be held at the pleasant shores and resorts of Oak Docks?"

"Actually, yes. Th-th-that sounds lovely."

Park sighed to himself, but looked ahead to see that 4Blite was still out of earshot. The coldblooded Lieutenant didn't appreciate idle chit-chat.

But I couldn't believe that he could handle such cold. He didn't have any leather armor to protect him from the elements and had similar attire to myself. Yet if he felt the cold, he never showed it.

 _Maybe he really does have ice in his veins._

Finally, my mentor whispered an explanation into my ear. "The cult can't afford to hold its Gatherings in public or frequently visited places. Crafters usually avoid traversing the Redbone Dessert. We need to stay in the shadows…or in this case, the desserts to keep our meetings secret."

"You call traipsing through an open dessert being s-s-secret?" I inquired indignantly.

"That's why we're traveling at night. Even if anyone was out here, they wouldn't notice us." Park's expression grew dark. "And if they did, they wouldn't get far."

"Whatever." I grumbled. "I-I-I j-j-just hope the meeting spot has heat. It's so cold m-m-my skin is trying to climb into itself to warm up."

I tried to think of warmer thoughts. That usually helped right? Mind over matter?

 _Hot cocoa. Even when it burns your tongue._

 _Fire! That was hot._

 _Lava's even hotter. Probably would need a Fire Resistance Potion for that though._

 _Hot baths!_

 _The first rays of sunshine melting the chill away._

 _Sharing hugs with the woman of your dreams._

And that last thought did the trick. My chill was immediately dispelled when the first thoughts of that orange-haired beauty floated into my mind.

 _Ahhhh…Ember._

She had such beauty. Such kindness. Such strength. It was an honor being in the Northern Division with her as its Executive. It was even worth putting up with 4Blite's murder tantrums.

But what I wouldn't give to get her to notice me.

And maybe…perhaps something more.

"Spriiiing. Minecraftia to Spring! Snap out of your love struck thoughts man!" I faintly registered Park's voice before I refocused on the real world.

And the cold that came rushing back.

"W-w-what? I wasn't having love struck thoughts." I blushed beet red while I tried to think of warmer thoughts again.

Park smirked smugly. "I know for a fact that you were. You were thinking about Ember_Waves right?"

My eyes widened in shock. How could he tell so easily?

"Yeah I knew it." He shook his head with a chuckle. "You always have that dreamy expression of yours whenever you think of her. Lidded eyes. Small smile. And you ignore everything else around you."

I groaned while making a mental note of schooling my features from Park's observant eyes. He wasn't an expert archer for nothing. The man could see things a mile away.

"I have to say though, you certainly have some competition. Half of the cult is infatuated with her." He chuckled to himself. "In fact, I bet she's what's keeping most of our subdivision from transferring. It's a contest between fearing 4Blite and worshiping Ember."

I frowned at that. I knew he was right. Ember probably got hundreds of love confessions a day (from both inside and outside of the cult). She was beautiful and confident and skilled with her diamond rapier.

But there was something else that drew me to her. I just…couldn't quite explain it. A magnetic attraction of sorts.

…

 _Meh. Probably just my penis talking._

"Your attention!" 4Blite shouted loudly to garner the attention of the cultists present. "We have reached our destination."

I peered past him to see what 'destination' we reached. I was horrified.

It was just an abandoned Testificate village! The farms were barren, the well was partially demolished, and half of the homes were in desperate need of repair. With no Iron Golems or wayward Crafters to defend them, the Testificates were sitting ducks. They all probably died or else got turned into Zombies themselves.

How was the Endward Cult expected to hold a Gathering in a place like that!?

"D'you think 4Blite got the locations mixed up?" I whispered to Park who just shook his head in response.

"Keep quiet and watch. You just might learn something." He spoke cryptically.

"Like the fact that I'm freezing my butt off for nothing?" I mumbled under my breath as we entered the Village.

4Blite led the way to the well and gestured for us all to enter first.

 _Is he serious?_ I internally questioned. But apparently none of the other cultists had the courage to question the Lieutenant as they jumped into the well and disappeared beneath the water's surface.

I hung back, wondering why we had to get ourselves wet. Was it like a ritual of some sort? Because the idea of getting soaked in freezing temperatures seemed stupid.

Finally, it was my turn. 4Blite's dark purple eyes glared into mine, obviously in being held up however slightly. Not wanting to incur his anger, I briskly stepped past him and into the well.

As I predicted, the water was freezing, yet still I sank into it…

Before falling into air.

There was no bottom to the well. Only signs positioned as a sort of filter, allowing Crafters to pass, but not water.

So I fell down, down, down. Shouting in surprise before I landed into a large pool of water. I resurfaced gasping and swam to the nearest shore. When I looked up I saw Park's extended hand, waiting to pull me out.

"Have a nice swim?" He inquired with a grin. I just ignored his words while allowing him to help me out. Behind me I heard a splash signaling 4Blite's arrival.

For the first time, I observed my surroundings and found myself overwhelmed. I was standing in a vast underground cavern. Sandstone stalactites hung from the ceiling, embedded with glowstone to illuminate the otherwise pitch black area. And dozens of cultists were mingling across the floor. Chatting, enjoying food at constructed tables, dancing and sparring at designated areas.

The sounds of merriment were so deafening that I was surprised not to have heard it from above. Sand must be great at noise canceling. Probably because it's all loose and shifty. Can't carry vibrations.

"They did a good job setting this up." Park commented as he took a look around. "About a hundred years ago, some brilliant newbie had the bright idea of constructing a Gathering spot under the dessert. They found this cavern under an abandoned village, though it wasn't as big as it is now, and expanded it. It took a lot of excavating, but it wasn't like we were short on manpower."

He spotted some people by one of the tables and his eyes lit up. "I got some old friends to chat with. Go try and mingle." And with that, he left me to do whatever I pleased.

The sparring area looked promising. There was a buff guy asking his audience if there was anyone worth his time. He was just begging to get beat down by me.

But I decided against it. I had a tendency to lose control when it came to fights. And killing a fellow cultist would be a real buzz kill to the rest of the Gathering.

So instead, I set off in search of the Executive of my dreams. It wouldn't be hard. Just search for a crowd of fawning admirers and she would undoubtedly be in the middle of it.

It was only my second Gathering, but from my own observations and Park's advice, I had begun to notice a pattern with the other divisions. The cultists of the Eastern Division were usually laidback and messy, but also very friendly. While the cultists of the Western Division were strong and disciplined, but also very edgy.

The Northern Division was kind of a mish mash of people, which made sense since it was primarily stationed by Ringwood, the closest Kingdom to the Origin. Therefore, it saw people of all kinds, freshly spawned into existence, and with the desire to kill other Crafters.

As for the Southern Division, if they were there, they would be eccentric and clever, if a bit annoying. But they weren't unbearable company.

Too bad they were all dead at the hands of the Angel of Death.

 _I probably shouldn't bring that up here._ I thought as I wove through many black-capped cultists.

I spotted a table of potion brewing stands near the corner and quickly made my way over there. The alchemist was making a lot of crowd favorites. Healing, Regeneration, Invisibility, Strength. And they were going fast.

I quickly got on line and ordered a Potion of Leaping and a Potion of Swiftness. The two would put together would make my task of finding Ember all the more easy.

Two sips later and I was jumping above the hordes of cultists, seeking out any specks of orange hair surrounded by a sea of black leather caps.

Then, in the far corner, I saw her. She was predictably corned between a wall of stone and a wall of fervent male (and female) admirers. Though I was more concerned with the males. She was most likely trying to be polite in turning away the crowds, but it wasn't registering to the starry-eyed cultists.

I quickly used my Swiftness Potion to rush over to the wall. Maybe if I could break up the crowd, she would personally thank me. I'd invite her for drinks in an isolated location, far enough away from any prying cultists. Then we'd—

"OOF!" I ran into a portly cultist who fell into two others, and like dominoes we all fell down in a tangled mess of limbs. I tried to extricate myself, but by the time I got up, Ember and her crowd were gone.

"Aw man!" I complained as I held my head in my hands. There went my chance…although maybe I could relocate her and try again.

Just as I was about to jump, my hand was grasped rather painfully by one of the cultists I ran into. "Oi! What's the big idea knocking me over? This is a party not a roughhouse!"

"Ugh, my bad." I apologized insincerely as I tried to get him to let go. "But I can't talk right now. I have places to be."

I snatched my hand away while the man grumbled about no respect for one's elders.

Away from any more distractions, I leapt into the air to search for my target. I spotted several sets of similar orange hair, but none of them were the same as Ember's luscious locks.

Once my Potion ran out, I could do nothing but follow Park's advice and mingle. So, with great depression, I walked up to a group of cultists chatting animatedly about something.

"—I'm telling you! Our Lieutenant wanted us to round up hundreds of Crafters to compete in some sort of…Survival Game!"

"Geez. She sounds hardcore. But—Oh! Hello there." One of them noticed me.

"Hey. My name's Spring_Fever." I introduced myself with a wave. "Crazy Gathering right?"

"Yes. We've seen a lot of new recruits." One of them held out a hand to me. "My name is Nickelback and this is Jo-McJambers." I shook both of their hands. "I'm from the Western Division and Jo is from the Eastern. We were just talking discussing our subdivision leaders."

"Ha! Don't even get me started on that." I laughed easily in an attempt to get along better. "I'm in 4Blite's division. And he's a ruthless sociopath."

Both of their eyes widened in fear. "4Blite?" They questioned in unison, though it seemed like their eyes were focused elsewhere.

"Yeah, 4Blite." I continued. "The guy is always lecturing us about punctuality and whatnot, though he can't bother to show up on time. And he always acts like he's superior to everyone else. With that pitying look on his face."

"Um…Sp-spring?" One of them tried to stop my rants, but I was on a roll.

"And the guy kills members of his own subdivision! In fact just the other day—"

"Spring!" One of them interrupted in a hushed whisper. "ixNay alkingtay about the ieutenantLay!"

"Dude. Don't interrupt me." I chastised with mild disapproval. I was just about to get to the good part. "Also are you having a stroke? Because you're talking weirdly."

Their eyes were still glued to something behind me. "4iteBlay is ightray ehindbay youyay! opstay alkingtay ownay!"

"Yeah I'm gonna go find you guys some medical attention." I said as I quickly turned around.

And came face-to-face with a frowning 4Blite.

 _…_ _Shit._

I had to kiss ass quickly if I was going to survive. "4Blite sir! I didn't see you there! I was just playing a game with friends called…um…Opposite Description." 4Blite just raised an eyebrow over his cold eyes. "Yeah. See, it works like this. We describe our Lieutenants in ways exactly _opposite_ of how they really are!"

4Blite just stood there with a hand rested on the diamond axe at his belt. Nickelback and Jo decided to leave without attracting the Lieutenant's attention.

"So…when you heard all those things I said…I really meant you were fair and compassionate. A-and that I'm so lucky to be serving under you."

4Blite blinked before closing his eyes while letting out a long sigh. "You're one of my subdivision's best killers Spring…"

I held up my hands in defense and took a few tentative steps back.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. "But that doesn't give you the right to speak ill of me!" He swung his diamond axe and slashed me across the chest. The Knockback Enchantment on it activated and sent me hurdling through the crowd before skidding to a stop along the cave floor.

"Ow…ow…ow…" I cringed trying to stand up while the surrounding cultists parted to allow 4Blite to approach me.

"Your words will not be tolerated in my subdivision." He spoke coldly as he raised his axe over his head.

 _Crap!_ I internally yelled as the axe head descended towards me and I screwed my eyes shut so I wouldn't have to see it.

*Tink*

…

Since I was still experiencing the feelings of the ground, I guessed I was still alive. Slowly I opened my eyes to discover what had saved me.

 _Did 4Blite hold his attack?_

Poised above me was a sharp diamond axe head, stopped cold in its tracks by the very tip of a diamond rapier.

4Blite's eyes widened in realization as he saw who had stopped him. And I felt my heart would explode from the mere sight of my savior.

It was Executive Ember_Waves.

I was mystified by her calm and calculating light-blue eyes. Her long waist-length burnt orange hair that descended in waves and shoulder length bangs that draped over her shoulders. The way she had her eyebrows slightly raised as if inquiring what her Lieutenant intended to do next.

She wore a white bolero jacket with a blue-grey undershirt that really accentuated her…well-endowed figure. She wore slim brown pants with a black belt and matching black backpack. She had light-gray boots with very high heels. A blood-red beaded necklaces hung around her neck and another around her right wrist. And clad in diamond armor.

I was vaguely aware that a silence had permeated the entire cavern as every eye focused on Ember, 4Blite, and me. I was probably just another nameless cultist to everyone, especially when compared to the two high ranking figures besides me.

Slowly, 4Blite raised his axe from Ember's rapier and held it at his side. "Executive Ember, ma'am. A pleasure to see you again." He bowed respectfully.

"I wish I could say the same." Ember responded in her melodious voice that made me tingle. "Care to explain why you almost executed this young man?"

 _*GASP* She referred to me! She knows I exist! Ooooh I can't believe it!_

"With all due respect ma'am," 4Blite began while remaining bowed, "he started the altercation by speaking ill of me. I was merely acting as I saw fit."

"If you kept acting as you saw fit, my Division would run out of cultists overnight." Ember counted with a shake of her head. "A simple reprimand followed by a warning ought to be sufficient enough to get your message across. No?"

"But—" Ember cast a stern glare towards the Lieutenant who promptly backed down. "You are right ma'am. My mistake."

The cold-blooded killer extended a hand to help me up. "I am sorry for overreacting, Spring."

I looked at his hand like it was some kind of bear trap before cautiously taking it. He squeezed my hand painfully, but only for a second as he pulled me to my feet. "Make sure to keep your opinions of me to yourself." He growled before turning to leave. The watching crowd parted to let him pass.

I let out a sigh of relief as soon as his white hair disappeared into the crowd.

"You're Spring_Fever, right?" The melodious voice of that gorgeous woman addressed me, and I felt butterflies flutter around my stomach. "And I'm not just going off the name above your head."

I cleared my throat and tried to sound as suave as possible. "You've heard of me?"

Ember offered a bright smile as she sheathed her rapier. "Of course. I know all the cultists of my division. But I keep an eye out for those who excel above the rest."

I couldn't believe it. I was actually talking with her! And she was praising me! Saying she recognized me! Hell, she even saved my life!

"Well, I do my best." I responded lamely, desperately wishing I had something more interesting to say. I glanced around and saw that a number of male cultists were shooting me jealous looks. They were obviously upset that I was hogging Ember all to myself.

"And I suppose you've heard of me too." Ember stated tiredly. "Honestly, some days I wish I was just another cultist. It's _exhausting_ getting swamped by so many people."

I nodded in understanding. "Well, that just means they admire you for all that you do."

"Oh?" Ember smiled slyly, making shivers go down my spine. "And are you aware of exactly what I do for the Cult?"

"Uh…well…" I panicked. Park had explained that it was Lieutenants job to run the subdivisions or perform special missions given to them by the Executives, but he hadn't explained just what the Executives were responsible for!

But what could it be? They were obviously strong (if Ember's swordsmanship was any indication) but simple Head collecting didn't sound like their style.

 _Come to think of it, I have no idea what they do! Oh God, I'm ruining my chances! Say something!_

Just as my panic was reaching level ten, Ember's soft giggle snapped me out of it. "Relax." She comforted in a soothing tone. "I don't expect you to know. You are relatively new to the Cult after all.

"The Executives are primarily responsible for charting a course for the Cult's future." She ticked off her fingers. "Planning large-scale wars between Kingdoms. Organizing construction products. Planning Gatherings like this. Even locating fresh talent."

Alright. That made sense. It also meant the Executives had a lot of pressure placed on them. "Sounds like difficult work."

"Well if you enjoy it, then it's never work." She commented softly, before she directed her heart-melting gaze towards me. "Speaking of which, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." I replied a little too quickly. But my internal thoughts were somewhere along the lines of:

 _Please ask me out!_

 _Please ask me out!_

 _Please ask me out!_

"Do you enjoy serving the Endward Cult?" She inquired with a smile.

"Oh…um." I was caught off guard by her phrasing. _Serving?_

"Let me rephrase that," she leaned forward and locked her eyes with mine. I felt almost like she was peering into the depths of my soul. "Do you believe in what the Cult seeks to accomplish?"

Did I believe in the next life theory? That killing people was just liberating them from the plane of Minecrafia, freeing them to pursue better lives…in the next life?

 _Not really._ Was what I wanted to say, but I couldn't very well say that to the Executive of my Division.

But as I opened my mouth to lie, I noticed her eyes gleaming sharply in the light. Something about those calculating light-blue orbs made it seem like they could see through deception.

"N-not…really." I confessed truthfully. "It's not an easy concept to accept."

At my response, the gleam in Ember's eyes vanished and she leaned back. But she appeared to be satisfied with my answer. Whether that was good or bad for me and my chance with her, I had no idea.

"I understand." Ember commented with a beaming smile. "This chat has been…eye-opening Spring_Fever. Thank you for taking the time to have it with me." She nodded graciously before excusing herself. All her admirers immediately swarmed her as soon as she left.

And I was just standing there numbly.

"No problem." I mumbled ten minutes later.

* * *

[The Gathering]

Several people entered the dimly lit room and took up positions around a square table.

Ember took the Northern seat with her two Lieutenants standing on either side of her: 4Blite to the left and the other Lieutenant, obscured by shadows, to the right.

One man took the Eastern seat. He had shaggy jet black hair with bangs sweeping to the right that barely concealed his blood red eye. His left eye was covered by a white eye patch with a red 'X' painted across. He wore a dark-purple collared shirt with black outlines along with a grey undershirt and white jeans. His backpack and belt were the same shade of purple as his shirt and he wore black sneakers.

As he took his seat, he kicked back and rested his legs on the table with his hands behind his head. He let out a yawn as his Lieutenant, obscured by shadows and mumbling something about proper etiquette, took a spot to his left.

The last remaining person, obscured by shadows, took a spot at the Western side of the table. He stood to the right of the empty Western seat, but if he was surprised that his Division Executive was missing, he didn't show it.

"Well," The man with the eye-patch broke the silence, apparently taking notice of the missing seats. "Looks like some people couldn't be bothered to show up. After all the trekking though the desert—"

"Sdraw is running a bit late." The man to the west spoke. "He needed to make sure he wasn't followed."

"Uh huh, sure." The man with the eye-patch continued as he stretched. "And what about big, buff, and crazy? Was he being followed too?"

"… _no_ , he won't be joining us." The man to the west confessed.

"Must be tough being in the Western Division." The man with the eye-patch mused as he flicked his bangs. "An Executive operating from the shadows and a battle-crazy Lieutenant. How does your Division even get anything done?"

"You're one to talk Abyssmal." The man to the west spoke. "I've heard your Division is _far_ too lax to keep up its quotas. And just look." He pointed to the empty space beside Abyssmal. "Seems like you're missing a Lieutenant as well."

"Hey don't blame me." Abyssmal shrugged as he crossed his arms. "Teal said she had some super important business to take care of and couldn't make it."

"Like what?" Ember interjected, clearly amused by their argument.

Abyssmal thought for a moment. "I believe her exact words were 'I'd rather watch crops grow than go to that snore-fest.'"

"Super important indeed." The man to the west replied dryly earning a few giggles from Ember.

"Actually, I'm with Teal." Abyssmal defended with a smirk. "I'd much rather be watching crops grow. I've got 10 to 1 odds that the carrots will overtake the potatoes."

This earned even louder laughter as Ember could barely contain her infectious giggles. However, the man to the west shook his head in pity.

"I feel bad for you," He addressed the Lieutenant standing beside Abyssmal, "for having an Executive like him."

"Hey!" Abyssmal shouted as he uncrossed his legs and stood up. "I'm a great Executive! Right, Mark?"

"No." Said the Lieutenant beside him.

"See? Mark agrees." Abyssmal concluded as he ignored Mark's one-worded reply. "And Mark also says that Sdraw made a mistake placing you as a Lieutenant."

"My master makes no mistakes." The man to the west said in a dangerously low tone. "And I will not stand here passively while you slander his reputation."

"That's quite enough." A light silvery voice came out of nowhere. Immediately, each Lieutenant readied their weapons and tried to locate the source.

All they found was a floating milk bucket in place of the Western seat. A slurping noise was made as an invisible someone drained the bucket before materializing in front of the Cult leaders.

The once invisible man had light-brown hair spiked at the front and eyes that remained closed. His face held an unchanging apologetic smile. Tied around his neck was a thin orange ribbon. He was finely dressed with a deep blue suit adorned with a white collar and a blue tie. His dress pants matched his suit in color and his black shoes completed his wardrobe.

"Oh wow. Sdraw appeared out of nowhere. I'm so surprised." Abyssmal stated with fake bewilderment.

"Forgive me for my tardiness," Sdraw placed a hand over his heart and bowed in his seat, "but I couldn't risk getting spotted."

"It's fine." Ember excused. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin the meeting." She pointed to the empty Southern seat. "First off, let us all have a moment of silence for our fallen brethren of the Southern Division."

The room instantly went quiet as fond memories of the deceased floated through their minds.

After several minutes, Ember clapped her hands together. "May they have a better time in the next life."

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on to our yearly quotas." Sdraw snapped his fingers and held out his hand to the right as his Lieutenant placed a book in his hands. "So, how is everyone holding up with Heads?"

4Blite sighed as he stepped forward to relay his subdivision's work. "My subdivision has faced some…minor difficulties in fulfilling quotas due to…incompetence and lethargy. But I can assure you that I will hunt enough Crafter's to hold up—"

"Give it a rest 4Blite." Came the annoyed Lieutenant to the right of Ember. "I'm getting tired of your excuses when _I'm_ the one who has to work 200% more just to break even on quotas."

"But—"

"She's right, you know." Ember stated matter-of-factly. "You always blame the people who serve under you rather than yourself. "

"I keep my policies strict to discipline my men." 4Blite defended. "Would you rather have me be the kind of Lieutenant that leniently disobeys rules? Like Teal?"

"There's a difference between strict and downright cruel." Sdraw commented as he scrutinized 4Blite over his interlocked fingers (despite keeping his eyes shut). "Rumors have been spreading that you tend to lean towards the latter."

"Rumors are just that: _Rumors_." 4Blite urged. "I assure you all that my methods will speak for themselves in due time."

"So…about two-hundred years?" Abyssmal joked to the amused chuckles of Sdraw and Ember. 4Blite remained silent and stepped back to allow the next Lieutenant to speak.

The Lieutenant to Ember's right side stepped forward. "As I've previously stated, _my_ subdivision has been going above and beyond our quotas. We simply are not satisfied with being 'just enough' and strive to honor our Division." The Lieutenant glanced at 4Blite out of the corner of her eye and smiled smugly. "And we have seen _much_ better results through the use of mutual respect rather than the fear certain Lieutenants rely upon."

4Blite clenched his fists and glared at his fellow Lieutenant.

"I think she's talking about you." Abyssmal joked as he nudged Mark's shoulder. Mark just gave an exasperated groan and facepalmed.

"Well done my Lieutenant. Well done." Ember congratulated. Her Lieutenant accepted the praise as she stepped back with a faint blush on her face.

Next, Sdraw's Lieutenant stepped forward. "I regret to report that my subdivision has been facing many problems with meeting our quotas." Sdraw turned his head to focus on his Lieutenant. "It is a combination of lack of trust and sheer size. It's an ordeal just to keep everyone in control and the pressure is difficult to manage on my own."

Sdraw placed a comforting hand on his Lieutenant's shoulder and gave him an apologetic smile. As common as the expression was on Sdraw's face, the Lieutenant had known him long enough to distinguish a true apologetic smile from his default one.

"I know it's a burden managing two subdivisions. Especially considering my… _unique_ political position." Sdraw wrote a personal note in his book. "I'll speak to your fellow Lieutenant about dividing the subdivision to a more manageable level."

"Thank you, master." The Western Lieutenant bowed low. "I'll work hard to make you proud."

"Get a room you two." Abyssmal jeered to the embarrassment of the Western Lieutenant.

Sdraw, however, remained calm as he turned his attention to the Eastern Executive. "And what of your quotas? I'm eager to hear your progress."

Abyssmal blanched. "Oh…uh…of course! ...Quotas…Mark tell them how good our division is doing."

"We're sucking." Mark stated bluntly.

"—sucking the life out of Crafters!" Abyssmal added as he nudged his Lieutenant's shoulder. "Right, Mark?"

"No, as in _we suck_. Period." Mark continued unashamed. "Our division is better at killing time than killing Crafters. And considering the amount of vacationers we get at Oak Docks, we really have no excuse for mmmph—"

Mark was cut off as Abyssmal pressed a hand over his mouth, muffling his voice. But the damage was already done.

Ember shook her head. "Abyssmal, please try to fulfill your quotas. We all know you're capable enough when you set your mind to it."

"Speak for yourself." The Western Lieutenant mumbled.

"Here, here." 4Blite agreed.

"I'd kill you both if I could." Abyssmal threatened as he glared at the two Lieutenants. "But now that quotas are out of the way can we move on to something else? Like…what are we going to do with the empty Southern Division?"

"Personally," 4Blite began. "I think we should consider elevating a Lieutenant to serve as a temporary Executive of—"

"Can't you at least pretend to show some tact?" The Lieutenant to Ember's right commented. "They haven't even been gone for a month and you're already suggesting replacing them?"

"It must be done…for the good of the Cult." 4Blite added as an afterthought. "I would be honored to take charge of rebuilding the Southern—"

"Your devotion is admirable," Sdraw interrupted, "but we lack the manpower to even consider rebuilding the Southern Division. For now, we stay a three Executive Cult."

4Blite paused before nodding curtly.

"Moving on." Sdraw commented as he flipped a page of his book. "The next issue of discussion…is what to do regarding the 'Angel of Death?'"

At the mention of the nickname, a few of the Lieutenants stiffened and Ember instinctively clenched her fists.

"What do you mean?" Ember commented in an emotionless tone. "Isn't it obvious what we should do? That whore killed the entire Southern Division. It's because of her that Garden's dead!" Her eyes momentarily darted to the empty Southern seat.

"I know how much he meant to you." Sdraw placated with a raised hand. "Just hear me out."

After glaring at Sdraw, Ember reluctantly folded her arms beneath her chest and gestured for Sdraw to continue.

"Thank you." Sdraw nodded to Ember before standing up and walking around the table. "To completely eradicate an entire division is no mean feat. The 'Angel of Death' is obviously a powerful enemy. However," Sdraw placed a hand over Ember's shoulder as he got to the Northern seat, "that doesn't mean she can't be turned into an ally."

"Recruitment?" The Lieutenant to Ember's right questioned. "Are you mad? After all she's done!?"

"I can assure you that I am not 'mad.'" Sdraw elaborated as he moved towards the Eastern seat. "The Angel can prove to be an invaluable asset…provided we can control her."

"Leave it to me." Abyssmal supported with a grin. "I'll win her over with my famous 'lady-killer' charm. After I'm done with her, she'll be begging to join."

"You mean to tell us that the success of her recruitment hinges on your 'charms?'" 4Blite summarized sardonically. "By God we _are_ doomed."

"Shut up!" The eye-patched executive shouted with flushed cheeks as all the Lieutenants burst out in laughter. "I _do_ have manly charms that get the girls running—"

"—straight for the hills." The Western Lieutenant finished with a chuckle. This earned even more uproarious laughter. It was loud enough that anyone standing outside the room could hear it.

"I will come over there and break your damn hand." Abyssmal threatened as he stood up from his seat.

"Enough!" Sdraw calmed everyone down as he stood between his Lieutenant and Abyssmal. "As… _nice_ as your offer to help is, I think we would have better luck recruiting her with negotiation."

" _No._ "

Everyone turned their attention to Ember as she spoke the word. Her luscious orange locks obscured her eyes and her voice remained dangerously low.

"No charms and no negotiations. That woman killed a quarter of our comrades and has plagued us long enough. She needs to die."

Abyssmal looked too scared to speak, but Sdraw held that same apologetic smile, perhaps appearing more calculating than before.

"And who do you suggest to deal with her?" The Western Executive questioned.

Ember withdrew her rapier and stuck it into the table. "I'm the one with a score to settle with her. So when the time comes, _I'll_ be the one to finish her."

Sdraw's smile grew a bit bigger. "That's a tall promise you're making Ember. I pray you're up for it."

"Um…can we talk about something else?" Abyssmal questioned with a raised hand. "It's hard enough to breathe in this room without the added tension."

"How about this then." 4Blite commented to gather everyone's attention. "The 'Angel of Death' was sighted by my subdivision in the Origin Forest just a week ago."

"Really?" Ember turned her attention to 4Blite and her eyes lit up. "What did she look like? How did you locate her without getting killed? What's her name?" Ember loosed dozens of questions upon the Lieutenant.

"She was sighted by a young cultist while I was on my mission." 4Blite explained. "The poor lad could only utter a few garbled words after escaping her grasp. It was like talking to a Jibberman. He was too traumatized to describe her beyond her nickname. No clue to distinguish her."

"So where is the 'poor lad' now?" The other Northern Lieutenant asked, annoyed that 4Blite was receiving more attention.

4Blite adopted a pained expression. "The boy was so traumatized…I couldn't stand to see him suffering as he was…I gave him a quick and painless death to free him of his burden."

Ember rolled her eyes at 4Blite's excuse. She doubted it was as tragic as he described. More like a stupid decision to murder a fellow cultist with valuable information concerning the identity of the Angel.

"You mentioned that you were on a mission?" Abyssmal inquired. "Surely after all this time, simple 'liberation' patrols are routine enough not to warrant that title. It's more of a pastime really."

As 4Blite was about to explain, the Western Lieutenant stepped forward once more. "4Blite. Since the mission you mentioned is the final issue of discussion, would you mind if I explain the initial details."

4Blite paused as he looked at the Western Lieutenant before nodding respectfully.

"Thank you." The Western Lieutenant withdrew another book from his belt and flipped the pages before settling on a specific piece of information. "Three weeks ago, a spy stationed at the Kingdom of Akasha's registration offices noticed an abnormally high number. A number close to a billion."

The three Executives shared a look that was lost upon the Lieutenants.

"Initially," The Western Lieutenant continued, "the information, while useful in determining the maximum amount of existing Crafters, was deemed irrelevant. However, this changed upon Executive Sdraw's urging that we further investigate the claim."

"Our spies located in the Kingdoms of Exter, Daymonte, and Jolin verified that the number of Crafters was slowly approaching a billion. Unwilling to await further confirmation, Executive Ember requested that a team travel to the Origin and discover the number of existing Crafters straight from the source."

The Western Lieutenant gestured to 4Blite to explain the rest.

"Thank you. My mission was to interrogate the resident Crafter counter, Helena, to uncover the—"

"You met up with Helena?" Abyssmal interrupted to 4Blite's chagrin. "Man, it feels like so long ago since I first met up with that smokin' slice of pumpkin pie. How was she?"

"…You can't be serious." Mark remarked dryly. "You consider her to be…smokin' hot?"

"Yeah!" Abyssmal defended earnestly. "I mean, yeah the nose is a bit distracting, but I feel like she has an inner beauty that transcends—"

"No offense Abyssmal," Ember interrupted with a forced smile, "but we _really_ don't care."

"What!?" Abyssmal shouted indignantly. "I refuse to believe that nobody cares about my love preferences!"

"Alright. Show of hands." Ember called the attention of all Crafters present. "Who here doesn't care about Abyssmal's failed love life?"

Immediately, six hands shot up in the air.

"Mark, you traitor! How could you?"

Mark just shrugged uncaringly.

"Now that that's settled, may we return to my Lieutenant's report? This time with _no_ further distractions?" Ember glared at Abyssmal who just huffed and crossed his arms.

"Thank you." 4Blite nodded. "As I was saying, I interrogated the Testificate known as Helena and acquired the information we were looking for." Everyone at the table tensed up at 4Blite's dramatic pause.

"The Billionth has spawned."

Silence claimed the table as each of the Lieutenants exchanged questioning glances among themselves and their Executives who were lost in thought.

"…so…what is that supposed to mean?" Mark asked.

The surrounding Lieutenants could only shrug or remain silent as they honestly had no idea what having a billion people spawned meant aside from a larger amount of work.

But apparently, the Executives had an idea.

Ember cleared her throat before addressing everyone calmly. "With the meeting adjourned, all Lieutenants should leave the room. The Executives will stay and…discuss the information we have received." Her voice shook with what sounded like barely contained excitement.

"What?" The Lieutenant to Ember's right spoke. "Ma'am you can't adjourn a meeting like that? What's the significance of the Billionth?"

"That doesn't concern you." Ember dismissed harshly. Immediately she realized how harsh she sounded to her Lieutenant and attempted to elaborate. "The information we're going to discuss is between us Executives. I'm sorry, but you cannot stay and listen."

"I disagree." 4Blite stated boldly as he took a step towards Ember.

"4Blite. Not now." Ember hissed as she glared at him disapprovingly. But 4Blite stood his ground.

"We are high-ranking members of the Endward Cult and deserve to know what the information regarding the Billionth means."

"Indeed." The Western Lieutenant added. "We are all devoted to the Endward Cult's cause and will protect whatever secrets you have to share."

Ember glanced around the room as each Lieutenant nodded to confirm their faith.

Sdraw shared a look with Abyssmal who only shrugged. "Hey, I'm fine if they want to know. We're all about to learn something new anyway."

"Yes. Perhaps it would be best to keep everyone on the same page." Sdraw advised as he peered at Ember with his ever-closed eyes. "It will certainly save time and explanations."

Ember glanced between the Western and Eastern seats before settling her eyes on the Southern seat. Finally she relented with a sigh. "Alright. I suppose they can know too. Just remember to fill in all the Lieutenants, including the ones missing."

Sdraw and Abyssmal nodded.

Ember took in a deep breath and began her explanation. "When the Endward Cult was first founded, it flourished under the rule of its Master Executive: A man with the power to decimate whole buildings, wipe out armies, and solve the mysteries of Minecraftia."

"However, one day, he vanished."

"His influence was destroyed and the once proud Endward Cult was forced into hiding."

"Rumors were spread concerning our founder's fate. Some say he died. Some say he wasn't human enough to die."

"Whatever the truth is, one fact remains. The day he disappeared, he left his four greatest apprentices a single book. One that contained a title."

At this point, Ember withdrew a book from her backpack. It looked old and tattered and was probably held in her Inventory for hundreds of years.

It was titled: OPEN FOR BILLIONTH

The book attracted the gazes of every person in the room. It was regarded more as a priceless treasure rather than a dingy book.

Ember wiped a tear from her eye. "I just wish GardenWalker could have seen this."

Sdraw decided to speak up. "That book has never been opened before. But now that the Billionth has spawned, we can assume it is the right time to read."

"Still," Abyssmal warned as he looked around the room, "whatever we find in this book, we keep exclusively for Executive and Lieutenant ears only. Got it?"

Everyone nodded eagerly as they huddled around Ember, waiting for her to open the text and read what may very well have been their founder's last words.

She wiped some dust off the book and slowly opened the cover. Then she began reading.

 **[I assume that if you are reading this, then you are a member of the Endward Cult. If you are not, promptly place this book on the ground, find the nearest cliff, and jump off it.]**

 **[If you did not jump off a cliff, I can only assume that you are a cultist…or else you have no desire to jump to your own demise.]**

 **[For the sake of faith, I'm just going to say that you** ** _are_** **a cultist, and can therefore hear my story.]**

 **[I have made several mistakes and find myself set back in my plans. This book may in fact be my dying words.]**

 **[But for the sake of the Cult, I must relay this information. Hopefully, my apprentices will survive long enough to see my mission come to fruition.]**

 **[A man will one day spawn into existence. A man whose arrival will herald the destruction of my cult.]**

 **[The Billionth.]**

 **[Despite the name, this Crafter is not to be underestimated. As ridiculous as it sounds, he possesses possibly the strongest weapon known to man.]**

 **[For some reason…even** ** _I_** **find myself afraid of him. And I have yet to meet him! It's inexplicable!]**

 **[If I live through my current ordeal, I must hide myself away and prepare for the Billionth's arrival. If I die, I leave him, and this book, to you my cultists.]**

 **[While without my personal aid, I will offer you the next best thing: A power which, in the right hands, is capable of destroying the Billionth a million times over!]**

 **[But first, to ensure you are worthy of such a gift, you must perform the deeds listed below. Once all the tasks are accomplished, the items obtained, and your mettle proven, the power will be yours to own.]**

 **[Don't disappoint me.]**

 **[…And if you're reading this Ember…I'm sorry it had to come to this.]**

Ember's brain had appeared to shut down after reading the last line from her cherished idol, so Sdraw had to lean over to finish the reading. But looking at the outlined tasks their founder expected them to perform; he could only utter one sentence.

"We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

 **AN: Ladies and Gentlemen...our Villains.**

 **I bet a lot of you forgot about the Endward Cult from Chapter 10. Well I brought them back. And although they're not all present, I purposefully wrote them absent or covered in shadows so as to not reveal too many of them.**

 **But they'll reveal themselves with time.**

 **Now for the bad news I promised last chapter. Remember back in Chapter 9 when I first suggested taking a hiatus? Well now I'm officially taking a hiatus. For a number of reasons.**

 **First off, this chapter marks the end of what I'd like to call Part One of a multi-part planned story. I will keep publishing chapters for this story and there's no guarantee that each part will be the same length of chapters long, but for now I'm taking a break.**

 **Second, I've been publishing chapters on a weekly basis for half a year. That's a lot of writing. And keeping up with my weekly quotas can be draining at some times without piling school, work, and other factors of my life. So I hope you viewers understand my need for this break. Just so I can be refreshed and ready to write again. As a sort of apology, I published two chapters in one week.**

 **And Third...well...the file I've been typing up rough copies for my Part One chapters is getting pretty full. So I was gonna make a new document for the Part Two ones. It just so happened to be convenient to do it now.**

 **So, again, I hope you all understand that I NEED this break to function as a writer. I am _not_ giving up on this fic. I'll be back in February. With the humorous Chapter 29 that I promised.**

 **I won't tell you which Wednesday I'll publish it, but February is a short month. So I'll see you then. Promise. (^_^)**


	29. Week

**AN: Guess who's returned.** **Returned again.** **Cobby's returned.** **Tell a friend.**

 **Guess who's returned, guess who's returned, guess who's returned, guess who's returned, guess who's-**

 **...**

 **What do you mean that's not how the song goes?**

 **Bah! Well the point I'm trying to make is that I have, in fact, returned from my hiatus. I know I was kind of vague with the whole mysterious Wednesday in February thing. So hopefully, this chapter makes up for it. If it makes you laugh _at least_ once, then I'll feel pretty accomplished.**

 **I also put in a special story intro for Part 2 of My Craft, just below the disclaimer. Y'know, that little space between the top Author note and the chapter title. It's where I also credit my amazing Beta, Void of Shining Darkness.**

 **And since I've put off the riddles for quite a while...Here's another shot at a Victory Cookie. Answer in a PM (or a review if you don't have an account) for a chance to be acknowledged next chapter...yadda yadda...blah blah.**

 **Time for the Chapter already.**

 **Puzzle: A man is pushed out of a 50-story building. He hits the ground...yet lives. How did he do it?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, the days would last longer.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

*== **Part II** ==*

 **Against all odds, Cobb has survived the first week. What a twist! But between staving off the ire of a vengeful killer, discovering the dark plans of the mysterious Endward Cult, and figuring out how to craft a damn piston, he may be in over his head. Good thing he has a fishing rod!...Is it too late to count him out?**

* * *

Chapter 29

 **Week**

[Cobb]

"This stinks." I grumbled to myself as I tried to catch up with the others.

*Clip-Clop Clip-Clop*

It wasn't enough that I got my arm broken (which was promptly healed by my health ticking up) or that I had to wake up early for Wynn's mission.

But worst of all was the steed I was forced to ride.

*Clip-Clop Clip-Clop*

Wynn had reserved ten horses from one of the barns in the Eastern District. One for herself (a pristine white), one for me, and one for each of her eight soldiers. Floyd's group was asked to purchase their own steeds, but the purple-haired woman had enough emeralds to cover them.

However, after wasting several minutes explaining to her soldiers the inadequacies of a fishing rod in combating Griefers, Wynn decided to cancel one of the reservations. She thought a change in steeds would be a suitable punishment for my 'misguided' influence over the guards.

*Clip-Clop Clip-Clop*

It's not like it took a lot of time out of our schedule. And it wasn't _really_ my fault for being so awesome with the fishing rod. But still, she saw the need to swap my steed.

*HEE-HAW*

Ah, yes. The humble donkey. As quiet as Captain Iron_Lung and as fast as a three-legged horse. It was the reason I was having so much trouble catching up with the rest of the group.

Wynn preferred to call it a jackass…although it was hard to tell if she was talking to the steed or me.

It couldn't even wear any of the fancy horse armor that Wynn passed out. The only thing it could do was carry additional items through a side chest. Which would be great if not for the fact that the Captain permitted only valuable ores and items found to be placed in the chest. So I couldn't even free up Inventory space!

"Pick up the pace, jackass!" Wynn called from ahead of the group.

I frowned. _Reeeeally sounds like she's referring to me…_

 _Well, I just need to survive a week of this._ I thought as I urged my donkey (whom I named 'Ace') forward. _Shouldn't be too hard, right?_

 _Just seven days._

* * *

{Monday}

We had been travelling all day through thick oak woods and grassy terrain. So far, no Griefers had attacked us, though Wynn rained on my parade when she explained that the further away from Ringwood we got, the more likely we'd find Griefers.

Night was approaching, so the Captain found an open clearing and declared it our camping grounds for the night.

"Alright, soldiers…and Cobb." I scowled at the ivory-haired fencer as she dismounted her horse. "It'll be dark soon so best make your shelters now. And they had better meet my standards." As soon as she finished her sentence, the guards scrambled to withdraw axes and chop down trees.

"Wait," I voiced as I carefully dismounted Ace. "We're building our own shelters?"

"Is that a problem?" Wynn inquired lowly, obviously trying to coerce me to back down.

"Yeah it is." My building skills were crap at best and mega-crap at worst. Architects would cringe if they ever saw the Crapshack I built. "A wall I can handle, but there's no way I can build a shelter, let alone one that meets your standards!"

Wynn smirked as she flipped her ivory-hair. "Well that's a shame. Because if you can't build a wooden, one-room shelter with a door, I'm afraid my men will have to follow shelter protocol." Her smirk widened at my confused expression. "It's a protocol that says any shelter not up to my standards must be dismantled. Good luck." She offered a wave as she strode off to make her own shelter.

"Damnit." I groaned and ran a hand through my hair while frantically trying to think of a proper shelter I could build.

Maybe Floyd could help out.

I turned to look for the blue-nette, but oddly found him atop a tree with Soul and the purple-haired woman.

"Now by building above the trees, we can reduce the chances of Mobs attacking." The purple-haired woman explained as she placed some planks down. "Kind of like a tree house."

"Sounds good to me, Cara…so long as you don't set it on fire in your sleep." Soul stated with folded arms.

"One. Time. And I'm not a sleep-walker…or a sleep-arsonist…if that's even a thing." The woman named Cara defended indignantly.

"Then you won't mind if I hold onto your flint and steel?" Floyd suggested as he held out his hand. Cara looked at the two of them as if it was the biggest act of betrayal before reluctantly handing it over.

"Hey!" I called up to the three Crafters with a comical ice-breaker. "How's the weather up there?"

Soul spat out some spit which landed dangerously close to my new tunic. "It's raining." He responded smugly.

I took the spit as a huge insult, but forcibly kept my face passive. "Do you guys have enough room for one more?"

"No weaklings allowed." Soul called down coldly as he resumed building their tree house.

The woman named Cara was far kinder. "Sorry…Cobb was it? But it would be better if just the three of us stay in a shelter together."

I turned to Floyd in the hopes that he could convince them to let me stay…before I remembered that he had to agree with Soul no matter what as per our agreement. So with a dreary sigh, I walked away from their tree house.

 _What am I gonna do!?_ I inwardly shouted while glancing at the shelters the guards were making. They were using wooden stairs for roofs! That was the kind of architectural detail I had to match!

Hell, Wynn was using a lighter shade of wood that she apparently brought with her to make her shelter. Talk about a waste of Inventory space.

 _How am I going to build a shelter when the best I can build is a half-decent wall!?_

 _…_

 _Unless…_

* * *

"Alright, men! Let's see how you all did." Wynn announced as she strode forward. "Although I'm quite confident that only _one_ person here has failed, it pays to practice the basics of shelter."

While she examined the guards' shelters, giving a few approving nods, I was sweating bullets.

 _Crap, crap, crap! She means me!_

Brain: _Cobb, calm the fuck down. It'll be fine._

 _But what if she—_

Brain: _She_ won't _if you stay calm._

I took a deep, calming breath and stood beside my 'shelter' as Wynn approached. She stared at it in mild surprise, taking note that it was made of wood, had a door, and appeared as a fairly large and well-built shelter.

"Well, color me impressed, Cobb." Wynn congratulated with a smile. "And here I was expecting a pile of sticks."

"How do you color someone impressed?" I asked.

The smile fell a little from her face. "…I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that because I'm genuinely impressed with your work." She turned to address the guards. "Alright men, rest up! We're heading out first thing tomorrow morning! Don't forget to dismantle your houses when you're done! I expect you to construct the exact same shelters with the exact same materials for the next week."

As she left to retire to her shelter, I let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't noticed.

"Nice job." I turned to see Floyd eyeing my 'shelter' impressively. "You really went all-out for size."

"Heh heh…yeah…all-out." I chuckled nervously while subtlety blocking some of my shelter from view. "I bet your tree house looks way cooler."

"That's…actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Floyd laughed awkwardly. Behind him I could see an embarrassed Cara and a grumpy Soul. "Turns out Cara had a back-up flint and steel…and _is_ a sleep-arsonist…so we don't really have a tree house so much as a smoldering stump."

"Oh really?" I smirked smugly. "So now _you_ guys want to come to _my_ shelter? Well I'm not sure if I have enough space—"

"Please, Cobb." Cara interjected with puppy-dog eyes. "Soul feels really bad about what he said. Right, Soul?"

"Like Hell I—OW!" He rubbed his shoulder where Cara just elbowed him. "Yeah, sure, I'm remorseful or whatever."

"Well…" I adopted a mock expression of contemplation. "Maybe if Soul asks nicely—"

"How about you just let us in before you get _two_ broken arms in one day." Soul growled while displaying his axe menacingly.

"D-deal!" I agreed quickly while keeping my unbroken arms to myself. "But…there's something about my shelter you should probably—"

"Whatever it is, it can wait until _after_ we move our beds in." Soul brushed past me and opened the front door of my shelter…

Only to stop dead in his tracks upon noticing the lack of walls from the inside. I had only built the front wall, propped up like a cardboard cutout (whatever that was), with the hope that Wynn wouldn't perform an elaborate shelter-inspection.

Or look at it from a revealing angle.

I just laughed awkwardly as the realization of my shelter dawned on everyone.

Floyd leaned on the single-walled shelter. "Cobb, I'm pretty sure shelters are supposed to have _four_ walls and a roof. Not just…" He trailed off while gesturing to my creation.

Soul had actually reached for the axe at his belt while glaring at me before Cara restrained him. "Calm down, Soul! Four walls or not, Cobb offered us his shelter and, as guests, it would be rude to assault our host."

"Cara! Let me go!" Soul struggled to get at me while I cowered behind my shelter wall. "I just need to kill him a little bit."

"No! Bad Soul!" Cara chastised with a smack of the shoulder. "Killing innocent people a little bit is wrong. Besides, we can make this shelter work."

"Yeah," I defended defiantly. "And who needs a roof? I mean, it's not like it's raining or any—"

A sudden clap of thunder followed by a near instantaneous downpour cut off my defense.

"You just haaaaad to say that didn't you?" Floyd's dry voice cut in. A tone so dry that even the tremendous rainfall couldn't quench it.

* * *

{Tuesday}

I yawned loudly, trying to will myself awake after the lack of sleep I got the previous night. I didn't even think about making a bed, nor did I know _how_ to make one.

Floyd, Cara, and the grumpy asshole were in a similar state, not getting much sleep with the rainfall and chilling winds that cut through my one-walled shelter.

However, Floyd was…worse off somehow. He looked far more tired than his companions. Almost like he didn't sleep at all.

As those thoughts floated through my head, I noticed that we were coming up to a wide river.

Wynn, once again leading the group, turned her horse to face us. "Alright, men. So far we're making good time. But crossing this river will put us straight into Griefer territory. So, before we cross, I suggest we do a bit of mining."

"Yes!" Shouted a short green-haired guard jubilantly. "My time to shine!"

"Settle down, Bitters." Wynn tried to sound professional, but couldn't keep the amusement from her tone. "You'll get your chance."

All the guards dismounted their steeds so I followed their leads. One good thing about Ace was that he was low to the ground. Easy to mount and dismount.

"Cobb, a moment." Wynn beckoned me toward her without taking her eyes off the map she was reading.

I sighed before walking up to her, already predicting what she was about to tell me.

"Any useful resources you find, you're to place in your Ass's chest. They'll go straight towards repaying your emerald debt." I nodded in understanding before she held out an iron pickaxe. "But you'll need this to mine out anything valuable. Don't lose it."

I nodded gratefully as I accepted the pick. "Don't you worry, Wynn."

"That's Captain Wynn or Miss Whispers to you." Wynn shot back with a glare before walking off to construct her shelter.

 _Sheesh. It's just a name._ I turned to see everyone already mining for resources. Floyd and his group were fishing by the river to refill their food stores. I could faintly hear Cara's words.

"…I'll go make our shelter while you two fish for food. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone…"

I outwardly smiled from those words. It showed that Floyd was getting a chance to talk with Soul alone. I was happy that Cara had given them that chance (although was it intentional or not?).

Getting back to my mining orders I looked down at the iron pick in my hands and thought of Wynn. _I'll show her. I'll get so many resources that my debt will be paid in no time!_

And with a swing of my new iron pick, I dug straight down.

* * *

"Alright, let's see what you managed to haul in." Wynn stated to the line of guards standing before her. "Noah."

"Twenty-four iron ore, twelve gold ore, six lapis lazuli, Ma'am!"

"Good." Wynn stated while pointing to a supply chest in the middle of a semi-circle of shelters. "Hollie."

"Thirty-five iron ore, Ma'am."

"Spencer."

"Thirteen iron ore, twenty coal, Ma'am."

"Hmm. Solara."

"Forty iron ore, twenty-five gold ore, two diamonds, Ma'am."

"Oooh, well done. Daniel."

"…Five coal…Ma'am."

"Tsk. You know the rules, Daniel. The person who brings in the least resources has to take first shift. Micah."

"Thirty gold ore, one diamond, Ma'am."

"That's more like it. Liam."

"Thirteen iron ore, nineteen lapis lazuli, fifty coal, Ma'am."

"Good. And last but not least, Bitters." Wynn looked at the short green-haired man expectantly.

Bitters puffed out his chest proudly. "Fifty-seven iron ore, twenty-three gold ore, thirteen coal, eight diamonds, and one emerald, Captain Wynn."

Wynn applauded softly. "Well done, Bitters. Well done." The other guards joined in the applause reluctantly, upset that they couldn't match his resource finding talent, while Bitters bowed modestly.

After finishing her praise, the Captain turned to the final person who wasn't a part of her soldiers. "Cobb. You can present what you found now. And it better be good."

"Oh it is." I grinned confidently while digging through my backpack for the resources I found. I had made sure to keep an eye out for any unknown blocks, feeling that they'd be the most useful.

Sure, Bitters' haul was pretty good, but I was about to blow him out of the water completely.

I gripped a stack of the first resource I found and tossed it on the ground for everyone to admire. "Bam!"

Beautiful reddish stones cascaded across the ground, drawing the eyes of every guard and the Captain. I could almost feel their admiration.

"Pftt…"

The sudden noise caught my attention and I turned to see Bitters stifling a chuckle. The other guards were doing the same. Trying not to laugh at the resources I brought in.

 _What's wrong with it?_

"HA!" Bitters couldn't hold back his laughs any longer. "What a Newb! He thinks _granite_ is a valuable resource! He even brought a stack of it! Hahaha!"

"What?" My face began to heat up as the guards' amused expressions caught my eyes.

And Wynn?

Wynn was frowning deeply, her hair obscuring her eyes and fists tightly clenched.

 _Uh-oh._

"Wait!" I began in an effort to salvage things. "I-I brought more! Look!" I tossed out stacks of two other blocks I found while mining. One white and one gray.

However, instead of subduing their amused expressions, it only seemed to increase them.

Bitters, by that point, was on the ground, laughing hysterically. "Hahaha! That's diorite! And the other one is andesite! What a Newb! Hahaha! S-stop! The stupidity is too m-much! I'm going to b-bust a gut! Ahahaha!"

I grew more embarrassed as the faces of the other guards reflected Bitters' words. They were laughing so hard they were clutching their sides in pain. Euphoric tears were streaming down some faces and one was laughing so hard that their voice made no sound.

And Wynn.

Wynn was shaking in barely restrained anger with her hand at her rapier. Infuriated that I had wasted time collecting colorful rocks instead of valuable resources to pay off my debt.

A debt that would indefinitely be a thousand times worse if I didn't present something worthwhile.

"Wait I have more!" I tried one last time as I dug through my backpack. There was a gem I found that would surely win back a bit of acknowledgment.

…maybe.

"I found some blue gems besides some lava! I think they're diamonds!" I choked out to stop an advancing Wynn from stabbing me in the family jewels.

"Oh, this I gotta see." Bitters recovered from his laughing fit and fixed his eyes to my backpack, eager to see what 'resource' I brought up. Wynn released her rapier, but kept her hand hovering slightly over it, just in case I made one more mistake.

But not this time.

I pulled out a handful of blue gems and held them out for all of to see. "See? Eight diamonds."

I could feel the gaze of every guard and Wynn upon my hands. This was my last chance to prove my competence, else my reputation forever fall into the gutter of Newbiness.

There was a moment of silence as Wynn took a step back in shock.

Before the whole group erupted into mocking laughter. "He mistook lapis for diamonds! HAHAHA!"

 _What!?_ I inspected the gems more closely. Sure enough, they were the same gems I had used for my enchantments: lapis lazuli. In the dim light of the mining tunnel, they must have appeared the same color as Wynn's diamond gear.

Speaking of Wynn…

*SHING*

"No, please, Wynn! Not the balls!"

*STAB*

"AIIIIIIIIII!"

* * *

{Wednesday}

"Uh…Cobb?" Floyd questioned with a raised brow. "Why are you riding your donkey that way?"

I was currently sitting on my steed, both legs dangling over one side, instead of straddling him. My legs were clenched together with my hands protecting a certain organ from any further harm.

"No reason." I replied in an octave higher than usual. I cleared my throat and paid more attention to Floyd. "But forget about me. What's with you? You look exhausted."

He had dark rings under bloodshot eyes and he was hunched over his horse. The only time I saw him worse would be when he was almost poisoned to death.

He waved off my concern, almost putting too much force into his wave when he almost fell off his horse. "I'm fine. The picture of health."

"Have you…been getting any sleep lately?"

"Wha?" He slurred as he turned to address me. "Of course I've been getting enough sleep!"

"Floyd. I'm over here. You're talking to a tree."

Floyd lifted his eyelids enough to see that he was in fact talking to a tree before finally turning to me. " _Yes_. I have been getting enough sleep. My brain is functioning 100%."

Brain: _Yeah, my bullshit detector is going 'ding!' He's definitely lying._

I looked at him skeptically, but I didn't exactly have enough proof to claim otherwise. "Alright. Just get extra sleep tonight."

"Mhm." He offered half-heartedly as he urged his horse forward, obviously wanting to escape the topic as soon as possible.

I frowned at his back. _I better check what's keeping him up._

"WHOA!" I heard a shout come from one of the guards ahead as his horse reared up.

More horses began to rear up as well, knocking their riders to the ground. Distressed grunts and shouts bounced off the surrounding trees, but a more subtle sound caught my attention.

The sound of glass shattering.

"What's going on!?" Wynn shouted from the front of the group. The next instant, her pristine white horse reared up and flung her to the ground before bolting into the woods.

"Witch attack!" One of the guards (Liam, I think) shouted as he prepped his iron blade. The other guards readied their weapons while I spotted some purple robed figures darting between the trees.

A splash potion of maroon liquid launched from the trees and crashed at Cara's horse's feet, causing it to rear up. "Agh! Whoa, girl!" She tried to calm her horse down, but it was no use as it bolted into the woods, carrying her with it.

"Cara!" Soul called out as he turned his horse to chase after her. Floyd followed after him and I followed after, at a slower pace, on Ace.

Now if _Soul_ was sent barreling into the woods…I might have had second thoughts about following. But Cara was a nice person…at least as far as I knew. Plus, Floyd would probably be worse off if anything happened to his Silver Intent associates.

"Go, Ace, go!" I urged my donkey as fast as I could to keep Floyd's iron clad figure and blue hair in my field of vision. While branches and leaves whipped past my face, I hoped that Wynn and her guards could handle their Witch attack.

I saw Floyd's horse burst through some foliage. I quickly followed and found myself in a small clearing. Cara's horse was knocked over, pinning her to the ground.

Soul and Floyd were just dismounting their horses and readying their weapons.

Because about four purple robed figures darted from the trees to surround Cara.

They looked like Testificates, with the big noses and folded arms, but Helena had never described ones with purple and green robes. Not to mention the odd pointed hat atop their heads.

And…that thing! That monstrous wart on their noses!

 _By God you could land an airplane on that thing!_

 _…_ _What's an airplane again?_

"What the hell is that!?" I shouted, referring more to the blemish on their face than the actual creature.

"They're Witches." Floyd answered back without taking his eyes off the Mobs.

Meanwhile, Soul was busy trying to push the horse off of Cara. "C'mon…horse…budge!"

The Witches, however, were not willing to wait around. They withdrew different colored potions from their sleeves and flung them at Soul and Cara.

Cara quickly armed her bow and shot at one of the big-nosed assailants, but her efforts did little to stop the splash potions that assaulted her and her horse. A whinny of pain escaped the horse's mouth and Soul grit his teeth as the corrosive potions stung his skin. I noticed the familiar green particles representing poison as they swirled around him and the horse.

"Grr! Enough of this!" Soul growled as he took out his iron axe…and hacked at the fallen horse.

Another whinny of pain sounded as the steed vainly struggled to stand up. "Soul!" Cara shrieked. "What are you doing!?"

"Saving you!" Soul responded bluntly as he hacked once more into the horse. It let a strangled cry of pain before cutting off, disappearing in a puff of smoke and no longer pinning Cara to the ground.

Before Cara could argue, Soul scooped her up and dove aside, barely missing another crippling volley of potions.

Floyd was already taking the initiative, fighting two Witches at once, though I noticed his movements were sluggish. Though from lack of sleep or a Splash Potion of Slowness, I wasn't sure.

I tried to run over and help, but one of the Witches intercepted me by throwing an unknown gray splash potion at my feet. I scrunched my eyes, expecting some kind of damaging effect, only to be met with nothing.

I carefully cracked an eye open. I knew the potion hit because gray particles were swirling around me so I examined my arm. There was a tattoo with a dulled sword and a timer reading thirty seconds.

Shrugging at the mysterious potion effect, I withdrew my enchanted golden sword.

 _Time to test this thing out._ I thought to myself as I swung the sword at the Witch that intercepted me.

Remembering how painful Carys' Sharpness Enchanted Sword was, I expected my own to do similar damage to the Mob standing before me. However, just as the blade was about to make contact, I felt my strength begin to wane. Either the blade inexplicably doubled in weight or my already minuscule muscles deflated, turning the sword slash into a sword scratch.

*Kekeke*

The Witch cackled at my feeble sword stroke and I became 60% sure it was because of whatever potion she threw at me.

I tried another strike, but it took all of my energy just to lift the sword above the ground. I was far weaker than normal!

Weaker…

...!

 _Is that it? She threw some kind of weakening potion at me?_ I thought frantically. Just how many different potion types were there? And where was the Witch even getting them from? Was she pulling them out of her ass?

While I struggled to hold my sword upright, the Witch pulled out a gray-blue potion and neared me. She smiled wickedly as another of my feeble sword strokes glanced off her purple robes and stuck into the ground. My strikes just didn't have enough power behind them.

She chucked her potion at the center of my chest, and I couldn't twist around fast enough to dodge. It shattered, dispersing gray-blue particles over my body before I felt ten times slower. A Weakness Slowness two-hit combo.

I sluggishly stumbled backwards, weakened muscles straining to keep me upright, before I collapsed onto the ground. My mind desperately tried to get my muscles moving.

Brain: _OI! GET THE HELL UP!_

But it took an insane amount of effort just to lift my hand, let alone move my entire body. I was stuck.

*Kekeke*

I looked up to see the Witch towering over me, my fear reflected in her cold purple eyes. I was expecting her to kick or claw at me, but instead she simply withdrew a sickly green potion from her sleeve.

 _Uh-oh._

It crashed onto my face and I howled in agony. The corrosive potion was burning my eyes and blurring my vision. I could feel my health ticking away from the poisonous effects and I was too immobilized to even attempt to wipe the chemical from my face.

But the Witch didn't stop there as I felt her chuck more and more potions on my helpless form. Alternating between Weakness, Slowness, and Poison to ensure I was effectively pinned and dying.

In hindsight it was stupid to engage a Mob I hadn't read in Herobrine's book. Just like the Stickman, the Witch was far out of my league. It was too much of an unknown.

And it was going to cost me my life.

 _Really wish the last thing I'd ever see…hadn't been that Witches wart!_

*Keke—GREEE*

I heard the Witch scream above me followed by a series of hacks and swishes. I was still blinded by the poison in my eyes, but I'd recognize those hacks and swishes anywhere.

Although I really wished I didn't.

"I'm getting really sick of saving you, weakling." Came the gruff voice of Soul followed by the glass neck of a potion bottle being shoved into my mouth. Despite my embarrassment at being called a weakling, I felt a surge of strength pool in my chest from whatever potion was rushing down my throat. It had a burning taste, one that gave me a rush of courage, and I felt my weakness dispel instantly.

I could finally move, but the poison and slowness were still affecting me. Just the act of sitting myself up and wiping my eyes of the poison was made difficult by my sluggishness and injuries. If I threw myself back into the fight, I'd just be a burden. So, with great shame, I could only watch the Silver Intent operatives fight.

Soul had already downed a potion as dark red particles swirled around him, enabling him to attack the Witch head on. His axe whistled before crashing into the Mob's skull and knocking it back. Although were Witches he's, she's, or it's? I had to be positive when selecting appropriate pronouns.

…What's a pronoun?

Whatever. Witches are female.

I watched their fight to gauge each of their fighting styles. Soul's strategy seemed to be strong, relentless attacks before the Witch could respond. And whatever potion he drank seemed to suit his style perfectly.

Meanwhile, the Witch, despite being close to Soul, didn't even bother lashing out with a fist or a swipe. Instead she just rummaged in her sleeve for a proper projectile. It looked like Witches were incapable of close combat, relying solely on an assortment of potions to weaken and subdue an opponent.

They were also pretty durable. The Witch screeched in pain from one of Soul's slashes, but otherwise remained standing. They probably had more Hearts than the standard Zombie or Skeleton.

After another flurry of axe swings, Soul rolled to the left to avoid a Potion of Slowness. The next second, the Witch held a deep red potion up to her lips and downed it in one gulp.

It took me a moment to realize she just drank a Potion of Healing, restoring her Hearts to full.

I couldn't believe it! From all the Mobs I faced, Creepers, Zombies, Skeletons, Spiders, none of them were capable of tactical thought.

But Witches were different. They had a seemingly infinite supply of potions at their disposal and knew exactly what to do with them.

It was no wonder I'd been beaten so easily. Those Witches…

They were strong.

In my careful observations, I noticed an arrow whizzing into a nearby tree. I followed the shot to see Cara, recovered from her tumble and engaging a Witch with her bow. Her black goggles were down and through them I could see a calm focus in her eyes, her bow aimed directly at the Mob.

The Witch kept trying to get to her, but she just kept shooting the Mob back. And any potions the Witch chucked barely landed near the purple-haired archer, making the fight incredibly one-sided.

Then, on the other side of the clearing, was Floyd…or rather a silver and blue blur that could only be Floyd. The electric blue particles of a Swiftness Potion followed him as he circled the Witches, occasionally lashing out with his blade. The Witches tried to counter, but their Splash Potions missed by miles.

Even sipping Potions of Health didn't do much for the Mobs as Floyd's steady stream of slashes whittled their health down. At about the ninth or tenth pass he made, one of the Witches burst into EXP and a mish-mash of loot.

 _Wow!_ I thought incredulously. _He's all over them._

Suddenly, I felt the sluggishness and pain fade away as three of the four timers on my arm hit zero: Slowness, Poison, and Weakness. The last timer must have been what Soul gave me as it displayed a sharp sword dripping with blood. My Health was finally allowed to regenerate.

Just in time to watch the fights end.

*HACK*

*TWANG*

*SLASH*

Three death wails simultaneously sounded as Soul, Cara, and Floyd finished their respective opponents. Nothing but gunpowder, sticks, and glass bottles remained of the purple-robed Mobs.

I knew I shouldn't have felt bad, being so useless against the Mobs. After all, Floyd and his group succeeded mostly because they had potions of their own. Fighting potions with potions, it just made sense.

But I was disappointed. My sword skills and enchanted gear were useless. And I was so eager to test them out too. Maybe even to repay Soul for saving my life.

Instead, all that disappointment was shoved in my face as Soul brushed past me towards his horse with a mutter of, "Don't make me waste a potion again."

I hung my head low, barely hearing Floyd check to see if Cara was alright.

What I _did_ hear, however, was the sound of several explosions in the distance. And judging by the direction, they were coming from Wynn's group.

The last I saw of them, they were fighting Witches. But the explosions made it sound like they were battling a herd of creepers. Something was wrong.

"Another attack?" Floyd questioned as he turned to Cara. "What should we do?"

If Cara was supposed to be the leader, she wasn't doing a very good job. As she raised her goggles, the focus and determination in her aquamarine eyes was replaced with uncertainty and doubt.

And worry.

She seemed unsure on whether to rush towards the explosions, stealthily investigate the situation, or avoid any further enemies.

But Soul on the other hand...he looked edgy with an eager glint to his red eyes. He had no problem with charging straight into a fight. And with no orders telling him otherwise, he hopped on his horse and rushed towards the explosions like a moth to a flame.

Floyd looked between Cara, me, and Soul's fleeting form for a moment before deciding to follow. Although he was kind enough to leave his horse with Cara, the effects of the Potion of Swiftness still coursing through his body. In a blur of blue and silver, he was gone.

Cara just stood there, hand outstretched in some semblance of leadership, despite the fact that her team had just rushed to who knows what. I felt kind of bad.

"Um…Cara?" I called out to her and that appeared to have snapped her from her moment of uncertainty. "We should go. In case they need help."

"Wh-Oh!...Yeah…yeah, you're right. Sorry." She looked back at where her own steed died, sparing a parting glance before mounting Floyd's horse. She pulled down her goggles before urging the horse forwards.

I quickly found my own steed and spurred him forward in an effort to lift my own spirits. "Ride like the wind, Ace!"

Instead, the donkey let out an obnoxious 'HEE-HAW!' before slowly exiting the clearing, barely keeping pace with Cara.

"The _fast_ wind, Ace." I complained wearily.

* * *

The forest was a mess.

The ground was littered with craters and the once dense foliage had been torn apart, apples slowly trickling down the destroyed leaves. Green-capped guards were engaging Crafters wearing a mix of different gear, varying from leather, iron, gold, diamond, and…some material I couldn't place that looked like a woven metallic net. And piles of gear laid strewn across the forest floor, though judging by the lack of green leather caps, I could tell that it didn't belong to any guards.

In short, it was a battlefield.

"Griefers." Cara whispered from beside me as she took out her bow and began shooting any Crafter wearing miss-matched gear.

 _So these are Griefers?_ I wondered curiously as I watched a few of them set up several blocks of TNT. They lit it up and retreated just as it exploded, tearing apart the ground and anyone near it. _So they caused the explosions. They must have attacked after the Witches._

Wynn was engaging several of them at once, twisting and leaping to abnormal heights (aided by her Potions of Leaping) before swiftly swiping at them with her rapier.

I spotted Soul taking on several opponents as well. Despite being outnumbered, he wasn't the one in trouble. His axe cut through Griefers like a hot knife through butter.

Floyd? He was still aided by his Potion of Swiftness as he darted past enemies. Though this time, he had swapped to his flint and steel, opting to burn his opponents rather than waste his sword durability. The result was a racing blur leaving a trail of fire in its wake. How subtle.

While I was checking how Wynn's guards were holding up, I felt a sharp pain in my back sending me face first into the ground. I turned my head a fraction to the left to see a stone pickaxe sticking out of my back with a grinning Griefer attached to the handle. The name 'Lincoln_Logs' hovering over his head.

"Weak links shouldn't stray from the group!" Lincoln laughed as he lifted his pick to drive deeper into my back. I quickly rolled and withdrew my gold sword to intercept his strike, the point of the pick inches from my face.

"I'm…no…weak…link!" I grit my teeth in exertion as I pushed his pick back. I had already failed against the Witches and I wasn't going to be a burden twice in one day.

The Griefer's eyes widened before narrowing maliciously as he put more effort into his weapon. He was so preoccupied with killing me that he failed to notice putting all of his weight onto one pivotal foot.

 _If I can hit that foot…I can unbalance him! But…I need a distraction first…_

"Hey," I began in what I hoped was a convincing tone. "…why is Carys_Angel behind you?"

"She's what!?" Lincoln's malicious pupils shrunk in fear and his confident demeanor vanished as he whirled his head to confirm my claim.

Too bad for him I was lying.

As soon as he turned his head, I kicked his pivotal foot and heard a distinctive 'CRACK' before watching him crumple to the ground. Immediately I was upon him and slashed with my gold sword. The damage I caused made him roar in pain and he desperately tried to pry me off of him.

As we struggled, I got in another strike with my sword, the Sharpness Enchantment doing its job as the Griefer writhed in agony, cries turning into whimpers.

I raised my sword to finish the weakened Griefer, but his eyes looked pleadingly into mine. He mouthed the words 'please' and 'sorry' while shaking his head. Begging me to spare his life.

I breathed loudly, sword raised above his neck, ready to end his life…but looking into his desperate expression…regret genuinely etched in his face…

I couldn't do it.

As I lowered my weapon, I heard Soul let out a harsh yell. I looked up and saw a Griefer with a bow aimed directly at Soul, the latter having an arrow lodged in his calf.

"Leave." I spoke under my breath to the Griefer as I got off of him and ran to help.

Meanwhile, in the corner of my eye, I saw a Griefer nearing Cara while dodging her flurry of arrows.

Two threats. Two enemies.

The solution?

A light bulb dinged in my head as I swapped my sword for my secret weapon.

"And CAST!" My battle cry sounded across the battlefield and drew the eyes of most of Wynn's guards. Even the ones engaged in battle.

I was about to prove my title as the 'fishing rod champion'…despite the ridiculousness of the title.

I whipped the rod so fast that the hook blurred while sailing towards the Griefer charging Cara. All the while, I was racing towards Soul's injured form. He was still keeping the enemies back with his axe, but the Griefer with the bow still had him in the crosshairs.

I didn't have to look to know that my hook had grasped some article of clothing belonging to my target. The slight tug was all I needed as confirmation.

My eyes were more preoccupied with the Griefer preparing to shoot Soul.

Only when I was a few meters away from Soul did I yank the fishing rod back. Things seemed to move in slow motion and I could feel the eyes of Wynn's guards (and even Wynn herself) as they watched my action.

The Griefer charging at Cara was yanked off his feet by the fishing rod and was pulled towards me just as the archer Griefer fired several arrows.

The Griefer sailed towards me.

The arrows were thirty meters away from Soul.

The Griefer flailed through the air.

Twenty meters.

I got in between the arrows and Soul.

Ten meters.

The Griefer was nearing the end of his arc.

Five meters.

In one fluid motion, I caught the airborne Griefer and held him in front of me at arm's length.

"Human Shield!" I cried out with scrunched eyes, just as the volley of arrows impacted the Griefer held in my arms. He cried out in pain, distress, and 'what the fuck' levels of confusion as he was pelted with projectiles.

However, his pain didn't last long when the final arrow took out his last Heart and he exploded, showering the ground with his odd assortment of gear.

The archer Griefer was bewildered by the sudden change in targets, but the real reaction came from Wynn's guards. Even in the heat of battle, there were awed expressions, shocked gasps, and other sounds of amazement. Even the Captain looked slightly amazed, until she schooled her features and refocused on her opponents.

 _She's impressed._ I thought smugly while covering Soul.

He quickly got to his feet and pressed his back against mine as the Griefers surrounded us. "Don't think this means I owe you!" He growled in embarrassment. "You may have saved me this time, but I've saved you _twice_!"

I rolled my eyes. "You're the one making it a competition."

Honestly, Soul had a lot of nerve talking about life saving-debts in the middle of a Griefer attack. That kind of crazy, stupid nonsense…

…Was something that _I_ would usually do! And he was stealing my thunder!

Heart: _Cobb! Focus! And—DUCK!_

"Whoa!" I ducked on instinct and avoided a sword swipe that was easily deflected by Soul before he dispatched the attacker.

Heart: _Duck!_

Another ballsy Griefer took a swing at me with a stone hoe. Again, beaten back by Soul.

Brain: _Goose._

Brain's deadpan warning threw me off enough for a Griefer to sock me in the lower jaw. I skidded backwards and tried to recover from the stunning blow.

Heart: _Brain, you moron! What were you thinking!?_

Brain: _The opportunity was too good!_

 _Can you guys keep the jokes until AFTER I'm not in danger!?_ I internally screamed. Just as I was about to reach for my sword, I stopped and took notice of Soul taking arrow hits. Apparently the Griefers has wised up, opting to pelt Soul with projectiles instead of cross his axe.

But if I could get them within his range…

…

 _No! We'd have to work together for that to happen and Soul can't stand the idea of owing me, let alone cooperate with me! But if I don't figure out some way to make him listen—_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Heart: _Good thinking Lungs! Cobb, Lungs says that you're going about things all wrong! Instead of telling Soul what to do, try and make him_ want _to do what you want him to do. Then he'll follow your lead!_

 _Make him…want to...?_

Heart: _Work to his strengths. In what way would Soul actually want to help you?_

 _…_ _Ohhhh! I get it! Finally some helpful advice!_

"Hey, Soul!" I called out as I readied my fishing rod. "You tired of not being able to hit these guys?"

"Gee Cobb, I don't know!" He replied sarcastically. "Is the sky blue!?"

"Actually, I'd say it was more of a cerulean—"

"YES!" He shouted exasperatedly as he dodged another handful of arrows. "I want to hit something!"

"Alright, then get ready with your axe." I called out as I cast towards one of the archers and snagged him by his pant leg. With a hearty tug, the Griefer was pulled off his feet and dragged within Soul's axe reach.

Soul raised his eyebrows in surprise, but only for a second before a grin broke his stoic mask. He raised his axe and swung at the downed Griefer, obliterating him like all the other enemies on the receiving end of his weapon.

"Again!" Soul called out as he readjusted his axe grip.

I quickly complied, this time snagging an archer Griefer by the sleeve and pulling him through the air. Soul leapt up and cleaved through his foe like—like an axe…through a body.

…Metaphors were hard to make up during battle.

Anyway, we continued our 'reel and hack' strategy until the surrounding Griefers thinned out. By then, Soul was smirking and twirled his axe menacingly, which inadvertently frightened what was left of our enemies.

"Nghh!...Fall Back!" One of the Griefers shouted while running into the thick woods. The other Griefers looked conflicted over abandoning their fallen comrades, but ultimately decided to run to fight another day.

"Like we'd let you escape!" Soul shouted as he prepared to sprint after them. I, however, grabbed him by his military jacket. "Wha—Hey, let me go!"

I wanted to tell him that hunting fleeing enemies when they no longer wanted to fight was unnecessary. But remembering my internal organs advice, I opted for a different method.

"This is Griefer territory." I explained as convincingly as I could. "They know these woods better than any of us. Chasing them is just going to get us lost and waste our time. And don't you have a Silver Intent mission to get to?"

At first, Soul looked annoyed by my interference. But after I said my argument, he considered my words. I could see it in his eyes as he put two and two together. And he probably killed enough Griefers to satisfy his violent streak.

But before he could reply, a loud shriek filled the air. It was the same strangled cry that sounded whenever a Crafter died.

Soul and I whirled our heads to see whether the victim was friend or foe.

What we saw was Floyd standing over a pile of gear with his iron sword held loosely. He had a pained expression on his face and looked a little worse for wear.

"Floyd. You alright?" I called out as I jogged towards him.

Floyd didn't respond as he sat down upon the grass.

With the last of the Griefers already fleeing into the woods, Wynn sheathed her rapier at her belt and turned to her soldiers. "Is everyone still alive?"

Several mumbles of 'ma'am, yes ma'am' ensured that we had all survived. Even Cara was alright as I saw her standing besides several trails of fire, black goggles over her eyes and flint and steel in her hands. Judging by the piles of loot surrounding her, I'd say she took out quite a bunch of Griefers.

Though, the weird thing about her was that she just stood there looking at us interact. She could obviously see Soul, Floyd, and I talk with each other. But, even though she was supposed to be the leader of their Silver Intent group, she didn't bother checking up on her teammates.

As she lifted the goggles from her eyes, I saw how hesitant and awkward she looked. She also looked depressed.

Then she looked surprised when she finally noticed me staring at her. She quickly averted her eyes before walking off towards Wynn.

 _What's with her?_

"Hey, Floyd. What's up with you?" I heard Soul direct his question towards the blue-nette and I quickly turned to see what the matter was.

It was only then that I saw the Head of the Griefer that Floyd had just killed.

It was Lincoln. The guy that had stabbed me in the back with a stone pick.

The guy I had told to leave when he begged for mercy.

Floyd just looked straight ahead, not even turning to Soul as he answered his question. "That Griefer…Lincoln…he tried to kill me…he almost did too…but Cara shot him…and that gave me the chance to turn the tables."

"Okay…but that's a good thing. You defended yourself right?" I questioned tentatively, trying to shake the weird feeling of mine. I think it was a mix between betrayal and guilt. I had decided to spare Lincoln, told him to leave, but instead of follow my advice, he turned around and attacked someone else.

If he had killed Floyd…

Floyd just shook his head. "As soon as I had him pinned…he begged me for mercy…said he was just following orders…that he didn't want to kill anyone…But I didn't care. I killed him on the spot."

Floyd's words cut into me. He…killed a defenseless Crafter?

Soul nodded approvingly before giving Floyd a comforting pat on the back. "You did the right thing Floyd. That guy was obviously lying, saying whatever he could to escape his fate. If he had any remorse, he wouldn't have tried to kill you in the first place."

Floyd visibly brightened at Soul's comforting words. It was probably the closest thing to progress he had made in reconciling with Soul.

I should have felt happy for him.

So…why didn't I?

As if he remembered something important, Floyd turned to me looking apologetically. "I'm sorry, Cobb. I know you probably would have let him go…but I was fed up with people trying to hurt me…and trying to hurt my friends…I just couldn't stand it anymore."

I felt a pang of guilt over Floyd's words. Here he was, apologizing for killing a foe that had already given up. Only that foe wasn't as defenseless as he pretended to be. Lincoln used his lies to play on my mercy. And he almost killed Floyd because I was too lenient.

Maybe Soul was right.

The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. "You…did what you had to do. Lincoln—the Griefer—told the same lies to me when I cornered him in our battle. Only I believed him…then he went after you. Soul's right. He was just saying whatever he could to live."

Floyd's looked surprised at my revelation before his expression morphed into disgust. "So the guy would have gone after someone anyway? And to think I felt guilty for killing him!" Floyd kicked out against Lincoln's Head in frustration.

Soul nodded with a frown. "You get it now? Those are the kinds of people we're up against. No honor. No morals. And dangerous."

I didn't speak against what the axe wielder was saying. Soul wouldn't have shown mercy to any enemy. And in Lincoln's case, he would have been right.

Being a survivor, Soul understood vengeance more than anyone. He was done taking chances. Done with loose ends that could come back and attack his friends.

But…that just wasn't me.

* * *

{Thursday}

It was around noon. The trees were beginning to thin out as we approached two looming mountains, one of which being obscured by ugly thunderclouds. After all the craziness yesterday, I was glad we hadn't run into any more Griefers. Just standard Mobs for the most part.

As for Cara, she had become pretty subdued after what happened to her horse. Not to mention she had to jog and continuously keep up her Hunger just to stay with the group. She was slightly faster than Ace, but not by much.

More importantly, after yesterday, a couple of Wynn's guards asked if I could train them in the ways of the fishing rod. My heart was telling me 'Yes'…but the look in Wynn's eyes was screaming 'Danger! Danger! Danger!'

So, in the interest of self-preservation, I went with Wynn's suggestion.

I looked ahead to see how Soul and Floyd were doing. I was expecting a friendly conversation, but instead discovered Floyd hunched over his horse, desperately trying to keep his eyes open. If Soul noticed anything, he didn't show it.

 _Son of a—when is he going to get some sleep!?_ In all of yesterday's excitement, I had forgotten to check on Floyd's sleep patterns. Though it didn't take a genius to figure out he stayed up all night.

Again.

Just when I was about to urge Ace forward to talk some sense into Floyd, the Captain cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright men!...and Co—"

"Still not funny the umpteenth time you've said it!"

The Captain narrowed her eyes but continued as if uninterrupted. "Ahead of us lie two mountains. Blitz Peak, and the vastly more infamous Caerbannog Mountain."

Several worried gasps pierced the air, one of which came from Cara, as the guards whispered among themselves fearfully. However the only thing I could register was how stupid the name 'Caerbannog' was.

Bitters was the first to voice his concerns. "Captain, shouldn't we avoid crossing that valley at all costs? I mean, with all the deaths—"

"I'm well aware of the risks, Bitters." Wynn replied calmly. "But the route between those two mountains is the quickest way to Daymonte. Otherwise, we'd be delayed by two days…and most likely cross some ill-intentioned Griefers."

"But…the Valley Beast will surely—"

"We're going through that valley." Wynn stated brusquely. However, she realized her mistake after seeing her guards share several hesitant glances. "But we'll do things carefully. Check the surroundings. Scope things out. See if the Beast is out of its cave. Nothing risky, I assure you." She speculated. "I will not risk the lives of my men."

The guards visibly calmed down, though faint trickles of fear still remained. Bitters grimaced in worry but otherwise remained silent, respecting his Captain's wishes.

It was very strange. Wynn's guards seemed confident in my eyes. Ready for anything. And after witnessing their combat prowess against the Griefers, it was no wonder why Wynn had handpicked them. Yet here they were, shivering in fear over the idea of trekking through a valley. One inhabited by a supposed 'Valley Beast'.

And even Wynn seemed to be scared of it.

But what could it be? What could risk the lives of guards so powerful? Was it a type of Mob? A Creeper that shot exploding lasers from its nipples? A Zombie the size of a building that breathed fire… _and_ shot exploding lasers from its nipples!?

My excessive imagination involved a lot of nipple-based exploding lasers, but the fear of not knowing was starting to affect me.

What Beast lied within the valley?

I urged Ace forward to catch the rumors flying around concerning the unknown Valley Beast.

"…equal parts demon and unholy abomination…"

"…killed thousands…"

"…eyes as red as the devil's…"

"…teeth as sharp as daggers…"

 _Not hearing any nipple lasers, but still sounds like a terrifying monster._

As we continued towards the valley and nervous chatter continued amongst the guards, I noticed some signs ahead. And they were just as ominous as the rumors.

'TURN BACK!'

'DANGER! Valley Beast's Den Ahead! Leave Now To Keep Your Head!'

'Beware Its Monstrous Strength!'

'Otto's Discount Furniture! Great Chairs For Great Prices!'

Okay, so the last one was an advertisement rather than a warning. But still, I was terrified.

Instead of staying level with the ground, Wynn guided us towards a sloping trail with dense foliage for cover. She also made sure that our formation changed so we were more bunched up as opposed to a single file line.

Silently we trekked up the trail. Nobody dared say a word for fear that the Valley Beast was already watching. Listening to the voices carried by the wind. Waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander into its clutches.

 _Just what the hell are we facing!?_

The trail split and leveled out near some dense shrubbery. Just behind the greenery was a cliff overlooking the entire valley below.

The valley was rather small and jagged with various boulders and rocks making up the terrain, some with deep gouge marks. Almost as if something clawed at them.

A stream may have existed at one point, but it was all dried up now. And where the mountains met the valley, there were only steep, rocky slopes, making the whole thing look more like a hollowed canoe.

Oh, and there was a bunch of gear too. Yup. Scattered around were piles and piles and _piles_ of gear. Diamond chestplates, potions of various colors, swords and tools of all shapes and sizes, rare blocks. And Crafter Heads. Hundreds of them.

All that deceased Crafter gear was strewn about in a semicircle. And at the very center, indented into the base of one of the mountains, was a large, shadowy cave. Even the noon-day sun couldn't illuminate its sinister darkness.

And if ever there existed a site where a dangerous monster lurked, it would definitely be the spooky-ass cave.

It's always the spooky-ass cave.

And for once I seemed to be right as a few guards fixed that cave with the same terrified gaze. The others, as if they feared staring too long would cost them their souls, merely focused on their Captain for support.

Wynn's eyes narrowed as she peered over the bushes to determine if it was safe to cross the valley. Aside from claw marks and the hundreds of deceased Crafter Heads, there was no sign of any Beast.

I quickly sidled up to Wynn and spoke in a hushed whisper. "So, Captain Wynn," I began, remembering her title, "what can you tell me about this 'Beast'?"

Wynn kept her eyes trained on the cave, watching for any sign of movement. "This thing is worse than the rumors make it out to be." She replied grimly. "If the Heads aren't enough of an indication, the Valley Beast is capable of slaughtering hundreds of Crafters _simultaneously_. I was fortunate—or unfortunate—enough to survive an expedition crossing this very valley. But my companions…" She trailed off, but I got the picture.

And the picture was only getting scarier and scarier.

"On a scale of one to Carys…how terrifying would you say this thing is?"

Wynn raised an eyebrow, but kept her eyes focused forwards as she thought on it. "I'd say a solid Carys."

 _Damn…_

"What does this thing even look—Gak!" Wynn shoved a hand to my chest, cutting off my words as her eyes widened in fear.

"There it is!" She hissed. "Everyone get down!"

I followed her orders (more out of fear than obedience) and the rest of our group followed. Floyd…yeah, Floyd was already passed out on the ground. Snoozing off all the sleep he didn't get.

I listened carefully for any sound of the Valley Beast, some roar or howl or slither, but heard nothing. Was it possible it was one of the strong silent types of Mobs? Like Creepers?

Curiosity winning over fear, I steadily inched my head upwards to see the Beast for myself. As my eyes cleared the bush and scanned the rocky valley for any signs, I felt beads of sweat collect on my brow. My heart was beating a mile a minute. I glanced this way and that, thinking I glimpsed a part of the creature when only it was a stray piece of gear.

But then I saw actual movement near the mouth of the cave. A dot of white against the otherwise shadowed cavern.

It was…

 _Oh, wait…no, just a rabbit._

I nearly shit myself thinking I had seen the Beast. The sun must have been getting to me to make me mistake a cuddly bunny for a deadly monster.

Although if the rumors about the Valley Beast were true, that adorable, white bunny wouldn't be living for very long.

I scanned the rest of the valley again, but found nothing resembling a monster. Where had Wynn seen it?

I leaned towards her. "Captain. I think the Beast went back into its cave."

Wynn carefully poked her head up to check, but her eyes widened fearfully before she ducked back down. "Cobb! It's still there!" She whispered.

"Huh?" I looked back across the valley, expecting to see something remotely monstrous, but there was nothing. Just a brave rabbit lounging in front of a figurative 'lion's den'. "Where?"

Wynn poked her head up again and pointed directly towards the mouth of the cave. "Are you blind? There!"

I followed her finger and squinted my eyes, while tilting my head to get a better look. "Is it behind the rabbit?"

"It _is_ the rabbit!"

"Ah…"

…

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" I shouted in outrage, voice echoing across the rocky valley.

I couldn't help it. The journey to the valley had been one big build-up for some killer monstrosity. The tense atmosphere, the warning signs, the hushed whispers from the guards, Wynn's trepidation. And what was the pay-off? What was the big scary monster?

A damn bunny rabbit!

" _THAT'S_ what you were so worried about this whole—MMPH!" A hand slapped down on my mouth. Fastest way to shut someone up.

"Cobb! Keep quiet!" Wynn half shouted, half whispered as she glanced back at the rabbit. "Blast! It's seen us!"

The guards began to panic at their Captain's words. A few of them were already in position to sprint back the way they came, while only two or three of them awaited Wynn's orders.

Soul walked up to get a better look at the 'horrifying' Valley Beast. "Is that really what we're so worried about? I was expecting some kind of fire-breathing dragon or something. There's not, like, some other dangerous creature using the bunny as a decoy?"

Wynn shook her head with her hand still clamped over my mouth. "I assure you two that _that_ is no ordinary rabbit. It's the most demonic, foul-tempered rodent in Minecraftia."

I finally pushed her hand off my mouth to retort. "Oh, yeah? What's it going to do? Wiggle its nose? Shake its fluffy tail at us!?"

"How can you be so narrow-minded!?" Wynn shouted, not even bothering to keep her voice down. Probably because everyone was yelling and any 'Valley Beast' in the vicinity would have already killed everyone. "Just look at all the piles of gear and Heads! You think those just _magically_ wound up there?"

"I was ready to piss my pants after the descriptions you made!" I argued while pointing to the innocent-looking rabbit. "Whatever Beast killed those Crafters couldn't have been something so small!"

Wynn dragged a hand over her face before taking notice that the rabbit was hopping towards us. "Nghh! I don't have the time for this! We need to leave before that thing gets any closer." Her guards looked relieved at her order of retreat as she got up to leave.

But I still couldn't believe it. "You're actually serious?" I asked incredulously. Soul too, looked skeptical at Wynn's claims.

"Yes! Now let's get out of here!" She rounded up her guards, but I stopped her with an outstretched hand.

"Wy— _Captain_ Wynn. You're honestly going to let a rabbit delay us? I've seen you take out thugs bigger than that thing!"

Wynn scowled. "While I appreciate your compliment, 'that thing' is a killer beyond even my skills."

Were my ears working properly? Nothing about the situation made sense. There was no way a bunny rabbit could be ferocious enough to be the center of the 'Valley Beast' rumors.

Although…I was rumored to have killed the unstoppable Carys_Angel when in reality I was no better than the average Newb. Could it be the same thing for the rabbit? Was it possible that the rabbit had just been fortunate enough to push a Crafter off a cliff or into a hoard of Mobs, thus sparking the 'Valley Beast' legend?

Or maybe there was a bigger conspiracy at work. Maybe a group of Crafters were using the valley as a base of operations. And to keep nosy Crafters away, they fabricated a false monster and scattered Heads and loot around an innocent rabbit, thus presenting the illusion of a dangerous monster. The warning signs could also have been part of that ruse.

Or perhaps Wynn was just messing around. Trying to demonstrate my newbiness to her guards by convincing them to talk about a dangerous creature. All to see if I would believe that a rabbit could be a vicious killer.

Whatever it was, I was sure fiction was stranger than truth.

I shook my head in defiance. "Wynn…are you sure that rabbit is what attacked—"

Wynn silenced me with a fierce glare. "You think I'm joking around? You think I don't know when something tries to kill me? You think that thing is an innocent bunny!?" She seethed before confidently gesturing to the valley below. "Well if you're so convinced it's a cute, cuddly bunny, then why don't you go down there and give it a great, big hug! Go on!"

She egged me on while the eyes of every guard watched us carefully.

"Okay." I shrugged indifferently before I moved forward and slid down the rocky slope into the valley.

Behind me I could hear Wynn's frantic commands. "Cobb—No! I wasn't serious! Get back up here! _Now_!"

I just rolled my eyes. It sounded like she didn't want to admit to her soldiers that she mistook a rabbit for a threat. And although I was bound to follow her commands as per my agreement with Ringwood's King, technically, I _was_ following her commands when she asked me to give the rabbit a big hug. I was just neglecting her other orders that were warning me not to get near the rodent.

As the slope leveled out, I was struck by how quiet the valley seemed. As if no living thing had ever existed there.

Over by the cave, the rabbit was slowly hopping towards me. It was probably curious about all the yelling and wanted to greet me.

How adorable!

As I walked forward to meet the rabbit, I took notice of some piles of gear containing a few bluish orbs I recognized as Ender Pearls. I quickly grabbed three of them, remembering how useful they were in escaping Carys.

I would have helped myself to some of the other gear littered around, but my Inventory was actually completely full. I had to shift through everything to see what to keep and what to toss. But seeing as how I was surrounded by rare ores, gems, superior armor, weapons, potions, and more, I was certain a little Inventory management could better arm me for battle.

While I was debating whether to ditch a glass bottle or a stick, the small bunny rabbit finally made its way over to my location. It looked up to me with a curious expression.

"Ah, hey there, little guy." I smiled as I moved to pet it. "You're not going to kill me are you?"

I said it jokingly, but before I could pet the small creature, I stopped as I noticed its eyes for the first time.

Blood red. With slit pupils.

 _…_ _Since when do bunnies have slit pupil_ s?

As soon as that thought registered, the bunny leapt with astonishing speed and fastened its shockingly razor sharp teeth into my wrist.

 _…_

 _OW!_

But the bunny didn't stop there. Still carried by the momentum of its jump, the bunny shot over my shoulder, teeth still fastened into my wrist, before it twisted in midair and flipped me over its fluffy bunny ears. Only at the zenith of the flip did the creature finally release its jaws, sending my spiraling towards the rocky slopes before I crashed with a sickening crunch.

I let out a low whine of pain as I struggled to comprehend what the hell just happened. Pain shot through my back and wrist as I struggled to my feet. And my Health Meter read that I took four Hearts of damage from that one attack. Though I was sure the damage would have been greater if not for my Protection Enchanted gear.

However, my damage assessment was interrupted as the bunny leapt at me with claws extended to rip me to shreds. I yelped in fear before rolling to the side a second before its claws raked across the rocky slope, leaving deep gauge marks where my head would have been.

 _…_ _Okay._ I sweat-dropped as I slowly backed away from the definite 'Valley Beast'. _Maybe Wynn was right after all…_

I withdrew my gold sword and swung at the tiny demon, but the Beast zigzagged between some boulders before coming up behind me. It knocked me to the ground with a swipe so powerful it felt like a sledgehammer to my exposed back. Then it sunk its teeth into my boot leg and swung me around before sending me skidding across the ground towards its cave.

"GAH!" I shouted out as I heard the sound of something tearing. When I finally skidded to a stop, I checked my Health again to see I was at three Hearts.

To make things worse, that last hit had torn my leather boots, destroying them and their protective armor. My leather tunic and leather cap were still holding up well enough, but realizing that Wynn's descriptions of the Beast were accurate, I knew I had to escape fast.

Again I tried to get on my feet, but I stopped when a shadow loomed overhead. I looked up and shrieked in horror at the furry Beast silhouetted against the sun. Its fangs were bared and its eyes looking particularly demonic as it lunged at me.

Panicking, I slipped getting to my feet and allowed the Valley Beast to land by my head before it gripped the scruff of my hoodie and easily lifted me in the air. It then proceeded to violently shake me back and forth like a ragdoll.

If it wasn't me being tossed around, the whole scene of a small rabbit brutally beating up a Crafter would have been hilarious.

Unfortunately, it _was_ me.

The sights of the valley whirled and blurred in my vision as the Beast mercilessly shook me. "Wyyyyynnnnnn, heeeeeeellp! I waaaaaaaaaaas wrooooooooooooong! Horribly, horribly WROOOOOOOONG!" I shouted fearfully, but my distressed cries were too drawn out by the rapid movements. My neck was screaming in pain from the whiplash and _I_ was screaming in pain from the whiplash!

Just when I thought the Beast was slowing down in its violent torture, it would speed back up again, apparently content in whipping me around until I exploded into a shower of gear.

"Cobb!" I heard the Captain's distinct voice and I felt my hopes soar. She had actually come down into the valley, right into the Beast's lair, to save me.

 _I always knew she cared!_

"You're doing great Cobb!" She called out encouragingly. "Keep it distracted just a bit longer!"

 _…_

 _That little, good-for-nothing—!_

 _This is just like her bait plan with Kane's men! How could she be so cruel!? I'm going to die here, Wynn!_

Judging by the slowing down of the Beast's shakes, I guessed that I didn't have long before it tired of jerking me around. Then it would most likely rip out my throat or something and 'poof'! No more King_Cobb.

The slower jerks and shakes enabled me to finally see what I was doing and where everything was. I spotted Wynn leading her guards up the opposite end of the valley. They actually _had_ used me as a distraction to sneak past the Beast.

The traitors…even though it was my fault for being reckless…

Nope, screw it! They're traitors!

Floyd would have probably helped me…if he wasn't already dozing off. I saw Cara and Soul carry him across along with the guards.

The most fortunate thing going for me was that the rabbit was indeed slowing down with its shakes. So, taking the opportunity of actually being able to see, I reached a hand into my backpack to withdraw one of the ender pearls I had found. After all, they had already saved me from one red-eyed demon. What was one more?

Finally grasping the spherical object, I withdrew it from my backpack and prepared to lob it towards Wynn's group. However, during the middle of my throw, I felt my hoodie jerk quickly to the left, throwing my aim, and the pearl, far off the mark and into the sky.

 _Oh God…where is that thing going to land!?_

The Beast, finally tired with its game of 'shake the Newb', slammed me into the ground, taking out another chunk of health.

I gasped for air as the attack drove the wind out of me while the bunny, done with its defenseless prey and satisfied with instilling newfound fear in me, simply hopped back towards its cave. But not before scraping a bit of dirt over me like I was some kind of turd it had taken.

I weakly crawled away, silently thanking whatever existing Minecraftia Gods that I was still alive. Remembering the pile of potions I saw among the dead Crafter loot, I sifted through it for any Healing or Regeneration Potions before successfully locating one. I had to toss the glass bottle in my Inventory to make room, but it was worth it as the pink particles of regeneration swirled around me. Plus, the glass bottle zoomed back into my Inventory as soon as I finished the potion, leaving me with two glass bottles.

As my Health gradually came back, I soon felt well enough to move from a crawl to a hobble. Once I was far enough away from the Beast's cave I heard someone running towards me.

I looked up expecting an awakened Floyd, but was surprised to see Wynn. "Cobb! Are you alright?" She kneeled beside me and checked my arm to verify my Health was, in fact, ticking back up before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Y-yeah…just a little…shaken up…" I said without realizing the pun I had just made.

Wynn draped my arm over her shoulder and supported my side with her other arm as she half-supported half-carried me out of the valley. I looked across to see that her guards were all waiting with bows drawn in case the Beast tried to pursue, though I doubted they would manage to hit the thing. Not to mention, the demon rabbit had already grown bored beating the crap out of me.

When we finally reached the other side of the valley, my Health was full enough to walk on my own. "Thanks, Wy— _Captain_ Wynn, but really I'm okay to walk."

"Are you sure?" The Captain asked with concern.

"Positive." I nodded.

"Good." Just then she grabbed a fistful of my hoodie and lifted me off the ground. Her expression morphed from concerned to harsh in a second. "Because the next time you disobey my orders and do something stupid like that, you're going to WISH that rabbit killed you!"

"Uh…b-but technically…I obeyed your orders when you asked me to go give the rabbit a hug…so—"

"And _technically_ you might find a certain rapier shoved up a certain hole of yours that may or may not inhibit your ability to go to the bathroom the same way again." Wynn threatened in a low growl. "Understand?"

I gulped and nodded quickly…only suddenly, I felt my entire being fade away through Wynn's grip. And with an instantaneous speed I was vaguely familiar with, I raced away from her and her guards.

In a blink, I was standing on the cliff of a tall mountain, taking a bit of damage from the instant teleportation. Apparently the ender pearl I had thrown had landed on the side of the Caerbannog Mountain.

I looked over the side where I could just make out the forms of the green-capped Captain and guards. Perhaps it was best to give Wynn time to cool off. She seemed quite upset.

 _So ender pearls hurt the user. Guess I shouldn't spam these things then._ I thought as I held up my remaining two pearls.

 _…_

 _But then how am I going to get down?_

* * *

{Friday}

I munched on some cooked fish while Wynn checked the ores I mined. I had to store my weakened wooden pickaxe and weakened bow in Ace's chest just to make the space, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to gain anything.

It was nighttime and we had decided to make camp in a clearing. The other guards had already showed the Captain their haul and were now making their shelters. As for Floyd, he was still looking exhausted, albeit much happier, as he followed Soul while carrying shelter building supplies. Ever since the Griefer attack on Wednesday, the two had been getting friendlier with each other.

However, the third member of their team still looked gloomy. Cara sulkily prodded at a flower with a stick, not even bothering to give out orders as the 'leader' she was supposed to be. I wondered if losing her horse had had a larger effect on her attitude than her team realized.

Making a mental note to ask Floyd about her, I returned my attention to Wynn just in time for her to nod in approval before returning my ores. "Twenty iron ore and six gold ore. That'll do for now. Next time, be on the lookout for diamonds. They have a light-blue color to them. Not dark blue. _Light_ -blue."

"Yeah, yeah. I got my mistake." I rolled my eyes as the memory of Tuesday's lapis incident crossed my mind. But since then, Wynn had been making it a point to teach me which ores were more valuable, what they looked like, and which levels of earth I was most likely to find them at. It made mining a lot easier. "Only problem is, my pickaxe is almost out of durability."

Wynn raised an ivory brow. "You went through a fresh iron pick that quickly? But it should have—oh…right…you wasted it on useless rocks." I could only scratch my cheek sheepishly. "I guess you can use the iron you dug up for a new pick, since you're using it to get more resources."

I nodded in understanding as I moved to place my crafting table, finishing my last fish in the process. Remembering the furnace recipe, I plunked down eight cobblestone, set the newly made furnace down, popped in a lump of coal and three iron ore, and sat down to wait.

While the iron cooked, my stomach growled in hunger. However, since I just finished one of my food options, I didn't want to waste anymore of the good stuff. Cookies, pumpkin pies, baked potatoes. All of them were such delectable choices. But I couldn't rely on the rich stuff forever.

So instead, I pulled out some of the old, dry rotten flesh. Although, was it possible for rotten flesh to go bad since it already _was_ bad?

Those were some of the questions that I had to take a step back and ask myself.

*Arf*

My heart jumped at the sudden noise and I turned to see a white wolf wagging its tail and looking up at me. I had only glimpsed wolves in Ringwood, never getting close enough to actually touch one. Though this particular wolf looked younger.

"Uh…Wynn?" I called out, being careful not to do anything to antagonize the pup.

Wynn, however, ignored me. Content with building up her shelter.

"Wynn!" I called out again. "Did you hear me?"

"Oh, I heard you." Wynn responded without turning to look at me. "What I didn't hear was the word 'Captain'."

I frowned at her sass. " _Captain_ Wynn."

"Yes, Cobb?" She finally turned around to see what I needed.

 _This woman…_

"Are wild wolves dangerous?" I asked as I eyed the pup warily. Seeing as how a seemingly harmless bunny almost killed me, I was a lot more cautious about seemingly harmless animals. And the pup was as harmless as could be, still wagging its tail with its eyes focused on something else.

Wynn shook her head. "No. Wolves are only hostile if you hurt them."

I sighed in relief and moved normally knowing that the wolf was no threat. With the iron finally done, I withdrew and arranged it on the table, though I needed an extra stick to complete the pickaxe recipe.

As I was about to make the sticks, the wolf jumped onto the crafting table and knocked the ingredients all over the floor. "Hey!" I shouted annoyed as I picked everything up. The pup's only response was another bark as it kept its black eyes focused on something in my hand.

I followed its eyes and realized it was staring at the hunks of rotten flesh.

 _Wait…does it actually…_ want _to eat the rotten flesh?_

Just to test my theory, I held the rotten flesh closer to the wolf. Its eyes immediately lit up and it excitedly jumped up and down.

Then, when I moved the Zombie flesh away, its ears drooped sadly and its tail slumped onto the table with a dull 'thunk'.

Then, I moved it closer to the wolf again, and immediately its eyes widened in joy. Tail back up and wagging like mad.

 _Yeah, it definitely wants the rotten flesh._

"Sorry, little guy, but this is my rotten flesh." I spoke to the dog as if it could understand me. If I were any other Crafter, the pup would be feasting on the disgusting drop. But since I could actually stomach it, I wasn't willing to give it up.

Noticing my tone, the pup's eyes began to water and its tail sank along with its spirits. It actually turned and hopped off the table before padding away, tail dragging through the grass.

Seeing the pup's dejected form, I was suddenly reminded of the expression 'kicked puppy' and how it signified a being of pure joy becoming miserable. What I was doing, denying a young wolf the lowest of edible food, was equivalent to punting a small puppy. And the idea of the pup starving broke my heart a little.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, fine. You can have one piece." I held out a hunk of rotten flesh to the dejected wolf and saw its emotions do a complete 180.

It barked happily and chased its tail for a bit before it walked up to my hand and devoured the rotten flesh.

At that moment, I felt a genuine connection to the pup. We both were willing to stoop to the lowest forms of food to survive. "Haha. Guess you and I aren't so different."

The pup wagged its tail and stepped forward as if expecting to be petted. Unable to resist, I reached forward with my free hand that wasn't holding my remaining rotten flesh.

Only, as soon as I moved forward, there was a sharp gleam to the pup's eyes. It leapt forward, past my hand, and chomped on the strips of rotten flesh.

"What the—HEY!" I yelled in outrage as I lifted the hand holding the rotten flesh. The pup, however, was defiantly hanging onto them, its jaws refusing to let go. "Bad dog—er—wolf…Let go!"

I lifted the flesh higher into the air, but still the pup refused to let go. It just dangled along with it. "No, wolf! This is _my_ rotten flesh! I already gave you some!"

I began to gently shake my hand, hoping that the vibrations would shake the pup off, but it just fastened its teeth deeper. It really didn't want to relinquish the sickening drop.

If I was the bigger person, I would have simply released the drop and allow the hungry pup to feast on the nourishment it so desperately needed. After all, I had tons of food at my disposal. Cookies, pies, potatoes. What were two hunks of rotten flesh in comparison?

However, I _wasn't_ the bigger person and had a great appreciation for even the lowest of foods. So instead I shook my hand harder trying to dislodge the pup.

Eventually, it worked and the pup fell, letting out a soft 'arf' when it hit the ground. The wolf appeared to pout as it gazed up at the rotten flesh out of its reach while I smiled smugly.

But just as I was about to take a bite, the wolf leapt onto the crafting table before taking another leap onto my shoulder. It scurried along my arm before once again fastening its teeth into the drop, dangling off the ground.

"Persistent, little…" I growled as I began rapidly shaking my hand, even going so far as to swing it around. The pup flailed its short legs as it spun round and round, desperately trying to catch something to slow it down.

Unable to hold on any longer, the pup's teeth slipped off the flesh during my swing and it sailed through the air before crashing into a tree with a pained yelp.

My eyes widened at the obvious hurt I inflicted upon the pup. "Uh-oh."

The pup shakily got to its feet before glaring at me, its eyes now dark red instead of its normal black. Its mouth was drawn back into a snarl and its gray fur bristled, making it look larger than before.

*AROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!*

The wolf pup let out a loud howl that drew the attention of all the surrounding guards and the Captain. It was a howl that echoed through the woods. Almost as if it was a summoning call.

A few seconds passed before I noticed the surrounding bushes rustle ominously. Then, out stepped wolves. Dozens of them. And all much bigger than the pup I had injured. Their eyes were the same red, grey fur bristling, and all snarling as they focused solely on me. They were coming from all sides, completely ignoring the guards, and surrounded me in a sea of grey.

"Um…nice wolfies?" I offered nervously while fumbling at my belt for my gold sword.

At my words, the pup I had initially hurt let out a loud bark. And, like an awaited signal, it caused all the other wolves to surge forward to attack.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" I shouted as I took out some dirt blocks. There was no way I could fight an army of angry wolves. So instead I tried to build a barricade like the one I built back at the Origin Zone. However, one thing I noticed as I built the dirt barricade was that I could jump and place blocks beneath me if I was quick enough.

So, with the sea of wolves closing in around me, I kept jumping up, placing a dirt block beneath me every other successful jump, and soon stood atop a tower of dirt. Below me the wolves snapped their chops angrily and leapt up, nearly biting my ankles. They howled furiously and took turns trying to get at me.

Just to be absolutely safe, I built up a few more dirt blocks so the wolves couldn't get me. I looked over to the guards, who were busy laughing at my ridiculous situation. "Um…a little help, please!"

The guards were wiping tears from their eyes before attempting to step forward, but Wynn stopped them. "Cobb, I warned you what would happen if you attacked that wolf. Now you've drawn a whole pack of them! If we attack, they'll just swarm us. It's better to just let them tire themselves out."

"What!?" I called out feeling betrayed, nearly slipping and falling to the wolves below. "So what am I supposed to do up here!?"

Wynn just shrugged, barely containing a smile. "Just wait them out. They'll give up…in the morning."

"The morning!? I can't…but…" I looked around frantically for any signs of assistance, but the guards merely laughed at my predicament. "You can't just leave me up here!"

Wynn smirked evilly at my pleas. "You'll be fine. Just be careful not to fall off in your sleep. Wolves don't tend to leave much of their… _victims_."

The way she said 'victims' made my blood run cold. I could see her let out a mirthful laugh as she and her guards returned to their shelter building. It looked like I was on my own.

I looked at the rotten flesh still in my hand. The wolf attack could have been avoided if I gave the pup the two strips.

…

"It was worth it." I accepted as I took a bite out of the Zombie flesh. I shifted to get comfortable on the dirt tower, trying to tune out the angry snarls below, as I attempted to get some sleep.

* * *

{Saturday}

The next day (after the wolves finally left), our merry band of assholes that leave Crafters stuck atop dirt towers at the mercy of a pack of rabid wolves!…*ahem*…came across a medium-sized, and walled-off village.

Wynn explained that the village was called Halstatt, a quaint community aligned with the Kingdom of Daymonte. Its inhabitants included Testificates and Crafters along with a small amount of guards to defend the sturdy cobblestone walls from any invading Mobs or Griefers.

Halstatt had a sizable quarry, which Wynn suggested the guards use to find useful ores. She was willing to offer the Village Leader, a Testificate by the name of Oswald, a percentage of any ores her guards brought up as a form of payment, but he waved her off. He was happy to show hospitality to non-threatening Crafters and refused to allow the Captain to owe his village anything.

Now, while it may have been smart to look for resources in the quarry, I had another idea. Emeralds were apparently a hard resource to mine, but remembering from Helena that Testificates could trade emeralds, I realized I had a golden opportunity.

Halstatt housed a lot of Testificates. Surely one of them would be willing to trade, even for lowly gear such as mine.

So, with high hopes, I walked past the walls and into the village while Wynn's guards entered the quarry.

* * *

"No deal." A Testificate with a white apron declined with a scowl.

"Oh, come on." I pressed, intent on trading an emerald out of the Leatherworker. "It's a decent deal."

"You call an emerald for one glass bottle a good deal?" The Leatherworker argued.

I scratched my chin contemplatively. "Alright. I see how it is. You're a Testificate who likes to haggle. One who appreciates a good bargain." I rummaged through my Inventory. "How about…TWO glass bottles? Eh, eh?"

 _And Floyd said I couldn't haggle._ I thought confidently as I pushed the bottles across the counter.

The Testificate frowned. "The lowest deal I'm willing to negotiate is twelve leather for one emerald. No more. No less."

I began to grow worried. He wasn't budging on the price and I had no leather to offer. I needed to amp up my bargaining abilities to keep up.

I put on my most disarming smile and tried again. "What do you need useless leather for? It's itchy, it gets in the way—"

"You do realize I'm a _Leather_ worker, right?"

"—And you need to kill animals for it. Just think of all the poor orphaned baby cows you deprive of parents through your leather demands."

"…You're wearing leather armor right now, hypocrite." He accused in a deadpan.

I looked down at my green-dyed leather tunic and up at my leather cap before returning the Testificate's gaze. "No I'm not."

"Wha—Yes you are!"

"No. This is clearly 'I-can't-believe-it's-not-leather' leather." I bullshitted quickly. "Made from the finest leather substitute."

The Testificate opened his mouth to argue, but, thinking it better not to engage in a screaming match in his Leather Store and scare away potential customers, decided to drop the issue.

That still didn't mean he was going to accept the deal though.

"What would I even need two empty glass bottles for?" He inquired skeptically.

"Glad you asked." I answered eagerly. "Let's say you're traveling through a desert—"

"I've grown up in this village and have no desire to leave—"

"—AND," I interrupted "you need to carry water with you. The trusty glass bottle will be able to hold water for days."

"No kidding." The Testificate replied dryly.

"Swear to God. And that's just the beginning of it."

"You sure? Because it sounds like the end of it."

"It can…uh…" I hit a road block in my glass bottle marketing as I desperately searched for something else to promote. The Testificate just waited, not looking very expectant.

My eyes darted to his offered emerald sitting on the counter, gleaming in the store's torchlight.

My eyes darted back to the Testificate's and I finally thought of something to say.

"Zombie behind you!" I shouted and pointed dynamically behind him. When he turned to look, I quickly swiped the emerald, replacing it with the two glass bottles. "Pleasure doing business with you."

When the Testificate returned his attention forward and realized what I had done, he scowled angrily. And for some reason, mini storm clouds erupted over his increasingly irate face.

"Thief!" He shouted. "Return that emerald at once!"

"Look, I need this emerald to pay off my debts…and you'll thank me for those glass bottles the next time you need a portion of drinkable water."

More mini storm clouds billowed above his head and he began shaking furiously. "That does it! LESLIE!"

I blinked at his odd shout. Was Leslie code for something?

The Testificate sneered cruelly. "You'd best return that emerald before Leslie gets here."

I raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Why? Who's Leslie? Your wife?" I suggested humorously…

Before a loud tremor sounded nearby. The entire store began to shake as a thunderous and somewhat lumbering force approached, getting louder and louder. It was the unmistakable sound of footfalls against the ground and whatever was making them was surely large and heavy.

And I probably didn't want to stick around to see what it was.

"Okay! I'm sorry!" I apologized quickly as I returned the emerald and scooped the bottles back up. "I'll leave, okay? Just call off whatever that sound is!"

The Testificate just smirked smugly before pointing to me and making a running motion with his two fingers.

Hearing the loud footfalls getting louder and closer, I spared the Leatherworker a scathing glare before opting to get the hell out of there. As I exited the store however, I collided painfully with a solid mass of metal. I massaged my bent nose as I looked to see what I hit.

Only my eyes kept traveling upwards to see the full visage of the terror before me.

Red soulless pupils with blacks where the whites of its eyes should have been. Silver hair. A Testificate's uni-brow and limp nose. Long, muscular arms nearly dragging against the ground. Large, toned upper body with vines and small yellow flowers trailing down. Completely made of metal.

And above its head was the name 'Leslie'.

"LESLIE SMASH!" It roared as it swung its thick arms at me. I was too dazed by its appearance to dodge and found myself lifted into the air like a kitten and flung across the gravel road, over an adjacent block of houses and parallel road, and into another building before sliding to the ground.

"AGH!" I hissed in pain as I felt the equivalent of getting hit by a car.

 _…_ _What's a car?_

I checked my Health and gasped when I saw I lost three quarters of my full health to that one strike.

What the hell _was_ Leslie!?

"LESLIE SMASH DISLIKED AND PUNY CRAFTER!" Another roar pierced the air as the thing known as Leslie lumbered between two houses to get at me. With a quick yelp I was on my feet and running away.

The good news was that Leslie was way slower than me. The bad news was that Halstatt may as well have been a labyrinth in my eyes. I had no idea where I was running to, only making sure to keep the walking, talking tank behind me.

I looked forward and spotted a thin alley between two houses. While I could easily squeeze through, I doubted Leslie could. So with a smirk, I dove for the space. Behind me, I heard Leslie struggle vainly to enter before leaving to go around with the exclamation, "LESLIE WISHES HE COULD SMASH SMALL ALLEYS!"

I exited the alley from the other side and scanned for a good hiding spot. However, I found something better: The village gate! Awesome!

And Wynn was standing by it…less awesome.

I stopped myself from flat-out running to her—no, that would have been too conspicuous—and instead walked at a brisk pace. I needed to act calm and convince her that we should all leave Halstatt before Leslie found me. After all, this was the woman who left me to the wolves…figuratively and literally.

And the rabbits…just literally.

So she might just leave me to the Leslie…also literally.

"Oh, Cobb. Good, I was looking for you." The Captain began as she flipped her ivory hair. "I was thinking I should keep an eye on you so you don't get into any trouble."

"Ha…Ha…trouble?" I chuckled nervously, a cold sweat already building on my face. "W-what trouble could I possible get into?"

She just shrugged. "Don't know. But I'm sure you'd find a way." She observed my face before noticing my barely concealed panic. Her eyes narrowed. "Just what have you been doing then?"

"Oh, me? W-well not much. Just…strolling through Halstatt."

She frowned as she leaned forward to get a better look at my face. "Cobb, you have a faint stutter, you're pausing between words, and your face is as pale as my hair." She leaned back. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." I replied a bit too quickly, which did not go unnoticed by the Captain.

"You were doing nothing? I thought you said you were strolling through the Village? So which is your story? Nothing or strolling?" Her interrogation skills as a Captain were beginning to shine as my panic visibly grew. She also studied my arm's Health Meter. "And you've taken a considerable amount of damage in an otherwise peaceful village. Care to explain that?"

"I…um…"

"LESLIE FOUND PUNY CRAFTER!"

I let out a girly shriek as I turned towards the oncoming mass of iron and terror. The ground shook beneath its feet as it lumbered forward, its eyes focused only on me. A few guards looked interested by the commotion, but after seeing how Leslie was handling the situation, they decided it best to stay out of the way of the 32 ton creature.

I heard a soft groan beside me followed by a facepalm. "Of course _you_ would anger an Iron Golem."

Iron Golem? Was that what Leslie was? Made sense. After all, the guy _did_ look like he was made of iron. But just what was he? A Mob? A Testificate? None of the Crafters or Testificates seemed to pay him any mind, so what distinction did he fall under?

But those thoughts didn't really matter. At the moment, the only distinction I had for him was 'threat' as he trudged towards me, thick arms thrashing wildly.

Wynn stood in front of me and drew her rapier. "Cobb, stay behind me. Iron Golems do tons of damage to any Crafters that attack them or upset the Testificates."

I cowered behind her, glad that I had her defending me. "You think you can beat him?"

"No." Wynn admitted. "That thing can kill me in two hits max and my rapier pokes through armor, not hunks of iron."

"Eep…" I offered unhelpfully as the golem towered over us, arms raised to hammer us into the earth.

But before his arms could fall, another Crafter blocked his way with outstretched arms.

"Leslie, no! Bad Leslie!"

Leslie lowered his arms with a guilty look on his monstrous face. "BUT…COSMIC…PUNY CORN-COBB IS UNPOPULAR!"

"I'll handle it, then." The woman named Cosmic argued firmly. "But no more 'smashing' from you until I straighten things out first."

"DAWWW!" Leslie whined as he hung his head low and trudged away. "COSMIC SHOULD CHANGE NAME TO COCKBLOCK!"

Satisfied that she got the golem to leave, Cosmic turned her attention to the Captain and I, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry about, Leslie. He's a bit eager on the whole 'SMASH PUNY CRAFTERS' thing," she did her best impression of Leslie's thunderous voice as she said that, "but he's a great guy…golem…thing when you get to know him. And speaking of getting to know things…I'm a thing! And my name's Cosmic. Like the galaxy.

"Sooooo…I'm guessing you two are out-of-towners since you almost met the business end of Leslie's fist. What brings you to Halstatt?" Cosmic inquired cheerfully.

Seeing that I was no longer in any imminent danger, the Captain sheathed her weapon and stepped aside so I was no longer cowering behind her. Though judging by the glare she sent my way, I could tell she wanted to know what I had done to earn Leslie's animosity.

The ivory-haired Captain turned to Cosmic with a sweet smile. "Sorry, Cosmic, but do you mind if I ask him some questions about Leslie first? It'll only take a second."

 _Question is, will it be a painful second for me or not…_

"Sure thing." Cosmic replied with a beam.

Wynn nodded with a smile and, without having to turn her head, grabbed my hoodie as I was trying to subtly escape questioning. "Cobb. Explain yourself. _Now_."

Seeing how I was cornered, I began explaining everything that happened involving Leslie. I also took notice of the Crafter that saved me.

Her actual name was Cosmicxx. What did the X's stand for? I had no clue. But I did know that by saving me from Leslie, she earned a spot on my 'Crafters That Aren't Assholes' list. Just above low_bttry and just below Erin.

She had large faded pink eyes behind black-framed 'nerd' glasses and light pastel periwinkle hair worn in pig tails. She wore a large white sweater splattered with a multitude of colors that would put a rainbow to shame, as well as a pair of black jean shorts and pastel pink flats. Her belt and backpack were the same shade as her hair, but were partially covered in glittered stickers of hearts, flowers, and the occasional cat with the body of a toaster pastry shooting a jet of rainbows out its ass.

Charming.

Plus, the whole time I explained the Leslie issue, she just listened quietly with the same kind smile.

Once I finished, Wynn let out an exasperated groan and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Cobb, I get that you don't know things about Minecraftia, but I assume you'd have enough common sense _not_ to steal from people."

"I wasn't stealing." I defended resentfully. "I offered the guy _two_ whole glass bottles."

"Testificates are natural-born hagglers." Wynn explained. "They stubbornly settle on one price designated by their own wants and occupation. And arguing with their prices will make them dislike you and cause any Iron Golems to attack."

I opened my mouth to reply but was beaten to it by the periwinkle-haired onlooker. "Yep. Leslie guards Halstatt morning, noon, and night from Mobs, Griefers, _and_ rip-off artists." She poked my chest for that last line. "So unless you want to get Leslie'd, I wouldn't tick off any more Testificates."

I paused at her blatant intrusion into the conversation. I was honestly thrown off by how naturally she felt talking to us. Like it wasn't awkward to just go up to strangers and start talking.

"What? Do I have something on my face? Is it a pimple? Or are my glasses freaking you out? It's the glasses isn't it?" She took off her eyewear and immediately her eyes squinted in effort. "People are always telling me these things are distracting. Too nerdy, they say. And I sort of agree, but I can't see three feet in front of me without 'em."

She pocketed the glasses and turned back to face me…or at least where she assumed I was standing. "That better?"

"Wha—No. Your glasses aren't a problem." I assured her awkwardly. "You just…I'm not used to people just walking up and talking to me."

"Psh!" She dismissed exaggeratedly as she returned her glasses to her face. "That's the only way to meet new people. Just walk up and taze 'em with fifty-thousand volts of optimism!"

She poked at my side, making a sharp 'bzzzt' sound and causing me to let out a small snort of laughter. I couldn't help it. I was ticklish.

Though the next instant, I pushed her hand away. "Hey, I'm glad that you saved me from…uh…getting Leslie'd, but that doesn't mean you can invade my personal space. I don't even know you."

"Sure you do. I just introduced myself. Now you go!" She wore an expression of mock consideration as she gazed above my head. "Though if I had to guess, I'd say your name is King_Cobb."

"Just Cobb is fi—wait! Why are you acting so nice to a complete stranger?" People didn't just help random strangers and smile like everything was gumdrops and rainbows. At least not anyone I've met so far.

Helena was nice, but not beyond mocking people. The only reason she helped me was because she had been helping spawned Crafters for five centuries. It was her job to be helpful.

Floyd ran the first time I met him. And even after that it had taken some time to fully become friends. Now I trusted him without a doubt…when he was awake and alert.

Wynn…kneed me in the gut, almost threw me in jail...and generally seemed to dislike me. Though now I wasn't too sure what she thought of me. She did show concern during the Beast attack, and had been willing to defend me from Leslie. But then why was she fine with threatening and injuring me for my small acts of stupidity? It was confusing to me.

Erin was nice, but probably because she thought I was an associate of Wynn's and not criminal baggage dumped on the Captain. As a housekeeper, it was probably her job to be polite to guests. She did a really good job at it if her politeness and fondness towards me was any indication…though I had yet to see another guest get treated so well be her. Hell, she was more courteous towards me than Wynn at times. Why was that?

Soul...definitely not kind. Harsh and stoic. And deadly. He disliked me for my mercy. My weakness. Yet at least it made more sense given how the whole Griefer fiasco went. My mercy almost got Floyd killed!

All of those interactions were normal…relatively speaking of course. But someone like Cosmic just coming up and talking to me like it was the easiest thing in the world. And generally being intrusive with her prods and touches.

She was an extrovert. And that was something I wasn't really used to.

"Well, _Just Cobb_." She chirped cheerfully. "I like to think that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. Unless of course they're offering you candy to get into their van. Then they're just kidnappers you haven't met yet."

"I…um…okay?"

Cosmic seemed nice…just a little overwhelming. Ironically, I would have preferred if she were sullen and cautious. Most Crafters I met usually went that route.

"Cosmic!" A loud male voice cut through my thoughts. It was another Crafter, standing beside some weird light fixture along the wall, waving to the extrovert. "Quit bugging those guys and help me out, would you?"

"Coming, bro!" Cosmic called back before giving me and Wynn a parting smile. "Hate to say goodbye, but a technician's work is never done." She gave a dramatic pose before skipping towards the light fixture.

My eyes followed her as she began some complicated work on the fixture, using some weird red dust and glowing red torches.

"She was…interesting." Wynn offered while grabbing my shoulder and guiding me towards the village gate. Probably to keep me from getting into any more trouble in Halstatt.

"Yeah…she was nice. But in a strange way." I replied as I returned my eyes forward, not really sure what to make of the bubbly extrovert.

Wynn let out a humorous snort at my description. "I'm just glad Erin wasn't here to see that."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just all those touches Cosmic gave you…and her friendly smile—actually…never mind. It's nothing."

"No, tell me." I urged. What did she mean about Erin? What would Erin have thought about all those interactions?

And why the hell was Wynn smiling knowingly!?

* * *

{Sunday}

The next day, our group continued East. The terrain was getting rockier though still with an abundance of trees.

I had gotten a bit of ores from Halstatt's quarry, but, according to Wynn, not enough to pay off my debt; A fact that both Wynn and I regretted to admit.

As we rode on, Wynn gave us a warning to prepare for a fierce thunderstorm. Apparently Halstatt's Village Leader, Oswald, predicted a storm to hit that very day.

But, looking at the clear, sunny sky, I had to dispute Oswald's claim…

Buuuuuuuut then it started to rain.

Heavily.

And then there was lightning. Followed shortly by thunder.

Loud thunder.

Then I had to accept Oswald's forecast.

The rain was coming down in buckets, soaking me to the bone and making things generally miserable. Though one good thing about Ace the Ass was that his hooves were better along the rocky terrain than the other horses, and, for the first time that journey, I was _ahead_ of the group.

But, being the humble person I was, I would never gloat about being ahead of—

Oh, wait, yeah I would.

"C'mon, Captain Wynn!" I called behind me with a barely suppressed grin. "Pick up the pace!"

Wynn huffed angrily and continually spurred her horse to get ahead of me. The horse bucked in protest, earning a laugh from me.

I was so focused on Wynn that I failed to notice what was ahead until realization hit me in the form of an arrow to the face.

"Gah!" I called out as I clutched my face in pain. I rolled off of Ace and immediately switched to my sword just as several more arrows flew towards me.

Mobs.

The sudden darkness caused by the storm clouds must have spawned them. There were Skeletons, Zombies, and deadly Creepers; all converging towards us.

Wynn shouted a battle cry and her guards sprung into action without hesitation. Slashing, hacking, pew-pewing, and laying waste to the monsters.

Soul was doing his axe-swing thing. Cara was pew-pewing with the other archers. And Floyd was struggling with both Mobs and staying awake. I ran to his aid and slashed a Zombie just before it could take a bite out of the exhausted blue-nette.

"I thought you said you were getting sleep?" I questioned him as I leapt at a Creeper with a Knockback Strike. The Mob was slammed back into a tall oak tree.

"I…did— _am_ —getting sleep…" Floyd explained wearily while a Zombie clawed at him. He raised his sword defensively, but he was so exhausted he accidentally dropped it. "Ugh…my sword feels a bit lighter now."

"That's because you dropped it!" I heard Soul call as he buried an axe into the attacking Zombie. "Just stay back and let us handle this."

 _Us?_ I thought surprised. Since when did Soul rely on me for help?

He turned to me. "Oi. Do that fishing rod strat again."

Realizing what he meant, I nodded as I withdrew my fishing rod and began to draw Mobs towards us. Soul quickly spun his axe in a silver whirlwind of hacks and chops, turning the oncoming Mobs into littered drops on the forest floor.

"No…" Floyd argued as he tried to pick up his sword…and failed. "I can help…I can—"

"You won't be able to help anyone when you're dead!" Soul argued harshly between axe swings. "Just sit this one out."

Floyd clenched his fists and hung his head quietly, obviously upset he couldn't be of more use.

I really hoped the water falling from his face was the rain and not his tears.

After a few more waves, the Mobs began to peter out. Being close enough to Soul, I was able to get my fair share of EXP. And as an added bonus, the Zombies dropped enough rotten flesh to sustain me for a week.

Soul extended a hand to help Floyd up while I left to see how everyone else was doing.

*sssssssSSSSS!*

"Whoa!" I shouted as I leapt back instinctively. "Almost got me there."

A Creeper had snuck behind, nearly turning me into a smoking crater. But luckily I had managed to put enough distance between me and it to stop its suicidal countdown. Still, it continued towards me, desiring to end a Crafter's life.

I pulled out my golden sword to finish it off, but as I took a step forward, a bright flash of lightning filled my vision. I shouted in surprise as everything turned a blinding white. My eardrums exploded from the tumultuous clap of thunder and I felt a strong heat radiating from the area in front of me.

 _Holy crap! I think my life just flashed before my eyes!_

Heart: _Actually, Cobb, I think that was just lightning._

 _Oh…right._

Still blinded by the sudden lightning flash, I backed away from where I remembered the Creeper being until my back hit a tree.

 _Though the Creeper should be blinded too, right?_

Slowly, carefully, I opened my eyes. Multicolored dots of floating light danced through my sight, making it hard to see anything. Plus, my ears were ringing, muffling the thunderstorm above and the companions around me.

But then my eyes caught something. The Creeper. It was still standing by a chunk of scorched ground, where I assumed the lightning had struck.

Though was it just me, or did it have a strange blue glow to it?

I shakily held up my gold sword as the Creeper approached. I was too stunned to attack, so I settled for holding my sword defensively in a block. The block would take the explosive hit and I would be unharmed. Easy-peasy.

As the Creeper slowly made its way to me, I noticed a flash of white out of the corner of me eye.

It was Wynn. But I was shocked to see the expression on her face. She looked terrified and her mouth was wide open as if she was screaming something at me. Though if she was, my ears were too messed up from the thunder to hear properly.

Seeing I wasn't getting her message, she began to wave her arms wildly to the side. Her eyes wide and pleading. I finally realized telling me to get out of the way.

Normally, I would have shrugged it off. Wynn probably had no idea that blocking a Creeper explosion could spare me the damage. After all, Floyd didn't. But looking at how desperately she was telling me to get out of the way…those eyes wide in fear…her mouth wide in an unheard scream…made me realize something was different.

That I should take the Creeper more seriously.

And looking back at the Mob only verified my feeling.

It wasn't just me seeing things. That Creeper really did have a blue glow to it. A crackling, blue force-field of electricity that seemed to pulsate with power.

And as the Creeper got close enough to begin its detonation, only one thought crossed my mind.

Creeper + Blue Electric Force-Field = Nope.

So I nope'd on outta there just as the Creeper exploded.

*KA-BOOM*

And it was a good thing I did. Because, even though I was outside its usual range, that one explosion was three sizes too big. Surges of electricity arced across the forest, scorching the ground and blasting me off my feet into a low tree branch. Chunks of dirt and torn trees pelted my back as I just laid there.

When I no longer felt any debris hitting me, I noticed my hearing was coming back as a faint voice grew more audible.

"Cobb...are you still conscious?" Someone grabbed my shoulders and turned me around so I was facing up. I saw long ivory hair and amber eyes peering over me.

"Uhnn…Wynn?" I mumbled as I tried to focus my vision.

"Oh, please don't have a concussion. I really don't want to have to explain Enchanting to you again." The Captain spoke to herself while holding up her hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

I squinted to make them out. "Twelve-teen?"

She considered the answer for a moment. "Sounds like a Cobb response to me. You're fine." She lifted me to my feet and called one of her guards to bring over a Health Potion.

"W-what happened?" I questioned as Wynn brought me over to a chair-sized rock. "What was that explosion?"

"That," she began while taking a Health Potion from Bitters, "was a Charged Creeper."

I gratefully accepted the brew and downed it in one gulp, sighing as the healing relief washed over me. "Charged? Like with electricity?"

She nodded grimly. "They're rare. When certain Mobs are struck by lightning they…change. I don't know how, but the electricity in lighting reacts with the explosive compounds in Creepers. If the Creeper survives, the resulting reaction multiplies its destructive blast radius, giving it a pulsing blue aura, and transforming it into a Charged Creeper."

Most of what Wynn was saying was going over my explosion addled mind. And it probably would have gone over my non-explosion addled mind too. But the gist of it was that Creeper + Lightning = Not Super Fun Time.

Feeling sick from the shock of the explosion, I leaned my head between my knees and groaned lowly. Wynn just patted my back awkwardly. "Just…walk it off."

I then let out a short chuckle.

"What's so funny?" She asked seriously. "You almost died just now."

I looked up giving her a weary smile. "You were really worried about me, huh?"

Her eyes widened before she abruptly stood up, face slightly flushed. "D-don't be ridiculous! It's just that Erin would have been upset if the only thing I brought back of you was a smoldering Head! That's all." She folded her arms tightly and turned to her guards who were all watching the scene with interest. "And what are you all looking at!? Go and scout ahead so we don't have more Mobs to deal with!"

Her barking effectively scared the guards away and gave her a minute to compose herself.

My smile softened as I remembered everything Wynn did to tick me off over the past weeks. The stabbing. The subtle name-calling. The vague insults.

But then I remembered her actually worrying about my well-being. She came back to carry me out of that valley. She was willing to stand between me and an angry golem.

And that face she made when I almost got blown up.

…

I never wanted to see that face again.

But it all showed she actually cared…in her own way, of course.

"Captain!" One of the guards shouted as he ran towards Wynn with breakneck speed. "C-captain! Captain! We have a serious problem up ahead!"

"How serious?"

* * *

" _That_ serious!"

The guard pointed towards a small rocky basin with a dried up stream in the middle. The basin was between two forested hills and was sprinkled with lonely stumps where trees used to be.

But that wasn't the serious part.

The serious part was the fact that the entire basin was filled with hundreds of Creepers. A sea of green explosive death that moved at a snail's pace across the basin. The herd was dotted with flashes of blue as lightning struck the basin, transforming any Creepers within the shock radius into Charged Creepers.

 _…_

 _Well, fuck._

I mean, what else could you think but that? It was literally a herd of Creepers! Or…would it be a flock. A drove? A gaggle!

Sure. A gaggle of Creepers. That was the right word for it.

Mainly because gaggle was a funny word.

…

 _Gaggle._

"This is a serious problem." Bitters offered from beside me.

"Why are so many Creepers moving here?" One of the guards (Daniel or Spencer…I couldn't tell which) asked aloud. "Mobs aren't supposed to migrate…right?"

"Something must have spooked them." Wynn contemplated with furrowed brows. "Maybe some ocelots scared them from the Southern jungles."

"Captain." One of the guards (Solara, I think) whispered down from the tree tops so that the Creepers wouldn't notice us. "I took a look. The Creeper herd extends for several miles to the North and South."

Wynn cursed to herself at hearing that news. "Blast. We can't just abandon the horses to cross. And at the rate those Creepers are moving, it'll take a few days for them to pass."

"Oh, joy!" Soul grumbled sarcastically. "I knew this was a waste of our time."

"Soul…" Cara reached out a hand to calm down her companion, but Soul was having none of it.

"Don't give me that! We could have been clear of this if we just traveled Southeast to Nitebane. But instead, we just haaaaad to go through Daymonte. Now we'll be delayed even more!"

While Soul began ranting and the other guards listened to Wynn's orders on what to do next, I looked down upon the flowing gaggle of Creepers.

 _Those things are going to delay us? But…I don't want to just wait around for these things to pass. And Wynn really wanted to make it there and back on schedule._

 _She already lost out on her vacation time because of me…I can't let her get held up again._

 _Plus, if I can get them all across, she'll have to forgive my debt!_

 _But how am I supposed to cross all these Creepers?_

 _A tunnel underground? No. The horses wouldn't go for it._

 _A bridge over? We'd need more blocks than we have._

 _Or…_

 _…_

 _That's it!_

I hurried over to Wynn and repeatedly tugged at her blouse sleeve. "Captain Wynn! Captain!" I called out excitedly. "I know how we can cross these Creepers."

Wynn pulled her sleeve out of my reach and fixed me with a tired glance. "Cobb, this isn't the time for ridiculous ideas. We've already decided to wait a few days."

"But if we wait a few days, then you'll be late getting to Daymonte." I explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was.

Wynn let out an exasperated groan. "Yes, I know that Cobb, but there's no other—"

"And I want you to be done with this mission as soon as possible. Don't you?" I smirked to her. "Unless, of course, you enjoy being in the presence of a selfless hero such as I."

She scoffed at my words. "Selfless? You? Ha! I would be overjoyed to be finished with this mission. The sooner I can be rid of you the better."

I smiled on the inside knowing her words were just a tough façade. "In that case, I'll just head down there and make a nice path for you."

Wynn's eyes snapped open at my words and she grabbed me by the hoodie. "Hold on! I didn't say I wanted you to throw your life away!"

"That won't happen." I explained while pulling my hoodie out of her grip. "I can block Creeper explosions with my sword. All of you can!" I called to the surrounding Crafters. I spotted Floyd's blue hair work its way past as he stood at the front of the group, tired but determined.

A few of the guards laughed harshly. "Block Creeper explosions? With a sword!?" Bitters mocked derisively. "Clearly that Charged Creeper must've rattled his brains!" More laughs erupted from the guards.

Wynn actually glared at them sternly before returning her attention to me. "Cobb, this isn't a joke. Those Creepers can kill you in an instant, don't you know that?"

I nodded confidently. I knew quite a bit about Creepers from Herobrine's Mob book. And apparently it was an unknown piece of information that swords could block the monsters' suicidal blasts. "Trust me on this, Captain. We can all clear a path through the herd if we block in a defensive circle—"

"He's nuts!" Micah called out to the general approval of those around her. The others guards had their own words to pile on.

"Doesn't he realize how many Charged Creepers are down there!?"

"Luck saved him from the Valley Beast, but it won't help against that!"

"He's a knucklehead mcspazatron!"

"Okay! That's enough!" Wynn shouted as she massaged the bridge of her nose again. "Cobb. This whole week you've done nothing, but prove to me your own stupidity and ignorance. You've almost died several times, and every step forward for you is followed by two steps back! Give me _one_ good reason why this time will be any different!"

I stared back into Wynn's amber eyes as I thought of a suitable answer.

"You're right." I admitted ashamed. "I know I've messed up dozens of times because I didn't listen to you, or I didn't know what to do, or…or I was inexperienced." The memory of my 9-digit—sorry, 10-digit number flashed in my mind and I momentarily gazed at the rain-soaked ground.

Wynn frowned at my explanation. "Then why—"

"But this time is different because I actually _know_ Creepers!" I interrupted, returning my gaze to the Captain. "More than anything, I want to show Minecraftia that experience isn't everything. That anyone, regardless of number, can have their own piece of knowledge to impart to others. That everyone is valuable enough to survive in this world!

"And right now, I have the knowledge, from personal experience, that blocking with a sword can survive a Creeper explosion. No damage taken."

I raised the gold sword from my belt and held it out. "So please, Captain, let me prove that for once, I actually know what I'm doing."

The entire crowd of guards went silent following my passionate speech, waiting for Wynn to give her reply. She focused her amber orbs on my emerald ones, searching for even the tiniest shred of doubt. The lightning crackled across the sky and the thunder boomed as she contemplated my words.

Finally, she gestured towards the basin. "Show me what you can do."

I smiled confidently and nodded before sliding down into the basin. I heard the frantic murmurs behind me as well as Soul's supportive words of "He's dead" and "I call dibs on his gold sword."

As I neared the bottom of the basin, three Creepers quickly spotted me and broke off from the gaggle.

 _Okay, I can do this. I can do this._

Brain: _Obviously._

Heart: _We're right behind you…er…in you…what I mean is—_

Brain: _And now you made it weird. Good job, Heart._

As the Creepers approached, I held up my gold sword in a defensive block, angling towards the Creepers and gripping it by the handle and by the flat of the blade. They began flashing and hissing.

Only, two of them stopped abruptly, breaking away in a fast-paced waddle from the central Creeper which was still flashing white.

 _Are…Creepers afraid of blowing up from other Creeper explosions?_

*BOOM*

The central Creeper exploded, scattering bits of dirt and rock all over. Nothing but a smoking crater was left in its wake.

Well, nothing except for an unharmed Cobb!

"Ha! Suck it, Creepers! I read a book!" I shouted triumphantly as I slowly continued forward, blade still blocking, into the gaggle of Creepers. "And I'm INVINCIBLE!"

The Creepers heard my shouts and began to converge towards me. All of them looked pretty mad. Despite the fact that their 'mad face' looked just like their 'sad face' and their 'happy face'.

 _No problem. I can handle this many._

*sssssssSSSSS!*

*BOOM*

I blocked another explosion, skidding across the rain-soaked earth, but otherwise unharmed. My gold sword held firm, flashes of lightning dancing across its Enchanted reflective surface. The other Creepers scattered around in response to their detonating brethren.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

I made sure to keep an eye out for the blue, glowing Creepers. Sword or not, I was pretty sure I'd become smoldering chunks if I tried blocking one of them.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

I was slowly making progress, parting the gaggle of Creepers like Moses with the Red Sea.

 _…_ _Who's Moses again? And why would a Sea be red? Aren't Seas supposed to hold water? Pretty sure water is blue, not red._

 _Ugh! Too confusing!_

Okay. New metaphor. I was like a…Crafter…parting…a book.

Yeah.

But as more and more Creepers exploded, their brethren scattered about in a jumbled mess. It wasn't hard for some of them to slip past me and try for a sneak attack.

Hearing the hissing from behind me and to the left, I whirled around to block. But not sooner did I block that Creeper than two more approached my exposed back.

I couldn't face everywhere with my blade. I needed—

*BOOM*

As if on cue, an iron-clad Crafter intercepted the explosion with an iron sword, electric blue and dark red particles swirling around him.

"Thanks for the backup, Floyd." I nodded gratefully, keeping my back to his so defend ourselves better. Though I remembered he was still exhausted. "You good for this though?"

Floyd blocked another explosion with his blade. "Wow. You weren't kidding about the no damage." He mumbled to himself before meeting my gaze. "Yeah, I'm good. I had to ask Soul for a Strength Potion, but I can help—"

"For the record that's TWO Strength Potions I had to waste!" A gruff voice griped from nearby.

Soul had followed, preferring to hack his way past the Creepers instead of block. Though with the gaggle as dispersed as it was, he was able to handle it.

"Cobb!" Came a voice from above. I looked up to catch a sight of Wynn's ivory hair. She landed nearby, bright green particles emanating from her body. "Don't suppose you have a spare sword? My rapier doesn't block well."

"So long as you can tolerate a stone blade." I replied, throwing her the stone sword in my Inventory.

She scoffed, catching the blade. "You'd be surprised just how much I can tolerate." She began blocking approaching Creeper explosion too, expanding our two-man circle into a two-man-and-one-woman circle.

Half of the other guards were also joining the blocking. At first, they looked terrified. Eyes screwed shut and gripping their swords tightly in a block. But after the first few explosions and the feelings of relief and amazement wore off, they were more than used to it.

The other half of the guards, along with Cara, guided the horses through the basin. They simply followed in the wake of all the explosions and craters.

To be honest, I was expecting something to go wrong. Call it a nervous tick or paranoia, but usually when things went too well, it was only because something worse was fast approaching. It could've been a giant bolt of lightning charging all the Creepers in the basin. It could have been a giant mutant Zombie descending from the thunder clouds to tear us apart. Hell, it could have been Carys_Angel, back from the dead, to enact bloody vengeance against me.

But, strangely enough, pleasantly enough, none of that happened.

The storm began to cease just as we crossed to the other end of the basin. We climbed up the side, keeping the Creepers at bay, and when we were finally clear of the Mobs, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Sunbeams streaked through the clouds, bathing the landscape in an orange glow.

Then I heard something. Something small.

It started with one person. Wynn. Giving a slow clap. But it wasn't one of those sarcastically slow claps. It was one of those 'You done good, kid' claps. And it was directed at me. For me.

Then Floyd joined in, using every second of borrowed energy from his Potions to stave off exhaustion and applaud my efforts.

Then, shockingly, Soul joined in. Though his was more of the slow, sarcastic clap, it was also one of conceded praise. Even he couldn't find fault with my methods.

Then the other guards joined in, properly humbled by my show of experience. A few of them stepped forward to pat me roughly on the back. None of them were petty enough to deny me approval. Except for Bitters who refused to clap even once. He stayed on the outskirts with Soul, an irritated frown plastered across his face.

But I had more than enough overwhelming praise without him, so I didn't mind.

"Well, the Nether _must_ be freezing over." Wynn commented as she stepped forward. "Because I do believe a newb just taught me something."

I looked at her hopefully. "Does this mean you respect my skills as an equal?"

Wynn considered me for a moment in fake contemplation. "Hmmm. No." I hung my head dejectedly at her words. "But it does mean that I'll take you a little more seriously from now on. Emphasis on little."

I quickly recovered from my disappointment with a smirk. "I'll take what I can get."

Wynn turned her attention back to her guards. "Alright, men!" I waited for her to add 'and Cobb', but she just continued on with her command. "We still have a bit of sunlight out, so let's continue on!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" They all replied as they got to their horses and rode ahead.

I walked up to my donkey, grazing by the rim of the basin, and patted him on the head. "Looks like I did good, eh Ace?"

*HEE-HAW*

"…Why'd I think you'd respond any differently?" I sighed before saddling up. I looked down into the basin and noticed the gaps made in the Creeper gaggle were slowly re-closing. Despite crossing such a mass of Mobs, it was still ominous watching them march North.

"This type of thing isn't natural." I jumped as Wynn's voice surprised me. She was behind me, already atop her pristine steed, waiting up for me to leave the basin. "So many Creepers in one place. I don't like it."

I nodded in agreement, before a thought crossed my mind. I grinned sarcastically. "It was a good thing I was here then. How fortunate that you _convinced_ His Eminence to bring me along on this mission, right?"

Wynn's eye twitched at my comment. "I couldn't have known you'd be useful or not, so don't act like you were a godsend." She growled in mild annoyance.

"Don't sell yourself short, Captain." I continued with my grin growing wider. "I'm sure His Eminence would congratulate your foresight in recruiting a heroic and Creeper-experienced Crafter such as myself."

I laughed before I felt a rapier poke my neck. "I'm sorry, Cobb. What was that?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet purr, her smile promising pain. "It almost sounds as though you're _mocking_ me with your sarcasm."

"N-nonono! Not at all! You're always right, and I'm always wrong!" I quickly spouted, not wanting a rapier to the nuts again.

She accepted my words and removed the rapier from my neck. "Not always. I would have never thought of blocking Creeper explosions with a sword." She tossed me back my stone blade which I fumbled with before catching it by the handle. "You must have been pretty desperate to have figured that out the first time you tried it."

I scratched my head sheepishly as we rode our steeds away from the basin and towards the main group. "Actually…it wasn't a complete desperate guess."

"Hmm?"

"See, there was this book Helena gave me to read. Back at the Origin Zone." I explained to the Captain who listened intently. "It was written by that Herobrine guy and it described a bunch of information on Zombies, Creepers, Spiders, and Skeletons…though it left out a few things."

Like Witches and Stickmen.

Wynn's eyebrows lifted for a second before returning to their original position. "So…the book described how to block Creeper explosions?" She asked hesitantly. And was that wonder on her face? Or something else?

"Yeah. There's no way I would've made it this far without that information on Mobs." I admitted truthfully. "It saved my life more than once."

Wynn didn't reply right away. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it a second later before adopting a complicated expression. I tilted my head in confusion as we continued to ride forward.

 _What's she thinking about?_

"Captain?" I questioned, to which she responded with a calm smile.

"Sorry, I was just thinking of how your new fan club of guards would react if they knew you got all that knowledge from a book."

My eyes widened in fear. All that praise over my one good achievement. Only for them to discover it wasn't bravery, but book smarts!

"But I suppose we should tell them the tru—"

"Or!" I interrupted, raising my pointer-finger dramatically. "We can just keep that between us?" I suggested.

After the sarcastic teasing I gave her, I was sure Wynn wouldn't agree. She would get so much payback on me by ruining my one heroic moment.

Instead, Wynn nodded her head in agreement. "Your secret is safe with me."

She spurred her horse to pick up the pace with the others and, after taking a moment to overcome my shock and newly found respect, I followed her, albeit slowly, on my Ass, Ace.

Unable to see the fleeting frown adorning her face.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 64 Granite, 64 Andesite, 64 Diorite, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 1 Minecart, 28 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 3 Glass Bottles, 10 String, 3 Sticks, 2 Ender Pearls, 11 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 42 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 24 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Ace the Ass): 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 37 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 14 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 2 Arrows, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

* * *

 **AN: A Chapter of over 20,000 words!? What was I thinking!?**

 **Oh, yeah. I was thinking the viewers were starved from content. Thereby deserving a long-ass chapter to kick off Part II of the story.**

 **...**

 **In all seriousness though, I decided to make this Chapter into seven parts (1 part per day) to shorten the time spent between Kingdoms. Getting to Ringwood took so many Chapters and I really wanted to advance the story more than build up character-character moments. The result was a middle-ground that had both humor and touching moments...I hope.**

 **Really hope I made you guys laugh. Even just a little. And I hope you guys got that Monty Python reference I made. Because there are, in fact, killer rabbits in Minecraft.**

 **The seven ideas I used for the days were not all mine. AwakenedKarbon gave me the idea for Tuesday's prompt while Slenderbrine gave me the idea for Sunday's. If your prompt didn't make it, I hope you understand. I didn't hate the ideas, but the competition, in my opinion, was pretty tough.**

 **In addition, I have three, count 'em, THREE OC additions this Chapter. Special thanks to iHasDeathNote for her OC: Cosmicxx. I just established her as a Halstatt character because she'll play a role in the future.**

 **As for the other two OCs, I kinda cheated and put them in the Omake below. Special thanks to LuckyLuis for the OCs: Lucky_Luis and Darkened_Wing.**

 **One more thing. On my profile, I have a link to a Map of Minecraftia that a good friend of mine 'Deez Nutz' drew over the hiatus. It's basically the world the story takes place.**

 **Anyway, leave a fav, review, OC, follow, PM, what have you, and I'll see you next week...unless my internet crashes.**

* * *

Omake: Valley Beast

Once upon a time, before even Cobb's existence began, there was a creature.

A creature as pure and white as the driven snow.

But this creature was not 'pure' in the good sense. No. It was pure in the most evil abomination of all Crafter-kind…sense.

It had blood red eyes, slits for pupils and was demonic in origin.

Its appearance was that of an innocuous bunny rabbit. Nibbling cutely on any vegetable in its vicinity. Its whiskers twitched at the faintest breeze. Its long ears bounced slightly with its movements and every so often it would stretch lazily across the rocks that made up its home.

But its home was all you needed to determine how dangerous it was. It lived in a cave of jagged rocks in between an undisturbed valley, as if man had never set foot there.

And if a Crafter ever did, only their disembodied Heads and gear would remain.

For decades, unsuspecting Crafters would wander between the valley of Caerbannog Mountain and Blitz Peak, seeking glory or rare ores.

Instead they found death.

Death at the adorable paws of the Valley Beast.

Piles of gear belonging to thousands of nameless Crafters lay abandoned at the base of the Caerbannog Mountain, awaiting the day a Crafter brave enough (or stupid enough) would risk death to claim them.

Eventually, the disappearances and rumors kept most folks away. Some over-confident and boastful warriors, dismissing the rumors as superstition, attempted to seek and kill the beast…

Only to never be heard from again.

That was the nature of Minecraftia. Some things existed that never should have existed. The Beast was simply a product of some cruel ironic joke, played by the universe on the unsuspecting Crafters of Minecraftia.

And so the legend of the Valley Beast was spread throughout the neighboring lands, ensuring that nobody would dare cross the valley while the Beast was outside of its cave.

* * *

The Valley Beast lay on its back, soaking in the warmth of the noon-day sun. Content to letting the day pass away.

No mortals had disturbed its home for…it wasn't even sure how long it had been.

And that was the way it liked it.

Suddenly, a voice was carried by the wind to its sensitive ears. A mortal voice.

"We shouldn't be here." The voice hissed. Male by the sound of it and terrified beyond belief. "I'm telling you we shouldn't _be_ here!"

"He's right." Came a quiet second voice. Male again and slightly afraid, but doing a remarkable job of hiding it. "We shouldn't risk going straight through the valley. What if the Valley Beast—"

"If the Valley Beast is here," sounded a cold, composed _female_ voice, "then I want to see it."

The Beast's eyes narrowed dangerously as it considered the woman's tone. Either she wasn't scared or she was putting up a charade for her companions. It was quite convincing too. The Beast almost believed her.

"What's the point of seeing something like that?" The more cowardly male hissed. "I'm all for a challenge, but this…this _thing_ we're looking for…it's a monster!"

The Beast detected a small chuckle from the female. "I want to see how its reputation stacks up…against a _true_ monster."

The Beast's ears perked up from that challenge. The woman obviously had a lot of pride in herself if she was willing to _look_ for a monster.

It was almost a shame that she would get her wish.

A death wish.

The Beast stretched out and yawned cutely before hopping towards the sound of the three voices.

Although another sound caught the Beast's attention. It was the faint sound of a four-legged animal…yet different from the horses most mortals rode through the valley.

*CLOP-CLOP* *CLOP-CLOP*

It was a sound foreign to the Beast. Perhaps it would allow the intruders to approach so that it could see the source of the foreign sound for itself.

The Beast peered up from its position upon a rock. Standing at the rim of one of the surrounding rocky slopes, were the three mortals.

One male with short brown hair. The other with shoulder length silver hair and a non-leather black cap. Both riding horses.

And there was the woman, undoubtedly the leader of their little trio and flanked by the two males. She had spiky black hair and cold, red eyes.

And…she was riding no horse. After all, what horse was pink and had a snout?

"Oh, fuck." The brown-haired man gasped in horror as his eyes focused on the Beast's form. "We're dead! It's seen us! And now we're dead!"

However, the woman's eyes observed the Beast in mild curiosity. No hint of fear in her expression.

The Beast smiled to itself. It would be so satisfying to teach the woman _true_ fear.

"Luis. Wing." The two men stood up straight at being addressed by their leader. "Wait here with Mr. Piggles."

Their eyes widened as their leader dismounted the creature named Mr. Piggles. "B-but Carys—"

" _Wait_. _Here_." She punctuated each word with an arctic glare directed to her companions, effectively silencing their protests. Then she slid down the rocky slope with a lazy expression on her face.

The Beast was ecstatic. It would get the opportunity to show the woman the true meaning of fear. And she had been foolish enough to leave her companions behind. They wouldn't have done much good, but they could have served the purpose of a distraction at best.

As the woman padded towards the Beast, she made a distinctive sound with her purple boots.

*tk tk*

It was a sound that annoyed the Beast. It was small, but against its sensitive ears was obnoxiously loud.

*tk tk*

The Beast longed to end that annoying sound. Longed to end the woman before it.

Longed to claim another victim to serve as a grim reminder to anyone that dared approach!

The woman was only a few feet away now. The Beast bared its razor sharp fangs and narrowed its red slit eyes as it prepared to attack.

The woman named Carys gazed insipidly at the Beast. She didn't even bother to arm herself with the assortment of swords at her belt.

And just when the Beast was about to leap…

Something…happened.

Carys barely moved. Just a simple blink was the only warning the Beast got before an unimaginable bloodlust exuded from her. The air felt ten times heavier. Her red eyes held a cold fire that threatened to singe the very flesh from the Beast's bones. And a dark aura enveloped her very being, transforming the woman into a demon far crueler than the Beast itself!

This…this wasn't a mortal…

Something was dangerously wrong with the woman!

The Beast shivered fearfully and shrunk like the innocent bunny it pretended to be. The killing intent surrounding Carys was just that powerful. Even her two associates on the slope were cowering from the sheer intensity.

…This was it.

The Beast was going to die.

A far greater beast had found it in the form of a raven-haired woman. The one named Carys_Angel.

How ironic. She was about as far from an Angel as night from day.

Just when the Beast couldn't take anymore of Carys' deadly aura, it vanished. As quickly as it came.

And Carys smiled at the Beast before gently petting it.

As her hand brushed across its fur, the Beast remained motionless. It dared not breathe for fear that it would set the woman off.

Finally, the demon known as Carys spoke. "You were going to try and kill me, correct?"

The Beast remained motionless, slit eyes tracking the hand that pet it. The hand trailed across the Beast's cheek, playfully flicking its whiskers before returning to the owner.

"Then, come at me." Carys spoke softly as she held her arms out, openly inviting the Beast to sink its fangs into her neck.

But the Beast didn't move.

"No?" Carys questioned with a raised brow and a small smile.

The Beast's eyes darted, but it didn't move.

"Yeah?" Carys questioned again, almost as if egging the creature on.

The Beast didn't move.

"No." Carys stated confidently as she lowered her arms. "You're going to let me and my companions pass. After all, you wouldn't want to delay us, right?"

The Beast didn't move but kept its eyes locked onto Carys'.

"I didn't think so." Carys laughed before turning around and whistling to her companions.

Mr. Piggles outpaced the two men and rushed to Carys' side. The men moved more slowly, obviously still afraid of the Beast despite their leader's assurance.

But they passed. And the Beast made no move to follow, nor did it make any move…to move.

But it kept its ears perked. Awaiting the moment that hell-spawn cleared its valley. Praying that Carys would never come back. The Beast thought it knew true evil whenever it looked at its own reflection, but clearly Carys had earned that distinction. She was the true demon.

"So…what did you think?" The Beast heard one of Carys' companions question their leader. Gauging what she thought of the Valley Beast.

Carys chuckled softly. "Oh please, Luis." She replied easily. "It was only a rabbit."

* * *

 **AN: That actually happened! Totally canon. Before Cobb ever spawned into existence...or angered that demon incarnate. *shivers***


	30. Talks

**AN: 8000 Views. 2000 Visitors. 36 Favs. 38 Follows. Wow.**

 **Just...wow. I got so much response to last week's chapter it was crazy. Made me happy to see people actually looked forward to this story. Many manly tears were shed. (T_T)**

 **Congrats to Laner, you mysterious, ambiguous, unaccountable, riddle-solving, genius, for getting the answer to last week's riddle. The man fell out of a 50-story, but he fell from the _first floor_ , thus sparing him from turning into street pizza. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: Inside a green house, there's a white house. Inside the white house, there's a red house. And inside the red house are a bunch of little** **babies. What would you call the whole thing?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd increase stack size to 100.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 30

 **Talks**

[Floyd]

There's an old saying.

And by old I obviously mean by Normal Sense standards since I've never heard of the saying in Minecraftia.

But there's an old saying: You never miss the water until the well runs dry.

At the moment, that pretty much summed up how I felt about sleep. I never realized how important it was until I was several days into sleep-deprivation. Without it, every movement was an effort, focus was an ordeal, and each second was a heated war to keep my eyelids open.

More than anything, I wanted to shut my eyes and just flop onto the nearest soft material, effectively dead to the world. I would sleep for the entire day, not even caring if a Mob tried to kill me.

But, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't.

Because the nightmares weren't stopping.

Every time I tried to rest, my guilty mind would conjure up horrific renditions to torture me. My dreams were always plagued with the scene of Silent's death or some new terror that usually ended with Soul dead or Cobb dead.

Actually, I take that back. They usually ended with me waking up in a cold sweat and screaming my head off.

On one such occasion (the day Cobb pissed off a pack of wolves), Cara, sleeping right beside me, noticed my deafening screams and awoke immediately to ask what was wrong. If Soul wasn't such a heavy sleeper, he probably would have been asking questions too.

I tried playing it off as a bad dream, but I could tell Cara wasn't buying it. So instead, I asked her not to tell Soul.

It was really nothing for him to worry about, let alone anyone else. It was _my_ sleep problem and I'd solve it alone.

Although I knew I had to solve it soon. We were supposed to arrive in Daymonte the next day, and that meant no more traveling with Wynn or her guards. It would just be me, Cara, and Soul braving it through dangerous lands. And if I was too exhausted to fight, I'd just be a burden again.

But that wasn't going to happen. Because I had a plan. And any plan a sleep-deprived mind could devise couldn't possibly fail!

It was simple. I would overwork my body training my sword skills, getting my mind to focus on something other than my guilt, and when I finally succumbed to exhaustion, I'd collapse and sleep…by force.

Eventually my body would get to the point where it _had_ to sleep. And fighting was all I had as a distraction to get to that point.

So, when our entire group picked a spot for camp, I went off into the woods to exhaust myself while Soul went off to scrounge some meat.

As for Cara, she didn't offer any protest to us splitting up to do our own thing. She just sat by a tree, looking lonely and small, while she tried to plan out our shelter.

And speaking of shelter, I caught a bit of an argument between Cobb and Wynn.

"Are you telling me, that your shelter has been a TWO-DIMENSIONAL CUTOUT THIS ENTIRE TIME!?"

"Wh-how did you find out?"

"I looked at it from the left! Guards! Hold me back, because I'm going to kill Cobb otherwise!" Wynn shouted in a commanding tone, to which several guards wordlessly followed orders. She held back long enough for them to restrain her before she lost it and tried to claw her way towards Cobb.

Cobb quickly opened the door to his 'shelter' and hid 'inside' despite the fact that he could just have easily walked around to get behind it.

"He's doing this on purpose! I know he is! Just to screw with me!" Wynn's rants echoed before I left the scene.

 _Cobb can handle that._

* * *

I didn't have to travel far before I found a suitable training spot: A small clearing covered with an assortment of flowers. It was illuminated by moonlight filtering in through the treetops. A few sheep bleated serenely as they trotted about.

 _Perfect_. I thought as I withdrew my iron sword and began to practice. I swung my sword in a flurry of slashes, swapping between dominant and non-dominant hands, in an effort to exhaust myself.

Then I tried those knockback strikes Cobb mentioned on some poor sheep. It wasn't personal, but I needed to see if I could get the timing right.

I struck one of the sheep and sent it crashing into a tree before it vanished in a burst of…something.

I had never killed a sheep before (only ever seeing some in Ringwood) and had no idea what they would drop. Curiously, I stooped down and picked up the two new items: [WOOL] and [RAW MUTTON].

The wool felt soft in my hands, like cotton bedding, and I briefly wondered if it was a key component in the beds Cara brought. And the raw mutton was a slab of meat, definitely edible and probably more so if cooked.

I pocketed the items and swapped out for my flint and steel, eying the other sheep with a predatory glint. They shivered fearfully as I stood over them.

 _Man's gotta eat._

Two roasted sheep later, I had two [COOKED MUTTON] and two more wool. The mutton tasted so good, cooked to perfection and greasy from the fat. The only down side was that my flint and steel broke and I had no iron to replenish it.

So far, everything was going well. I had properly exhausted myself killing sheep and had filled up on enough food to make me drowsy. All that was left was to wait for sleep to take hold. Ironically, if I hadn't killed the sheep, I could've counted them to get to sleep faster.

I plopped down and rested my head against the trunk of a tree, waiting for sleep to take hold.

 _"_ _That won't work."_

I quickly looked up to locate the voice I just heard. It sounded…familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Who's there?" I called out, standing myself up against the tree. My eyes scanned the woods for any sign of movement. "Hello?"

Out of the corner of my eye, something stepped from the foliage. I turned to face it with my sword drawn…

…only to immediately drop it in shock.

"It…can't be."

It was Silent_Game, standing before me as if he was never dead at all. His slick white hair and light blue eyes were unmistakable as were his ridiculous rectangular, pince-nez glasses. And it couldn't just be someone wearing his Head, because he had the same attire. The same lavender shirt with the black sleeves and the same cobalt pair of jeans.

It was really him.

"Silent…"

At my words, he just shook his head sadly, light blue eyes somber and cold. His glasses shook barely a fraction, the moonlight reflecting in such a way to make the lenses opaque.

What? Why was he shaking his head? Why—no, forget that. Why wasn't he saying anything? He was there! Standing before me like he was alive! He had somehow spawned back into existence!

But before I could take a step forward, I heard a call behind me.

"Floyd? What are you doing out here?"

I turned my head, tearing my attention from Silent for a moment, just to see who had called to me. It was Soul, looking grumpy but carrying a couple cooked porkchops with him. However, when I returned my attention back to Silent, he was gone.

I quickly whipped my head left and right, thinking my formerly dead friend had just gone out of sight for a while. After all, why would he show himself only to leave when his other friend, Soul, had just shown up? It didn't make any sense.

"Hey, you heard me?" Soul asked again, trying to gain my attention. "What are you even staring at?"

Suddenly, a scarier thought entered my mind as I turned to Soul. "Did you see him?" I asked anxiously.

"Wh—see who? Cobb?" He questioned, genuinely confused.

"No, not—was I the only person you saw in this clearing?" I clarified half hopefully and half fearfully.

"Yeah…why?" He responded warily, checking the surroundings for any sign of enemies. "Was there someone else here?"

"I…I don't know." I responded lamely as I once more picked apart the surroundings. My head was starting to pound fiercely.

 _Did I…imagine that?_

"Tch. Well glad we cleared _that_ up." Soul responded sarcastically. "You didn't answer me: what are you doing out here, and away from the camp?"

I shook off the last thoughts of Silent from my mind before I refocused on Soul standing in front of me. "Just training."

"Well, going off by yourself to train is pretty stupid. What if a Griefer jumped you or something?" Soul asked while drawing out his axe. "You're not exactly in your best condition."

"I…I know. I'm sorry It's just—"

"I don't want to hear it." Soul interrupted with a raised hand. "Why waste time talking when we could be training? Lucky for you, I'm an excellent sparring partner."

I couldn't help but smile at his words. "You won't go easy on me just because I'm exhausted will you?" I was already readying my iron sword.

"Not if you keep milking that 'I'm exhausted' excuse." Soul responded while switching his grip on his axe. His muscles tensed, waiting to spring into an attack as soon as I called it.

…

…

"GO!"

* * *

[Cobb]

"Put that there…and this here…" I mumbled to myself as I arranged the wooden planks. "THERE! Is that good enough?"

I stepped away from my newly constructed shelter, awaiting Wynn's critical judgment. She observed it from every angle, ensuring it wasn't two-dimensional, before offering her unbiased opinion.

"Try again." She spoke those same damnable words, relishing in the groan escaping my mouth, as I, for the umpteenth time, deconstructed my shelter. She was so hell-bent on getting my shelter-building up to her standards that she kept forcing me to build and destroy and build again until I got it right.

On one hand, I had succeeded in building something that had three walls instead of one, but roofs and that tricky fourth wall were always a challenge; one I doubted I'd ever overcome.

"How come I need to meet your standards anyway?" I complained while hacking away at planks. "It's not like I'm going to be traveling with you forever."

"It's not about meeting my standards, Cobb." Wynn replied as she took a seat on an oak wood stair. "It's about being able to build a good shelter. As hard as it might be for you to comprehend, a four-wall shelter can keep out Mobs better than a one-wall."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I know that. But my one-walled shelters are good enough. After all, they kept me alive throughout the week. And I can't get this stupid fourth wall to connect properly."

"It was only luck keeping Mobs away from your 'shelter'." She used air quotes on the word shelter to get her point across. "But luck runs out. So if you want to get to sleep tonight, you'll make a proper shelter. Four walls and all."

I sighed exasperatedly before beginning construction again. I used my jump-and–place-blocks-under-me technique (which Wynn explained was referred to as nerd poling, a common Crafter tactic in escaping underground caves) to build the corners of the shelter. Then I connected the corners as best could.

The only problem was that I kept screwing up the placement of the shelter corners. I had to line them up just right to connect with each other.

Wynn got up and pointed to a spot on the dirt. "This is where the corner should be."

I nodded to her advice and placed the wooden planks to complete the square outline. Then I began to build up the walls, connecting all four-corners perfectly.

I looked to Wynn, who nodded approvingly before urging me to continue. I filled in the gaps of the wall, save for a space I left for the door, and finished by making a flat ceiling.

Wynn gazed at it closely, looking for any structural weakness, but seemed satisfied. "The roof needs some work, but it should hold up for the night. Illuminate the inside with a torch and you got yourself a shelter."

I let out a relieved sigh as Wynn left to construct her own shelter. She had been so busy helping me that she didn't have the chance to make one. I quickly lit the inside of the house and admired my own work. Having four walls certainly did make me feel safer.

 _I guess Wynn was right…not that I'll tell her that of course._

I exited my shelter, filling in the space with a door, and placed a sign in front.

 **' _Crapshack Mark XV: Better than Crapshacks I-XIV_ '**

I smiled contentedly at my work, and proceeded to make my way over to the guards sitting around a fire, talking and enjoying food.

That was, until I spotted someone sitting by themselves.

It was Cara, slumped against the base of a tree with only minor signs of a tree house shelter built above her. She nibbled on some bread and looked dejected, a miserable frown adorning her face.

Floyd and Soul weren't with her and I didn't see them anywhere in the camp. Shouldn't they have been the ones comforting their depressed leader and teammate? Instead of going off to do whatever?

I glanced between the jovial guards by the fire, a few of them calling me over to join them, and the lonely purple-haired woman, focusing somberly on a speck of dirt on the ground.

"Damnit." I groaned and grudgingly approached Cara, leaving the warmth and laughter of the guards behind me.

 _Floyd owes me for this._

As I approached, Cara only seemed to notice me when I stood above her. She looked up with a curious expression.

"Mind if I sit with you?" I began, hoping to God I could pull the woman out of whatever funk she was in.

She looked at me for a moment before gesturing to a spot beside her. She continued to nibble on a loaf of bread as I sat down, reminding me that I was pretty hungry too. Shelter building can build up an appetite after all.

I withdrew some strips of rotten flesh from my backpack and tore into them ravenously. The flavor was as bad as ever, but I had gotten so used to it that I barely flinched from the taste.

Cara eyed the drop with disgust before rummaging through her backpack. She held out some bread to me. "Here. No Crafter should be forced to eat that stuff."

I swallowed a mouthful of the sickening drop before politely waving off her offer. "I'm fine with it. Really."

She raised an eyebrow at my words. "Don't tell me you're 'super macho' like Soul and never accept free food."

"What? No. It's just that I don't mind the flavor all that much. And I have other food options." I defended. Just to prove my point, I bit into the rotten flesh, holding it in my mouth, as I fished in my backpack for some of my other food items. "Fwee?" I replied, holding out pumpkin pies and cookies with my mouth full. "Enuff vood do lazst a wile."

Cara burst into a fit of laughs at my stuffed face and I internally congratulated myself at lifting her sad mood.

Once she got the laughs out of her system, she gave me a kind look. "Don't talk with your mouth full." She joked.

I quickly swallowed the drop and nodded as politely as I could.

"Still, you must have been pretty desperate to eat that stuff. I know I was." She added quietly as an afterthought. Fortunately, I was close enough to hear it.

"What made you eat rotten flesh?" I asked curiously.

Cara contemplated for a bit, looking deep within her memory. "It was just after I left the Origin Zone.

"Back then, I was just a helpless newb all on my own, with only a sword and a bow to defend myself. And while I was terrible with a sword, I took up archery pretty quickly.

"I was clueless as to which Kingdom was closer, or if there was any Kingdom to begin with, so I decided to head South. But instead of friendly Crafters, all I found were Zombies, Skeletons, and…cultists.

"They chased me down into a cave, where I figured I'd lost them…only to get lost myself. I was down there for days, and my food stores ran out…so to survive…well…" She looked away embarrassed. "When you're starving to death, rotten flesh can quickly look like a five-star meal."

I nodded in understanding. It must have been quite a traumatic experience. Trapped underground with no food.

"When I finally found my way out of those caves, I decided to keep a stack of food on person at all time. That's how I got into farming." She withdrew a wooden hoe from her backpack and did something to the dirt besides me.

The grass vanished to be replaced with tilled dirt, to which she added some green seeds from her belt and some strange white powder. Immediately the seeds began to grow, turning from green to yellow to a light brown.

Then, she broke the crops, spreading bushels of [WHEAT] in every direction. She picked them all up and set down a Crafting Table. "Bread was the easiest to grow. There were seeds to it everywhere and I just needed some dirt to plow and boom! Instant bread."

She held up a newly made loaf and chomped at it ravenously. Talking about her past had easily made her forget about her gloomy mood and restored her hunger.

"So what about you?" She asked, pointing a bread loaf at me. "What got you into rotten flesh?"

I thought back to when it happened and chuckled to myself. "Well, I wasn't running from anyone. No, I was running _after_ someone."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. I was low on Hunger when I literally ran into Floyd." I reminisced as I gazed at the stars in the night sky. "He was the first Crafter I ever saw. And as far as first impressions go…he ran away from me. So I swallowed my pride with the rotten flesh to refill my Hunger and chased after him."

Cara looked expectantly, as if waiting for some greater part of the story. "That's it?"

"Well, I caught him. But yeah, that's it." I concluded rather lamely.

Cara combed a hand through her purple hair and smirked. "I was expecting some kind of desperate survival situation. You might want to come up with a better story to tell people."

"Hmm…Nah." I waved off as I held the rotten flesh against the night sky. "It might be the sickest thing I've ever eaten, but I think there'll come a time when I don't have any of the fancy food I have now. And when that time comes, I don't want to be weaned off this stuff. Especially when it's easily available."

"You could always try farming." Cara suggested, pointing at the gardening tool at her belt.

"Maybe." I answered vaguely.

Our conversation quickly devolved into silence as we ate in peace. Cara with her bread and me with my rotten flesh. The dull green particles representing the negative effects of the rotten flesh swirled around me, but only until I filled up my Hunger Meter and swapped to cookies. Then the particles died out.

The stars truly were beautiful out. And the moon with its light glow. All of them looked like some god had punched holes in the empty oblivion of space, filtering in light from some greater source.

"Hey, Cobb." Cara asked from beside me.

"Yeah?" I asked, wondering if she was about to tell me why she seemed sad a few moments ago.

She turned her head to look at me searchingly. "Do you…do you think Soul would have been a better leader for this mission?"

"Hell no." I replied without missing a beat.

Cara actually recoiled at my bluntness. "Really? Not even a second thought about—"

"No. Soul shouldn't be a leader." I repeated twice as confidently. "The guy's too bloodthirsty. Remember Wednesday's Griefer attack?"

Cara's face darkened. "Yes…I remember…my horse died."

I coughed awkwardly. "He…was a good horse."

"Female."

" _She_ was a good horse." I corrected myself before continuing. "But my point is that Soul was willing to chase after those fleeing Griefers, into unknown territory, rather than stick with the group. Whenever there's a fight, he jumps right in. And that's not someone you want leading a group."

She looked sadly at her boots. "But Soul is also strong enough to make tough decisions." She argued. She was oddly persistent given how she was effectively pointing out her own faults as leader. "When I was pinned down, he didn't hesitate to kill my horse if it meant saving my life. I was too shocked to even think!"

I suddenly thought back to Cara's behavior. Her sullen mood did seem to originate after Wednesday's attacks, and she grew more subdued as the week went on.

"Tell me, Cobb." Cara began as she fixed me with an intent stare. "How did you get Soul to listen to you during that Griefer attack?"

"Wha?"

"The attack!" Cara repeated, slightly annoyed. "You and him were working in perfect tandem, reeling in and chopping up Griefers like no tomorrow! How did you get him to follow your orders?"

"Oh, I just listened to my internal organs."

"…"

 _Shit! I forgot! Not everyone has internal organs that advise their decisions!_

 _Or…maybe not everyone is crazy like me…_

 _Not really sure._

"Do you…mean you listened to your gut?" She clarified. "Your instinct?"

Yes! An easy out! "Yeah…instinct…let's go with that. But really, I just made him _want_ what I wanted him to do. Then he did it. But that only worked because he's bloodthirsty, which I could satisfy by pulling in enemies."

Cara grimaced at my explanation. "Too manipulative for me. Your method sounds like something Brett would do."

The name Brett sounded familiar, before I remembered he was the leader of the Silver Intent and someone of great suspicion.

"What can you tell me about Brett?" I asked my purple-haired companion, to which she stiffened.

"What is there to tell?" She asked carefully. I could tell she knew what I suspected. But I was unsure of how much I could give away without revealing what Wynn truly thought about Brett.

I took a deep breath before continuing. "I've heard some things about him. He seems charming and all smiles, but he completely changes when torturing information out of cultists."

Cara closed her eyes and frowned to herself, but didn't speak against the claims I was making. I took that as an affirmation.

"And I've seen enough of Soul's work to make me wonder if Brett is influencing his people towards a more violent route." At that moment, I realized why I hated the idea of Soul and Floyd getting along and bonding over Wednesday's kills. I was worried that Floyd would become every bit as ruthless as Soul; killing defenseless enemies just for the sake of tying up loose ends. He would sacrifice his mercy for bloodlust.

And I feared sticking with the Silver Intent would only be worse for him.

"No! That's not true at all!" Cara argued with apprehensive aqua-marine eyes. "Brett may be manipulative, but Soul is acting as he sees fit. And after all he's been through, I can't blame him for his fighting methods."

"Self defense I can understand. But his 'methods' are literally overkill! I've seen him kill unconscious goons; men that couldn't even lift up a sword! How is that right!?"

"Well what about you, fisherman!?" Cara rose in volume to match my shouts, though the title of fisherman felt strange to my ears. "That Griefer you let go almost killed Floyd! Did you just assume he would leave peacefully? A Griefer!?"

"That…I—He looked like he was sorry!" I defended weakly.

"Soul would have seen him for the liar he was!"

A grit my teeth in annoyance. Soul wouldn't have cared if it was a lie of not; he would've swung an axe into him all the same. "Well if you think so much of him, maybe he _should_ be leader! And then you can watch him lead you guys into every fight!"

Cara's expression softened at my exclamation. "It's not that I…he'd be…" She trailed off as she focused on her boots again. Then she pulled her goggles down over her eyes as if to hide something. Her next words sounded so small. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Her words were like a bucket of water, extinguishing our heated argument and returning us to silence. That was probably the core of her concerns; being a good leader.

When I didn't immediately respond, she continued. "I don't know if any of my choices are the right ones. Or if I'm being responsible pushing my leadership onto someone else…I just don't know."

I stayed silent for several moments, thinking what was best to say to her. Then I heard faint sniffling and saw her wipe her nose on her tank top. I couldn't see through her goggles, but I could tell she was crying. She must have been pretty burdened.

I scratched my chin awkwardly while thinking up what to say. "Well…I don't know what I'm doing most of the time." I conceded.

She laughed a little at my statement, but was still focused on her boots, refusing to look at me.

So then I thought of something else. "Can I tell you something?"

I took her silence as a 'yes'.

"Floyd really wants to avenge his friend and take on the Endward Cult." I explained hesitantly, for once realizing where my real issues with Soul lay. "But when I think about searching for cultists and actively trying to kill them, I can't find a reason to do it other than 'it's what Floyd wants'.

"And…I get it. The Endward Cult is a bad group. They hurt and kill people…but going after them goes against my self-defensive way of fighting. If they attack me or my friends, then obviously I'm going to fight back…but I don't think I'm selfless enough to follow Floyd against them, just on loyalty alone.

"And then there's Soul, a man who _is_ willing to strike the cult and someone from Floyd's past. Considering his goals, Floyd has more to gain siding with him than with me. And if that happens…"

 _I'll lose a best friend._ I finished in my mind. Sure it was selfish, but after everything the two of us went through, I didn't want to give that up. That connection.

A connection I was sure would break if Floyd continued with the Silver Intent. I knew I wouldn't be able to join an organization like that if it meant starting a war with a cult of killers.

After hearing my confession, Cara let out a long, drawn-out sigh and tore up some grass besides her. "If you're worried about them becoming friends…don't." She didn't look at me when she said that, despite the questions it brought up.

"What…what do you mean?" I asked. It almost sounded like she was certain the two wouldn't make up.

"Yes. What _do_ you mean?" Came a third voice directly in front of us. We were so absorbed in our discussion that we failed to notice Wynn approaching. And she seemed quite interested in the topics we were not-so-subtly screaming about just moments ago.

Without thinking, I said the first thing that came to mind when faced with the ivory-haired fencer.

"Nobody likes an eavesdropper, Captain."

* * *

[Floyd]

"UGH!" I groaned as I hit the ground. Hard.

At first, we were pretty even. But then my exhaustion really hit me. I had no second wind because I was already well into my third of fourth wind, so Soul easily wiped the floor with me in the latter half of our spar. It got to the point where he used his fists to prevent any fatal damage with his axe.

To my credit, I tried to get back to my feet and continue. But Soul was already leaning against a tree, calling the match to an end.

"You're too sluggish." He chastised with a scowl. "Usually you'd be zipping past me, but I barely broke a sweat keeping up with you."

"Ah, well…" I panted as I propped myself up against a tree. "I didn't want to use a Swiftness Potion on a spar between frie—" I stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening in panic over my slip-up. I was so caught up in the camaraderie of sparring that I almost used that word.

Soul didn't look like he took it well. "Yeah, you better cut yourself off there. Because you and I are co-workers and teammates. Not friends." His eyes were as solid as steel, emphasizing his own stalwart stand on our affiliation.

But I wasn't.

"Soul, I've joined up with the Silver Intent, I've apologized over and over, and this whole week I've been trying to reconnect." I ticked off my fingers for each point. "What more will it take for you to forgive me and repair our friendship?"

Soul's eyes narrowed and his eyes sharpened. "Nothing you say is going to convince me. You chose your own life over your friends. And trust broken like that isn't so easily fixed."

I looked at the ground guiltily. I should have known he'd never forgive me. Even after everything, he still hung on to that day in Miner's Warren.

That was one thing we had in common: we both hung on to the past. Though in my case it was causing serious insomnia.

"And as for avenging Silent," Soul continued without bothering to look at me, "I don't think you're willing to go through with it."

A flash of anger flared in my chest. "Now wait just a second! Of course, I'm going to avenge him! The Cult's going to pay for every Crafter they ever hurt or murdered, and I'll make it my life's mission to see that happen! Why would that even be a question?"

"Two words." Soul held up two fingers with his back facing me. "King. Cobb."

The anger I had felt began to ebb away at Soul's statement, leaving nothing but confusion. "Cobb? What does he have to do with…oh, is this because he let that Griefer go?" I addressed the topic exasperatedly. It was really no big deal. In fact, it had been a relief to hear that the Griefer I killed was a lying sack of shit, willing to backstab the very people that showed him mercy.

Good riddance.

"It's _exactly_ that." Soul replied, finally turning to face me. "Cobb may know his way around Creepers and fishing rods, but he's a newb! And an empathetic one to boot. Sparing the ones trying to kill him. What a joke!"

"So, what?" I questioned, not liking where the conversation was going. "Cobb showing mercy is a problem?"

"It is when our mission is literally the COMPLETE ERADICATION of the Endward Cult!" Soul stressed exaggeratedly. "Seriously! How many complete eradications involve showing mercy?"

"But…Cobb isn't a member of the Intent! I am!" I shouted, barely stifling an exhausted yawn. I couldn't afford to let my exhausted mind impair my argument.

"You're friends with him." Soul clarified. "Friends with someone who, I can tell, has no stake in our Endward Cult revenge plan! Brett and Cara? They both have lost people and want to see the cult burn! But Cobb is just some lost newb with nothing else to occupy his time except follow you around! And look what happened! Our Nitebane mission has been delayed because you had to work everything along with HIS schedule!"

As much as I wanted to argue with Soul, everything he said had a ring of truth. Cobb wasn't nearly as invested with destroying the cult as I was. And if we hadn't have traveled with Wynn's group, we would have been a lot closer to Nitebane.

"Actions speak louder than words, Floyd. If you really want to prove to me that you're ready to avenge Silent, then cut off that newb holding you back."

"You can't ask me to choose between my friends, Soul." I begged. There had to be another way to convince him. Any other way! "He's saved my life and I've saved his! It's because of him that I even worked up the courage to try and fix things between us!"

"That's my one and only offer." Soul clarified as he hefted his axe over his shoulder and tossed me a spare cooked porkchop. "It's either him or me. And believe you me. Against the cult, we both know who's in it for the long run."

And with that final word, Soul headed back towards the camp. I waited for a few minutes, thoughts frantically weighing the pros and cons of his argument. Cobb was obviously more understanding of…everything! But despite his skills, an axe wielder would ultimately be more suited to combating the cult than a fisherman.

Was avenging Silent with Soul really worth abandoning Cobb?

Cobb or Soul.

Cobb or Soul.

Cobb or Soul.

Cobb.

 _'_ _I'll…be fine with you taking his side over mine. If it means you stay in his good graces…'_

Soul.

 _'_ _Cobb may know his way around Creepers and fishing rods, but he's a newb! And an empathetic one to boot…'_

Cobb…

 _'_ _We…killed someone. But, it's okay as long as it's self-defense right?'_

Soul…

 _'_ _It's do-or-die out there. And if you keep doing the way you're doing…you're going to end up dying…'_

I let out a weary sigh, feeling like shit and exhausted far past the point of sleep, before I stumbled sluggishly out of the clearing.

 _What the fuck am I supposed to do!?_

* * *

[Cobb]

"Ow!"

I massaged my head where Wynn just smacked me for my comment. Though the pain was trivial in comparison to what I knew she was capable of with that rapier. Just looking at it made me shield my crotch.

Wynn wiped the side of her hand on the grass, as if worrying that I might dirty her hand somehow, and turned her attention to Cara. "I couldn't help but overhear that you're having leadership issues." She spoke it as a statement more than a question, to which Cara nodded sadly.

Wynn sat down so that her legs were crossed and she was facing us. "Well then, why don't we have a little talk about the whole leadership thing."

"What would you know about…oh, right. You're a Captain." I realized mid-sentence.

Wynn just ignored me, keeping her attention focused on Cara. "This is your first mission. So you're a little unsure about things, right?" Cara nodded in response. "Well then, why don't you start by telling me what's burdening your group? And what's going on between Soul and Floyd?

Cara gulped and spared an apologetic glance my way before replying. "Floyd…has been having nightmares. Bad ones."

The news came as a shock to me. Floyd had never once mentioned he was having nightmares. Was that why he wasn't sleeping well?

"He…he mumbles in his sleep, so I have a good idea on what they're about. He always mentions a man named Silent and then Soul…and sometimes Cobb." She glanced at me again, but I barely paid her any attention, instead focusing on the information. "From what I can tell, he's guilty over a friend's death, and that guilt is fueling his nightmares…and it's getting worse."

Wynn nodded at this. "And what does Soul have to say about it?"

Cara let out a humorless laugh. "Soul? The guy snores like a bear. Doesn't hear any of Floyd's thrashings or screams. Only I'm hearing them and Floyd doesn't want me to tell…er…didn't want me to tell anyone. Kind of already happened." She scratched her head sheepishly. "Just another screw-up from me."

"You've had plenty of screw-ups, even before that one." Wynn asserted while I was still hung up on Floyd's thrashings and screams. If he was suffering so much, then why was he keeping everything a secret? Didn't he realize how it was affecting his health?

"Why tell us instead of Soul? He's your teammate, no?" Wynn asked while flipping her hair to the side.

Cara shook her head. "That's…the other thing. Soul and Floyd are sort of at odds right now. Floyd wants to rekindle their friendship…and Soul would rather keep things professional as teammates. So Floyd probably doesn't want Soul to know about his nightmares…because it would force Soul to automatically forgive him. Soul may be stubborn, but not to the point of risking a comrade's health."

Cara gave me another apologetic look before continuing. "And on top of that, Brett asked me to push the two of them towards reconciling…as a sort of insurance over Floyd's loyalty. He'd be more likely to help our group if it had helped reunite him with his friend."

My eyes narrowed at her words. Wynn had been right about Brett all along. The guy was a manipulative bastard, willing to hold a friendship over Floyd like a bone over a dog.

And Cara was just as bad! Now all of her actions over the first half of the week made sense. Leaving Soul and Floyd alone to fish and gather planks. She knew it, and still went through with it all!

No leader would do that!

Wynn hummed in thought as she mulled over Cara's words. I couldn't tell what she was going to say, but I knew that I was going to give Cara a piece of my enraged newby mind if she didn't say something soon.

"I'm sorry, Cobb." Cara looked away guiltily as she said that. "I…I knew it was wrong to manipulate things, but I…I just thought it would be the best for the team. To all work as one."

"Well, _that_ turned out great." I replied caustically to which she flinched. "No wonder you're doubting yourself as leader."

She shrunk into herself just as Wynn cleared her throat to call our attention.

"Well, based on what you've told me, I have to say that you're a far more capable leader than Brett." Cara and I shared shocked looks as if mishearing the Captain. "He basically gave you two teammates, complete with a set of problems, and expected you to fix them on top of whatever godforsaken mission he's sent you on. That's a lot of pressure for a first-timer.

"And while your methods of handling things are terrible given the situation, the pressure of keeping everything together is understandably weighing you down." Wynn patted her shoulder comfortingly. "But that just makes it a good learning experience as a leader."

"What do you mean?" Cara asked, clearly confused.

"Brett's dealt you a bad hand, Cara." Wynn clarified. "It's up to you to make the best of it."

Cara looked down at her boots. "I'm not sure I know how."

Looking at Cara's dejected form reminded me of why I came over in the first place. Clearly she wasn't going to win any leader-of-the-year awards anytime soon, but I had to help her. Especially if it meant helping Floyd resolve his nightmare issues by extension.

"Why don't you try talking." I suggested, to which Cara looked at me tentatively, as if worried I'd snap again. "I mean, we learned a bit about our own problems by talking…maybe it'll work with them?"

"While I'd normally ignore the advice of a non-leader such as Cobb," Wynn commented to my chagrin. "I have to agree with him on this one. Often times, people assume their way is the only way, without first seeing things from another's perspective."

"Yeah. Kind of like you when you said the fishing rod wasn't a good weapon when it—"

"SHUT IT."

"Shutting it." I mimed zipping my lips and throwing away the zipper. All the while my eyes were locked to her hand hovering over her rapier.

Wynn took a breath to calm herself before lifting her hand off her blade. "So getting your team to talk things out might help them understand one another better."

"But what if talking makes things worse." Cara argued carefully. "What if trying to fix things the right way, just makes them hate me? How am I supposed to lead people that hate me?"

"Being a leader necessitates difficult choices." Wynn advised sagely. "It's your responsibility to make such decisions."

"Even if it means being hated?"

" _Especially_ if it means being hated." That last piece of advice didn't really make sense to me. Nor did it appear to make sense to Cara, who just raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The choices I make might earn resentment, but if they keep my guards alive, I'd much rather hear their hate than not hear them at all."

"Does that extend to me, too?" I asked innocently.

"You're wearing our colors aren't you?" She posed rhetorically while gesturing to my green tunic.

"Okay, good. Because I have a lot of resentments I'd like to share with you. First off—"

"On second thought, maybe hearing your resentments isn't worth that much…" She commented harshly, even though I could tell she didn't mean it.

…Probably.

Cara thought to herself for a bit, mumbling things over in her head. "Whatever keeps them alive…" She trailed off before directing her gaze towards us. "You know what? You're absolutely right."

She stood up and pumped a fist in the air. "Screw Brett for screwing me over! I'm going to fix this and show everyone I'm leader material!"

"You certainly have the enthusiasm." Wynn smiled kindly as she got up from her spot. "Just think carefully before you act. After all, their lives are in your hands."

Cara nodded confidently. "Then it's a good thing I already have a plan in the works. Time for the new Cara to spring into action!" At those words, she boldly marched towards where Soul and Floyd were just entering the camp, but then stopped to turn back towards me and Wynn. "Thanks for the advice you two. I won't let it go to waste!"

As she left to talk with Soul and Floyd, I couldn't help but stare at the half-completed tree house that was supposed to be their shelter. Wasn't it her job to build that?

"Um…" I began hesitantly, before thinking better of it and leaving Cara to sort her shelter out.

After all, as Wynn so wisely put it:

 _'_ _That just makes it a good learning experience as a leader.'_

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 64 Granite, 64 Andesite, 64 Diorite, 12 Flint, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Minecart, 64 Oak Wood Planks, 32 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 3 Glass Bottles, 10 String, 2 Ender Pearls, 11 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}

Inventory (Ace the Ass): 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 37 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 14 Cooked Fish, 1 Raw Mutton, 1 Cooked Porkchop, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 2 Arrows, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

* * *

 **AN: Yeah...Cobb and Soul don't like each other that much. And Floyd is in the middle all like 'You're tearing me apart!'**

 **Also, Floyd may or may not be hallucinating things. Several days of no sleep will do that to you.**

 **And we finally got some insight into Cara's leadership issues. I debated whether to just have Cobb or Wynn talk to her separately before just putting them both in. It made sense, what with Wynn's leadership and Cobb's dislike of Soul.**

 **So, yeah. Not a very humorous chapter but definitely a character heavy one. Hope you enjoyed and see you next week. Bye.**

* * *

Omake: Team-building

 _This is my greatest idea ever!_ Cara congratulated herself as she sat down on the grass, positively brimming with happiness. After all, a positive attitude was the first step to leading a happy team.

Now if only the rest of her group showed the same enthusiasm.

Floyd was barely keeping his eyes open. Soul had his arms folded and was begrudging muttering things like 'This is a waste of time' and 'Why the hell am I doing this?' And Cobb, who had reluctantly agreed to join Cara's 'team-building' exercises after several minutes of begging and bribing, was eyeing Soul disdainfully. The four of them sat in a circle away from Wynn and her guards.

Even though Cobb wasn't a part of the Silver Intent, Cara really needed a third person for some of the team-building exercises. Wynn had politely declined so the fisherman was her only alternative.

Finally, Cara cleared her throat. "I'm glad you all agreed to come to my first team-building exercise." She knew she had to sound confident and authoritative; otherwise they wouldn't listen to her.

Soul raised his hand. "You make it sound like we had a choice."

"And I'm only here because you promised cooked meats." Cobb challenged before Cara tossed him a hunk of cooked mutton, which he caught in his mouth and ate contentedly. "Alright, I'm pacified."

"Moving right along," Cara continued as she read from a book of team-building exercises. "We're going to be starting off with an old favorite, 'Trust Falls!'"

Floyd let out a loud yawn. "Isn't that where we're supposed to close our eyes and fall back, hoping that our partner will catch us before we hit the ground?"

"Exactly!" Cara congratulated with enthusiasm. It was important to offer praise as positive reinforcement when someone answered something right, just like it was important to be supportive and understanding when someone did something wrong.

However, at the explanation of trust falls, Soul and Cobb eyed each other distrustfully; both of them doubting the other would catch them.

"Uh…why don't we start with Floyd falling." Cara suggested in an attempt to alleviate tension. Though it seemed to make things worse as both Soul and Cobb raised their hands.

"I'll catch Floyd. After all, we are friends."

"I think Floyd would trust someone stronger to catch him rather than some newb with string bean arms."

"My arms are not string beans! Why does everyone keep saying that!?"

As Cobb seethed, Cara quickly tossed him another piece of mutton to prevent a fight from breaking out. That would come later in exercise three when they'd use blocks of wool to beat each other up and work out stress. Therapeutic violence.

Cobb busied himself with the mutton while Floyd got up and turned his back to Soul who opened his arms wide.

"Okay, then. Whenever you're ready, Floyd." Cara spoke as she watched the scene. Floyd slowly fell backwards and was caught in Soul's arms before being pushed back to a standing position. "Good! Now it's Cobb's turn to catch Soul."

"Wait, what?" Soul asked while Cobb's lips broke out into a devious smirk. "Can't we just skip my—"

"Soul." Cara warned before pointing to Cobb. "Trust. Fall."

He grumbled to himself as he turned his back to Cobb. "If you drop me, I swear to God…"

Cobb took his position, not even bothering to respond, as Soul fell backwards…and hit the ground with a dull thud. His head snapped back upon hitting the ground and he clutched it painfully.

"You little—" Soul grit his teeth and flashed his red eyes dangerously. He moved his hand to his belt to withdraw his axe.

Cobb just shrugged, trying to look apologetic. "Whoops. Guess your weight was too much for my string bean arms to handle." He couldn't hold back his self-satisfied smile and Cara just shook her head. She needed a way to balance out the discontent.

Suddenly, an idea hit her. "Alright, now Soul catch Cobb."

Immediately, Cobb's smile vanished and his eyes widened. "Um…I think it's actually Floyd's turn to catch—"

"Turn around." Soul growled, pressing an axe against Cobb's throat. Violence was probably not the best motivational tool, but Cara admitted that Cobb had it coming for screwing up the trust fall to begin with.

Cobb trembled as he turned around so that his back was facing Soul, who still had an axe to his neck.

"Now fall."

Cobb closed his eyes, already accepting that Soul would drop him before he even fell, and slowly leaned backwards.

Surprisingly, Soul caught him, keeping the fisherman from hitting the ground. Cobb overcame his shock before looking up to offer Soul a relieved smile.

That smile soon turned fearful at Soul's sinister sneer.

Soul quickly reached down to get a better hold of Cobb's leg and lifted the flailing Crafter above his head before spinning him around.

At that point, Cara was certain the team-building exercises had failed. "Floyd! Quick! Help me stop—" She turned and deadpanned to see the blue-nette already asleep. "Literally, every time I need your help..."

Cara rushed forward, alone, and tried to stop Soul from spinning the now terrified Cobb. "Soul, put him down! This is not beneficial to a team environment!"

"He's not on my team." Soul grinned as he used the spinning momentum to chuck Cobb into a tree. "Though, I take back what I said. These team-building exercises are kind of fun. We should do them more often."

"My leg…" Cobb groaned from atop his tree.

Cara thought to herself before tossing Cobb two pieces of mutton for the trouble. One thing was for sure, if she was going to continue the team-building exercises, she'd need waaaaay more mutton.

* * *

 **AN: Muttontastic.**


	31. Leavings and Meetings

**AN: 9000 Views. Whoot Whoot!**

 **Congrats to Slenderbrine for getting last week's puzzle right. The answer: Watermelon. It has a green layer over a white layer over a red layer, and in the middle has seeds. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **This chapter is a bit later than I usually post. But it's still technically on Wednesday. So it'll hold up in court.**

 **Puzzle: A man and his son get into a car accident. The man dies, but the son is in critical condition. He is rushed to the nearest hospital where the doctor says, "I cannot perform surgery on this boy, for he is my son." How is that possible?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add moving sidewalks.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 31

 **Leavings and Meetings**

[Cobb]

"…So there I was. Battling atop a bridge suspended over a lake of molten lava. Carys and I were evenly matched. Any hit I scored on her was quickly returned and she was truly living up to her reputation as one of Ringwood's most wanted."

The listening guards oohed and aahed as I told them how I defeated Carys_Angel…with maybe a bit of embellishment here and there.

Our group of one Captain, eight guards, three Silver Intent agents, and one me, trudged along the rugged landscape. The trees were more sparse and a giant range of mountains lay on the eastern horizon...along with a tall, unknown structure.

Wynn had explained that today was the day we'd get to Daymonte. From what I could guess, she had taken several envoy missions to Daymonte on behalf of Ringwood, so she had long since memorized the recognizable landmarks of the Kingdom. Most likely the tall, unknown structure in the mountains.

As we travelled, a few of the guards asked if I could describe my victory over the deadly Carys_Angel. I turned to Wynn for permission, but her response was a shake of the head, no.

So I decided to tell them anyway.

"As our blades scraped against each other's in a deadlock, she said, in a voice as soft as she was deadly, _'You are indeed a worthy foe, King_Cobb. It would be such a waste to kill you…Join me and together we can rule this realm!'_ "

"She did _not_ say that!" The guard named Daniel exclaimed in disbelief and wonderment.

"Oh she said it, alright." I lied, appreciating how invested the guards were in my story. Wynn just rolled her eyes, but didn't protest against my 'personal' account of events. She, along with Floyd and I, were the only ones who knew how the criminal really died: fishing rodded into lava by Floyd. But since we told His Eminence a different version of her death, the story we had to stick to was that _I_ had fishing rodded her in. My skill with the fishing rod would bolster the story by itself, and Wynn had already told His Eminence she believed my story. Without any evidence to dispute otherwise, she had to play along.

And once I found that out, I proceeded to milk the hell out of it.

"Then what happened? Then what happened?" The guard named Micah asked eagerly, sounding more like a child hearing a bedtime story. I cleared my throat to sound as manly as possible.

"So I say to her, ' _I'd never join forces with the woman causing so much pain to the people of Ringwood!_ '" That particular line earned a lot of audible praise from those around me. All except for Floyd (too focused on staying awake to listen), Soul (too disinterested to care), Wynn (too Wynn to not be Wynn), and the guard Bitters (too disgruntled by all the attention I was getting, to appreciate the story).

"' _Then you must DIE!_ '" I did my best Carys impersonation and began gesturing wildly. "Our swords were nothing more than a flurry of silver as we yearned to end each other's life. But in my clumsiness, I tripped on a rail. That split second was all she needed to get a jab in and disarm me of my blade."

"No…" One of the guards whispered at how I was seemingly defeated, even though I was standing right in front of them, and therefore survived. The other guards let out small gasps.

"How did you get out of that?" The guard named Spencer inquired. A hushed silence befell them all, and I kept them in suspense as long as possible.

Then I slowly reached into my backpack, grasping for my signature tool.

"Carys held her sword against my neck, and triumphantly sang, ' _Any last words before I send you into lava?_ '"

"' _Just two._ '" I responded, both in story and out of story, as I whipped out my fishing rod. "' _FISHING ROD!_ '"

The guards broke out into cheers at the tool I held up and began chanting 'Fishing Rod Champion!' over and over. Wynn, patience running dry, covered her ears to try and tune it all out. I had to raise my voice just to finish the story.

"And so I hooked her by her clothes and pulled her into the lava below! Her final words as she fell were, ' _BLAST YOU, COBB! YOUR IMPRESSIVE FISHING ROD SKILLS HAVE BESTED ME!_ '"

"That's so cool! What was her face like? Was she shocked? Or more angry like this?" One of the guards began making enraged faces in an attempt to capture Carys' final moments, but my attention was suddenly pulled away by another guard.

"Do you think you could teach me proper combat use for the fishing rod?" The guard named Solara asked shyly. "I've been trying, but I still haven't gotten the hang of it."

"And that's enough of that." Wynn interjected with a forceful yank of my hoodie. "Cobb, while I'm fine with you finding absurd ways to weaponize the most meager of tools, I thought I made it perfectly clear," she slightly squeezed the same arm she broke only a week ago, "I don't want you teaching fishing tactics to my guards."

I gulped, remembering the pain of a broken arm, and quickly nodded to get her to release me. She tightened her grip a little, just to make the message clear, before she released me.

Solara looked disappointed, but didn't protest to the ivory-haired Captain. She was a guard after all, and was probably brought up on strict discipline.

But I could still argue.

"Captain," I began, remembering her title more easily, "you've seen how useful the rod is in battle. So you can't really deny its—"

"I'm not denying its use. I'm just saying it's not easy to get a handle on. It takes time and patience to master it, and even then, all it can do is draw people in or annoy them."

"Well, yeah, but…wait, how do you know it's hard to get a handle on it?"

Wynn visibly stiffened before forcing her attention forward. "I _don't_ know! I could NEVER know and _will_ never know because I've NEVER used it! EVER!"

"…um."

"EVER!" I saw her left eye twitch and thought better of prying into her choice of words. After all it wasn't like she'd actually wield a fishing rod, what with all the times she'd insult it with her big words.

' _Ineffectual._ '

' _Unconventional._ '

' _Stupid._ '

Did she think I had a dictionary on hand?

Bladder: _I have one._

Stomach: _Not needed right now._

"Captain, I get it." I began in an understanding tone as I urged my donkey to keep up with her horse. "You think the fishing rod can't do damage."

"That's what I just said."

"But what if I told you I came up with a way to cause damage with it."

She raised an eyebrow as if intrigued. "And what would that be?"

"Simple," I responded as I held up the tool. "I've already used it to pull in enemies as human shields. So what if, instead, I use it to pull in Mobs like projectiles. Like I'd hook on to them and then swing them into other people."

"What, so a sort of…Mob flail?"

"Yeah, yeah! And I just thought up the perfect attack name for it." I held up my arms and parted my hands as if reading a large, shimmering sign. "Mob Flail."

Wynn frowned at me for passing her name as my own, but otherwise rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll find some way to make it work."

"And then you'll finally respect it as a weapon?" I asked eagerly. If it could launch Zombies at Crafters, there could be no denying its usefulness in battle…though it would require the presence of Mobs.

Wynn didn't even bother answering as she halted her steed. "We're here." She turned to address the group. "Good work, men. We've officially made it to Daymonte. And with a minimum of delays too. You should all be proud."

While the guards congratulated themselves, I stared confusedly at the rugged badlands in front of me. There were patches of grass and gravel forming a flat valley leading up to the distant mountains. There were a few Crafters walking by, but besides them, the only sign of civilization was the towering structure in the mountains.

I turned to the Captain. "Is Daymonte that tower in the distance?"

Wynn shook her head. "No, that's Ohm Tower: the structure that powers Daymonte's integral systems."

"...powers…what?" I questioned. Why would the Kingdom need anything powered? And how would a tower power anything in the first place? "If the tower isn't the Kingdom, then what is? All I see is barren badlands."

"Take a closer look." Wynn suggested as she gestured to the lands again.

I narrowed my eyes, paying extra attention to any important detail. The passing Crafters were all traveling towards the center of a large area, but I couldn't see what they were moving towards.

Then I no longer saw the Crafters.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes before watching another group of distant Crafters do the same. They walked to a certain area, no change there, but then they suddenly disappeared, as if the land swallowed them up.

"What's...I don't…Where are they disappearing to?" I asked frustrated. There must have been some kind of deeper secret to Daymonte.

Wynn smirked to herself before urging her horse forward. The guards and Floyd's group followed, leaving me behind in my confusion.

I also noticed something else. While some Crafters were suddenly disappearing at several areas, some Crafters were appearing in others. Well, not so much appearing as rocketing up from the ground before landing perfectly fine.

 _What the…_

I urged Ace to follow the group as we neared one of the Crafter-disappearing areas. The landscape looked as flat as ever.

Then, I noticed a dark line grow across the land as my perception changed. The dark line grew longer and wider the closer I got to it, forming a gap in the earth. And the Crafters passing by would walk up to the gap and jump into it. From a distance it would look like nothing swallowed them up.

The gap grew wider and wider until I realized it was a chasm, connected with three others gaps to form an 'X' in the ground. Two long, deep chasms bisecting each other. And at the center was where Crafters were springing up. Literally.

Then it dawned on me.

"It's below us."

"Yes." Wynn nodded in acceptance as we neared one of the chasm's edges. "Daymonte began as a small mining town at the dead center of two naturally formed chasms. Over the years, it evolved and expanded into…well you'll see when we get down there."

"Oh…wait, how are we getting down there?" I questioned as I looked over the edge. Instead of being dark, the chasm was oddly illuminated from a light source other than the sun. However, I couldn't spot any water to cushion the fall. Just some light green blocks a far way down.

How were people even supposed to survive a fall like that?

"We jump." Wynn stated simply as she turned to me and gestured to the edge. "Care to be the first?"

"Wha—Seriously? We're just supposed to jump?" There was no way I could survive a fall like that. Wynn might have been fine since she had Feather Falling boots, but I didn't think my Protection tunic would spare me from gravity! "This isn't like some kind of practical joke, right? We're actually supposed to—"

"Would you just go!?" Came the annoyed shout of Soul as his horse galloped forward.

"Yeah, I will, I just want to ask what's at the bottom to catch—"

"Alright, Cobb, look." Soul began as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "You're wasting my time AGAIN! And as much as I hate the idea of shoving you off a cliff into a chasm…" He paused in his statement as if realizing something. "Wait, what am I saying? That actually sounds enjoyable."

And before I could say anything, he kicked my Ass in the ass and sent both our asses into the ch-ass-m.

"SOUL, YOU PRIIIIIIIIIICK!" I called out in what I hoped would be the final words etched into my tombstone, as I fell into the chasm. I was getting sick and tired of falling into underground places. My only comfort was that I had a good friend to share in my fate.

 _Isn't that right, Ace?_

*HEE-HAW*

 _Good final words there, buddy._

I looked down as the light-green blocks (that were definitely not water) grew closer and closer. I closed my eyes, expecting the last thing I'd hear to be Ace hitting the ground with a sickening splat…

Only to instead hear a soft, wet, slapping sound, followed by my stomach feeling lighter.

"Huh?"

I cracked an eye open to see me and Ace bouncing around on the light-green blocks, which appeared more jelly-like than solid. Spotting a stone platform nearby, I tried to steer the donkey towards it, made even more difficult with all the bouncing.

Ace quickly stumbled on his own hooves and I fell off, sliding to a stop on the stone part of the platform.

As I pushed myself off the ground, propping myself up by my elbows, I saw, for the first time, the Kingdom I had landed in.

And it was unlike anything I had seen before.

The light-green blocks I landed on formed an 'X' shape with a stone outline just below the chasm's opening at the surface. The center of the 'X' had a large central tower with glass windows and bright lights that connected aboveground. A line of Crafters was standing by, waiting to use it.

But below me was where the real wonder was.

The chasms were _deep_. Further than I could see, they expanded going down. The walls of the chasms were filled with stone structures for any number of purposes. Some were homes, some appeared as work-places, and some were tunnels working into unseen parts of the Kingdom.

Connecting them all were a series of stone bridges, made from a combination of cobblestone, stone slabs, and some other material that had a white color to it. The bridges extended and criss-crossed about the chasm in complex roads and walkways, some even carrying rails and minecarts, packed with Crafters and all illuminated with some kind of lanterns.

Throughout the chasm, I spotted circular platforms of the same light-green blocks I landed on, only at multiple levels. And Crafters were openly leaping down onto them from higher levels, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Though judging by the height difference in levels, the cushy light-green blocks were probably essential to getting to the lower levels.

As for getting to the higher levels, I spotted several towers similar to the central 'X' one littered around. Each tower usually threaded between bridge layers. Though they were smaller, they seemed to somehow transport Crafters from the lower levels to the higher levels through some unknown means. All I could see was that a Crafter got in at a lower level before ending up at a higher level not a few seconds later.

What stunned me was how illuminated the Kingdom was. This was an underground civilization and yet it shone with all the brightness of the sun. How did they even do that?

And there was more. So much more that I couldn't even fathom. Flashing lights, moving billboards, whirring minecarts that set off fireworks, beeps and notes playing musical tunes, a giant clock face besides one of the buildings, flying structures that wove between bridges, monorails (whatever those were) that sped along suspended tracks.

And lining the platform I stood on were a series of banners, all displaying the same image: A red thunderbolt with a light grey background.

I was torn away from my gazing by the similar wet, slapping sound of the light-green jelly blocks behind me, followed by the whinnies of horses. I turned to see them having as much difficulty as me when traversing the blocks on horse-back. It was made even harder when some of the guards were more occupied with the sights around them than keeping balance.

When Wynn's horse tripped on its hooves and tumbled to the ground, she quickly leapt into the air, performing an elegant flip, before landing perfectly next to me. The guards were amazed, thinking she had planned that maneuver from the beginning.

 _She just didn't expect her horse to stumble._ I thought to myself as I helped Ace to his feet and onto the stone part of the platform.

"So what do you think?" Wynn asked with folded arms. "Impressive, no?"

I understood that she was referring to the Kingdom and I nodded slowly. It truly was impressive. "I can't even…all these lights and…I-I've never seen anything like it before."

"Yes." She agreed as she took everything in. "Daymonte, the Automated Kingdom, is quite a sight. Especially for new Crafters like you."

Wynn spotted something in the distance and beckoned the group to follow. The guards fell in line, closely followed by Floyd, Cara, and super-douchebag-guy-that-pushes-people-into-chasms-when-they're-not-fully-prepared. Also known as Soul.

Just to annoy him, I stepped on the heel of his left hiking boot just as he was about to lift it. He stumbled and tripped before falling to the ground and I quickly hurried past him. He growled and tried to catch my leg, but I pulled it out of his reach.

By the time I caught up to the group, towing Ace as fast as he was willing to go, they were standing in a line in front of some kind of toll gate. Wynn was at the front, talking to a red, leather-capped guard. I caught a few words of their conversation.

"…official envoy mission from His Eminence, MilesPerMinute. The eight green-capped Crafters and that last awkward looking one with the green tunic. They're all with me."

 _Awkward looking?_ I thought, wondering if I should be offended or not.

The red-capped guard nodded before jotting some stuff down. "Alright, then I'll only need to see their Ringwood citizenship information before I grant you all temporary entry passes. The horses can go with you."

Wynn quickly displayed her documentation before being allowed through. The rest of the guards did the same. As I awaited my turn, I noticed Floyd, Cara, and Soul on a separate line. Soul was shooting me dirty looks while Cara was busy slapping Floyd awake to ask if he brought his citizenship information.

When my turn came around, I fished in my backpack for the documents and handed them over to the guard. He glanced over most of it, but his eyes lit up at something. "Really? One Billion? We've finally reached that number?"

"What are—I mean…yeah. That's my number." I had forgotten my number was officially changed from 999,999,999 to 1,000,000,000 after the incident back at the Hall of Records. Apparently it was a big deal.

"That's the largest number I've gotten so far!" The red-capped guard exclaimed while jotting something down. "You must feel pretty special to have a number like that!"

"Yeah, that's me. Special." I replied lamely as the guard handed my book back along with a slip of paper that must have been my temporary entry pass. The book I could grab, but the temporary pass slipped through my fingers and fell to the ground. "Sorry." I apologized as I stooped down to pick it up…only for my hand to pass through it.

"Huh? What's…Oh! Full Inventory." Every slot in my backpack and belt must have been filled, making any additional item impossible to pick up. Which meant I had to toss something.

But what to pick? I had so many wondrous and useful items. Rotten flesh was out of the question, it was food after all, and the actual food was out of the question too. I needed my clock to tell time and Wynn would probably kill me if I dumped any of my citizenship documents or the iron pick I used to mine up resources for Ringwood.

The stacks of granite, andesite, and diorite? No way! I suffered a rapier to the balls over them. And the water bucket was useful literally _every time_ I caught fire.

Fishing rod?

Pftt. Yeah, right.

Though, there was one thing I felt I could ditch. It was an item that was weakened and that I had never been able to use correctly.

The bow.

Yeah, Floyd gave it to me as a 'just in case' back at Mt. Mur, but it had served its purpose in bluffing Carys…and failing in my incompetent hands to hit anything.

So, with a minimum of sadness, I withdrew the bow and tossed it over the side of the platform, down into the chasm.

Hopefully, it wouldn't hit anyone on the way down.

With newly made space, I finally picked up the temporary pass and hurried through the gates. Unlike Ringwood, there was no Inventory check, which I felt was weird given how the security of a Kingdom should be of the utmost concern.

…

I was spending waaaay too much time listening to Wynn.

I was snapped from my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see a weary Floyd. He offered an apologetic grimace. "Cobb, I'm sorry to leave so soon…but Soul really wants us to get going to Nitebane."

"Oh…yeah…that's fine." I replied sadly, both because of Floyd's sleeplessness and because we were saying goodbye. Only this time, I had no idea when or if I'd ever see him again. "But…why enter the Kingdom and get a temporary pass if you're leaving right away?"

Before Floyd could answer, a head of purple hair sprung up between us. "I can answer that!" Cara exclaimed cheerfully. The talk with her had really changed her mood from gloomy to cheerful almost overnight. "The Kawa River passes through the bottom of Daymonte's chasms. If we travel south by boat, we can cut travel time in half. Plus, it'll get us as far as the Restful Meadows."

"What she said." Floyd commented with a small smile. "We'll sell our horses before we set sail. I should have enough wood for three boats."

"That's good." I offered lamely. More than anything, I wanted Floyd to understand that he didn't have to keep his nightmares a secret, especially from his friends. Then again, I secretly wished he didn't try and become friends with the Silver Intent. Cara seemed good-hearted, but Brett sounded too manipulative and Soul too bloodthirsty.

"Well…" Floyd began awkwardly as he patted me on the shoulder. "I'll…see you back at Ringwood."

"Yeah. Be careful." I offered back. Though just as he was about to turn and walk away, I felt I should say more. "Wait!"

He sent a puzzled look my way, and I struggled to sound out what I wanted to say.

I wanted to tell him not to get sucked into revenge. To not become like Soul and give up his mercy.

I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't tackle his nightmares alone. That he shouldn't think he had to take them alone.

I wanted to tell him that Soul wasn't worth the trouble. That living well was the best kind of revenge he could get on the Cult that killed his friend. That I wasn't comfortable with following him on his warpath against them.

But instead, all I got out was a strangled, "Good luck."

He nodded determinedly before flashing a thumbs up and walking away.

I hung my head dejectedly, cursing myself for failing to speak my mind, but Cara ruffled my hair comfortingly. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to fix things with him…with both of them…somehow." She adjusted the goggles on her forehead before turning to follow her companions. "Leader's promise."

Watching them head off, I was a little worried that things would go wrong for them. But Cara's words weren't those of a scared wanna-be leader. She truly wanted their mission to go well. And I was sure she'd do everything in her power to fix the group's issues.

Because, as Wynn put it, their lives were in her hands.

Speaking of Wynn, I quickly caught up with her and her group of guards as they stood on the edge of the platform, staring down at the chasm and all the crossing bridges. I heard a bit of Wynn's mumbles. "Disgraceful. Not even an Inventory check…"

"Floyd and his group left." I explained to Wynn. She nodded before turning to her guards.

"We're tethering our horses and one Jackass—not you, Cobb—up here. I've already paid someone to watch them since, if we take them any lower, they won't be able to get back up to this level." I handed Ace's reigns, to a senile-looking horse stablemen as he grabbed all the other horse reigns. Though as Wynn handed her horse over, I caught her whispering something.

"If my horse is harmed in any way or if a _single_ resource is missing from that Jackass' cargo, there will be severe repercussions. Am I clear?"

The senile horse stablemen nodded fearfully before hurriedly tugging the horses towards a stone stable.

"Now," Wynn clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention, despite the fact we were already awaiting her commands. "There's a rather nice Inn that I've frequented several times on past envoy missions. It should be suitable enough to house us until I've delivered my message to Daymonte's King."

"Where is it?" One of the guards asked, to which Wynn responded by merely pointing below.

"One thing you should know about Daymonte, its main feature is verticality." She adjusted her boots and diamond armor as she neared the platform's edge. "The Kingdom's architects thought it would save time by setting up slime block platforms all along the chasm to make for comfortable landings. It certainly makes getting around simpler. Just aim for a platform on a level and…JUMP!" She leapt off the side, performing a double front flip for style, and angled for a platform several levels below.

The guards gasped in astonishment at such a method of travel, but I looked down excited. Jumping down onto safe, cushiony blocks sounded like fun. And I was sure it would work seeing as how I already survived one fall.

I quickly jumped after her, whooping energetically, as I fell into the chasm. The feeling of weightlessness as my body accelerated down, the wind whistling past my ears. It was like an exhilarating roller coaster ride, miles above the minecart ride I experienced at Mt. Mur.

I followed the Captain's trajectory, aiming for a single light-green platform, before bouncing off the [SLIME BLOCKS] with that same jelly sound. It really was like a giant trampoline as I continually bounced before finally settling and walking off onto solid stone.

Above me, I saw the other guards jumping off one at a time, all aiming for the same platform. Wynn, in the meantime walked along a bridge connecting our slime platform with the chasm wall. Along the wall were several stone buildings, one of which had a flashing sign that read 'Stonewall Inn'.

"Wh-whoa!" Solara shouted after she fell down and stumbled on the slime blocks. I quickly caught her before she hit the ground and helped her off the slime blocks just before the next guard fell down. "Thanks."

"No problem." I turned back to the flashing sign with a curious expression. "What's making that sign flash?" I asked aloud.

"It's most likely powered by redstone." The guard named Noah voiced as he stepped off the slime platform. "I've heard that Daymonte is a Kingdom at the height of redstone technological advancements. The lights, the signs, the mechanics. It's all redstone."

"Redstone?" The term sounded somewhat familiar, perhaps some word or phrase spoken in passing. But at the same time it was foreign to me. It must have been really amazing to power so much stuff.

When the last guard fell down onto our level, we began walking over to the Stonewall Inn Wynn had gone towards.

But then I stopped when I heard something faint from above. It was a shout that was getting louder and louder like it was approaching us.

"WAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIT!"

I looked up in time to see a Crafter falling towards us. At the last second, she angled towards the slime platform and bounced high over our heads, twisting in midair, before landing perfectly in front of our group.

She looked up with a wide grin on her face as she stared at the eight guards and myself. "I'd recognize those caps anywhere! You're from Ringwood! And quite a big group too!" The mysterious girl walked up to us and peered over our heads as if looking for someone.

She was an averagely tall girl with long blonde hair, big green eyes, and sporting an easy-going grin. She wore a pink sweater and white shorts along with a pair of khaki boots. A single-strap magenta backpack and belt held her Inventory and gear. As for armor, she wore an iron chestplate and leggings along with magenta-dyed leather boots and cap. The armor glowed with the same Enchantment energy that my tunic had.

All-in-all, she had the air of an easy-going and confident person.

"Um…can we help you?" Bitters questioned, not even bothering to hide his rude tone.

The girl's grin widened as she turned her attention to the green-haired guard. "How polite of you!" She gushed. "I suppose if you're not too busy getting that stick out of your ass," Bitters face heated up in embarrassment while some of the guards tried to hold in their laughter, "I'd like to know where your Captain has run off to. You're traveling with Wynn, right?"

"That's Captain Wynn to you, stranger!" Bitters responded angrily. "And why should we tell—"

"Seriously. Go see a doctor cuz that stick ain't coming out anytime soon." She shot back easily, enjoying the anger growing on Bitters' face and the laughs I didn't bother to hold in.

Just as Bitters was about to open his mouth to retort, another voice sounded out.

"Velocishot! Enough messing with my guards." It was Wynn who had just returned from the Stonewall Inn. She looked aggravated at having to deal with the girl before us.

The girl named Velocishot quickly spun around and leapt at the ivory-haired Captain. "Wynn!" She cheered, opening her arms wide to embrace her. Wynn responded by stopping the girl's face with her hand and keeping her at arm's length. "I missed you so much!"

"It's only been a few months." Wynn responded evenly, though she couldn't keep a small smile from appearing on her face. "But it's good to see you again, Velocishot."

The girl, properly foiled in her hug attempt, stepped back with a pout. "C'mon, Wynn. There's no need to be so formal around friends. Just call me Veronica."

I looked above the blonde girl's head. The name 'Velocishot' was floating over her head. So then Veronica must have been her preferred name.

It made sense. After all, it's not like Crafters knew choosing a name in the Void would mean choosing a name for life. Someone could have named themselves 'poopy-diaper-baby' as a joke and have been cursed to endure that name until they died.

Imagine if my name was King_Keith instead of King_Cobb.

I'm disgusted just thinking about it.

Back to the conversation…

"Captain Wynn. You know this stranger?" Bitters asked with perhaps a hint of worry over possibly insulting one of the Captain's friends.

Wynn opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Veronica. "You're damn right she knows me! After all, I am one of the Captains of Daymonte: the Golden Hawk, Veronica!" She posed flamboyantly.

If she was expecting us to let out shocked gasps at her exclamation, she misread the situation. We had no idea of the legends or Captains of Daymonte. The only one that gasped was Bitters, and it was probably because he couldn't believe the girl before us was a Captain of anything.

After realizing nobody was admiring her title, she awkwardly lowered her arms. "It's kind of a big deal. She mumbled before regaining her grin. "So Wynn, what brings my favorite Captain to Daymonte? Couldn't wait to see me again?"

"An envoy mission." Wynn corrected with an eye roll. "For a serious joint-construction project between our Kingdoms."

"Oooh, sounds serious." Veronica responded with interest. "Well, it's a good thing you know one of the coolest female Captains of Daymonte—"

"You're the _only_ female Captain of Daymonte."

"—Because I can pencil you in tomorrow for an audience with the King. And then maybe after, you and I could crack a few skulls and track a couple of criminals, eh?"

"Maybe…" Wynn responded evasively. "That is very 'cool' of you. Now if you'll excuse us, I need to see that our group gets settled in, alright."

"Of course. Of course. And hey, if you need any help… _settling in_ …don't be a stranger." She winked before falling backwards off the stone bridge, descending further into the chasm.

After Veronica exited, Wynn cleared her throat and motioned for us to follow her to the Inn.

A few of the guards shared confused looks before staring at Wynn as if she had grown a second head. And I shared their confusion.

 _Strict, stern Wynn? Actually being on friendly terms with someone?_

 _Today must be opposite day._

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 64 Granite, 64 Andesite, 64 Diorite, 12 Flint, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Minecart, 64 Oak Wood Planks, 32 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 3 Glass Bottles, 10 String, 2 Ender Pearls, 11 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: Alright. THIS is the closest I've ever come to not publishing a chapter on time.**

 **It's a shorter chapter, yeah, but there was only so much I wanted to address. The group finally made it to Daymonte and Floyd and Cobb are off to do their own things. And since three characters are exiting, it only made sense to bring in a Daymonte exclusive character. Special thanks to AxeHelix for the OC: Velocishot. You'll see more of her later.**

 **The concept of Daymonte was especially fun to think up. Like Wynn said, it is a vertical Kingdom with redstone tech everywhere. Just the idea of jumping onto slime block platforms to access the other levels, not to mention the other modes of transport that could be done with redstone. It was too good to pass up.**

 **A bit of humor and a bit of seriousness. Made for a good introduction to Daymonte.**

* * *

Omake: Poor Example

Wynn sat upon her room's cobblestone chair, arms tightly crossed as she fixed the two guards before her with a stern glare. Noah and Solara couldn't hide their guilt as they stared at the carpeted floors, awaiting the arrival of their fellow guilty guard.

The three guards together had broken an established rule. And they would receive a lecture at the ivory-haired Captain's hands that could channel as much disappointment and guilt-induced trauma to forcibly make them see the error of their ways.

Or her name wasn't Wynn_Whispers.

There was a light knock on the door. "Enter." The Captain responded neutrally, not wanting the guard outside to gauge the tone of their meeting. At least not until he sat down besides his fellow guards.

Spencer, the third guilty guard, slowly opened the door. Wynn immediately noticed how his eyes darted to the other two; saw how the realization dawned on him.

Oh yes. They were all in deep trouble.

Resigning himself to his face, he loosed a drawn out sigh and took his spot in an unoccupied chair next to Solara. With everyone present, Wynn cleared her throat to begin.

"I trust you all know why you're here, but I'll allow you the chance to explain yourselves." Wynn stood up and paced around the three seated guards like a predator sizing up its prey. "On the day we left for Daymonte, do you remember what I bothered to waste ten minutes of my time to explain to all of you?"

Spencer and Noah looked down, too ashamed to answer their Captain. Only Solara was brave enough to offer something. "You explained to us the inefficiency of a fishing rod in standard combat situations."

"Yes." Wynn nodded, though her expression was kept stern. "So you can imagine my confusion when I learned that three of my elite guards, soldiers I had handpicked for a mission across deadly territory, were taking secret lessons from a certain brunette fisherman."

The Captain could practically visualize what it would have been like. Cobb standing in the middle of a room, teaching HER guards the combat secrets of the fickle fishing rod. And the guards listening intently to every stupid tip or lesson he spouted! With respect! Respect that should have been reserved for her and her alone!

While she seethed, the guards quickly whispered amongst themselves before nodding in agreement. Then Solara raised her hand. "Captain Wynn, we don't understand the bases of your allegations. Where did you hear such—"

"I happen to have heard it from a trusted source." Wynn interrupted, her voice heavy with disappointment that her guards would try and feign innocence.

 _By God, they really are learning from Cobb!_

For the first time, Spencer spoke up. "Who told you?" He paused to think for a moment. "Was it Bitters?"

"The source wishes to remain anonymous." The Captain responded evasively.

"Yeah, it was Bitters." He mumbled to himself as he leaned back in his chair, already thinking how to get back at the sellout.

Before Wynn could dispute Spencer's assumption…an assumption that was entirely true…Noah spoke up. "Forgive us, Captain. We know how opposed you are towards unorthodox combat techniques, but after seeing the fishing rod champion in action—"

"Don't call him that."

"—the…er…King_Cobb in action, we merely sought to expand our combat horizons. Why after just a few short lessons, we've mastered the 'bobbering' technique."

Wynn's ears perked at hearing that and she gave each guard a severe glare. "Then you admit to practicing with the fishing rod in secret?" She received a nod from each guard and let out an aggravated sigh. "And what, pray tell, is the 'bobbering' technique?"

None of the guards dared speak. They were most likely worried the question was a trap; answering would demonstrate how much they actually learned and would only dig them a deeper grave.

"Well?" Wynn prompted with folded arms. "Explain."

It wasn't an invitation. It was an order. And Solara reluctantly began. "W-well…bobbering involves launching the bobber of the fishing rod at an opponent, momentarily knocking them back without hooking onto them."

Wynn visibly frowned at the perfectly described answer, making Solara shrink upon herself.

"And Noah," the Captain spoke as she turned her attention to the young guard, "what is the proper timing to utilize such a ridiculous technique?"

Noah blinked in confusion, no doubt wondering why the Captain would want to know the specifics of something like that. "Well…Cobb said half-a-second after impact would usually—"

"And did he drill any other absurd techniques into your head?" Wynn interrupted. "What about his Mob Flail? Has he perfected that yet?"

Noah looked at his fellow guards, who shrugged helplessly at their Captain's odd questions. "Um…no. He hasn't taught us that yet."

Wynn, realizing the loss of her stern tone, quickly calmed herself. "Based on what you've told me, it seems there is no doubt you have been learning from him. I am very disappointed in you three."

The tone from the Captain was enough to make the guards avert their eyes. Wynn could tell how much they were regretting betraying her trust. If the punishment she planned for them wasn't enough to curb their fishing rod attitude, she was sure the memory of her disappointment would.

"I will discuss your punishments later." Wynn spoke neutrally as she held out her hand. "But first, I must ask you to hand over any and all fishing rods. You are no longer to train with Cobb."

The guards, with guilt etched across their faces, removed the tool from their backpacks and handed them to the Captain. Solara actually handed over a second backup rod, no doubt to use when her first one broke.

Wynn laid them on her bed before pointing to the door. "You may go." The guards wasted no time bowing to their Captain before hurrying out the door, looking perhaps a bit dejected that they had been stripped of both the tool and the lessons that went with it.

As their footsteps echoed down the hallway, Wynn waited until they died out completely before turning her attention to the four fishing rods on her bed.

She picked them up.

And slid them into her backpack.

 _Half-a-second after impact._ Wynn recited to herself as she left her room, intent on finding a secluded location in Daymonte to practice 'bobbering' on some unfortunate Mobs.

Was she a hypocrite? Yes.

Did her guards or Cobb need to know that? No.

* * *

 **AN: Nobody's perfect...or needs to know that.**


	32. Daymonte

**AN: Running a bit late with this chapter.**

 **Congrats to The Ravenclawed Demigod for getting last week's puzzle right. The answer: The doctor was the boy's mother. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: Two boys were born to the same mother, on the same day, at the same time, in the same month and year and yet they're not twins. How can this be?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I wouldn't have made Enchanted Golden Apples uncraftable in 1.9.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 32

 **Daymonte**

[Cobb]

 _It's good to sleep on a bed for a change._ I thought as I snuggled deeper into the covers. After a week of sleeping in makeshift shelters (some flatter than others) and without knowledge on how to craft a bed, I mostly slept on the hard floor. But beds were so much softer. Like sleeping on a cloud…but not an actual cloud because Normal Sense said there was a major difference between regular clouds and sleepy-dreamy-clouds.

The bed was definitely more like the sleepy-dreamy-clouds, giving me the best night's sleep I ever had.

Wynn had been nice enough (and the rates cheap enough) to reserve four rooms for the entire group. The eight guards had to split up into groups of four and quadruple bunk while Wynn and I each had a room for our own. According to Wynn she didn't want me sleeping with the other guards and being a bad influence.

I had asked her why _she_ didn't want to bunk with them, since, by her logic, she'd be a good influence on them. To which she responded:

' _Because, shut up_.'

So I dropped it.

After all, who was I to argue when I had a room to my very self. Even better, Wynn, in a rare show of freedom, had given us the day to do whatever we wanted while she was scheduled to visit the King of Daymonte.

And the best way to spend my time would be sleeping until noon to be better rested before exploring—

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

"Wha—Agh!" The sudden noise made me roll off my bed in surprise before I banged my head on the bedside table. I clutched it in pain while that same blaring alarm kept ringing.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

I covered my ears as I attempted to locate the source. I walked around the room, trying to best filter in the sound as it echoed about, before finding it coming from the very bedside table I banged my head against.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

I hadn't noticed it before, but the bedside table looked like it was made from another material. It lacked the boarded design of most wooden planks, instead having a checkered design.

And even weirder, light green musical notes were popping out the top with every BEEP.

I had no idea what the block even was, but it was making the most annoying sound I ever heard. And it needed to be silenced.

I checked the block for any lever or button or some kind of 'Shut the fuck up!' switch but found none. Punching it only changed the tune of the alarm along with the color of the note popping out. But still it didn't end!

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

With all my other options exhausted, I had to rely on the universal method of silencing annoying things: Repeatedly bashing it in with an axe!

I couldn't whip my axe out fast enough before I hacked at the caterwauling block with all my might. Again and again my axe fell on the object of annoyance. After the tenth swing, it finally, mercifully broke. Along with my wooden axe.

But it was a worthwhile sacrifice.

As I watched the shattered bits of axe vanish into nothing, I noticed a red flashing in the wall behind where the alarm block had been. I bent down to get a better look.

It was some kind of red dust that flashed every second, illuminating the opening in the wall. I trailed far into the wall, but I couldn't find the exact source.

Another thing I noticed was a new block at my belt, likely filled when my axe wore out. A [NOTE BLOCK] was the name of it and from the checkered design, I could tell it was the same alarm block I hacked at.

Before I could examine the note block further, I heard a knock at my door followed by a familiar Captain's voice. "Cobb, I know that woke you up so don't go back to sleep. Gear up because we're heading out soon. And don't think I won't drag you out of there just because we're in a different Kingdom."

 _Heading out where?_ I thought to myself. Nevertheless, I complied with Wynn's request and sorted through which gear I'd bring and which I'd leave in my room.

 _I probably won't need all the shelter building blocks since I have my own room._ I thought as I left behind a stack (64) of wooden planks, the wooden door, and the wooden stairs.

 _And honestly, what am I even going to use these rocks for?_ I left the granite, andesite, and diorite in the chest, deciding instead to bring my clock. I wouldn't have the sun to tell time while inside the cavernous Kingdom.

I'd definitely need my temporary pass, food, weapons and armor, tools, crafting table, furnace, bucket of water, torches.

…and maybe _one_ of those ender pearls. Just in case.

I kept the note block and dumped some of my more useless stuff before finally being ready to go…

…to wherever Wynn wanted us to go.

* * *

"Oh, good, you actually came out." Wynn breathed a sigh of relief as I closed my room's door. There was probably security to prevent theft at the Inn, right?

"Well, after the threat you made, I wasn't going to chance it." I complained as I fished in my belt for the note block. "Also, this weird block started beeping this morning. Do you know what it is?"

Wynn knew practically everything about Minecraftia, so it was no surprise that she had an answer. "It's a note block: a redstone item that can create different sounds depending on the block it's placed upon. They're quite common in Daymonte, in everything from musical accompaniment to alarm clocks."

"But I didn't set this thing to ring at the ass-crack of dawn!" I exclaimed as I checked my clock for the first time to verify how early it was. "And I thought you gave us the day off?"

"I did give you all the day off. The guards can sleep in…though I _might_ have set that note block alarm to dawn to wake you up on time." She confessed sheepishly, to which I just stared at her with a tired, emotionless stare. "But for a good reason!"

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" I asked as she led us down the Inn's hall.

"I know of a prestigious institution that teaches Newbs and other learning impaired on the basics of Minecraftia." She explained with extra amounts of praise. "The impressive establishment is called 'Knowledge Beginnings' and I was hoping you'd want to spend the day there."

I narrowed my eyes at her offer. The old me would have jumped at the offer, but after the Iron_Lung incident, I was a bit more wary of agreeing to Wynn's proposals. Immediately, several things struck me as odd.

The way she was talking the place up. Like I'd be lucky to go there and that I should _want_ to go there. But, as my internal organs advised, the trick to manipulation is to make the person want what you want them to do.

'…Spend the day there…' That was just another way of saying 'I'm going to dump you there for the day.' She expected me to stay in one, boring place when the whole Kingdom was a mechanical wonder traversable via trampolines and minecarts? No chance.

And 'Knowledge Beginnings' sounded like a childish name a 'prestigious' place of learning. If it was some sort of school, wouldn't they tack the title 'University' or 'Academy' at the end of it?

Clearly, there was something more to her offer. _Nice try, Captain. I may be stupid, but I wasn't born yesterday._

 _I was_ spawned _three weeks ago!_

"What's the catch?" I asked bluntly as we exited the Inn.

"Why assume there's a catch? Is it so hard to believe that I want you to grow as a person?"

"Well—"

"Did somebody say 'flamboyant interruption!'" Came the cheerful cry of the blonde-haired Captain from yesterday, Veronica, as she popped from out of nowhere. I jumped three feet in the air in fright and suffered a mini heart attack before being caught, bridal style, by a strong pair of arms.

Veronica whistled appreciatively while holding me up. "Damn, Jumpy. Usually you'd need a leaping potion to get that high. You got good reflexes."

"Um…thanks?" I muttered confused and embarrassed as I tried to get out of her hold.

"Veronica! What a…surprise." Wynn began hesitantly, as if not expecting the boisterous blonde. "I didn't expect you to be up this early, let alone waiting for me. I thought I'd meet you at the King's Fortress."

"Well your expectations were right on the money!" The blonde exclaimed as she dropped me unceremoniously. "I'm less of a morning person than an afternoon-to-night person." She grinned as she leaned in closer to Wynn, reaching an arm around to hug her. "But if it means spending more time with you, I'd brave a thousand mornings!"

I dusted myself off while staring at the pair of Captains. Their friendship didn't make any sense to me. One was a strict disciplinarian and the other was a lax and outspoken blonde.

Or was it one of those 'opposites attract' relationships? Two wrongs making a right. Three rights making a left. That sort of thing.

Wynn quickly twisted out of Veronica's hug and gave her a disapproving frown that barely phased her. "If you don't mind me asking," they both turned their attention towards me, "how exactly did you two become friends. You're laid-back and Wynn is..." Amber eyes glared at me. "…less laid-back."

"Well, my jumpy, young Crafter," Veronica began with a smirk, "good-old whitey here," she gestured to Wynn, "came to Daymonte on her very first mission: transporting a bloodthirsty criminal to stand trial in his home Kingdom."

I listened interestedly in her story while Wynn rolled her eyes.

"But, get this, she lost the guy!" Veronica exclaimed with a chuckle. "He just slipped away right under her dainty nose. So I, Veronica, the Golden Eagle of Daymonte, swooped in and saved the day!"

Wynn lightly smacked the blonde. "One, that's not how it happened."

Veronica leaned over and rested her arm on Wynn's shoulder. "Sure it is!"

"No. It isn't." Wynn took a step to the side, making Veronica lose her armrest and fall over. "And two, I thought your title was the Golden _Hawk_ of Daymonte."

"Eagle. Hawk. Penguin. They're all birds of prey." The blonde waved off before she kicked up and onto her feet. "But really, the criminal parts of the story don't matter. What matters is that it brought the two of us to meet and form a lasting friendship."

"It also helps that we serve as envoys for each other's Kingdoms." Wynn supplied with a shake of her head. "Together we serve as messengers for the Kings. Speaking of which—"

"Yeah, yeah. Your meeting is reserved." Veronica assured with a hand on her hip. "Though I had to convince him to meet with you during his statue posing. Hope you don't mind."

"I do mind." Wynn massaged the bridge of her nose in aggravation. "But if there's no other time that works—"

"By the way," the blonde interrupted while pointing at me, "is he coming too? Because I don't think Rotjes will care for _two_ messengers when he's expecting one."

"No, no." Wynn dismissed with a frantic shake of her head. "Cobb won't be joining us. I was just about to drop him off so—"

"Hey, Veronica?" I interrupted quickly, eager to check my theory. "Being a Captain, you probably know your way around right?" She nodded proudly. "Ever hear of a place called 'Knowledge Beginnings?'"

As Veronica searched her memory, I noticed Wynn silently mouthing the word 'No' over and over while trying to convey to Veronica the message of, 'Don't tell him!'

But it barely registered to the blonde whose eyes suddenly lit up. "Yeah, it's a place that teaches Jibbermen the basics, and I mean basic basics, of Minecraftia. Kind of like a pre-school."

I nodded with slow contempt and turned to face the ivory-haired Captain, who had suddenly taken an interest in staring at a wall. "Hear that, Captain? A pre-school."

"Have you ever appreciated the fine architectural design of a cobblestone wall?" Wynn tried to divert. "Because I—"

"If it's not deafening drill sergeants, it's a pre-school!" I complained with crossed arms. "Why do you keep trying to get rid of me!?"

Wynn pressed her hands together and looked at me pleadingly. "Cobb, I'm not trying to get—well…yes I'm trying to get rid of you. But only because I don't want you getting into any trouble."

"When have I ever…" I thought for a moment. "Fair point."

"Exactly!" Wynn capitalized on my admittance. "You got involved with so many criminals in Ringwood, and I don't want a repeat of that. Especially since I want this meeting with Rotjes to go over well."

"If you were so worried about me screwing things up, why bring me on your mission in the first place?"

"Because, back then, I wanted you to suffer for your crimes." Wynn admitted without remorse. "I was hoping you'd get into enough trouble on the way here and learn to give up whatever meager criminal habits you had. And it worked…partly."

I thought about the rain-soaked night I spent living behind a cutout of a shelter. Getting tossed around by a killer rabbit. Crossing paths with an iron golem. Almost getting killed by Griefers and Creepers and Witches and Wolves.

That stuff scared the piss out of me. But Wynn was right in that it only worked partly. Because the trip had also taught me that I was helpful. I got the group across the Caerbannog Valley and that basin full of Creepers. And that really bolstered my confidence.

"Please, Cobb." Wynn broke through my thoughts. "His Eminence entrusted me to deliver his message to King Rotjes. He truly believes I have the best chance of getting Daymonte to agree to our joint-construction project. And I don't want anything or anyone to ruin my chances!" Talking about His Eminence and all the pressure being placed on her was making Wynn breathe heavily.

"Alright, I get it! This means a lot to you." I calmed her down with raised hands. "But I'm not going to wait in a pre-school when there's a whole Kingdom-worth of stuff to explore."

"I'd recommend the Amusement Park." Veronica supplied helpfully.

"See? They have an Amusement Park, Captain! An Amusement Park!" What other reasoning did I need? They had a _freaking Amusement Park!_

Wynn shook her head. "You're a Ringwood citizen with a temporary pass. The guards here will know you're with my group. And if you get into any trouble—"

"Then I won't get into any trouble!" I pleaded, with my hand held up. "Fisherman's Promise!"

I didn't even know if that was a real thing or not: _Fisherman's Promise_. Cara had done it with Leader's Promise and I just assumed you could do it with anything. Captain's Promise. Criminal's Promise. Arsonist's Promise. And so forth.

But it seemed to sway Wynn, who looked like she was considering it. "Even one thing could ruin the deal."

"Fisherman's Promise, Wynn." I repeated, not exactly having any other evidence to defend myself. Floyd would probably be better at it.

Wynn narrowed her eyes before darting her hand to my belt to withdraw my clock. She shoved it in my face. "You see this clock?" I nodded quickly, my nose brushing up against the golden surface. "What time does it read?"

"Dawn."

"Good." She pulled the clock back a bit. "When the picture on the clock face becomes a complete, starry, night sky, what time is it then?"

"Midnight."

"Good again." She pointed towards the Stonewall Inn. "You are to be in your room no later than midnight." I quickly nodded. "And while you are spending the day in the Kingdom, I want you to think every time you want to do something."

"Wh…what do you mean?" I questioned with a puzzled look on my face. "I always think before I do something."

"I don't think you do." Wynn countered firmly in an effort to get her message across. "But today, you are to spend sixty seconds thinking over whatever you do, looking at any and all consequences, before proceeding with an action. And I don't care what crazy Butterfly Effects your mind comes up with. If you think there is even the _slightest_ possibility of things going wrong, you are to forget all about it."

I hesitated before nodding to her request. If it meant having free reign for the day, I'd agree to her terms. Especially since disobeying them would result in a visit from Wynn's rapier, Mr. Stab-You-In-The-Balls.

"And if I get back by midnight, and you're NOT sleeping soundly in your bed…" Her hand twitched to her rapier.

"You'll stab me?" I guessed with perhaps a bit of snark.

Wynn narrowed her eyes before relinquishing the hold of her rapier with a grim smile. "Worse. I'll have the guards hold you down and force you to read all fifty volumes of Redstone Engineering!" My eyes widened in fear, even as Wynn leaned forward to whisper into my ear. "And let me tell you, it will be the dullest experience of your life."

She slid the clock back into my belt before stepping back and strutting towards Veronica, all while I was pale-faced and scared.

 _Fifty Volumes!?_

* * *

[Wynn]

"Not gonna lie, Wynn." Veronica began as we left Cobb shivering fearfully in front of the Inn. "That was kind of hot."

I faltered slightly at her words. "Is that more of your slang? Things are cool, things are hot?"

The blonde just shook her head with a small smile. "Slang? You're hopeless."

"Not as hopeless as your toll gates."

Veronica gasped exaggeratedly, feigning hurt. "You fiend! You know of my passionate feelings towards the toll gates!"

"Ha ha." I forced each laugh, my voice dripping with sarcasm as we neared the edge of the bridge. "Careful your hurt feelings don't throw off your aim."

Veronica laughed while stretching her arms. "I'd worry more about your stuffiness weighing you down." She then leapt off the bridge with a shout of, "See you at the bottom!"

I smiled as I followed her lead and leapt off the stone bridge and let gravity carry me down.

Free falling was always an exhilarating experience. The feeling of a cushion of air beneath me as the lights and flashes of the chasm blurred by. Below, I saw Veronica performing twists and flips, fully enjoying the method of travel.

Since the King's Fortress was located at the chasm's bottom, bedrock level, falling was the quickest means to get there. It was actually situated below the river, so the ceiling was a tad leaky, but in all my years as an envoy, Rotjes, nor any of the past Kings, had once complained of it.

I spotted the familiar light green of the landing platform and angled my body appropriately. The wind whipped through my hair and whistled while hitting my iron rapier.

Landing directly on the platform, I bounced off the slime blocks before finding purchase on solid stone. Veronica was already there, rubbing her ears furiously. "Ow…I think my ears popped."

"You'll live." I dismissed as we walked towards a small stone structure guarded by two diamond-armored Crafters. The structure was an elevator that connected with the King's Fortress.

"I don't know. It hurts pretty bad." Veronica winced before grinning. "Could you kiss it and make it better?"

Again her words made me falter, causing me to groan. Veronica had a habit of throwing me off with her overly friendly tones; a weakness she took every opportunity to capitalize on. Why she couldn't speak to me with respect, I didn't know. But if she was going to act like that all the time, it would make things incredibly uncomfortable.

I didn't bother answering her tease as we walked up to the stone structure. Veronica's presence was all it took for the guards to let us pass. "Keep up the good work, fellas." She chirped while I opened the structure's doors.

As we stepped inside, Veronica pressed a button besides the door. Immediately, the floor below us opened up and we descended down a stone chute. Even though we were falling, neither of us batted an eye, since we were so used to it. We were even capable of sustaining a conversation.

"So…back at the Inn…" Veronica began while combing her hair back. "What exactly was that between you and that Cobb guy?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned, unsure whether this was more of Veronica's teasing or not.

"Like, is he a new guard, or…something more?" She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

I shrugged indifferently. "You saw the green tunic he was wearing. He's obviously a part of my group, even though he's not a guard."

"Okay, but…after that argument you had with him…" She scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Are you and him…you know…" She held up one hand with her fingers shaped like a zero, and used her other hand to insert her finger through the hole. Then she thrust it back and forth as a sign of—

"WHAT!? NO!" I screeched with flushed cheeks. The blonde's mind must have been in the gutter to have drawn that conclusion from a small argument. "Cobb and I are not in a… _relationship_!" I explained, not wanting to come up with a better noun for what Veronica just described.

Veronica burst out into laughter. "Oh, man, that face! Hahahaha! I should have figured you'd be too much of a prude for something like that!" She clutched her stomach and pounded her fist in the air. I tried to cut through her howls of laughter to better explain the situation with Cobb.

"Cobb is just an associate I'm traveling with...though he's really just a Newb." I elaborated, trying to find the right words. "He gets on my nerves more often than I can count…but I don't think he's doing it on purpose. He's just..."

"So he's like a puppy that pees on the sofa." Veronica summarized crudely after recovering from her laughing fit. "You hate the animal for messing up your furniture, but you can't exactly blame the thing because you know it doesn't know any better."

"I guess that's the closest simile that fits. Sure." Cobb was like an innocent puppy that peed on every single little thing I owned.

 _And if that puppy pees on my chances of making a deal with Daymonte, Animal Protection Services would have plenty to say about what I'd do to that puppy._

The stone chute we were in finally ended when we landed on the cushiony slime blocks at the bottom level. Veronica strode out with a spring in her step while I followed in her shadow.

We walked down an atrium of polished andesite and red carpet, illuminated by redstone lanterns strategically placed to offer the most amount of lighting for the least amount of lanterns. A stairwell leading up to another level was heavily guarded by at least seven burly Crafters.

"If only the rest of your Kingdom was as secure as this fortress." I commented while gazing at the rows of red-capped guards lining the halls. They looked ready for just about anything.

"Oh, good. You remembered to give me a boring lecture about security." Veronica gushed with mock celebration. "I thought you almost forgot."

"I'm serious." I continued, urging my fellow Captain to hold her Kingdom's safety in higher esteem. "Do you know that the toll guards didn't even bother checking my group's Inventory? I can only assume it's the same for every Crafter entering Daymonte. They could be carrying TNT or dangerous contraband and you wouldn't even notice."

"Damn, Wynn, relax, will you? No wonder your hair is white."

"My hair color has nothing to do with my security measures! It is a result of how I naturally spawned. Not because of stress." I flipped it just to emphasize its natural color and sway. "Ringwood is a safe Kingdom thanks to the strict toll checks and round-the-clock guard patrols. Which is more than I can say for Daymonte."

The blonde frowned at that. "This Fortress is so well guarded because it has a solid base of indestructible bedrock, securing one whole side, and is a smaller area to cover. Daymonte is a Kingdom _in a chasm_ , meaning that even if I increase guard patrols and have stricter toll gates, anyone could just as easily dig underground and enter the Kingdom illegally. It's impossible to cover everything!"

I just shook my head. "You don't have to cover everything, but you have to at least show an effort. If I remember correctly, the entire Northeast Sector of Daymonte is unguarded."

"That Sector is off-limits to Crafters." She dismissed easily. "The rumors and ghost stories surrounding that place are enough to ward people away. Only the brave or stupid would venture there. And you're one to talk about lapses in security." She jabbed me in the chest. "Your Kingdom practically begs criminal scum to get into the Western District, what with all the shady characters and rundown buildings."

I folded my arms and looked away. "The Western District is a problem I'm working on. And if you care about Daymonte, you'd be wise to have airtight security."

"Whatever." Veronica shrugged uncaringly just as we stood before the main door. Behind it was the throne room. King Rotjes would be waiting for me. "You ready to make this deal?"

I took a couple of calming breaths before rehearsing the proposal in my head.

 _I'll greet him. Offer some pleasantries. Maybe throw in some subtle talk about forming better bonds with Ringwood. Then, I'll make the proposal._

 _Remember to be charming. Charming people make good deals._

I put on the most natural smile I could muster before turning to Veronica. She looked disgusted. "What?"

"Wynn, what the hell are you doing with your face?"

"What do you—I'm smiling! What does it look like!?"

"It looks like you're a deranged serial killer is what it looks like! Smile more naturally. Relax your face." She walked up to me and massaged my face muscles. "Here, like thi—"

"What have I told you about touching my face?" I asked sharply before backing off and rubbing where she touched me.

Veronica seemed to consider my question for a moment. "Truth be told, I usually tune you out when you're lecturing me. It makes you cuter."

"Alright, enough jokes." I reprimanded, finally managing a normal smile. "Better?"

The blonde looked at my face and nodded. "Better. Well, here we go." She opened the doors and the two of us entered the throne room.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Sorry, bucko. I'm not interested in any glass bottles."

"But…say you're traveling through a desert—"

"There's only one desert in Minecraftia and it's nowhere near here. Besides, I'm a mason. I deal with stone, not glass." The mason Crafter spoke as he hauled a stack of coarse stone over to a furnace.

After Wynn and her boisterous friend left, I thought hard about what I'd spend the day doing. Since emeralds were the currency, I figured I'd need them sooner or later. And since working was out of the question on my one free day, trading was my only alternative.

Finding merchant Crafters wasn't hard. They had a market set up on a bridge running through a chasm wall, just a couple of levels below the Inn. They had a pretty decent selection of items too. The hard part was having something that they'd want.

The mason placed a bucket of lava in the furnace instead of coal, but it had the same effect as regular fuel, making the furnace crackle to life and billow forth smoke. "Now if you had any of that andesite or granite, then it'd be a different story."

My eyes shot wide in anger and disbelief. "You're saying…you would give me emeralds if I had stacks of granite, andesite, and diorite?"

"Of course."

I walked over to the nearest wall and slowly banged my head on it in frustration. _Why did I leave those stacks of stone!? Why!? Why!? WHY!?_

"You okay there, bucko?"

"Just soul-crushing regret. Nothing to worry about." I assured the mason as my head actually broke a chunk of cobblestone off the wall. I shrieked and quickly patched it up. There was no telling what the Daymonte guards would do if they discovered a chunk of the chasm missing. And after the threat Wynn made, I didn't want to risk anything.

I had to be on my best behavior.

So stealing from the mason was also out of the question.

"Um…wait here. I'm just going to go home and grab some stone real quick." I explained, already hurrying out of the marketplace. "I'll be back!"

"Sure thing." The mason waved with a kind smile.

I quickly sprinted towards the direction I remembered the Inn to be. If Crafters used the slime pads to land from higher levels, there had to be a way to get up from the lower ones. And I was sure it had something to do with those towers threading between bridges.

The nearest tower had a line of Crafters in front of it. But since I didn't have time to wait, I withdrew a hunk of rotten flesh and began chowing down.

The effect was immediate. All the Crafters in front of me looked disgusted by the slop I was shoveling down and quickly left the line, allowing me to move up. Some held a hand over their mouths, barreling past bystanders in a mad dash for a trash can. What was once a line of thirty Crafters soon became seven, made up only of those with strong stomachs.

 _Ah, rotten flesh. You taste like crap, but you're the ultimate line-remover!_

When it was finally my turn, I entered the tower…only to see a few odd things.

First, the tower had a single block chute, big enough for one person at a time, extending upwards. Though the tower was much bigger than the one space allotted to me. What was the rest of the space used for?

Second, it was lined with some of those slime blocks, glass to see outside, smooth white blocks of some kind, furnaces, and some weird block I never saw before.

And in the space I entered, the floor was a slime block with a stone button on one of the walls.

I looked up, seeing how high the tower reached, before checking for any other things I may have missed. Behind me, the line of Crafters was reforming and growling at me to hurry up.

"Yo! Flesh-Eater! Hurry the fuck up!"

I quickly turned around, waving a piece of rotten flesh threateningly in front of my mouth like a warning. The line of Crafters immediately silenced themselves, if the bile rising in their throats didn't already.

"Apologies. Take your time. J-just don't eat that stuff anymore."

I nodded in satisfaction before pocketing the flesh and returning my attention to the inside of the tower. The only thing I had to work with was a button. But there was no way pressing a simple button could lift me off the ground to a new level…right?

And what was that strange block lining the walls? Most of the bottom half of it was dark grey, like a furnace. But the top half of it was made of wood. And through the translucent slime block beneath me, there was another one of those strange blocks facing up towards me.

Not knowing what else to try, I lifted a tentative hand and pressed the stone button with a 'click'.

The next thing I knew, the floor beneath me pushed upwards, the slime block bouncing me up through the chute. I was surprised, but I quickly remained calm. After I reached the peak of my bounce, the next slime block jutted out beneath me before pushing up like the first one, bouncing me further. This continued in a steady rhythm, repeatedly bouncing me higher and higher.

"How is this even…possible? Words…not working…too amazed!" I turned to look out the glass windows lining the trampoline tower and saw the criss-crossing bridges and lights of Daymonte. Some odd vehicle soared across the chasm, transporting groups of Crafters across.

I looked at the slime blocks below me, before realizing that they were not only jutting out to bounce me up. They were also resetting, returning to their original position for the next Crafter to use.

 _How does it know to do that? It's like this thing is alive!_

It had to have been redstone, the mysterious tech stuff that Daymonte was apparently famous for.

Finally, I was shot out the top of the tower and onto a new stone bridge, stumbling on the landing before standing upright. I glanced at the convenient method of travel behind me before walking away.

 _Okay. No time to admire redstone. I need to focus._

I looked around the vast chasm, trying to locate the Inn. It wasn't above, so that meant I probably overshot it.

Sure enough, I looked down over the edge of the bridge and there it was. Luckily, there was a slime pad I could jump to that was on the same level. Only there was a bit of a gap in between.

If I missed, I'd fall to a lower level and have to ride up another tower. But it was a fun experience so I wouldn't mind all that much.

I got up right to the edge and prepared to jump off, thinking about maybe performing a cool skydiving trick or something.

As I crouched down to spring forward, however, my foot slipped and I lost my balance, falling off the bridge…

…And right past the Inn's level. Just missed it in fact.

"Nghh…" I grumbled while falling, looking for another slime pad to land on. The light green color was noticeable enough against the grey stone of the chasm.

I angled my body, wind whistling past me and whipping my hoodie, before landing on a new slime pad. Though this time, I was several levels lower than the marketplace level I started at.

"Well, that sucks." I commented to myself while staring at my location. "I'll just have to find another tower…to…" I trailed off as I turned around, revealing that the bridge I was on was partly closed off.

Why?

Because there was a huge chunk of it missing.

A massive gap separated the two ends of the bridge. And on one side (the side I wasn't on, because life likes to be difficult) was a trampoline tower.

"Why…" I complained as I checked the gap. The edges were all frayed as if a serious explosion blasted chunks of stone away. There was no way I could make a jump like that. "Who'd ruin a perfectly good bridge like this?"

Whoever it was, must have been real jerks because the missing bridge was a huge inconvenience. I could have jumped down to a lower level, but I was already incredibly close to the bottom of the chasm and I didn't want to risk running into guards. Wynn had fallen down there to meet the King, so it only made sense there'd be higher security. And probably a 'no-entry-zone' for Crafters like me.

So instead, I turned around and found the next best thing.

Er…actually…second best thing! The next best thing would have been a giant robot that could transform into some king of vehicle.

The second best thing, a monorail car, was still greatly appreciated.

It was dropping a bunch of Crafters off on the bridge, even though half of it was sort of broken, and the driver was calling out a destination. I quickly hurried over to see if it could give me a lift, even though I still had no idea what a monorail was.

"Last call for the Daymonte grand tour! Last call!" The driver shouted from the side of the bridge.

"Wait!" I called out before jogging towards the driver. "Can this get me to a different area?"

"Can a bat fly?" The driver countered with gusto, prompting me to blankly stare at him. He groaned. "Yes! This monorail can take you somewhere else. All for only one emerald."

"Emerald?" I questioned hopelessly, fumbling at my belt for an emerald I knew wasn't there. "I…I don't have any money."

The driver scratched his chin, eyes darting over me as if sizing me up before focusing on my arm. Then a smile broke out across his face. "Or you can pay with EXP. I can always use some."

"Huh? EXP?" I looked at the arm holding the light green experience bar. After killing so many Griefers and Mobs, it was no surprise my EXP meter was numbered at twelve. "How am I supposed to give—Wait, I'm not giving you my arm!"

"Nono, nonono." The driver dismissed as he pointed at my arm again. "Crafters can transfer EXP to others. No arm-tearing required. You must be a Newb not to know that."

Again, my Newb status was thrown in my face. I was getting real tired of that and twitched in annoyance at the driver's words, but otherwise remained polite. Making a scene would just cause trouble for Wynn, which would, in turn, cause trouble for me. "So how do I transfer it?"

"Easy." He tossed me a glass bottle from his belt. "Just place any old glass bottle against the meter, neck facing towards it, give it a twist like a faucet, and watch that sweet EXP pour out into a Bottle o' Enchanting."

"Don't you mean Bottle _of_ Enchanting?" I questioned as I followed his instructions.

"No, sir. Bottle o' Enchanting." He grinned as he eagerly waited for the EXP.

Just like he said, twisting the bottle caused the EXP to flow from my arm and into the bottle, filling it to the brim. And as it filled, my EXP meter slowly emptied. There was no discomfort or anything. I may as well just have been peeing into a cup.

Once it was done, I removed the newly obtained [BOTTLE O' ENCHANTING] and handed it back to the driver. "Oh, by the way, I'll be needing _three_ bottles of EXP in lieu of an emerald."

I frowned at the greedy driver, but followed his demands. It was a good thing I had those glass bottles.

Two more EXP fills later and the deal was done. "Good. All aboard the monorail." He commented with a smile as I boarded the car. It was made out of iron and had slime blocks, some of those same half stone, half wood blocks, and a new red block.

 _So many new blocks! I can't keep up with them all!_

I took a seat on one of the metal benches. I had plenty of seats to choose from seeing as how nobody else was riding.

"Thank you all for choosing Ed's Monorail Tour!" The driver exclaimed, even though I was the only one there. "My name is Abalone and I'll be giving you a tour of some of Daymonte's most fascinating attractions. Now, let's begin!" He placed a glowing red torch on one of the half stone, half wood blocks before the monorail car lurched forward. The mysterious half-in-half blocks were pushing the wooden part of it forward like a piston, which pushed the car forward, before something then pulled the stone part of the piston forward to meet back up with its counterpart.

And the repeated process made the car move.

 _So that's what those blocks do._ I thought while watching the piston block push and pull.

"Now if you look to your left, you can see the Potato Tech building." The driver announced from his seat up front as he gestured to the left. The building he described was a multi-story building etched into the chasm wall with a giant mosaic potato plastered on the side. The words 'Potato Tech' shone alone with it.

"Potato Tech was founded nearly four centuries ago, and has been working tirelessly to push the capabilities of redstone technology. It was the brilliant minds of Potato Tech founders Henrique and Vanizon that developed much of the common technology you see today. From TNT cannons and elevators to the very monorail you're riding in. Thanks to those redstone pioneers, Daymonte is kept at the pinnacle of innovation."

He sounded like he was reading the information directly from a book, but the stuff he was saying was at least interesting.

"And if you look on your right, you'll see one of Daymonte's national treasures: The Mega Calculator!" I glanced to my right before doing a double take.

Along the chasm wall was an opening, an entrance of sorts, that led into a larger hollowed out chamber. The entrance was heavily guarded by burly, red-capped, and diamond clad Crafters. A crowd of people was also hovering outside the entrance, looking like they were protesting something. But it was what was in the chamber that had me speechless.

I saw countless paths of that red dust from the Inn, connecting diverging paths into pistons and red torches and flat white objects that I couldn't even describe with words. There were lights and flashes and the entire thing connected to a wall of lanterns with numbers lit across. It reminded me of a complex circuit board.

 _…What's a circuit board again?_

"The Mega Calculator was built by Daymonte's first King and founder, Jeb! After developing and researching several different types of redstone circuits, he decided, on a whim, to make the biggest and most complicated piece of redstone tech known to man. It took seven months to carry out his order to carve out a chamber big enough for the calculator. And it took seven years for him to finally perfect the device. It was so massive, the chamber actually needed to be expanded further!"

"Despite its status as the single most incredible feat of redstone circuitry, today, it is a subject of much controversial debate. People wish to demolish the calculator to make room for new homes and buildings, while others value the calculator's historical significance too much to let it fall. As it's a testament of Jeb's ingenuity, I personally feel like it'd be a waste to demolish such a work of technology."

The tour continued in that same fashion for a while. Abalone would point out a landmark and that chatter aimlessly about it. We passed a few more interesting things. The haunted and restricted Northeast Sector, the McGraw Casino, Bob's Bouncy House.

But still no amusement park.

The weird thing about the monorail, it could only go forwards. So any turns were impossible.

"Hey, Abalone." I called to him over his description of another redstone landmark. "How come this monorail only has one direction?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" He called out with a laugh. "This monorail doesn't have only one direction?"

"Really? Then why—"

"It has two!"

"Oh…" I realized he meant forwards and backwards.

"But if you mean, why is it only restricted to one axis of movement, I couldn't tell you." He admitted, pressing a pushing a lever again to stop the monorail. "But if you want to know, I suggest to start at this next stop."

I turned to see what he was talking about and my eyes immediately zeroed in on a sign. It read: ' _Redstone College._ ' Just behind it was a large stone castle, situated atop a large, carved stone pillar.

"If you want to be educated on redstone, this'll be the place to start." He gestured towards the door. "Besides, those three EXP bottles are only good enough to get you this far."

I stepped off the monorail and thanked Abalone before he sped away to pick up more tourists. I turned my attention back to the College sign. Just below it were several smaller signs.

' _175th Annual Redstone Fair. Held Today in College Auditorium. Sponsored in Part by Potato Tech._ '

' _Potato Tech: We work hard, to make your life easy._ '

"Good slogan." I commented as I looked back at the giant college. "Well, I really want to learn more about this redstone stuff…without having to read fifty volumes of material." I spoke to myself as I climbed a winding path leading up to the college.

 _The redstone tech stuff might come in handy one day, and it couldn't hurt to learn more about it._

 _I just hope I can learn something from this 'Redstone Fair'..._

 _…And also that it doesn't cost money._

* * *

[Wynn]

I had the perfect plan all rehearsed in my head. I knew exactly which points to make and which emotions to appeal to.

Yet even the most infallible of plans can go awry…when the royalty you're talking to is otherwise engaged.

"Are you capturing my Kingly radiance? Well?"

"Yes, Your Lordship! Immaculately so!" Came the shrill stammer of the sculptor as he added more polished stone to the statue.

I kept my head bowed respectively, even as King Rotjes continued to ignore me in favor of posing. I swallowed my pride and never showed how annoyed I was, because I needed the deal to work.

No matter what.

Rotjes was a portly man, with a bald head and a dark, bushel of a beard. He had thin, grey eyes and a monocle. He wore a long, scarlet robe with a purple sash and was completely clad in gold.

He was posing with one hand resting on his hip and the other extended up, holding a golden sword dramatically.

Meanwhile, Veronica was standing beside me, snickering to herself at how I was prostrate before a King that had absolutely no respect for me. I couldn't fathom how the blonde could get away with not bowing before her own King. The way she was standing and acting, it was like she was standing in front of anyone instead of the King of Daymonte.

Shouldn't there have been some semblance of respect between Captains and Kings?

"Could you hold the sword a tad higher?" The shrill sculptor suggested, to which the King followed. "Good, keep it right there."

"I've been keeping it here since dawn broke." King Rotjes complained as he his arm shuddered from the sustained posing. "How much longer?"

"Only a few more minutes, Your Lordship."

Rotjes rolled his eyes. "Well, it had better look good. I want generations of Crafters to gaze upon my—"

I took the opportunity to cough loudly, catching Rotjes' attention.

"Oh! Captain Wynn! I didn't hear you come in…er…" He tried to face me without shifting his pose. "Veronica told me you had an important message to deliver?"

"Yes, Your Lordship." I pushed on, despite the awkward conditions of my audience. "But let me first say that it is good to see you again. I barely recognized you since our last meeting."

I was laying the flattery on a bit thick, but it seemed to have the desired effect.

"Really?" The King asked with disbelief. "Because, I have been following a diet recently, and I wasn't sure it was working."

"Well, it definitely shows." I lied, capitalizing on what he wanted to hear. "You simply must tell me the secret of your slim appearance."

He blushed, causing the sculptor to immediately add reddish stone to the statue's face. "Well, every day I get out of bed and do thirty jumping jacks. Then I—"

As Rotjes yammered on about his diet, I quickly rehearsed what I'd say next. As if I needed diet advice. I already had a slim figure and kept in shape combating criminals.

I did make sure to hear a bit of his words though. After all, it would look really bad if he asked me my opinion on his diet and I couldn't come up with a rebuttal.

"—And I've switched from cookies to carrots. But enough about my diet. Let's talk about this message I've heard so much about."

I flashed a smile towards Veronica for her efforts in building the King's intrigue in my proposal before clearing my throat. "This is a message directly from His Eminence, King Miles. He wishes to extend an offer for a joint-construction project between our two Kingdoms."

Rotjes' eyebrows rose in interest, causing the sculptor to furiously break off and raise the eyebrows on the statue. "And what would this 'project' be?"

"A Trans-Kingdom railway." I stated with steely resolve. "His Eminence believes that forming a means of transportation between our two Kingdoms can increase exports and imports, make more convenient methods of travel, and foster the development of smaller towns and villages between the two Kingdoms."

Rotjes didn't respond right away, though I could tell he was considering it by the way his grey eyes gleamed. I needed to press my advantage.

"The railway we propose would have multiple rails following a straight line from Daymonte to Ringwood to optimize transportation at a time. Scheduling for which times Crafters would travel would need to be planned, and an underground rail would be easier to both conceal and defend from Griefer attacks." I listed the points in order. "Furthermore, the easy transport of supplies would enable more viable means of trade. The availability of wood, stone, and other necessities would support the establishment of new towns and villages along the track, while also supplying existing settlements with the supplies and guards they'd—"

"Jeeves." Rotjes interrupted as he lowered his arm and stopped posing. "You may finish the statue at a later date. This demands my full attention."

The shrill sculptor looked horrified at having to stop his work, but knew that he was being dismissed. He quickly schooled his features and bowed low before backing out of the room.

With nothing else occupying his time, Rotjes placed his gold sword at his belt and sat atop his throne, giving me his full attention. "How much will such a project cost me?"

I hesitated for a second. The price would probably be the biggest issue to overcome. And it was fairly steep. I needed more time to convince him.

"Ringwood would obviously supply the wood and half the necessary rails as well as—"

"How much?" Rotjes interrupted, unwilling to waste time on my diversions.

With no other options, I answered him. "A rough estimate…I'd say 170,000 blocks worth of iron…maybe more."

As expected, Rotjes sank in his throne. The outrageous amount of iron I requested knocked the wind from him. Veronica's only response was a high whistle, acknowledging the sheer cost of the railway.

The King took a shaky breath, before focusing back on me. "And I suppose that doesn't count the gold or redstone we'll need to provide to wire the whole thing up, correct?" I nodded to his assumption, causing the bald man sink once more into his throne. "Daymonte doesn't have the necessary resources to undergo such a project. And even if we did, iron is one of the most basic necessities for tool and weapon building. It's a stable middle-ground, easily mined and common in every corner of Minecraftia. But to irreversibly convert so much of it into rails…"

"You don't necessarily need iron for the rails." I argued, trying to keep Rotjes interested in the deal. "Naturally spawned mineshafts are littered throughout your region, each one filled with a complex system of unused rails. If you were to recycle them—"

"We'd still be short." He interrupted. "We would need iron no matter what, and our stores are nowhere near enough." He looked sorry as he gazed upon me. "I'm afraid you must tell Miles…"

 _No!_

"…that due to Daymonte's insubstantial supply of iron…"

 _No! No no no!_

"…we'll have to decline the d—"

"Are you sure about this, Rotjes?" Veronica interjected as she stepped forward, speaking for the first time during the meeting. "You may be passing up a real opportunity here."

Rotjes narrowed his eyes at his Captain. "What do you mean, Veronica? Daymonte doesn't have the necessary supplies. It's as simple as—"

"You kidding? We have ten times that wimpy amount of iron!" The blonde exclaimed before smiling suggestively. "We just need to dig it up is all."

Rotjes paused for a moment before realization dawned on him. "You can't mean the Northern Swamps. That area has been untouched for centuries."

"Meaning," Veronica continued with a widening grin, "all that buried iron is just sitting there, waiting to be smelted."

The King scratched his bearded chin in thought, seeming to consider the notion before shaking his head. "No no. We'd have to set up quarries and mining outposts. And for what? A railway connecting the two Kingdoms? Is it really worth it?"

Veronica adopted a fake look of defeat. "You're right. After all, it's not like the railway would be a monumental achievement." She stated off-handedly, pretending to give up. "I was simply recalling how the construction of Oak Docks' Cadboro Bridge earned their King such praise. A monument to be remembered by generations of Crafters."

At hearing this, the King's ears perked up and his face brightened. "Remembered for generations?" He echoed, a sharp gleam returning to his grey eyes.

Veronica shrugged uncaringly, subtly offering me a wink. "Ah, well. I guess we'll never know of the praise you'd have received from Daymonte and Ringwood Crafters alike. It's too bad. Wynn, you'll just have to go tell Miles the deal is off."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Rotjes hurriedly sputtered out. "Let's not be too quick to abandon this deal. Er…let me sleep on it." He decided confidently. "Yes, a night of rest will provide the clarity I need. I will give you my answer tomorrow."

His words filled me with renewed hope and I gave Veronica an appreciative nod. "Yes, Your Lordship. Thank you for your time." And with that, I hurried out the main doors with Veronica close behind.

* * *

We didn't talk to each other until we were within the soundproof security of the elevator. After we pressed the button and began ascending in rhythmic bounces, I let out a sigh of relief. "I can't believe, he's considering it. He's actually considering it! Veronica, you're a lifesaver! That deal would have been doomed if you hadn't stepped in."

"Oh, no need to thank me." Veronica dismissed with a wave. "Besides, you know what they say," an ominous, cheshire grin spread across her face. " _A favor owed is a favor earned._ "

Those words immediately put the brakes on my celebratory mood. "What…what do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing serious." She singsonged, lifting her shoulder in a single-armed shrug. "I just need a little help finding a certain criminal duo, a pair of serial bombers, and I figured having you by my side would pin those bastards to a wall faster than my arrows." She pulled out her trusty Power III, Infinity Bow and gave it a twirl.

"You need assistance catching criminals?" I questioned disbelievingly. "Don't you have guards that could help you with that?"

"My guards aren't the brightest lanterns in the bunch. And the guys I'm looking for are as clever as they are dangerous…and I wouldn't mind spending time with my favorite Captain." She spoke the last part softly, but I didn't pay it much mind."

"I don't know, Veronica." I stated, trying to convey as much hesitance as I could. "Interfering with Daymonte's criminal affairs? I'm not sure I'd have the jurisdiction to—"

"Like how I interfered with Ringwood's affairs?" Veronica inquired sweetly, though I could sense the subtle blackmail. "Did I have the jurisdiction to do that, because if so, Rotjes miiiight reconsider the deal before tomorrow morning."

My eyes widened fearfully before narrowing. "You planned this to happen, didn't you?"

Veronica placed a hand over her chest and swooned dramatically. "I'm hurt, Wynn. You think I'm some kind of diabolical mastermind that can take advantage of any situation?" Her acting wasn't convincing me, but I had no other choice. I needed to secure the deal for His Eminence.

No matter the cost.

And maybe working with Veronica wouldn't be completely awkward and uncomfortable. Maybe she wouldn't use every opportunity to tease me.

I closed my eyes in acceptance. "Fine. I'll help you find the bombers."

"Then it's a date." She winked flirtatiously as we shot out of the elevator and back onto solid ground.

I groaned loudly. "I'm regretting this already."

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Minecart, 32 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Note Block, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Glass Bottle, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 11 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 17 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

* * *

 **AN: Sorry, I'm late. Though let me remind you that it is still, technically Wednesday.**

 **This chapter had more of Daymonte and more interactions between Wynn and Veronica. And Cobb is off doing his own shit. I have some fun ideas for what he'll find at the Redstone Fair.**

 **See you all next week...maybe.**

* * *

Omake: Just a Little Longer

It was nearly midnight. The other vendors of the marketplace had long since locked up and gone home. The lanterns illuminating the area had all shut down, plunging the stores in darkness.

The only source of light was a furnace cooking stone at the mason's stall. The heat of the furnace continued to cook the coarse rock into smooth, polished stone.

The mason checked his clock in the torchlight, confirming the time.

"Well," he spoke to himself, "The bucko said he'd be back soon…and that was at dawn…"

He glanced left and right, as if expecting the brown-haired Crafter to show up any second, carrying the stacks of stone he promised.

"And now it's midnight…and it's getting kind of cold…" The mason continued to talk to himself, thinking about his wife waiting patiently for him at home. Probably with a delicious dinner waiting.

He checked his clock again.

"I'll wait just a little bit longer. No later than dawn."

* * *

 **AN: Not as funny, but I liked it.**


	33. Redstone

**AN: 10,000 Views! Over 200 Reviews! Forget Meter-stones! That's an official _Mile_ stone! Thanks for all the views my appreciated readers!**

 **Also, I got a couple of questions in the reviews, so I figured I'd answer a few of them with the reviewer's name. Think of it as an 'I appreciate your input to my story, and I respectfully offer my responses.'**

 _ **-Responses-**_

 **The Ravenclawed Demigod : Aside from Inventory, I never really considered adding EXP levels. It's easy enough to keep track of though, so I don't see a reason not to include it. I'll write it at the end of each player's Inventory list from now on.**

 **Yuri fanatic : M-rated parts?...ehhh...I don't really want to cross the T-rated line...Y'know, since this is about Minecraft. Doesn't mean I can't hint at possible interactions. *wink wink* *nudge nudge***

 **Platypotato : Honestly, you people will ship anything! First it was Cobb X Erin, then it was Cobb X Wynn, then it was Wynn X Veronica, and then Cobb X Fishing Rod! People don't have to hook up, they can just be good friends.**

 **AxeHelix : Yay, Verily.**

 **Void of Shining Darkness : Wynn is _always_ grumpy. The Squidward of Ringwood.**

 **Slenderbrine : Again this is rated T, I don't give inappropriate answers to riddles.**

 **AwakenedKarbon : If the Transformers reference was more in detail, there'd be less talking and more Michael Bay explosions.**

 **DarkWolf133 : The mason appreciates your sympathy. Thanks for thinking of him. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would.**

 **Laner : Yup, 200 Reviews! I finally...oh! You cared about the mason too? Well, gee, I didn't expect so much support for-**

 **AwesomeCoolGuy5 : Okay, seriously, you guys _really_ felt bad for this character! So much sympathy...Also I unknowingly referenced Deadpool...Don't tell Fox.**

 **joel348 : Oh, cool, free cookies! Just need to slap on the Victory Cookie brand and...um...forget I just said that.**

 **Congrats to Void of Shining Darkness for answering the riddle correctly. The answer: They weren't twins, but triplets! Got some weird answers to that one, but enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: When is a door, not a door?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add goggles.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 33

 **Redstone**

[King's Fortress]

Rotjes sat atop his throne, carefully contemplating the deal Wynn had presented to him.

A Cross-Kingdom Railway. Just the concept alone was absurd.

The ten Kingdoms had always remained separate from each other. If a Crafter wasn't satisfied living in a certain Kingdom, then he had to journey on foot to get around. The only exceptions were the airships, but they were a rich man's luxury, considered too convenient for general use.

The Railway would go against all that. It would link two Kingdoms together and further uphold unity.

A Railway of that size would require resources and builders and engineers and guards: A fast way of creating jobs for the many unemployed. And all of them would revere the King who pulled them out of the gutter with payable work.

Not to mention, a simple toll or ticket system would drop much needed emeralds into Daymonte's lap. Redstone tech and engineers were expensive, after all.

Rotjes smiled happily. While being wealth and being praised by his people seemed suitable cause to accept the deal, it wasn't the main reason he was considering it.

What Veronica said was true. Future generations would admire the King that broke tradition and helped facilitate the first ever Cross-Kingdom Railway. Maybe even the first of many.

Perhaps King Miles realized the same thing.

Making a mark in Daymonte's—no—all of Minecraftia's history! _That_ certainly sounded suitable for accepting the deal!

It would cost him. That much was obvious. The Northern Swamps were always looked upon as a last resort of iron reserves. And it was unknown whether they'd be enough.

The Griefers in between were also an issue. They were weak, but numerous. Like ants.

And enough of those ants could collapse the entire railway. Thankfully, they only ever operated in small bands of twenty or thirty, just enough to overpower any unsuspecting Crafter, but not enough to mount an attack on any settlement.

And, who knows, with the Railway in place, Crafters would have no reason to travel on foot between Ringwood and Daymonte. The Griefer attacks would subsequently subside, and maybe disappear for good.

Hopefully.

But it was always better to have a second opinion.

"You called for me, Your Lordship?" A muscular and dark-skinned man with short black hair knelt before the King.

"Yes, Captain Thistle," King Rotjes greeted. "I need your opinion on a recent… _proposal_."

"You're getting married, Your Lordship!?"

* * *

[Cobb]

The Redstone College had so many halls and rooms and passages and stairwells and trampolines and doomsday lasers…

Okay, probably not doomsday lasers. But they looked like some complicated devices with all the glowing trails of red dust and pistons pumping in and out. It wouldn't surprise me if a college for 'redstone tech' ever thought twice about building weapons of mass destruction.

Surely that was a college-offered Major.

Or maybe just a Minor.

But the college's curriculum wasn't what I was there for. Oh no, no, no.

I was there to check out the Redstone Fair: The event intended to show off the 'wonders' of redstone technology.

At least, that's what it said on the promotional signs all over the place. And judging by the crowd of Crafters all traveling in one direction, I only needed one guess as to where the fair was being held.

I followed the flow of the crowd as we emptied out of the castle and into a wide courtyard. The ground was dirt and grass instead of stone, and was far more comfortable on my sore feet.

 _I really need some new leather—_ I attempted to think before all thoughts were wiped from my head.

"Wow." I spoke breathlessly.

The entire courtyard was filled with strange contraptions, characterized by some bit of red glow or moving piston. There were levers and buttons and flat crystal things I never saw before. And then there were furnace-looking things I never saw before. And then there were gold and iron plates (also never saw before) hooked up to flat, two-torched plates.

There were metal hooks trailing fine wire across the ground, more of those note blocks I recognized by the musical notes popping out of them. Clocks and slime blocks and what looked like a replica of a trampoline tower. Circles of that red dust that flowed in an endless, glowing, loop.

A whole section of the courtyard looked designated for rides and fun attractions. Slot machines, trampoline bouncy castles, glass mazes, dunk tanks, and best of all…

ROLLER COASTERS!

Rails that climbed, circled, and wove through the structures of the college. I recognized one particular rail that looked wired with gold from the time Floyd and I traveled through Mt. Mur. And judging by how it propelled minecarts filled with Crafters, I figured it was the same thing.

Just as I was about to sprint towards the 'funfair' section of the fair, a feminine voice reverberated in my mind.

 _'…_ _Today, you are to spend sixty seconds thinking over whatever you do, looking at any and all consequences, before proceeding with an action. And I don't care what crazy Butterfly Effects your mind comes up with. If you think there is even the_ slightest _possibility of things going wrong, you are to forget all about it.'_

I paused with my foot hovering in the air and my body leaning towards the funfair, my will barely keeping myself in check. _Calm down, Cobb. You can't go rushing in. Not without thinking things through first._

Brain: _Are you serious!? They have a friggen roller coaster! And I don't want to spend sixty seconds of my figurative life thinking about doing something!_

Heart: _Brain! This is Cobb's decision. And just because—oh, wait, hang on…Bladder! Can you be a dear and get me the hammer? I'm about to break the Fourth Wall._

 _Fourth Wall?_

Bladder: _*Hands over hammer*_

Heart: _Thank you. *Breaks fourth Wall* Now, as I was saying, just because we haven't gotten enough screen time doesn't mean we can just pop in whenever we want._

Brain: _Cobb. Forget Wynn's advice. Just run into the fair, recklessly with arms flailing. Like nature intended._

 _No, Brain._

Brain: _DO IT!_

 _No!_

Brain: _Just DO IT! Don't let your dreams be dreams._

 _What…why the fuck are you saying that?_

Brain: _Yesterday, you said tomorrow. So JUST DO IT! MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!_

 _No! Wynn's going to stab me in the balls and make me read fifty volumes worth of text! With no pictures!_

Bladder: _As the bladder, I too detest the ball stabbings. We should do things Wynn's way…for now._

Brain: _Uggggggghhhhhhh…fine. But I'm not gonna enjoy this._

With everything sorted out inside, I took a look at the nearest attraction at the funfair: A slot machine. Immediately I thought of any possible consequences.

 **I saw myself operating the slot machine. Depositing all the imaginary emeralds I didn't have, to try and win the jackpot. After several failing attempts, I saw myself frustratingly punching and kicking the machine, calling it a 'Rip-off' before getting ripped off the slots by security and promptly thrown from the fair…**

 **…** **INTO A POOL OF LAVA! Where I would get incinerated to death!**

 **And then, Wynn, with the dark powers of sternness, would somehow bring me back to life to stab me in the balls and force me to read fifty volumes for disrupting the fair!**

Heart: _Brain! Stop thinking up wild stories! They're messing with Cobb's thought process._

Brain: _Tough. If I can't have roller coasters, this is the next best thing…I could really use some popcorn to watch this…_

The sixty seconds of thinking were up, and even if I had emeralds, I figured the slots were a bad idea. So I turned away to the next attraction: The Dunk Tank. A Crafter was sitting on a piston exposed block jutted over a pool of ice-cold water. There, he taunted people to goad them into playing, aiming with a bow at a single wooden button that must have been connected to the piston.

 _Sixty seconds, starting…now!_

 **I saw myself walking up to buy a round at the dunk tank…with imaginary emeralds I didn't have. Maybe they'd accept EXP bottles.**

 **I saw myself take aim at the small button, readying an arrow, releasing it…and watching it fall into the pool. I kept trying, getting the arrow farther each time, before accidentally shooting an innocent Crafter in the eye.**

 **Wouldn't you know it, the innocent Crafter was actually the King of Daymonte. And he was so pissed that he immediately declared war against the Kingdom of the Crafter that shot him. And while I was wearing the leather tunic with Ringwood's color blazoned across it…**

 **Then, I saw myself getting grabbed by Wynn, where she proceeded to burn my cherished fishing rod in front of me before shoving my face into the first of fifty textbooks describing redstone.**

 **The Horror!**

Brain: _Hah! This is actually kind of fun._

I shot down the idea of the Dunk Tank. The other attractions had similar results, leaving the roller coaster as the last choice for Wynn-Vision observation.

 _Alright, sixty seconds…please…_

 **I saw myself getting on line for the roller coaster…using my rotten flesh tactics to quickly get to the front of the line. Then I boarded the minecart and took off along the ride.**

 **But suddenly, disaster strikes, when Carys_Angel inexplicably returns from the dead as a Zombie Queen! She's forgiven me for killing Mr. Piggles, who has since been reanimated as a Zombie Pigman—**

 _Oh, who am I kidding!? I'm babbling at this point!_ I internally complained. _I mean, Zombie Pigmen? Really? The crap my mind comes up with…_

Heart: _I'll say._

Brain: _Don't stop there! I was just about to think up Carys summoning a Zombie army to kidnap you and force you to be her slave for all eternity~!_

Stomach: _Save it for your fanfics, Brain._

 _I don't know what's worse: listening to you guys argue, or being forced to abandon doing anything when following Wynn-Vision!_

 _Actually, I take that back. Wynn-Vision puts the 'unfair' in 'funfair!'_

Seriously, did Wynn spend sixty seconds every time she decided on doing something? How did she even get anything done?

 _It must suck being Wynn 24-7._

* * *

[Wynn]

 _Why me?_ I internally complained while being led around by Veronica. She was smiling ear-to-ear and looked positively happy. In other words, the exact opposite of how an investigative Captain should look like.

Yet despite her beaming attitude, she at least must have felt a shred of urgency over the two serial bombers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered recruiting the best Captain she knew.

And by recruiting, I meant blackmailing.

Veronica may have been laid-back, but even I couldn't tell if she'd sabotage a Kingdom-level proposal out of spite. It was a fifty-fifty gamble whether she'd do it or not, and I couldn't take that risk.

I needed to do whatever it took to get His Eminence's deal to take root. And if that required cleaning up Daymonte's criminals…and dealing with Veronica's disconcerting flirtations…

Then so be it.

"So," I began, figuring I'd need as much information as possible for solving the case. "What can you tell me about these two serial bombers?"

"Straight to the point, eh? How direct of you." Veronica began with a smirk. "Well, I only know enough about one of them." She parted her flowing hair to get at her backpack and fished out a few wanted posters. She shuffled through them before handing me one of a burly, ashen-faced man with a poison-green mohawk. "His name is Burke, or, as he prefers to be called, 'The Destroyer'. And no that's not a dead animal on his head, it's his hairstyle."

"I can see that." I replied, studying the likeness of the suspect. "I suppose the caricature is of the same likeness as the original?"

"Yep! The Lazuli artists captured his mug perfectly!"

I hummed in thought as I returned the poster. "What makes you so sure it's him? Are the bombings following his M.O."

"Well, that's the tricky part of this case." Veronica admitted with a head shake. "See, we already caught Burke. Years ago. And he was in prison…before he sort of…"

"Escaped?" I guessed at the blonde's obvious hesitance. She just chuckled awkwardly. "I assume you were on guard duty?"

She gasped dramatically. "How dare you even assume that I had anything to do with his escape! You have wounded me deeply, Wynn!" She clutched her chest, feigning agony.

I pretended to play along however. "You're right, Veronica. Please forgive my insolence for ever thinking you wouldn't take your job anything, but seriously."

Veronica pretended to consider my words before seemingly surrendering. "Alas, I cannot stay mad at you! You have my forgiveness."

I bowed to her before she started busting out in laughter. Even I had trouble stifling some giggles.

"Alright enough play-acting. I _was_ on guard duty—"

"What a surprise."

"But, in my defense, I was hungry, and they were serving steak in the cafeteria."

"You poor thing." I sympathized dryly. "To make a choice between food and your Kingdom's security…"

"It wasn't like I could have done anything about it." She protested with a shrug. "The guards said there was an explosion near his cell, and by the time I got there, he was gone."

"He blew himself out?" I asked. "Did he have any access to gunpowder or TNT?"

"Well," Veronica tapped her chin in thought. "There was that pack of TNT we supplied him for an Arts-and-Crafts project—Of course we didn't give the guy any TNT! We're not stupid!" Veronica changed tones so quickly to get her point across. "Somebody else busted him out. Which is why I said we're looking for _two_ serial bombers."

"An accomplice, perhaps?"

"Try partner." Veronica shuffled through the other wanted posters again. "Prior to his breakout, we got reports of dozens of bombings, all targeting support bridged throughout Daymonte. Burke was never one to target. Instead bombing things indiscriminately. Made him easy to catch, but…" She trailed off with a guilty expression, making it clear Burke claimed many innocent lives before he was caught.

And after all that, he was back on the outside.

"So, you're saying the bridge bomber and the one that freed Burke are one and the same?" I asked to steer the conversation away from Burke's victims and Veronica's guilt. "Any idea who?"

"No, none of the other wanted criminals stood out as the serial bomber type." Veronica quickly recovered from her guilt in favor of a small smile. "But if we check the crime scenes, we should be able to find some clues as to who our mysterious bridge bomber is. And I'm betting he'll know where Burke is hiding out."

Veronica stuffed the rest of the wanted posters back in her backpack and grinned to herself. "We find the bridge bomber, we find Burke, I reserve a hotel room for the two of us. Bing Bang Boom. And done!"

"Sounds like a—wait a second, what was that last part?" I asked, wondering if I had misheard her.

"Bing Bang Boom. And done?" Veronica replied evasively.

"No, before that."

"We…find the bridge bomber, we find—"

"No! In the middle!"

"I reserve a jail cell for the two of them?"

I paused, thinking back on the conversation. "I thought you said someth—"

"Hey look! We're here!" Veronica sang abruptly as we approached a half-destroyed bridge, one of the most recent crime scenes, surrounded by several red-capped guards. She hurried off to the nearest one before I could question her further.

 _…_ _Maybe I'm just hearing things._ I concluded with a shrug before following the blonde's lead.

She was animatedly talking with a sharp looking guard. "…There has to be _some_ clue! Nobody saw anyone place any TNT?"

"No, Captain." The guard responded morosely. "I just questioned a few of the survivors. It's the same story we've heard before: Sudden hissing on the bridge, followed shortly by a cacophony of explosions. One of the survivors blown off was lucky enough to land on a slime pad. The others…not so much."

"Where were the other bombings done?" I questioned while striding forward.

"Who the hell are you?" The guard asked rudely. "This is official Daymonte business, young—Agh!"

Veronica drove an elbow into the guard's ribs. All while grinning impishly. "She's a friend of mine who was kind enough to help me with this case. And you were being rude to her. I think some quick kissing-up is in order."

The guard rubbed his sides and appeared apologetic. "S-sorry, Miss. I didn't mean to offend." He bowed low to me and I nodded in forgiveness.

"Good. Now say something nice to her to make up for your attitude." Veronica urged with a widening grin.

"Oh…um…you have pretty hair?" The guard offered awkwardly.

"Good enough." Veronica snapped her fingers and pointed to another nearby guard. "You there! Guy with the freckles!"

"My name is _David_ , Captain!" The freckled guard shouted resentfully.

"Not now, Freckles!" Veronica dismissed much to her amusement before gesturing to me. "Kindly fill in my white-haired friend on where all the bombings have taken place up until now."

Immediately, the freckled guard walked up and began pointing above and below towards targeted bridges. A lot of them were under repair, but some of them were barren. Daymonte just couldn't keep up with the damage.

As he pointed to more and more bridges, something flashed across my vision. I shaded my eyes and glanced upward to see that it was a sunbeam streaking down from the noon-day sun. Even though the cavernous Kingdom was lit up with glowstone lanterns, the natural sunlight easily outmatched them in brightness.

In fact, it was kind of pointless having lanterns on at all when the sunlight shining down did so well illuminating…the…bridges…

 _Wait a second…_

I spun my head towards the lanterns hooked up to the bridges. They _were_ all turned off. But was it because the bridge containing the light's circuitry was destroyed? Or could it be…

Just to verify, I jogged over to the bridge's edge, despite ignoring the freckled guard's explanation, and looked down at one of the undestroyed bridges.

Just as I thought, the lanterns below were all turned off.

Whoever hooked up the lighting system, realized it would be a waste of power to light up the bridges directly below the chasm's opening.

But only during the day. At night, the lanterns would need to be powered to let Crafters see in the dark.

I looked back up towards where the freckled guard pointed out all the bombings and made a frame with my pointer fingers and thumbs, pointed straight towards the chasm opening.

All the bombings were within the fingered frame. All in the sunbeam's light.

"What is it, girl? You got the scent?" An excited blonde joked while walking up to me.

"I'm not a dog." I deadpanned. "But I believe I've found a common denominator in these bombings."

"Don't bust out the math terminology, please." Veronica begged, but eagerly awaited what I found out.

"They're all in the sunlight, where the lanterns are turned off." I pointed out, trailing a pointed finger from bridge to bridge.

Suddenly Veronica gasped and grabbed me by my shoulders. "Oh my God, Wynn! Do you know what this means!?"

"That you just realized who's responsible for these attacks?"

"Yeah…No, that was just for show. I actually have no idea what lanterns have to do with any of this." She smiled and stuck out her tongue cutely before I bonked her over the head.

 _I knew I'd have to do all the work here._ I internally grumbled while the blonde clutched her head in pain. I turned back to the freckled guard. "Do you know what turns these lanterns off during the day?"

The guard scratched his cheek in thought, carefully trying to remember something. "Well, I know that Ohm Tower powers the Kingdom's Day-Night systems along with everything else. It does so with a multitude of daylight sensors that harness solar power." He gestured to the shut off lanterns. "From what I can guess, the redstone engineers must have hooked up certain bridges to turn on during the night and turn off during the day."

"All the attacks _did_ happen at around Dawn." Veronica supplied.

"And the TNT could have been hidden within the bridges circuitry." I considered, already forming a theory of how it happened. "Pre-set to activate at that time. Giving the bomber ample time to vacate the area. No suspicion aroused." If that were the case, then this mysterious bomber was a genius.

 _I'd be impressed if he wasn't a serial bomber._

"But wait," Veronica held up her hands, trying to wrap her mind around something. "I'm no redstone expert, but if the lanterns turn OFF at dawn, how could they activate the TNT? It would need a signal to set off, right?"

"Do I look like redstone engineer?" The freckled guard questioned sarcastically.

The blonde Captain hummed in thought. "Nah, Freckles. You'd be whining more about me getting your name wrong if you were a—oh, wait…"

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, Captain." The freckled guard let out a harsh, fake laugh while Veronica smirked impishly.

"Alright, enough jokes." Veronica suddenly adopted a serious expression. "Freckles, tell the guards to rope off any bridges directly below those sunbeams. And spread the word for Crafters to stay inside at Dawn. It'll be inconvenient, but probably a lot safer."

The freckled guard nodded respectfully before leaving to fulfill the blonde's request.

While I was busy examining the scene for any evidence of faulty wiring, Veronica suddenly hooked her arm through mine and led me away from the destroyed bridge. "Veronica! Let me go! I was checking for more clues!"

"Any evidence of faulty wiring would be blown away along with the bridge. Besides I have a few engineering questions I need answered." She dragged me over to one of the trampoline tower lines before I finally escaped her grip. "And the Redstone College is filled with enough eggheads to make an omelet. I'm sure one of them can tell us how the TNT was triggered."

"That's…unexpectedly smart of you." I was pleasantly surprised by her reasoning. "Sometimes I forget you have a brain between your ears."

"Thanks!" She looked pleased that I had seemingly complimented her before her expression morphed into a frown. "Dick move, Wynn. Dick. Move."

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Well_ that _roller coaster wasn't worth the price of admission. And it was free!_

I hung my head wearily as I got off the roller coaster. Even though Brain had convinced me there was no harm in riding it, it turned out to be a major disappointment. All it did was loop once around the college. And their only excuse was, ' _I'm sorry, sir. We didn't want the roller coaster to disrupt any of the classes._ '

"Stupid classes. Ruining my roller coasters. Making me feel bad." I muttered to myself as I slid my hands in my belt pockets and left the funfair part of the fair.

All that was left were the redstone projects built by the college students. They admittedly had some cool stuff, and I did come there to learn more about redstone…

Sixty second thinking process…

…

Yeah, nothing to worry about.

I walked over to the first project, held in a sizable booth walled off by white banners. There was a crowd watching and a college student was already making his presentation. He had tousled dark-gray hair and an ashen complexion, almost like he was a recluse that didn't get much sleep last night.

"Greetings, common plebeians!"

 _Oh God, was he one of those sophisticated types who used big words to sound smart?_

"Today, I humbly present to you a machination of my personal design."

 _Yep. He was one of those guys._ I internally sighed. I tried to gauge what he was saying from his tone, but many of his words sounded new to me.

The finely dressed people beside me, carrying books and looking important, also appeared confused by the student's word choice.

"For generations, engineers have been satisfied by the simplicity of the lever." The student dramatically gestured to a lantern with a lever hooked up to it. "Why, the very name denotes plainness; a quality we, as engineers, should abhor!"

"Stop using big words!" A voice cut through the crowd, followed by an uproar of laughter and chuckles. The student faltered in his presentation, momentarily thrown off track.

The voice was mine, but I was subtle enough to cover my mouth so nobody would see me heckling. Because, goddamnit, I didn't want to be bored to death.

"Yes…well…best not to tarry too long on the why's and wherefore's." The student recovered, directing our attention to a contraption adjacent to the lever-lantern. It had more of those two-torched plates as well as red dust and a red glowing torch beneath a lantern. All hooked up to a stone button.

"Do not be intimidated by my machination's complexity." The student called out with a small smile. "It is capable of splitting the signal output of a solitary button, while—"

"Get on with it!" A voice cut across the crowd again. Again it caused the crowd to laugh and again the voice was mine. I couldn't help it. The guy was boring me to death with all talk and no…things happening.

The student frowned as he scanned the crowd, trying to find who was heckling him. I ducked my head a bit when his gaze passed over me, but after the fruitless search, he cleared his throat and returned to his explanation.

"In short," he continued with gritted teeth. "The machination you see before you, can make a button behave as a lever."

 _That's it? All that space and tech, and it only turns a button into a lever? What does that even mean? And why even care about interchanging levers and buttons? The lever doesn't look difficult to craft, so why would anyone want to waste so much time making one from a button?_

And it wasn't just my lack of redstone tech talking. The whole crowd shared confused looks, wondering who in their right mind would make such a complex device for such a stupid purpose.

The only ones that showed any interest were the well-dressed people besides me. They were busy jotting notes down in their books, watching the presentation with bated breath.

The student dramatically walked up to the button of his seemingly useless device. "Behold, as I rock you to your cores…with the POWER OF ENGINEERING!" He boomed with a dramatic pose and a deft press of the button.

*click*

…

Nothing.

*click* The student, still holding his pose, pressed the button again. He probably figured there was some one-time faulty delay.

The entire crowd watched for any changes. But the lantern he hooked up was still dead. Just like his presentation.

*clickclickclickclickclick*

The student began repeatedly and frantically pressing the button, a nervous sweat breaking across his face, as the well-dressed people beside me closed their books and turned around. Their expressions showing cold apathy.

The rest of the crowd began to part from the obviously failed presentation. All while the student begged his machine to work. He pushed his tinted glasses up to swap them for his tinted goggles as he hurriedly checked the machine.

"Nonono…I beg of you…work!"

It was kind of sad how defeated he sounded. I focused so much on his tone that I failed to realize I was the last person left watching. I made a step to move on to the other exhibits—

"Wait!" The student called out as he looked over his shoulder at the last person observing his project. "Apologies, but…I-I can get this to work…a little more time is all I require…"

I just stood there awkwardly, not sure how to break it to the guy that his presentation was a bust.

So I searched my mind for the kindest words I could contribute.

"I got to go…so…bye…"

And then I briskly walked away.

 _And 'Douchebag of the Year' goes to…me._

Yeah, it was kind of cold to just ignore the guy, but there were cooler redstone projects to check out. Plus, I still wanted to know how those piston things made the trampoline towers and monorails work.

So, I walked over to the project that looked like a replica of the trampoline tower. The well-dressed people had also come over to check it out, with opened books. It was then I realized that they must have been judges, grading the students' projects.

They probably wrote a zero for that button-lever waste of time.

"Welcome, esteemed judges!" A student with long hazel hair spoke at her position by the trampoline tower. "For my project, I decided on building something more practical: A trampoline tower."

 _Oh, good._ I thought while paying close attention to the hazel-student's presentation. _Now I'll know how those things work._

"The trampoline towers were invented by Potato Tech about 350 years ago. Before that, the people of Daymonte were forced to use stairs to ascend, wasting time and energy."

The tower she had built was displayed sideways, showing off the inner workings. Though I noticed she used wood instead of the marble-like blocks and was lacking the furnaces of the original tower.

"The towers work as such." She pointed to one of the pistons. "Pressing the button at the bottom sends out a redstone signal, or pulse, that hits each piston as it ascends upward. The pistons push out a second perpendicular piston that then pushes a slime block up, bouncing the Crafter to new heights." She climbed a ladder up to the second level of pistons. "Take note, that the distance between piston levels is crucial. Knowing where the Crafter will land on each consecutive bounce takes precision."

Finally, she descended down the ladder and stepped inside the elevator. "I will now demonstrate its operations."

She pressed the bottom button with a 'click.' And I was expecting her to bounce up to the next level, just as the trampoline towers had done for me.

But, oddly enough, no piston moved at her level.

Though above her, the tower's structure suddenly jutted out at each piston point, ending with a chunk severed at the top.

Then the whole thing looked like it jammed, transforming into some hideous collection of wood. The crowd quickly lost interest in the hazel-haired girl's project.

It looked like I was two-for-two in witnessing failed projects. Which was odd since her explanation made enough sense. I couldn't see where she went wrong. Then again, I knew as much about redstone as I knew about archery: Very little.

"I…um…" The hazel-haired student stuttered as she checked the redstone wirings. "I don't understand…I double-checked and triple checked the circuitry. This shouldn't have—"

"I think I can explain." One of the judges strode forward. "I'm a professional Engineer from Potato Tech, and I offered to judge to check out possible talent. I believe I see your problem." He walked up to the elevator and placed a hand on it. "Tell me, did you ever wonder why the trampoline towers have furnaces built into their structures at specific key points? Namely where the slime blocks connect?"

The hazel-haired girl looked puzzled at the question before her eyes suddenly lit up. "Ugh…" She groaned as she smacked her head in realization. "I'm such an idiot…"

"Judging by your self-belittling, I take it you know the answer?" The judge responded before turning to the crowd. "Slime blocks, while useful in cushioning and bouncing, can also stick to other blocks, like stone…or in this case wood." He rapped his knuckles on the now-defunct wooden tower to emphasize his point. "Like glue, the slime block attaches adjacent blocks to it. Meaning, that whenever a slime block is pushed by a piston, it pushes the adjacent blocks too."

"To circumvent this problem, Potato Tech uses a wide variety of immovable blocks, ones that can't be displaced by pistons or slime blocks, to act as a buffer. Furnaces, in particular, are great buffers because of their simple crafting recipe and availability."

The judge turned back to the hazel-haired student. "I take it you missed that class?" He asked dryly to which the girl shrunk in on herself and nodded. "You should always test your inventions before giving presentations. If this tower was constructed following your design, it could cause serious problems for users." The girl shrank in upon herself further, looking like a helpless turtle.

"This is a moment of great shame to you, I'm sure." The judge continued before resting a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Though the next time this technology comes up, I'm positive you'll have a strong memory to learn from."

The girl lifted her head up and smiled kindly. "You're right, sir. I'll be sure to learn from this mistake."

"Glad to hear it." The judge gave one last parting pat before returning to his fellow judges.

The hazel-haired girl had failed her project, but she didn't look dejected anymore. The judge's words, though harsh at first, ultimately made her learn something. And the next time she needed that knowledge, she'd have a good example from her failed trampoline tower.

Learning from mistakes. Or learning from experience.

Kind of like me.

Without even thinking, I took my last glass bottle and filled it with EXP before tossing it at the hazel-haired girl. It shattered like a splash potion, scattering EXP orbs that slowly floated into the girl's arm. She looked up in surprise at the action, but I was already gone.

I didn't know why I did that. Maybe because my last attempt at compassion failed with the gray-haired student.

Anyway, I traveled to the next presentation. The student was already in the middle of his explanation.

"…TNT cannon…"

That was all I needed to hear to gain my interest. A TNT cannon!? That sounded cool!

I focused more of my attention on the machine rather than the explanation of how it worked, only ever catching a few passing words.

"…TNT…water…propels…decimates buildings…heightened range…"

Then the student clicked a button, igniting several TNT blocks in a row before pressing another button that ignited a final TNT. The resulting explosion blasted away the final TNT, sending it straight into a wall of some thick black material, before detonating. The black wall was still standing, looking untouched, but the explosions were incredible.

It also showed me that TNT didn't have to be lit on fire to activate. A redstone 'pulse', as they called it, would work just as well.

Then there was the giant robot presentation where two robots fought each other with TNT and automatic arrow turrets…but I'll skip that part of the story. (Wouldn't want to bore any of you after all.)

The next presentation, and one of the more practical inventions was a self-cooking furnace. It used strange devices called 'hoppers', which resembled black tornadoes, to pull items from a chest and cram them into a furnace.

When placed at different points on the furnace, they'd fill either the fuel or the input slot. Then a final hopper would pull the cooked item from the furnace before depositing it in a separate chest.

The student that built the self-cooking furnace received a slip of paper from the Potato-Tech judge and received congratulations from all the judges. It looked like his invention was one of the better ones.

There were many other inventions too. Lie detectors, more compact tram cars, item scanners, a device that used note blocks to play an entire song! They were all so complex and amazing that I couldn't believe anyone could memorize it all.

After completing a full loop of the fair and seeing most of the exhibits, I returned to where the original lever-button guy presented. I figured I'd try again at offering more comforting words. Maybe see if he had finally fixed his pointless machine.

However, the guy wasn't there. He looked like he left in a hurry too, abandoning his broken invention in the process. Not even cleaning it up.

I just sighed in disappointment. I felt a bit guilty about abruptly leaving when he begged me to stay, but I had come back, and he wasn't there to prove his invention worked. Nobody could accuse me of indifference from that.

And I was probably the only one that cared if the guy was disheartened or not. _That Potato Tech judge offered that girl some supportive words, but he didn't give any to the gray-haired student. Just left him to his own failure._

Brain: _You did the same thing, though._

 _It's not the same!_

Nevertheless, I had my fill of the redstone fair. It was…educational.

But still majorly confusing.

I exited the courtyard and traveled through the halls of the college, eager to explore more of Daymonte now that I had a better grasp of redstone. I could try buying things, but first I needed emera—

 _FUCK! The mason is still waiting for me!_ I suddenly realized. I checked my clock to see that it read a little past noon. I kept the guy waiting there for a quarter of the day! And after I promised him those rocks…I needed to get back to the Inn!

I quickened my pace through the college's halls, footsteps echoing across stone floor and Hunger Meter steadily depleting.

It was when I ran down a flight of stairs that I realized how lost I truly was. The college was a massive castle so it was no surprise I had no idea where anything was! Finding the fair was as simple as following a crowd, but now I couldn't spot a single—

A flash of gray and brown swam in the edge of my vision towards one of the darkened halls. It was definitely movement.

 _A Crafter!_ I thought with relief as I hurriedly followed the gray movement around a corner. _Maybe he can tell me the way out._

Each time I turned a corner to follow the gray blur, it just shifted down a new hall. Following it was like chasing a shadow, twisting and turning deeper into the foundations of the castle. And probably further away from the exit.

I couldn't turn back. After hurriedly keeping up with the gray blur, I couldn't keep track of which direction I was going. Retracing my steps would be impossible given how many lefts and rights I took. And the halls I was traveling through looked abandoned. One of the halls I spotted the gray blur turn towards was actually roped off by white banners with red 'X's emblazoned across: The universal sign of 'Don't go this way, moron!'

Crossing into a restricted area in a college…was that grounds for getting arrested? I didn't know.

But I DID know that I needed that gray-blurred Crafter if I was going to find my way out of the college. Wynn made her threat pretty clear.

 _'_ _No later than midnight.'_

 _'_ _Fifty volumes of Redstone Engineering.'_

Making up my mind, I crossed the line of banners and continued after the Crafter.

"Hey! Wait up!" I called out, deciding that maybe I could get him to stop. Instead it had the opposite effect, making the Crafter quicken his pace to the point where I was no longer sure I was following him or not.

 _No, no, no! Damnit! I can't lose this guy!_ I stopped at an intersection of two halls, catching my breath and devouring some baked potatoes to sate my hunger.

 _If I can't rely on my eyes, I'll have to use my other senses._ I closed my eyes and tried to listen to any echoing footsteps. I had to slow my breathing so I could pick up any other sounds.

Something… _anything_ …to put me on the right track…

*Cha- _chunk_ *

My eyes snapped open and I turned my head towards the direction of the noise. It was the same sound the pistons made. And somebody had to have activated the piston.

A gray-blurred somebody.

I sprinted down the appropriate hallway and turned a corner, only to come to a halt.

It was a dead-end hall, with a section at the corner slowly closing upon my arrival. A secret entrance.

*Cha- _chunk_ *

The wall sealed with that same piston sound. The only other object was a button along the wall, which presumably activated the secret piston entrance.

But buttons only activated a pulse for a short time. Meaning that if I opened the secret door, I'd have a few seconds to enter before it closed.

And then I wouldn't be able to turn back.

Well…actually, I could probably just bust through it with my pickaxe. Wasn't like it was made of indestructible bedrock.

But I'd try the secret door first just for fun.

I had no choice but to go forward. I needed that gray-blurred Crafter to get out of the labyrinth of a college. And I didn't have enough time to dig my way out or fumble for an exit.

So, I carefully pressed the button, watching as the piston entrance opened, before steeling myself and stepping towards it.

*Cha- _chunk_ *

"Gah!" The piston closed on my leg before I could enter and I struggled to yank it out. It was awkward seeing how I was prepared for the worst, only for the wall to close on me.

Finally, I slipped my leg from the wall and limped back over to the button. "Let's…try that again."

I quick click, a hurried limp, a familiar *cha- _chunk_ *, and I was through, hoping to God I wouldn't get caught up in any trouble.

Oh, how wrong I was.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Minecart, 32 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Note Block, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 9 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 8]

* * *

 **AN: When is a fair, unfair? When I completely skip the giant robot fight sequence! XD**

 **Mostly getting things underway this chapter. Wynn and Veronica are going all CSI Miami to find serial bombers while Cobb is off doing his own shit...and maybe finding a new companion along the way.**

 **See you all next week! Also the Omake below is a little dark...even for me.**

* * *

Omake: The Vanisher

Cobb glanced at another project sign.

"The Vanishing Objects?" He read questioningly with piqued interest before turning to watch the presentation.

"Welcome one and all!" A female student with pink hair and a vibrant smile greeted as she stood atop a small stage. On one side of her was a simple chest, and on the other side was a metal booth with a glass display. "I'd like to show off the mystique of my wonderful vanishing objects. All powered by redstone!"

The crowd clapped excitedly, getting pumped up by the student's presentation. It was already way better than that button-lever machine.

"First, I will require a volunteer from the audience!" The pink-haired student began. Several hands, Cobb's included, immediately rose up, all offering to take part in the mysterious presentation.

The girl hummed in thought, carefully looking over the raised hands. "How about…that fine dressed gentleman in the back!"

She pointed to one of the judges.

 _Figures._ Cobb thought while sulkily dropping his hand. _She's only picking_ _him to butter up the judges._

The judge quickly made his way to the stage and stood besides the pink-haired female, with the name Illid101.

"No need to be nervous, sir." Illid pointed out while walking towards the lone chest. "What's your name?"

"Lansing. Charles_Lansing." The judge introduced. Not like it was necessary seeing how he had a floating name over his head.

"Well, Charles, you're gonna be a big help for me. See that chest over there?" Charles nodded at the only present chest. "I want you to place all your valuables in that chest. Don't ask why, I'll explain it all later."

"Oh…okay." The judge agreed with small uncertainty as he walked forward and withdrew stacks of emeralds from his belt.

"As you can see," Illid continued with a radiant smile, "Charles is filling the chest with valuables. And I'm standing nowhere near it." Just to emphasize her point, she took a few more steps away from the chest. "I have no interaction with the chest, nor have I conversed with Charles, alerting him on what to do next."

At that moment, Charles closed the chest and stood back, waiting for something to happen.

"And now, in the presence of this crowd, I will transport the contents of that chest…to another dimension!"

"Ooooooh…" The crowd commented in awe.

"To another what now?" Charles asked in surprise. "Uh…wait a second—"

"Magic waits for no man!" Illid shouted as she clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "And now for the magic words…SHIA KAZING!"

She uttered her magic words with a loud clap, leaving a deafening silence of anticipation in its wake.

"Charles. Open the chest." Illid ordered confidently. The judge quickly rushed to the chest and tore it open, only to pause when looking at its contents…or lack thereof.

"It's empty!" He called out in despair. "Son of a—I put forty emeralds in there, you bi—

"Which," Illid interrupted with a raised finger, "concludes my presentation. Thank you all for watching and—"

"Now hold on just a second you charlatan!" Charles interjected, looking furious. "You think you can just scam me and get away with it!? Where are my emeralds!?"

"They are in another dimension, sir." Illid offered sympathetically. "I am sorry for—"

"Bullshit!" The judge shouted, and the crowd shared a few uncomfortable glances. "Either you bring my emeralds back or I'll make sure you never find work in this Kingdom again!"

Illid's eyes widened in fear before narrowing back to normal. "Very well, Charles. I will bring the emeralds back to you through my second device: The Vanishing Booth."

She pointed to the metal booth, and Cobb felt a flurry of excitement at what it could do. Was it a portal to the same dimension Illid had sent the emeralds? Or was it something else?

"Vanishing Booth?" Charles questioned skeptically while he eyed the device. "I'm supposed to get in that thing?"

"If you want to reclaim your emeralds again, then yes." Illid flicked a lever, parting the glass display so that Charles could enter.

The judge gulped, obviously unsure of whether to enter such a mysterious contraption.

"Don't tell me you're scared?" Illid questioned with a smile.

"No! Of course not! It's just…this better not be another trick!"

"Perish the thought." The student dismissed as the judge entered the booth. She couldn't seal the container fast enough as the glass slid into place, displaying the judge for all of us to see.

"Now what?" Charles questioned as Illid made her way over to the other side of the booth.

"Shia Kazing, asshole." She spoke coldly before flicking a second lever.

Suddenly, one of the booth's walls was pushed forward, crushing the judge within. "GAH! WHAT"S HAPPENING!?" He screamed as the repeated sounds of breaking bones assaulted our ears. "IT'S CRUSHING ME! SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He banged his fists futilely on the glass, desperately trying to free himself, all while the booth's wall continued to close.

"Is this…part of the show?" A member of the crowd asked, unsure of whether the man was acting or…

"AUGHHHHH! THE PAIN!" He screamed even louder than before. His fellow judges were already rushing to the stage. "HELP MEEEE—"

A final strangled cry was all that was heard before a shower of gear exploded from the booth, a sign that the judge was crushed to death.

"Ta-dah!" Illid proudly displayed with jazz hands. "As you can see, Charles is no longer here! Completely vanished!"

"You…you monster!" One of the judges exclaimed, clutching the Head of the deceased Charles. "You murdered him! Guards! Seize her!"

Several red-capped guards climbed up on stage, ready to apprehend the pink-haired student. Admittedly, it was still better than the lever-button machine.

"Sorry, fellows." Illid apologized with an insincere flourish. "But, as they say in showbiz, 'always leave your audience wanting more.'" In her left hand she held the emeralds she robbed from Charles. In her right hand she held a bottle with a curved neck containing a light-gray potion.

"She's got an Invisibility Potion!" One of the guards shouted as he dived towards the student.

"Shia Kazing!" She smirked as she splashed the potion at her feet, slowly vanishing into thin air.

"Find her!"

"Try and feel her out!"

"We can't let her get away!"

As the red-capped guards frantically searched for the invisible girl, Cobb could only stand there traumatized by what he had just witnessed.

"Redstone is more dangerous than I thought." He said to himself, dazed, as he left the presentation along with the rest of the crowd.

* * *

 **AN: Shia Kazing!**


	34. Trail

**AN: I wish this chapter was more. But for what I have, it's pretty good...I think.**

 **Congrats to Laner for getting last week's riddle correct. The answer: A door is not a door when it's ajar! Get it? A Jar? Eh? Eh?**

 **...**

 **Enjoy your cookie.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: How many months have twenty-eight days in them?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add instant messaging via arrows.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 34

 **Trail**

[King's Fortress]

"So what do you think?" Rotjes leaned forward, eager to hear his Captain's opinion.

Captain Thistle hummed in thought. "Well…it's certainly possible…and an achievement that massive will be carved into the annals of history."

Rotjes wore an excited smile. If the railway was constructed under his rule, he'd be a King of Kings! No longer would his life be tethered to his own mortality. He'd live on in his achievements. Remembered for as long as Daymonte endured and even after. Maybe even until the strange world they lived in became dust.

"I take it you're more worried about the Griefer factor?" Thistle asked, straight to the point.

"Indeed. The badlands between are sure to be filled with bands of Griefers. I need your assurance that you and your men can handle them." Rotjes mustered every bit of severity in that demand. Thistle needed to know what was at stake.

The Captain let out a bark of laughter. "My men are _more_ than capable of crushing Griefers. We outdo them in strength, skill, and loyalty. You have nothing to worry—"

"Urgent news!" The throne room door burst open as a short man slid to a kneel before the King. "Urgent, terrible news, Your Lordship!"

"Athens?" The King questioned his winded messenger. "Do calm down. What appears to be—"

"Forgive me for my intrusion, Your Lordship," Athens blustered out before tearing a book from his backpack. "But we've received a threat addressed specifically to you! You won't believe what the demands are!"

"Well then don't keep me in suspense." Rotjes leapt to his feet and snatched the book from the messenger's hands. He turned the pages and began to read aloud.

 **[Dear King Rotjes,]**

 **[I love hearing myself talk** ** _far_** **more than I enjoy hearing myself write. Plus, I have some overenthusiastic idiots to keep in line so I'll make this quick.]**

 **[We both have something the other wants. You have power over an entire Kingdom while yours truly has** ** _security_** **.]**

 **[This** ** _security_** **of mine is a good feeling. The feeling that everything belonging to me is safe. Secure.** ** _Unharmed._** **]**

 **[And, being the neighborly neighbor that I am, I'm willing to share some of my security with you. After all, wouldn't you just love the assurance that your Kingdom and its outlying villages were safe? Secure?** ** _Unharmed?_** **]**

 **[I use repetition to get my point across. It's a neat writing tip I picked up off a man who is now—for lack of a better term—** ** _living impaired_** **.]**

 **[Now, I know what you're thinking: 'Oh, Alec! (Alec's my name btw) how noble of you! Whatever can I give in return for this security?']**

 **[Well, I'm glad you asked, because the greatest cup of sugar you can give to this neighbor is Potato Tech's Command Block Codex. As King, you should have the authority to confiscate a copy of it.]**

 **[You are to deliver the Codex to the Eastern base of Blitz Peak on the 3** **rd** **of June . Oh, and make it Midnight. I'm always a sucker for dramatic meeting times.]**

 **[And just so we're clear, I'm threatening your Kingdom. This is not a joke. I have a force of a thousand Griefers at my disposal, and yes, I counted.]**

 **[So unless you want your people turned into crunchy, nonexistent pudding, you'll give me what I want.]**

 **[Love, Alec_Bishop]**

 **[XOXO]**

Rotjes narrowed his eyes at the facetious closing. This Alec must have thought himself to be quite the joker.

"That message…was delivered to me along with several Heads." Athens kept his head bowed as he delivered the news, sounding choked up. "They…they were all guards…"

"How dare he…" Thistle clenched his fists, his expression a stormy haze of fury. "How dare that slime kill my guards! My brothers!"

"Calm yourself, Thistle." Rotjes walked up to his trusted Captain and stared him dead in the eye. "Whoever this Alec is, he sent us this message and those Heads to rattle us. Throwing away our composure is just what he wants."

"Then…what should we do, Your Lordship?" Athens asked in a small voice. "Potato Tech would never agree to give up their Command Block data. That's centuries' worth of research they'd be handing over."

"There won't be any Codex transaction between us and this Alec character." Rotjes spoke with finality. "This is obviously a bluff. A thousand Griefers? Ridiculous! Alec thinks he can make this Kingdom yield with a few empty threats?"

"With all due respect, Your Lordship," Athens raised his head, fear prevalent in his small eyes. "He's talking about turning your people into crunchy pudding. Are you certain this is just a bluff?"

"Yes. I'm certain that his 'forces' are nothing but hot air." Griefers were invested in short term gain rather than the long run. They were blind to the bigger picture, seeing no value in communities or trade. They were raw, inexperienced chaos.

Even if Alec won over a few of them, he would never amass a force of the size he promised. Griefers had no loyalty. No respect. It was impossible to keep a thousand of them united and happy.

He had a lot of nerve sending a message like that, especially when he was making threats he couldn't deliver.

"Captain Thistle. Take as many men as you deem necessary to Blitz Peak." Rotjes turned back to his throne. "When the day of the trade arrives, you are to capture this Alec, should he show up, and kill any forces he has. Be prepared for an ambush."

"I'll try, Your Lordship, but I don't think I'll be able to bring him in alive." Thistle smiled grimly, brushing his knuckles across his iron blade to make his implications clear.

"Do what you must." Rotjes agreed. "Threats like these need to be dealt with to safeguard our future investments. And making an example out of this so-called Alec will show the Griefers not to trifle with us."

* * *

[Cobb]

It's a scary thing: venturing into the unknown.

"WOO-HOOHOO!"

Not knowing whether you're walking into danger. Not knowing if you're risking your life.

"This is the coolest thing ever!"

So when I passed through that secret piston doorway, only to find a set of rails leading into a dark, stone tunnel, I didn't know what to expect.

"Hahaha! THIS is the roller coaster I've been waiting for!"

But the Crafter I was following had to have escaped via minecart. And he probably knew his way out of the college and back on Daymonte's main bridges. And there was even a chance that the railway exited into the main chasm; I saw enough exposed rails to believe it.

So, I plunked down the minecart I luckily brought and sped after him.

And it truly was as terrifying as it sounded. My heart was pounding in fear…and not from exhilaration.

"Oh! Here comes another jump! Hands in the air! YAH-HAHAHA!"

Those shouts of delight? Pft. More like shouts of…um…non-delight. I was taking the situation 100% seriously. No enjoyment whatsoever.

"I hope this never ends!"

…

…Alright, so maybe I was enjoying it more than I should. But I couldn't help it! Whoever built that railway knew a thing about roller coasters. Every time the cart twisted and turned, I felt like my organs were doing back-flips. The sharp cuts. The steep drops. The way they got my heart pumping! It was what that pathetic Redstone Fair roller coaster should have been doing!

I held my hands out to feel the rushing winds pass over me. The tunnel was lit by torches, making it easier to see, and whenever the cart felt like it was slowing down, I passed over one of those accelerator rails. Almost like whoever built the track knew where to place them to keep the cart going.

But the track didn't have just one route. I saw branching paths fly by, always accompanied by some strange device with an arrow sticking out of it. Sometimes the cart followed these branching paths. Other times, it didn't.

After several minutes of enjoying myself, I realized how far I was going and began to worry where the cart was leading me.

What if I was getting further away from the Inn? What if the tracks led outside the Kingdom?

What if Wynn was already back at my room, watching the seconds tick by in eager anticipation? All while meticulously ordering the fifty volume hell she was going to force read to me.

Death by boredom. What a way to go.

Only while thinking about Wynn's punishment did I realize the cart was slowing down. There were no more of those accelerator tracks to keep it going. Which meant I was close to the end of the line.

The cart rolled out into an open cavern, lit up with several electrical—or rather redstone…ical—lanterns. The cave led to a stone brick structure built into the surrounding rock. It looked like part of the structure was blasted away, exposing the inside.

And kneeling there, beside a vaguely familiar redstone contraption, was the same gray blur I had followed.

"Comparators! Where did I go wrong?" The blur spoke in a familiar male voice, like I had heard him before. "I know I duplicated this to a T. So where did I slip up?"

I carefully stepped out of the cart, trying not to catch the mysterious blur's attention, before ultimately catching my foot on the rim and tumbling to the ground. "Oof!"

That caught the blur's attention. He whirled on me, panic streaked across his face, as he backed away. "Y-you! What are you doing here!? Why are you stalking me!? What…What do you want!?"

"Whoa! Calm down, buddy!" I took a moment to check his appearance, soon realizing that I _had_ met him before. "You're the lever-button guy from the fair. The one with the failed project."

He had tousled dark-gray hair and an ashen complexion. He wore large yellow tinted glasses with gray rims and a matching pair of yellow-tinted and gray-rimmed goggles over his head. He had a dark brown, collared shirt with a gray undershirt and a pair of navy blue jeans. Wrapped snugly around his neck, was a maroon scarf. His belt and backpack were the same shade of brown as his shirt.

And the name hovering above his head: Lenzington.

"You're one of those perverse, stalker types, eh? Well, you're not going to eviscerate me and wear my Head like a hockey mask! No, sir!"

"What?" I scoffed incredulously. "No, I-I just need—"

Lenzington wasn't listening, however, as he bolted down a hallway, deeper into the stone brick structure.

"Wait! I just need some directions…aaaand he's still running." I let out an exasperated groan as I chased after him. _Why is it that I have to chase people? Is it my face? Do I have the face of a stalker/serial killer?_

At least the guy wasn't fast. College students must have been all brain and no brawn because Lenzington was already jogging after a few seconds of sprinting. Though he took every turn he could, trying to confuse me enough to escape.

Sprinting down the stone structure, I noticed some of the bricks were cracked or mossy, and cobwebs covered the place like a nose on a Testificate. Not to mention, there were several half-demolished redstone contraptions lying about. Wherever I was, it was clearly abandoned and unused for some time.

Which meant the college student was my only chance of finding my way out.

"I'm not here to hurt you, alright!?" I tried to reason as I turned a corner, just spotting the ends of his maroon scarf slipping past an open iron door that promptly closed. I ran up and tried to open it, but the damn thing had no handle and didn't budge.

"Oh, come on!" I kicked the door in frustration and searched the wall for any kind of switch. I found a small stone button, cleverly camouflaged with the surrounding bricks. With a click of it the door swung open, allowing me to continue before closing behind me. "Iron doors need a switch. Good to know."

There was only one hallway to follow, so I quickly sprinted forwards to catch up with Lenzington. "If you could stop running so I can explain myself that'd be great!"

"You can't…deceive me…stalker…" Some winded gasps sounded nearby and I followed them to find the gray-haired student down a long corridor. He was leaned against a wall and clutching a stitch in his side.

"I'm not a stalker!" I argued as I took a step forward, but the student surprised me by pulling out a bow.

"Need…need a moment…to catch my breath…stay back…" He readied an arrow and aimed it towards me. Only his aim was far off, pointing at some wooden pressure plates on the floor instead.

"Look, I'm just lost!" I held up my hands as a sign I meant to harm before taking another step forward. "If you'd just—"

*TWANG*

His arrow flew forward and stuck dead center in the pressure plate. All of a sudden, his end of the corridor opened up, revealing several blocks I learned from the fair were called 'dispensers'. They were mainly used as turrets for rapidly shooting arro—

 _Shit._

No sooner had that thought crossed my mind than arrows started pelting out of the wall. All pointed down the corridor at me.

I took one in the shoulder before slamming myself close to the wall. Next second, a hundred arrows breezed past, turning the floor and opposite wall into stone pincushions.

I reached into my backpack for some wooden planks and built a barricade to block any stray projectiles. Meanwhile, Lenzington, finally catching his breath, grabbed a handful of arrows on the floor and took off with a shout of, "Return from whence you came!"

 _God, what a nerd._ I thought to myself as the repeated 'thunks' of arrows hitting planks assaulted my ears. It must have been some kind of redstone trap hooked up to the pressure plates. And I didn't have time for them to run out of arrows.

I built my barricade up as high as it could go before constructing a staircase. The arrows were low enough to the ground to allow me to construct a wooden walkway above. It took most of my planks, but I was able to build my way past the trap.

Back to following Lenzington, there was only one way for him to go: A hallway leading into a small wooden library.

I spotted him climbing up a ladder to an overlooking balcony.

"You almost killed me with that trap!" I called out angrily as I stormed into the library. It was lit up by a chandelier of fences and torches hanging from the ceiling. Bookshelves were along the walls and arranged into aisles, all dotted with cobwebs. It reminded me of the mineshaft under Mt. Mur.

"You left me no other recourse!" He called from above, peeking his head over some fence posts railing. His yellow-tinted glasses made it impossible to see his eyes, but he seemed to realize he was trapped. The library had only one exit and I was sure to stand by it.

"Just hear me out, okay!?" I shouted out while taking out my fishing rod just in case. The student would see less threat in a fishing tool than a sword.

Little did he know, I was an expert with it.

"Save your words! I know you've been following me! Ever since the college!" He challenged stubbornly while leaning left and right on the fence post railing. "You must be pretty sharp to have gotten this far! Those track switches I set up are small enough that only an expert archer could hit them from a moving minecart."

I thought back to the minecart ride and the devices with arrows sticking out of them. All set up at crossroads in the rails.

"I can't shoot the broad side of a cow. There were arrows already in the track switches. I was just along for the ride." I argued back. "And I wasn't stalking you! I needed directions on how to get out of the college and you were the first person I saw. So I followed."

"Comparators! I should have known my arrows would stick in the switches." He swore to himself before refocusing his attention to me. "Pretender! You're obviously here to steal the secrets of these hallowed halls! Or kill me! Whichever comes easier to you!"

"Hallowed…What are you talking abou—No, scratch that. I don't care what this is about." I dragged a hand over my face in annoyance. Now I knew how Wynn felt all the time. "Look, could you just tell me where I am so I can find the nearest exit and leave? You want me gone, right?"

Lenzington raised an eyebrow suspiciously but kept his head down while he considered my words. I noticed the bow at his sides and vaguely wondered why he didn't try and shoot me. I was pretty much helpless against long-range weaponry.

"You are currently in the Northeast Sector of Daymonte. A location where entry in prohibited." He stated in an official tone.

"Prohibited? Oh no…" If I got caught somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, I'd definitely end up arrested. Though that was nothing when compared to the hell Wynn had in store for me. The image of fifty volumes worth of text flashed before my eyes, making me shudder.

"This stone brick structure is completely sealed off from the rest of the Kingdom…except by my railways. But you'd require a practiced marksman to align the tracks back to the college." He slowly lifted his head. "I assume that's where you wish to return?"

"Yes! Exactly!" I nodded quickly, hoping I'd finally convinced him to help me out. "Please! Get me back to the college's front doors and I'll be on my way! You'll never see me again!"

"And you guarantee not to tell a living soul about this place?" He urged to which I nodded in confusion. Why did he want to keep such a creepy place a secret? "Very well, then. That is our contract."

With that last utterance, he climbed down the ladder and hesitantly made his way forward.

"My name's Cobb, by the way." I introduced myself as I stepped aside to let him pass.

"Lenzington." He greeted curtly before leaving the library. "Now if you'd follow me…"

 _At least he's being helpful._ I thought to myself while checking my clock. The first slivers of night were already peaking into view on the golden disk. Dusk would come next, then Midnight.

I had until then to get back to the Inn.

* * *

[Wynn]

"Excuse us. We're just trying to make our way through."

"You're doing it wrong, Wynn. You got to be pushy to push through crowds. It's kind of in the word." My fellow Captain explained before jostling some Crafters aside. "Official business! Move it or lose it!"

Making our way into the Redstone College was made more difficult by the crowd of Crafters pouring out. There had apparently been a Fair, demonstrating the engineering prowess of the students. If it hadn't already ended it may have been a good spot to answer our redstone questions. What better place to find a redstone expert than a Redstone Fair?

Instead, we had to hope somebody in the College's halls of learning could help.

When the crowd finally thinned out, we walked down the locker-filled halls, not really knowing where to start. A classroom perhaps? Or maybe just any random student?

"Haha!" I turned to see Veronica pointing at a student. "You have to take exams and I don't! Suck it, nerd!" She taunted while sticking her tongue out. The student huffed indignantly before marching away.

"What do you think you're doing?" I questioned in mild annoyance. "We're here to ask questions. Not heckle students."

"I can't help it! I love to heckle. Especially when it involves people that aren't me." She grinned while laughing at another student scribbling notes down. "Besides they're engineers and technicians. It's not like they can make witty comebacks or fight back. What are they gonna do? Rewire my lights?"

"They may have to take exams," I began while massaging the bridge of my nose. "But you're a Captain of a Kingdom and therefore have to maintain an image of authority. You're a major force behind the laws of Daymonte. That takes effort to maintain."

Veronica paused in her ridicule and appeared to think for a minute.

 _Did I actually get through to her?_

"What are these 'laws' you speak of? The word is unfamiliar to me. Along with the words 'work' and 'effort'."

I rolled my eyes at her flippant tone. "Don't forget the word 'tact'."

"Sure, throw that in there too." Veronica shrugged while toying with her hair. "Whatever keeps you from thinking up more words."

Veronica took a look around before her eyes zeroed in on a random Crafter. "Hey, you!"

The startled Crafter turned to regard Veronica, and then checked behind him to make sure it was him she was pointing to. "Me?"

"Yeah, you." The blonde responded, casually resting a hand on her hip. "Tell me everything you know about Redstone Mechanics!"

"I'm just the janitor."

"Oh…" Veronica's hand numbly fell as she lost her confident momentum. "Um…my bad…carry on."

"I think I'll add 'intelligence' to the words you should know." I quipped while the janitor left to his business. The humor of the situation was not lost on me and I secretly laughed at Veronica's expense.

But Veronica was quick to retaliate. "Oh, Wynn." She said in a flirtatious tone, quickly leaning towards me. I was so caught off guard that I froze, watching as her face grew closer, and our noses only inches apart.

"It's a good thing you're cute." She patted my cheek and winked before leaning back, waiting to see how I'd respond.

I didn't respond well.

"I-I…well…l-let's just focus on the case, please!" I quickly turned to hide my blush and jogged towards the nearest classroom. Behind me I could just _feel_ the smug grin on her face. She no doubt found some perverse enjoyment out of teasing me.

 _I really need to find a way to deal with that._ I thought as I spotted a Crafter in front of an empty classroom. He was a red-headed man setting up a redstone contraption hooked up to a piston. By the looks of it, he was a professor.

Perfect.

"Excuse me, are you a professor here?"

The man looked up from his work. "Yes, I teach Time-Based Redstone here at the college. Professor Punzi. You're not a student, are you?"

"No, I'm here because we have some redstone tech questions that need answers."

The professor raised an eyebrow. "By 'we' are you referring to yourself and your imaginary friend?"

"No, I—" I turned around only to notice a surprising, yet welcome, lack of blonde. "Er…never mind."

 _Guess she didn't want to listen to redstone talk._

"What kind of questions do you have?" The professor asked suspiciously. "Not many people take an interest in redstone. It's a complicated subject."

"That's why I'm here." I admitted, cutting to the chase. "I have a…hypothetical scenario for you."

"I have a class to teach in a few, so make it fast."

"Of course." It was probably best not to alert the professor of the more… _explosive_ …elements of the hypothetical. "Suppose there's a lantern, hooked up to a daylight sensor in such a way that it turns off during the day and on during the night. Now suppose I want a second lantern, connected with the same redstone dust as the first, to turn on during the day and off during the night. What would be the best way to do that?"

"Pft. Is that all?" The professor chuckled as he resumed working on his machine. "That's an easy one; A one-point question on any exam."

"I didn't say I was a redstone genius." I admitted coolly. "That's why I'm asking you."

"Well, hypothetically speaking, the redstone tech you'd need would be a simple inverter."

"Come again?" He couldn't seriously think I knew redstone terminology.

"Inverter: A mechanism that can 'invert' redstone signals." He fished in his belt pocket for a redstone torch, some redstone dust, a redstone lamp, a lever, and a plank of wood.

"A redstone signal can be simplified as a **turn on** command." He placed the lever and lamp and connected the two with dust before flicking the lever. The lamp lit up in response.

"But if the signal passes through a block with a redstone torch attached, the signal becomes inverted. **Turn on** becomes **turn off**." To emphasize his point, he switched the lamp with the wooden block and placed a redstone torch on it. The torch fizzled into a dull, inactive red. "As you can see, the inverter turns off the redstone torch. Inverters are incredibly useful, swapping off's for on's and vice-versa."

I walked around the inverter to get a better look. The inverter didn't take much space; it could have easily fit within the circuitry of the bridge. Just a torch, a block…and some TNT.

There was something else I needed to know. "Are inverters basic redstone knowledge? As in, does every engineer know of them?"

"It's one of the first things taught at the college." The professor responded easily, already beginning to dismantle his model. "Anyone with a shred of redstone experience would be able to make it."

"I see." I responded while inwardly cursing my luck.

 _Well, perfect. That narrows down possible suspects to anyone in the automated Kingdom. How am I supposed to find this bomber now?_

"Is that all the questions you have?" The professor asked, organizing some books and papers on his desk. "Because my students will be arriving any second now."

"No, that'll be—" My eyes widened at a certain book on the professor's table. "Actually, one last thing. Is that the first of the fifty volume Redstone Engineering book set?"

"Why, yes it is." He held out the book. "If you're taking an interest in redstone I can make a copy of it for you…though I'm afraid it would be a copy of a copy at that point and therefore un-transferable."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll make do." I assured happily.

 _Only forty-nine more volumes to go, Cobb._

* * *

"Veronica? I got what we came for…well…not exactly." I called out through the halls, wondering where the blonde had run off to. "I swear if you jump out in a surprise hug attack, I will not hesitate to stab you." I already had a hand at my rapier, ready for anti-hug action.

"Mphhh!"

"Hello?" I called out questioningly. There was a muffled voice coming from one of the door-sealed lockers.

"MPHHH!"

And it sounded angry.

I pinpointed the exact locker and opened it up, only for a paralyzed and gagged Veronica to fall out.

I caught her before she hit the ground and ripped off the item covering her mouth, which turned out to be a name tag labeled ' _Blockhead_ '.

"OW! You couldn't have ripped that off any gentler!?" Veronica complained from within my arms.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" I asked rapidly. I checked her arm and belt to see that none of her health or items were taken.

"It was those nerds!" Veronica seethed, desperately trying to move a muscle. "I went over to make fun of one when a group of them ambushed me. They hit me with the one-two paralysis potion combo, called me a 'blockhead', and shoved me in a locker!"

It was true. She had the Weakness and Slowness effects displayed on her arm and the matching gray and gray-blue particles swirling around her.

Now, if she were hurt, I probably would have been angrier at the students who did that. But she was fine. So I gave karma my thanks for humbling the blonde heckler. Such a thing wouldn't have happened if she hadn't called them names.

"The effects should wear off soon. We have bigger concerns to worry about." I explained as I leaned Veronica against the lockers. "I talked to a professor about the Bridge Bomber. He said he used an 'inverter' to time the explosives properly. It's a basic redstone mechanism. Other than that, this lead led us nowhere."

"Ngh. My nose itches." Veronica wrinkled her nose in annoyance, still paralyzed from moving anything else. "Wynn, can you scratch it for me? Pleeease?"

I groaned before reluctantly complying, extending a single finger to relieve my companion of her itch. After all, it was a small request.

"Thanks." The blonde let out a sigh of relief before her smile turned sultry. "Oh, now my lips itch. You think you can scratch them for me…with your mouth?"

"Aaaaand back in the locker you go." I concluded before slapping the ' _Blockhead_ ' label back on her mouth and shoving her into the locker. I leaned my back against it, even as her muffled pleas echoed from inside.

I put all that to the back of my mind as I thought of an alternative way of finding the bomber. There was no way Veronica would drop the case from a mere lack of leads. And as long as she was willing to continue, I had to too. Or else risk the Cross-Kingdom Railway.

All we had to go on was that the bomber was a redstone genius to effectively harness the day-night powered bridges and 'inverters' at the same time. Definitely not Burke's style from what Veronica said.

The only others ways to track the bomber were to either wait for him to strike again and catch him in the act…or track the supply of TNT straight to him.

TNT wasn't easy to make. It took four sand and five gunpowder per block. And the blast radii of the targeted bridges indicated the use of several blocks of TNT.

The gunpowder would be easy enough to find. Just kill a few Creepers. A Mob grinder could handle that.

It was the sand that was tricky. The nearest beach was over a set of mountains; a three day journey East. And with the sand split between the glass and demolitions industries…

Hopefully, Veronica knew a supplier.

I pulled the Redstone Engineering book out from my belt and gazed at the title, wondering what Cobb was doing right now.

Was it wrong not to give him the benefit of the doubt? To search for the fifty volumes before midnight? To assume that he'd already be knee deep in trouble? Somewhere, somehow?

…

 _What am I saying? This is Cobb I'm talking about._

* * *

[Cobb]

Lenzington walked ahead, keeping his hand rested on his bow. "Just this way."

"Are you sure?" I asked questioningly. "Because I don't remember passing any of this stuff." We passed some iron barred prison cells complete with open iron doors.

"We're just taking an…alternative route. A less time-consuming one." The gray-haired student assured without turning to face me.

"So…mind telling me what this place is?" I asked trying to start up a conversation. "Did you build all this?"

"Apologies, Cobbert. I was under the notion you weren't interested in this place." He responded coldly.

 _Cobbert?_

"Well, I'm not." I replied hastily. "Just trying to strike up conversation… _Lenz_."

He stopped momentarily. "What did you just refer to me as?"

I immediately worried if I had crossed some sort of line. "Uh…nothing. Never mind."

He just stared at me, his tinted glasses making it impossible to read his eyes. Although he could have had his eyes closed and I wouldn't have noticed.

After a few moments he returned to leading the way through the stone brick corridors. "This stronghold of stone was not constructed by me. I stumbled upon it several years ago while working on a personalized railway. The concept was to get me from my apartment to the college in a matter of minutes.

"I was fortunate enough to discover the stronghold, and more importantly, the veritable goldmine of redstone machinations within."

 _Is it so hard for the guy to talk regularly?_

"Then why are Crafters prohibited from this place?" I asked.

"The ghost stories keep people away." Lenzington chuckled to himself. "Amusing how a Kingdom filled with men of Science is susceptible to the bunkum of fearful rumors. 'Monsters of the Earth.' 'Dormant Parasites.' 'The Slithering Floor.' The list of myths regarding this sector goes on."

"So it's only forbidden because of monster stories?" Surely somebody would have investigated the claims. Or was everyone too scared?

"Correct. However, I have no complaints with the current arrangement." Lenzington adjusted his glasses and smirked to himself. "The rumors keep Daymonte out and my redstone and I in."

"Well, I can't blame you for shutting yourself in here. Your social skills sort of suck."

"Who has the time for such monotonous skills?" He challenged. "With all I need to learn—"

"Doesn't mean you can build up a trap. I nearly died!" I protested as we turned a corner.

"The traps—er, trap—wasn't mine." He nearly tripped on his words. "They—It—was wired when I first found this place."

"And you have no idea who set it all up?" Who'd be paranoid enough to build an underground structure with a preset trap, clearly meant to kill?

"…I have a theory." He responded evasively before stopping cold.

"And that theory would be…?" I turned back to see what he was looking at.

*UHNNN!*

Oh, it was just a lone Zombie, trotting towards us. There must have been a patch of darkness somewhere for it to crawl out of.

While I regarded the Zombie with indifference, Lenzington was freaking out. He was hiding behind me, shivering like the temperature drastically dropped. His attention was glued to the Zombie.

"Kill it!" He shouted while shaking my shoulder. "Hurry! Before it gets me!"

"Hey, relax. It's just one Zombie." I tried calming him down, but he wouldn't listen. Not with his attention focused on the Mob. So I quickly withdrew my gold sword and attacked with three quick slashes.

All that was left were a few hunks of rotten flesh and EXP, which flew into my arm.

"See? Easy." I hung my sword at my belt while Lenzington peaked over my shoulder to be sure the Zombie was dead.

"Y-yes. Ahem!" He cleared his throat with a loud cough. "Yes, well, your swordsmanship is impressive."

"Um…not really." I stated as if it were obvious. After crossing a herd of Creepers and coming face to face with a killer rabbit— _can't believe I just said that_ —one Zombie was nothing. "Why didn't you shoot it with your bow?"

"My proficiency with a bow was developed to facilitate operating the track switches." He explained as we continued forward. "I require arrows for effective transportation. Wasting them on Crafters or those… _monsters_ ," he trembled at that word, "would be a waste."

We turned another corner and he gestured to the hallway before us. "After you." He insisted politely.

"Um…okay?" I stepped past while eyeing him suspiciously, wondering what brought out his change in tone.

Then I felt something thin and tense catch on my leg. I looked down to see the dim torchlight reflected along a thin line. A string or wire of sorts.

The next instant, I heard the familiar sound of retracting pistons. I looked up just in time to see several balls of fire coming towards me.

 _Shit._

 _Balls of fire are about to hit me._

 _Maybe I should duck._

 _Why am I thinking these things when I should be ducking?_

 _Should probably duck n—_

 _Oops. I'm on fire now._

"HOT! HOT HOT!" I shouted as I flailed around, even as more fireballs launched out of dispensers in the wall. Lenzington had been smart enough to duck into another corridor.

I rushed to follow the student to safety, fireballs barely grazing my hoodie, all while the flames ate away at my health. I dove for the safe corridor just as a fireball seared my lower calf, sending me tumbling to the floor.

"Oh, good God! Cobbert!" Lenzington shouted as he leaned beside me, helpless to the flames slowly killing me. "Apologies! Many apologies! I had no idea there was a fire trap there! And now…now you're going to expire and it's all my—"

"I'm good."

"E-excuse me?" He asked incredulously.

I pulled out my bucket of water and doused the flames with a quarter of my health to spare. "See? Nothing to worry about." I picked the water back up with my bucket and withdrew some potatoes to refill my health."

"O-oh!...You had a bucket of water on hand." Lenzington wiped away the odd look on his face and put on a forced smile. "How…fortunate."

"Yeah, I'll say." I responded easily while glancing at the hallway still shooting out fireballs. "I thought you said there was only one trap."

"There are!" He blurted out hastily before pausing to rethink his words. "...I mean…I was under the impression that there was only one…much of this ruin remains a mystery to me…"

His tinted glasses made it impossible to read him, but he was acting suspicious. Almost like he was disappointed I survived the fire trap.

Though was it just me, or did he stare at the water bucket at my belt for a bit too long?

"Well then, we should take greater care to watch out for tripwires and traps." He stated pointlessly, already walking away. "We will require a new detour to reach the rails. Follow me."

"Yeah…lead the way." I followed him, but at a greater distance than before. I hoped I was wrong, but I had the sneaking suspicion that the fire trap was no accident.

 _Is this college student trying to kill me? I wasn't aware 'stealthy murder' was among the courses taught at the Redstone College._

* * *

[Wynn]

"Why are we wasting time in this marketplace?" I asked the blonde casually lounging on a bench. When she said she knew where a sand supplier might be, she didn't mention we had to comb over several merchant stands. "We should be checking large scale shipping."

"If we wanted to waste our time, then yes, we would check major shipping companies." Veronica replied with a lazy wave of her hand. "I'd prefer to catch the bomber _today_ , though. So we're gonna tackle this another way." She pointed a finger at a particular merchant stand. "See that? That's Shady Shin's. If the name didn't tip you off, it's a front for smuggling. Anything a Crafter needs, illegal or otherwise, Shin supplies. No questions asked. If we keep an eye out for Crafters ordering TNT ingredients from Shin, we can tail them and hopefully find our bomber or at least the TNT manufacturer."

"If you know all this, then why is that place still operating? Shouldn't you shut down places selling contraband?" I was outraged at how normal she was treating Shin's. If it were up to me, the so-called 'Shady Shin' would have been in jail before he could blink. Captains should take advantage of every situation that puts another piece of filth away.

"Relax, Snow-Hare." Veronica dismissed in an irritating tone. "Shin is small fry. Plus, since I've identified him, he's an endless source of arrests. You wouldn't believe how many times I've arrested someone for possessing deadly potions or TNT minecarts…all because I watched them make the purchases right here." She stretched out on the bench, humming appreciatively as her muscles and joints popped.

Her words calmed me down a moment, making me reconsider her tactics. If one criminal led to the imprisonment of ten, then it'd be better to let the one slide. Especially if it meant starting the process over. Shin was more useful in identifying criminals than rotting away in prison.

"So we just keep an eye on his customers and hope one of them orders TNT or its ingredients?"

"Yep. You and me in a good ol' fashioned stakeout." Veronica closed her eyes with a smile. "We can pass the time talking, telling funny stories…maybe discuss your relationship with Cobb?"

"There is no relationship." I spoke with finality. Why was she so fixated on seeing something that wasn't there?

Cobb was just an acquaintance. A tag-along for a mission. He had proven himself useful on more than one occasion, but trouble seemed to follow him around like a bad odor. It was a small miracle he hadn't gotten himself killed already. Just thinking about all the times I had to step in to save his sorry—

…

Come to think of it…why did I save him?

The Valley Beast, the Iron Golem, and the Charged Creeper. All those times he could have died, why did I bother to care? Erin would've been upset, and that was the first excuse I clung to…but…

And the green leather tunic I gave him. That was a symbol of the Ringwood guards and was worn with pride. It was one of the reasons I wore a green leather cap at that very moment. Why would I see the need to pass on that symbol to Cobb?

…

Acquaintances? Or two Crafters drawn into unfavorable circumstances?

What exactly…were we?

"Well, if you say so." Veronica shrugged with a knowing smile. "All I know is that the two of you seemed pretty chummy with each other."

Chummy? Is that what she called our 'banter'? As if someone like me could become friends with someone like Cobb. When I wasn't trying to stab his eyes out in annoyance, he was—

"Hey, eyes up, Wynn." Veronica warned while sitting up. "Looks like we've lucked out."

I focused my attention forward to spot a Crafter at Shady Shin's. They whispered some things to each other before the merchant behind the counter (most likely Shin) handed over a couple stacks of sand. The unknown Crafter examined the blocks and nodded in satisfaction before trading a substantial amount of emeralds.

With their business concluded, the unknown Crafter slipped the sand in his backpack and quietly walked away. He was heading out of the marketplace.

"Bingo." Veronica smiled as she leapt to her feet and began tailing the unknown Crafter. I followed close behind, trying not to appear suspicious.

The unknown Crafter made his way to a trampoline tower and waited on line. From what I observed, his foot was tapping impatiently.

"Are we positive he's using that sand for TNT?" I asked my fellow Captain.

"Yeah. Unless he's making a glass statue, he wouldn't need that much sand." Veronica seemed pretty sure the unknown Crafter had TNT on the mind. "Plus, how many average Joe's carry that many emeralds on hand? This guy's obviously running errands for a bigger criminal. And with any luck, it'll be the manufacturer supplying TNT for our resident bomber."

"That's fine and all, except if we catch him, he can just as easily claim the sand's for glass."

"Don't worry your pretty head about that." Veronica assured while the unknown Crafter entered the trampoline tower and bounced upward. "Catch him and we'll see if I can't get him to talk."

I nodded in understanding as we made our way to the tower.

"Y'know, Wynn. I don't see any reason why we can't ride this tower together." Veronica stated with a smile. "It would save us the extra trip, right?"

"Just get in the thing already." I spoke, not at all amused. She wanted to waste time teasing when we could lose our only lead? Where were her priorities?

* * *

We followed the unknown Crafter to a dingy bar. He glanced left and right before entering while me and Veronica stood nearby.

"Think he's seen us?" I asked, taking the Crafter's suspicion as a sign.

"Well, your snow-white hair _is_ easy to spot." Veronica replied before hastily adding, "Not that I don't like it, of course."

"This," I grabbed a handful of my hair and held it up to the extrovert, "is _ivory_ -white. Not snow-white."

"Riiiight." She rolled her eyes and held out a handful of her hair. 'And this is blonde-blonde and not yellow-blonde."

I shook my head at her unrefined eye. Surely a sniper like her couldn't be color-blind. "I'm going in there just to be sure." I announced as I casually strolled over to the bar.

"If you need a drink you can just be honest." Veronica said with a smile, walking beside me. "We all know how much more agreeable you get when you have a few drinks in you. Like that time when you—"

"I told you never to bring that up!" I hissed with flushed cheeks as the memory came to mind. Never again would I go drinking with the boisterous blonde.

As we entered the bar and Veronica chuckled to herself, I immediately noticed a lack of Crafters. The bar was completely empty, save for a lonely bartender that wasn't our lead.

"Excuse me." I motioned to the bartender. "Did a Crafter come in here a few minutes ago?"

"Sure did." The bartender replied grumpily. "Thought he was gonna order something, but he instead asked for a backdoor. Said he was being followed by some snow-haired woman."

"Aha! Told you! It is snow-white!" Veronica grinned in satisfaction.

"That's what you're focused on? Not our lead that got away!?" I questioned angrily before rushing back outside. I scanned the passing crowds, before relocating the Crafter jumping off the bridge. "Blast! He's getting away!"

I didn't wait for Veronica's reply as I vaulted over the bridge. No way was I going to lose him.

The Crafter aimed for a slime pad far-off to the side. It was one I couldn't reach, even if I angled myself perfectly. So instead I selected a slime pad further down and curled into a ball.

As soon as I hit the pad, I was bounced up towards the bridge I saw the Crafter aim for. I somersaulted in the air and extended my hands just enough to grip the bridge's edge before pulling myself up.

The Crafter was already hurrying away. "Hold it right there!" I called out, to which he turned to face me. "I have a few questions for you."

"I'm not in a talkative mood." He responded as he backed away.

My eyes narrowed. "Don't make this a chase, criminal. You won't get far."

"I'll take my chances." And with that, he spun on his heel and sprinted away. Closely followed by me.

He ran off the bridge and onto a street carved along the chasm wall, withdrawing a sword and swinging it wildly to part the oncoming crowd. I pulled out my rapier and downed a Swiftness Potion.

Whatever distance he put between us was meaningless as I caught up to him. My blade was held back, muscles tensed to spring forward and skewer the criminal in the back. At full health, he'd survive.

But just as I was within striking distance, the criminal grabbed a couple of Crafters and pushed them towards me. Caught off guard, I held my strike and slid between while they tumbled behind me.

I rolled back to my feet just in time to watch the criminal run down an alley and nerd-pole his way up a building using the sand he was carrying. "Try and get me down, bitch!"

Without wasting time to think, I pulled out a torch from my backpack and ran to the sand tower. I broke the base sand block with a swipe of my rapier before replacing it with a torch. As the sand succumbed to the forces of gravity, the torch destroyed every falling block that fell on it.

 _Who's the bitch now?_ I smirked as the tower crumbled and the criminal let out a surprised yelp. He almost lost his balance, only to blindly leap towards an adjacent building, trying to get hold of anything to stop his fall.

His hands found purchase on a windowsill, in which he hoisted himself through.

I quickly downed a Potion of Leaping and wall jumped up the alley to reach his window. I tumbled through only to find myself in a hallway leading off into a stairwell below.

"Shouldn't Veronica have caught up by now?" I wondered aloud as I rushed down the stairwell. The criminal was only delaying the inevitable running. It would've been much easier accept he was caught and surrender peace—

"Don't fucking move!"

I froze immediately at what I saw.

Standing before me was the criminal, panting heavily, and looking desperate.

And he was holding a sword against another Crafter's neck. The implications obvious.

"Well, here we are at hostage situation." The criminal announced brazenly. "You know, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't fucking chase me! Bet you feel really stupid now, huh?"

I remained silent, my eyes darting to the Crafter held hostage. He must have been an inhabitant of the building we found ourselves in. And judging by the health on his arm, the criminal already got in a few hits before I arrived. To the point where the hostage would die in one more hit.

"Lower your weapon." I commanded with all the fierceness I had. But it didn't register to the criminal scum. Not when he had a human shield warding me off.

He laughed. "How about _you_ lower _your_ weapon? Unless you want this innocent hostage's gear splattered all over the floor." I was hoping the criminal would keep his attention on me, not noticing his hostage's health ticking back up. But he kept a watchful eye on both of us, dealing another hit to his hostage to keep his health low. "I'll say it again: Lower your weapon."

Without any alternatives, I slowly lowered my hand and my rapier to my side.

"Good girl." The criminal commented in approval which only furthered my anger towards him. "That's quite the fancy sword you got there. A Tinker's Exclusive, right? All the way from Exter?"

I remained silent, still trying to think of a way to save the hostage and stab the criminal in his cocky face.

"Bet that'll fetch quite the price…" The criminal spoke to himself, eyeing the rapier with greed. His filthy eyes had no place upon my weapon. "Drop it and kick it over to me. Nice and easy."

My eyes narrowed in disgust. "I respect my weapon far too much to kick it across the floor, scum."

"Respect? The fuck—What makes you think I care about any of that!?" He shouted out angrily while shaking the hostage around. The hostage in his hands whimpered in terror. "I'm the guy with the hostage! And you're the bitch who listens! Got that!?"

We just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. His were panicked, but determined. He'd kill the hostage if he was pushed, even if it meant throwing away his only shield.

So, with a reluctant sigh, I lowered my rapier to the floor, taking care not to rest it on any dust or filth. Then I stood myself back up, daring him to make me kick it across.

"Tch. Fine. I'll pick it up myself." He tilted his head towards the wall. "Back away from the stairwell. Slowly!" Once again he slashed at the hostage, who hissed in pain, to keep his health low.

I did as he ordered, feeling exposed without the familiar weight of my rapier. The scum circled with his back facing the wall, all while edging closer to my cherished weapon.

Once we had effectively swapped positions, me by the window and him by the stairwell, he brought his mouth to the hostage's ear. "Pick up the rapier and hand it to me. No funny business."

The hostage nodded in terror as he stooped down to pick it up.

Then suddenly, I felt something zip past my face, disturbing the air and creating a faint rush of wind that tickled my neck.

"GAH!" The criminal staggered backwards, an arrow lodged in his sword hand, and his weapon already falling to the ground.

That was my moment.

With the powers of my Swiftness Potion still in effect, I leapt forward, rolled over my rapier as I brought it up, pushed the hostage out of harm's way, and kneed the criminal in the lower jaw. His head cracked against the back wall before he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Even so, I was breathing heavily in anger. _How dare that scum try and lay a finger on my blade! I have half a mind to skewer his privates to the floor before questioning him!_

While I seethed, I heard the sound of something whizzing through the air. I turned just in time to see an arrow lodge itself in the wall…followed by another…and another.

It was then I remembered the arrow that had provided me the window of opportunity I needed. And speaking of windows, that's where the shots were raining in from: The open window I had my back to.

I glanced out, and just as I thought, I saw a speck of gold on the opposite side of the chasm. A speck of gold that had the accuracy to take a shot from across the chasm, through a one block wide window, past my head, and dead center into a criminal's sword arm as soon as the hostage stooped down.

There was only one person I knew who could do all that.

One more arrow whizzed by my neck, moving a few strands of my hair, before lodging itself in the wall along with the others, completing an image. The Golden Hawk of Daymonte had signed her work, with a big smiley face made completely out of arrows.

"I guess I owe her for this one." I said in acceptance, sheathing my rapier at my belt while internally cringing at Veronica's inevitable boasts.

I still flashed a thumbs-up out the window, grateful her hawk eyes could hit a Crafter a mile away.

And even more grateful we had our lead in custody and a hostage situation averted.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Note Block, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 7 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 9]

* * *

 **AN: Not much to say. This chapter is running pretty late.**

 **I had some help writing Veronica's dialogue from AxeHelix. Really funny stuff.**

 **Also, Lenzington is a character I came up with. He's as eloquent as he is gray-haired. Plus he wears a scarf, goggles AND glasses. What more can you ask for?**

 **Leave a fav, follow, review, winning lottery tickets. And have a nice day.**

* * *

Omake: N.E.R.D.S.

"Hear me, hear me, fellow members!" A Crafter clad in red leather armor spoke in a commanding, nasally voice. The crowd before him immediately silenced, eager to hear what their glorious leader wished to announce.

The whole crowd of Crafters were gathered in a large lecture hall; one that had been abandoned for decades.

"Today…one of our brothers was tormented!" Several Crafters gasped in shock before buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. "Tormented by one of the blonde blockheads that taint this Kingdom."

"Taint…Taint…" The crowd intoned lowly.

"Our brothers bravely rescued one of the tormented before paralyzing the blockhead and shoving her in a locker. But that was merely the first step of our vengeance." He held up a picture of a blonde-haired female. "This is the blockhead that mocked us! _This_ is the face of our oppression!"

"Oppression…Oppression…" The crowd intoned yet again, echoing their leader's words.

"And while she's admittedly hot—"

"Hot…Hot…"

"—Tonight, we will take our full revenge!" The crowd erupted into cheers before a single hand shot up.

"Will it be later than midnight?" A small voice asked. "Because it's a school night and I need my eight hours."

There were murmurs of assent amongst the crowd as people began worrying about being late for classes. The leader was busying himself trying to calm everyone down.

"Relax, brothers. If it's such a big deal, then our revenge can wait until the weekend."

"Weekend…Weekend…"

"You can knock that off now, guys. It's…kind of creeping me out."

"Sorry…Sorry…"

"And once the night of our revenge arrives, we will go to Captain Velocishot's house under the cover of night…and completely rewire her lights!" The entire crowd erupted into tumultuous cheers and applause. "Come morning, she'll try and turn her ceiling lights on, only for them to _not_ turn on! We're so diabolical!"

"Huzzah!"

"So says the **N** ation that **E** njoys **R** edstone **D** espite **S** corn ."

"N.E.R.D.S. Unite!"

* * *

 **AN: I really stretched that acronym to cringe-worthy levels.**


	35. Stronghold

**AN: This chapter is a bit shorter than my others, but I was busy celebrating Easter with my family. It was either a shorter chapter today or a longer chapter that'd premiere next week. So I went for the shorter chapter.**

 **I got a few more questions in the reviews so I'll try to answer them as best I can.**

 **- _Responses_ -**

 **deadpoolthekid42 : Redstone is fairly tricky. If you think the stuff at the fair was complicated, you should see the boss fights Hypixel wires up on his adventure maps. _That_ stuff is crazy.**

 **AxeHelix : If you want to know what happened, check the Omake below. As for alcohol, since Thick and Mundane Potions aren't used for anything (seriously why are they even in Minecraft) I'll say they have the same effects as a shot of alcohol.**

 **Yuri fanatic : Check the Omake below. Also it's Wynn not Wayne.**

 **gs gaming : I'm not the riddler. Maybe I'll invest in a book of riddles instead of coming up with them myself.**

 **AwesomeCoolGuy5 : A block is about one meter so a mile would be about 1610 blocks...but that's a bit of an exaggeration. The shot she took alone is supposed to be a testament to her archer skills. Precision and distance.**

 **Slenderbrine : Not sure if you've heard of the TV show, 'Kid's Next Door?' They came up with acronyms for every episode. I wish I had them come up with something for the N.E.R.D.S.**

 **Void of Shining Darkness : Thanks. I like my Omake's too.**

 **Laner : The Omakes. It's entirely up to the viewer if they're canon or not. The first holiday-themed one obviously wasn't canon since it wasn't December in Minecraftia and Carys wasn't watching them at the time. As for the others, they _all_ could have been canon or extra. But for the sake of not confusing everybody, I'll say the Omakes are completely canon.**

 **A Panda : You're a panda.**

 **AwakenedKarbon : I like the exploding toilet idea. You'd be perfect for the N.E.R.D.S.**

 **Shine Archetype : ?**

 **Guest : Love the name. As for drawing the characters...I'm not really an artist. A friend of mine made the Minecraftia Map. I have the artistic talent of a shrubbery. Stick figures would be the peak of my capabilities, which I'm sure wouldn't satisfy you or the readers. If anyone feels motivated enough by my humble story to draw the characters for it, I'd be deeply impressed. And if the art is Vincent van Gogh level, I'd be super-duper-mega-wombo-combo impressed.**

 **TheothertYurifan : I've got plans...also do you know the Yuri fanatic?**

 **Congrats to AxeHelix for getting the answer to last week's riddle: All months have at least 28 days in them. That one was admittedly easy, but don't let that take away from your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: You find yourself standing at a point. You travel South 5 miles, West 5 miles, then North 5 miles and find yourself at the exact same point. Where are you at?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd (Insert Minecraft Suggestion Here)

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 35

 **Stronghold**

[Cobb]

"After you, Cobbert."

"No…no, I think _you_ should lead the way."

"But I insist."

"Well, _I_ don't know where I'm going. If I did I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place…"

"But, you see, my feet have grown weary with our trek. The stone brick floor is most painful. I just need a moment to rest them, so go on ahead."

"I'm not going anywhere unless you're leading the way."

Our argument had been going on like that throughout several halls. Lenzington would try and steer me down a corridor while he hung back. I would immediately spot the wooden pressure plates or stone pressure plates or tripwire hooks that warned of hidden traps and politely hang back until Lenzington crossed.

It was like a game of musical chairs. Only with deadly traps instead of chairs.

When neither of us would cross, it ultimately ended with:

"Oh, how silly of me! It appears there is a trap down this corridor as well. We must take another detour to reach the mine track. Follow me, Cobbert."

He was leading me around, hoping I'd slip up and miss a trap. And then he'd be rid of me.

Meanwhile, what else could I do but follow? Only he knew how to navigate the 'stronghold' (as he called it). And if he was telling the truth about the rails, and I needed an archer to realign the track, he was my only chance of getting back to the college.

I just needed to keep up my trap detecting until he realized helping me was the quickest way to get rid of me.

"You seem to periodically check your clock." Lenzington spoke up as we crossed an intersection. "Might I assume you have someplace to be?"

I hooked my clock back into my belt pocket. "Yeah, I keep checking my clock and, yeah, I have somewhere I need to be. The Stonewall Inn. And if my guide wasn't taking needless detours, _maybe_ I'd be halfway back by now!"

"Needless? I can't very well risk our lives going down booby-trapped corridors." He explained in his annoyingly superior tone.

"No, I guess you can't risk _our_ lives."

 _Just mine._ I finished in my head, even as we turned yet another corner. There, at the other end of a corridor, were two tripwire hooks, most likely trailing a thin line of wire between them. Though, was there even such a thing as wire in Minecraftia? Was the recipe for it just a line of iron ingots? Or was string used instead?

Questions for later.

I made sure to hang back so Lenzington couldn't trigger the trap with his archery skills, but surprisingly, Lenzington began to cough into his fist. I didn't think much of it until his small coughs became more violent, his whole body shaking as he desperately gasped for air.

 _Oh, God! What's wrong with him!?_ I thought frantically, even as he collapsed onto the floor. "Lenzington, what's wrong?"

"W-water…" He choked out between coughs. "Water…please…"

I quickly detached the water bucket from my belt and tipped its contents over Lenzington's face. He sputtered, not expecting the sudden amount of water, but drank nonetheless. When he had enough, he pulled back his head, gray hair dribbling water, and leaned against the corridor.

"Apologies…Cobbert…" He coughed out while I picked the water back up and hooked the bucket back to my belt. His tinted glasses seemed to follow it for a second. "…just a…coughing fit…happens all the time…"

I kneeled beside him, worried that my only guide might suddenly die from wracking coughs. "That happens all the time? Is it a sickness or something?"

"Or something. Definitely or something." He pressed a hand on my hip. It was probably a grateful pat, but it felt like an intrusive grope. "You have my thanks…"

"No problem." I replied easily, even as Lenzington quickly rose to his feet. I figured he'd need more time to recover from his violent coughs, but he got up like it was nothing. "But if you want to repay me, you can start by getting me out of this stronghold pronto."

He chuckled to himself. "But this _is_ the way out." He strode forward towards the tripwire hooks before stopping just short of the wire. Then he turned to face me with his arms open wide. "You are just not seeing things from the proper perspective."

I crossed my arms and raised a skeptical brow. "And where is this 'proper perspective' you're talking about?"

"Why, just a few steps to the left of you." He spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Puzzled, I took a few steps to the left. "Here?"

"Little bit more."

I took a few more steps to the left. "Here?"

"Perfect."

As he uttered that word, he took a step back, directly on top of the tripwire, which triggered the hooks, which triggered the floor beneath me to retract into the walls, revealing a smoldering pitfall of lava.

"What the—SHIT!" I called out in surprise as the floor was pulled out from under me. I quickly pushed off the wall, and extended my hands out, trying to grab something to keep me up. Luckily, one of my hands caught the ledge of the pitfall, opposite of where Lenzington had triggered the thing.

Unluckily, I didn't have the upper body strength to pull myself up with only one hand.

Beneath me, the lava bubbled and hissed, like a starving stomach awaiting its next meal.

Stomach: _I'm insulted by that simile._

Brain: _And we'll all be boiled alive if Cobb doesn't do something!_

 _Working on it!_ I argued as I fumbled at my belt for my water bucket. If it could put out fire, maybe it could put out lava. It was a stupid idea, but I had to try something.

Though for some reason, I was having trouble finding my water bucket at its usual belt pocket. I know I left it there after I poured water over Lenzington's—

"I am afraid you will not be cooling that lava without this." The college student spoke as he raised my water bucket in the air. The bastard swiped it off me! And he probably faked his coughing fit to make me drop my guard!

"Lenzington! Why are you doing this!? I thought we had a deal!" I tried to stall as I searched my backpack for anything remotely useful.

"Apologies, Cobbert. But I cannot let anyone know of this place." He placed the water bucket at his belt, but kept himself stood on the tripwire, keeping the pitfall open. "You see, if I am right in my assumptions, then this stronghold, this sanctum of redstone brilliance, is the hub of the legendary engineer, Jeb. After all, who else could develop redstone tech of this magnitude?

"I believe that Jeb's laboratory is somewhere within these ruins, and that these traps are meant to ward away intruders. People unfit to gaze upon the deepest engineering secrets, people like you, are meant to be killed by these very traps.

"Why, if Daymonte ever found out about this place, if they ever knew the location of the legendary Jeb's laboratory, they would swarm like locusts! It would quickly devolve into a tourist trap just like Jeb's Mega Calculator.

"Even worse, if the Redstone College ever found out I knew of this place, if they ever found out I was scavenging this stronghold for parts and machination ideas for the past two years…I would be expelled!"

"Scavenging…So that's where you got your lame button-lever machine idea!" I exclaimed, quickly realizing why he had come back in the first place: To see where he went wrong in recreating a machine that wasn't his.

"It is _not_ a lame idea!" He protested indignantly, threatening to lift his foot off the tripwire. "It was a work of brilliance, a prototype long forgotten and lost to the world of engineering! And it would have cemented a position for myself at Potato Tech! But instead, those judges gave it to the self-cooking furnace!"

While six-eyes (because he wore glasses _and_ goggles…get it?...GET IT!?) was busy with his monologue, I kept searching my backpack for anything useful. The second he stepped off that tripwire, the floor would return to its original position, cutting off my grip and sending me plummeting into the lava.

What had I done to earn such a fate?

* * *

[Carys]

I looked up from the felled Skeleton, feeling the sudden uncontrollable urge to punch someone in the face.

I closed my eyes, and all I could picture was Cobb's stupid face. And then my fist barreling into it.

I smiled to myself. Envisioning such actions were the only thing that brought me joy without Mr. Piggles' presence.

 _I wonder if the others got my letter to track him down yet…_

* * *

[Cobb]

I had done nothing… _nothing_ …to deserve death by lava. "Lenzington, don't do this! Would you really become a murderer, just because of the slim chance I might tell anyone about this place!? I don't even care about Jeb's machines or whatever!"

"I implore you to understand, I take no pleasure in doing this, but to keep my secret…It is as the old saying goes, 'Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead.'"

"Really? Because…because I'm pretty sure that saying goes, 'Two can keep a secret…and don't let the second guy fall in lava!'"

Lenzington faltered at my made-up proverb. I guess I should have counted myself lucky that he bought it at all.

"Really?" He questioned with obvious confusion. "Well then what about, "Dead men tell no tales.'"

"No, that one goes, 'Live men…shouldn't get dunked in lava!'"

Lenzington frowned at that last one. "As oddly specific as your aphorisms sound, I'm afraid this is farewell."

This was it. He was going to step off that tripwire and condemn me to death. Just like Carys had done all those days ago!

Though back then, she failed twice. One because Floyd had saved me with his fishing rod and two when I escaped harm with—

…

The Ender Pearl!

I reached back into my backpack, searching for the round orb that could save my life. My fingers brushed across its smooth, glass-like surface before gripping around it.

Just as the college student stepped off the tripwire.

I heard the familiar 'Cha- _chunk_ ' and wasted no time chucking the pearl out of the pitfall. A second later, the floor closed itself on the hand holding me up, forcing me to let go with a cry of pain. The next second, I was falling towards the hungry lava.

Then the next second, I felt that familiar rushing sensation followed by a small pressing sensation, as if every piece of my being was squeezed through an impossibly small gap. Only for it to end as I fell upon the stone brick floor of the corridor, shaken but alive.

"Comparators! You had an Ender Pearl too!?" The asshole of a college student cursed as I got to my feet. "You were better prepared than I anticipated."

"Anticipate this!" I growled in anger as I rushed towards the asshole—only to stop abruptly as Lenzington once more stepped upon the tripwire, opening the lava pitfall again and almost catching me with the same trap. I teetered at the edge, swinging my arms wildly to regain my balance, before finally stepping back onto stable ground.

I grit my teeth in anger and watched as Lenzington shot an arrow at the tripwire to keep it activated before lifting his foot and escaping around a corner.

Brain: _Get that son of a bitch!_

I quickly withdrew some cobblestone and built a bridge over the lava pitfall. When I reached the tripwire, I yanked the arrow out and pocketed it before chasing after the college student.

 _So he thinks killing me is the best thing to keep his secret? Well, I'll show him. As soon as I get out of here, I'm telling everyone about this place…except Wynn. She can't find out I was in the forbidden sector. Maybe an anonymous tip would be better?_

I rounded another corner, but immediately backtracked when I heard a terrifyingly familiar sound.

*GHAIYA*

 _Stickman._ I thought to myself as I saw its stick legs frantically wobbling towards a tower of dirt. It was obviously enraged, with its maw unhinged and stretched wide, but it didn't seem to notice me.

"Help!" I heard someone call out, and it was only with a closer look that I noticed it was coming from the top of the dirt tower. "Someone! Help!"

Lenzington. He must have stumbled across the Stickman in his mad dash to get away from me. And now he was cornered on a nerd-pole while the Mob teleported around, extending its stick arms in an attempt to strike the college student.

Brain: _Ha! Karma, bitch! God, this is perfect. Just leave him there to stew._

Heart: _No! We need him to get out of here. Even if he did almost try and kill us—_

Brain: _Cobb, do you really want to fight a Stickman over a nerd? You don't need him. We can find our own way out of here._

"Somebody! HELP!" Lenzington shouted desperately. "HELP!"

 _I hate my conscience._ I thought to myself as I pulled out my trusty fishing rod.

It was time to test out my _Mob flail_ technique.

"And CAST!" I shouted out as I whipped the rod through the air. The bobber and hook sailed towards the angry Stickman and as soon as it made contact…

The Stickman teleported away.

…

"Um…I did it?" I questioned aloud as I reeled the fishing rod back. I didn't get to hook onto the Stickman and swing it around like a flail, but I did get it to go away.

It was just like when Floyd shot an arrow at the Stickman near Mt. Mur. The Mob teleported away before the arrow made contact. It was probably safe to assume that Stickmen could dodge any projectiles in the same way.

"Did you scare it off?" Lenzington asked as he tentatively lowered himself from the dirt tower. I turned and stared at him for a moment before nodding to myself and walking towards him.

"Many thanks, Cobbert. I don't know what I would have done if you had not—"

*POW*

I punched him in the face as hard as I could and watched with satisfaction as he spun around from the force before hitting the ground like a sack of bricks. My fist stung from where I hit him, but any damage I took was quickly regenerated since my Hunger was full.

Not too shabby for string bean arms.

"Here's another saying, asshole." I boasted over his fallen form. "When you try and chuck someone in lava, they take it personally."

Brain: _Oooooooooh! He got knocked the fuck OUT!_

 _No, I didn't knock him out. I wouldn't even know how to do that._

Heart: _Are you sure? Because…he isn't moving._

 _What?_

I checked his body, and sure enough, he wasn't moving. I think he was still breathing, though.

"Wow…" I spoke to myself as I looked at my fists. I was genuinely surprised I managed to knock someone out. In one hit too. Then again, Lenzington wasn't the most hardy-looking of individuals.

Looking at it that way made me knocking him out seem kind of cruel…

…

Stomach: _So…now what?_

That was a good question. I couldn't kill the student, because I still needed him. I hit him as payback, expecting him to get up, bruised, but generally okay. But now he was unconscious. And I had no idea where the hell I was or when he'd wake up.

…

"I should have spent sixty seconds thinking this through."

* * *

[Wynn]

"Soooo…who saved the day?" Veronica sing-songed.

I grumbled out an answer.

"Sorry, Snow-Hare, didn't quite catch that." The blonde held a hand to her ear as if she needed help hearing. "A little louder, please."

I let out a drawn-out sigh. "You did."

"Hell yeah, I did! The Golden Ostrich strikes again!" She posed dramatically while the unconscious goon lay before us, awaiting questioning.

"Honestly, how many monikers do you have?"

"I don't have any monikers, just nicknames." She replied obliviously to which I just rolled my eyes. "And thanks to me, we have a hostage and you still have your rapier."

I couldn't deny her that. The rapier had been a trusted weapon, never once breaking, and serving me well over the years. Like a close partner. I would've been devastated if it was stolen by a two-bit criminal.

Needless to say, it was going to be pretty hard remaining unbiased while interrogating the scum.

"Oh, hey, I just thought of something!" Veronica exclaimed, catching my attention. "If we're interrogating this guy, and there's two of us, can we do the good-cop, bad-cop routine?"

"I suppose. So long as we get the information we need." After searching the criminal's belt and backpack, not only did we find the sand, but also several stacks of gunpowder. Enough to warrant an arrest for intent to supply or possession of dangerous contraband. All that was left to know was whether the criminal we caught was a possible supplier for bombers, or just an errand boy for the real supplier.

"Great!" Veronica rubbed her hands together eagerly. "I'll be the charming and sociable good-cop, and you can be the strict and grumpy bad-cop. Just like in real life."

I leveled a frown in her direction but made no attempt to argue. After all, the criminal was starting to wake up.

"Wh-what happened?" He groaned as he tried to get to his feet. I simply pushed him back in place with a boot.

"I knocked you unconscious. Unless you want your skull cracked you'll answer our questions." I responded coldly.

Maybe I really was always the bad-cop.

The criminal scoffed and turned his head away so he wouldn't have to look at me. It was only then that he noticed who the second person was. "The Golden Canary!"—It took every muscle in my arm not to facepalm—"I should have known it was you… _You_ shot that arrow at me."

"Yes, and I'm deeply sorry about that." Veronica apologized, her voice heavy with sorrow. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I was left with no other choice. Please cooperate with us. I don't want to see what my partner does when she's angry." She made an exaggerated sniff and rubbed her eyes of crocodile tears.

 _Oh, for the love of_ — "Yes, my partner may be too soft," I continued, trying to play up the bad-cop angle, "But I have no mercy for worthless scum like you." I unsheathed my rapier and suddenly stuck it between his legs, just short of spearing his privates to the floor. "Your choice."

The criminal had his eyes darting between my angered face and the rapier between his legs as he gulped nervously. "S-sure…I'll answer your questions."

Veronica let out a loud sigh of relief and I lifted the rapier. "Good. First question: Why were you holding so many stacks of sand?"

This was the first step in testing his honesty. If he claimed the sand was for something besides TNT, we'd have the gunpowder he possessed to counter his claim. Truth or Lie. His response would determine whether we'd have to increase the level of our interrogation.

"The sand?" He began with an amused chuckle. "Is that what this is about? Is it illegal to carry that around?"

"Answer the question." I ordered threateningly.

Veronica gasped dramatically. "Don't, Wynn! Give him a chance to explain himself! We must see the good in all!"

I cringed at the blonde's exaggerated words. 'The good in all?' How corny could she get?

The criminal glanced at Veronica before returning his attention to me. "The sand was for glass. I wanted some stained glass windows for my house. The clear color isn't doing it for me. Maybe a nice black or blue."

"You'll be black and blue if you don't give us the truth." I growled while placing a hand on my hip. "You had enough sand to fill the windows of a twenty-story hotel. What was the sand really for?"

He spat dangerously close to my pristine boots. "I already told you. They're for windows and you can't prove otherwise!"

I glared at the bit of spit before withdrawing my rapier and piercing it through the collar of the criminal's shirt. "I know you had explosives on the brain. We searched you while you were unconscious and found quite a lot of gunpowder. We can put two and two together."

"Four!"

"Thank you, Veronica." I sighed wearily while the criminal shook in his skin.

"A-alright!" The criminal choked out while trying to keep his neck away from my blade. "Look…I may have had the materials…b-but I wasn't making the TNT…I'm just the errand boy, I swear!"

"The errand boy to whom?" I questioned while leaning forward.

The criminal bit his lip in reluctance "...I can't…he'll kill me—"

We were so close to uncovering the identity of the supplier. Just a bit more pushing. "You need to give us something."

"And I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise." Veronica supplied with a hand over her heart.

"…No!" The criminal shouted while turning his face. "Nothing you do will even compare to what _he'_ ll do to me if—UGH!"

Veronica just knocked him out with a kick to the back of the head. "Well, that didn't work."

I just blinked at her, pointing between her and the criminal. "What…why…but he…What happened to being the good-cop!?"

"I changed my mind. You can be the goody-two-shoes good-cop. I wanna be the bad-ass bad-cop." She grinned and cracked her knuckles menacingly.

"That's not how this works!" I threw my arms up in the air. "You can't just switch halfway through the interrogation!"

"It's called 'throwing a curve-ball.'"

"Don't rationalize this as some brilliant technique! You're doing this on a whim!" How could a Captain ever be so stupid?

"Look, he wasn't gonna crack from your level of violence. So now, it's my turn." She grinned cheekily while I struggled for suitable words for the situation…if there were any.

"I…you…just…Nhggg!"

"Use your words, Wynn. And take deep breaths." Veronica teased while I just banged my head against the nearest wall.

There was no common sense with her. Just like, Cobb—No, scratch that. Cobb at least didn't know any better. Veronica did stupid things on purpose.

Put those two in a room together and they'd somehow find a way to destroy the world. Through pure stupidity.

"Alright, get it together, Wynn. He's waking up, again." Veronica warned while cracking her neck.

The criminal stirred, clutching the back of his head. "Ow…the fuck hit me?"

"I the fuck hit you, dickless." The blonde stated while grabbing the criminal by the neck and lifting him against the wall. "And you're gonna tell me who you were running errands for, before I get mad."

The criminal looked incredibly confused, trying to hold onto Veronica's arm so his neck wouldn't hurt. "What the…why are you suddenly so…so…"

"Bad?" She finished with a smirk before driving a fist into the criminal's gut. After she released him, he doubled over, clutching his gut in pain. "Call it a change-of-heart. Now talk."

"You dumb bitch." The criminal insulted with as much hate as he could. His words would have held more of a threat if he wasn't doubled over in pain. "I told you, there's nothing either or you can do to—"

"Well, that sounds like a challenge." Veronica smirked while reaching into her backpack. "I think I have just the tool to make you talk."

The criminal shivered in fear and even I was curious as to what terrifying tool Veronica had in mind. An iron axe? Flint and steel? Fifty Volumes of Redstone Engineering?

…Or a flower.

A sunflower to be precise.

…

Again, Veronica did stupid things on purpose.

"See this? You know what this is?" She asked the criminal while dangling the sunflower over his head.

"A…flower?"

"Yes, a flower." She replied, pleased that the criminal made the connection a five-year-old could have made. "And do you know that if I hit you with any item, it would at least cause half a heart of damage?"

"…uh—"

*SMACK*

"Ow…that barely hurt!" The criminal complained after being slapped in the face by the frilly sunflower.

"That's right!" Veronica grinned evilly while smacking him again with the sunflower. "It may not do much, but I can repeatedly hit you with this flower until you lose all your health!"

*SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK*

"Hey! C-cut it out! This is a really awkward way to kill someone!"

*SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK*

"Just think," Veronica explained as she ceaselessly brought the sunflower down on the criminal's head. "Beaten to death by a sunflower. That's what your tombstone will say. Can you imagine a more humiliating death?"

The criminal's eyes widened. "No! You can't!"

"I can," *SMACK* "And I will!"

"Stop! I'll be the laughingstock of the criminal underworld!" The criminal pleaded as he held his hands up to stave off the flower. Veronica merely dodged his hands and continued to smack him around.

 _This can't actually be working._ I thought in disbelief, even as the once defiant criminal was reduced to a begging man being beaten by a flower.

His health was already half gone and Veronica wasn't stopping. "Who were you fetching the sand and gunpowder for!?"

The criminal lay in a fetal position, shielding himself as best he could. "Okay! Okay! It was Meyrick! Meyrick's making TNT!"

Veronica stopped her sunflower strikes but held the nonthreatening object high in the air. "Yeah? What else?"

The criminal backed against the wall, fear in his eyes. "H-he's been getting some new customers lately! Some contact in the shadows with high demands for TNT…the pay is too good for him to refuse!"

"This contact have a name?" Veronica continued, shaking the flower threateningly over the cowed criminal.

"I-I-I don't know! Really! I'm just the errand boy!" The criminal pleaded before remembering something. "B-but business started up a couple months ago…around the time Burke the Destroyer broke out of jail! Maybe it's him?"

"Where is this Meyrick?" I asked. I didn't bother playing the good-cop angle. Veronica had done such a good job at being ruthless, that I looked a saint by comparison.

"H-he owns a nightclub…the 'West Side.'" He clarified in a defeated tone. "Big glowing sign in the Western Sector…you can't miss it."

"Thanks for the cooperation." Veronica complimented brightly as she returned the sunflower to her backpack. The criminal's eyes followed the flower and hung on where it disappeared. "Wynn, you wanna knock him out this time?"

I shook my head.

"Alrighty, then." Another kick to the back of the head sent the criminal to the emptiness of unconsciousness.

"I can't believe that actually happened." I voiced, still in disbelief, while Veronica hefted the criminal over her shoulder.

"Yep. Sunflower for the win!" Veronica grinned as we left the alley to find the nearest guard. After all, someone had to take the criminal to jail, both for possessing illegal substances and so that he couldn't warn Meyrick that we were coming for him.

Speaking of Meyrick…

"You know where that nightclub is?"

"Yeah. I hear it's a cool place to go dancing." The blonde's face suddenly lit up in joy. "Hey, maybe if there's time—"

"I'm not dancing." I answered without missing a beat.

Veronica momentarily pouted before shrugging. "Ah well. If we're lucky, maybe there'll be a different kind of dancing. Meyrick probably has body guards."

I nodded in agreement. We really _were_ lucky. The odds that Veronica's small lead would result in finding the very supplier for the serial bombers could never have been calculated. And yet, that was about to happen.

Hopefully, Meyrick would be more talkative than the errand boy. Lest Veronica resort to her sunflower again.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 39 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Note Block, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 10 String, 9 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 36 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 14 Rotten Flesh, 1 Arrow, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 8]

* * *

 **AN: Beware the sunflower.**

 **Not much to talk about. Lenzington gave some exposition...and tried to kill Cobbert-I mean, Cobb. And then Cobb actually knocked someone out.**

 **The real humor goes to Wynn and Veronica this chapter. I couldn't resist writing a good-cop, bad-cop scene with Veronica playing both roles. Mixed messages. I got a bit of inspiration for their dialogue from replaying L.A. Noire. Such great dialogue and characters...even if the ending was bittersweet.**

 **This week's Omake was requested by a few readers, and the concept was too good to pass up.**

* * *

Omake: Ivory Skull

[Fifteen Years Ago: Daymonte]

*BEEP* *BEEP*

Wynn cracked one bloodshot eye open as she tried to locate the source of the accursed noise, rattling her brain. Everything was foggy and unfocused.

She mashed her hand against the bedside table, repeatedly missing the alarm clock until her fingers mercifully clicked it off. Without those blaring sounds, her splitting headache lessened.

With that issue taken care of, she rubbed her eyes and repeatedly blinked to refocus.

That proved to be a mistake, because once her eyesight was clear, all she saw was the room spinning.

"Oh God…" She felt the contents of her stomach start to rise from the dizzying display. She got up from the bed, falling ungracefully to the floor, and made it halfway to the bathroom before she lost control.

"BLEAAAARGH!"

With a horrible heave, she sprayed the carpeted floor with a sickly combination of colors. Her pristine, ivory hair was at least spared as she held it back with one of her hands.

She coughed out the last bits of vomit and crawled to the bathroom. She hunched over the toilet, all signs of dignified grace lost, awaiting anymore repulsiveness to arise.

None came.

Needing to wash the foul taste from her mouth, as well as realizing how incredibly thirsty she was, Wynn turned on the sink and greedily gulped down buckets' worth of water.

Once she had enough, she stumbled out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed, weary from the effort such simple actions had taken.

 _So this is what being hungover feels like?_ Wynn thought bitterly as she struggled to remember the events of last night. It was all a blur to her though. There was the occasional flash of familiarity. A landmark or friendly face. But they all floated around seamlessly; a timeline with a beginning and end, but no middle.

The beginning—the last thing she remembered—was…it was…

 _'Let's go get some drinks, Snow-Hare!'_

"Veronica…" She cursed aloud as she rolled over to face the ceiling.

"You called?"

Wynn immediately shot out of bed when the voice of that accursed blonde assaulted her ears. There she was, standing by the door, wearing an oblivious grin as if the current hangover wasn't her fault.

Or maybe she was grinning _because_ it was her fault.

"What are you doing in my Inn room?" Wynn asked suspiciously, her eyes never leaving Veronica's.

Veronica's grin widened a bit. "I'm just here to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret."

The ivory-haired Captain raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by—?" Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. A terrifying thought. One that associated her lack of memory from last night as both a blessing and a curse.

"Veronica…" She began shakily, already fearing the worse, yet determined to know the truth. "What happened last night?"

It was a small comfort that Veronica's grin finally fell. "N-now Wynn, you just drank a little too much. Now that we know your limit…it doesn't really matter what happened…nobody even knows…they can't trace it back to you…and I'd never—"

" _What happened_?" Wynn spoke those words with a deathly calm, her amber gaze threatening to burn a hole through Veronica's flimsy defenses.

Veronica looked away awkwardly before tossing a book to her fellow Captain. "It made the daily news."

Wynn stared at the book caught in her lap, half hesitant to read the truth and half anxious to get it over with. Her anxiety easily won out as she tore open the book to the front page.

 **[Our top story…]**

 **[On March 30th, 485, an unknown vigilante threatened the peace of the automated Kingdom.]**

 **[Witnesses report that the vigilante was a young woman, wielding a single bone as her weapon of choice, wearing white-dyed boots, obscuring her face with a Skeleton Skull Mob Head, and calling herself the _Ivory Skull_. When asked for more details on the mysterious vigilante's attire, witnesses replied:**

 **'She wasn't wearing any.'**

 **[The mysterious, and apparently nude, Crafter was seen terrorizing local bars, brutally assaulting vagrants and liter-bugs, crashing a birthday party at Pirate Pete's Pizza Cove, and severely reprimanding the lax nature of Daymonte's toll gates.]**

 **[The Ivory Skull was pursued by several hundred of Daymonte's finest guards as well as Velocishot, the Golden Hawk, herself. However, mysteriously, most of the Golden Hawk's shots missed their marks, unable to pin the elusive vigilante.]**

 **[Velocishot held a press conference announcing her position on the Ivory Skull's actions. Her statement was as follows:**

 **'Ahahahahahahaha!' AHAHAHAHA!'**

 **[We are told she is taking the situation extremely seriously.]**

 **[Be advised, witnesses reported that the Ivory Skull is heavily inebriated and dangerous. Because she was wearing a Mob Head, her name and identity were obscured. Any information regarding her location should be given to local guards. Do not make direct contact.]**

 **[In other news, the Mega Calculator has been—]**

Wynn didn't bother reading the rest of the news book. If the low whine of distress escaping her lips was any indication, she already got everything she needed to know.

The shame. The humiliation. If anyone ever found out, her reputation as a noble crime-fighter of justice would be tarnished!

"Well…look on the bright side." The damning blonde had the gall to offer. "At least you got some publicity. And we found out how many drinks you can hold before—"

She never finished her statement as a bone smacked her in the head, courtesy of the ivory-haired Captain. The next instant, Wynn had her fingers around Veronica's throat, her hangover doing little to deter her strangling.

"Get some drinks, you said! It'll be FUN, you said!" Wynn accused while repeatedly wringing her neck. She had a full Health Meter. A few minutes of strangling wouldn't kill her.

Meanwhile, the blonde was busy laughing, apologizing, and gasping for breath all at the same time. "Ahaha…Wynn, c-calm down…Hahaha…nobody saw you…you had a mask covering your face...in fact, that was probably the _only_ part of you that was covered….AHAHA—GAK!"

It was that day that Wynn decided, unless otherwise ordered by His Eminence, she'd never have drinks with Veronica again.

* * *

 **AN: For the sake of argument, let's say Crafters have the ability to strip themselves of their clothes by just imagining it. After all, if they couldn't, how would they go to the bathroom, take a shower...or make sweet, sweet love?**


	36. Simple

**AN: 12,000 Views. 41 Favs. 45 Alerts. _Noice_!**

 **But that's not why you're reading this top Author's Note is it? No, you're here for the riddle. Congrats to gs gaming for getting last week's puzzle. The answer: The North Pole! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: A man builds a house with all four sides facing North. A bear walks past the house. What color is the bear?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Alcohol.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 36

 **Simple**

[Wynn]

"Hey, Wynn?"

"Yes, Veronica?"

"When you were interrogating that guy, and when you fight people, you certainly enjoy going straight for the balls. Both figuratively and literally."

I coughed lightly to conceal an embarrassed sputter at her innuendo. "If you're referring to my combat style, then yes. It's a man's greatest pride and the greatest source of pain. It only makes sense to target it as a weak-point."

"Hmm, I see your point. I'll have to try that 'Wynn technique' some time. But you know what I think?" Veronica smirked suggestively. "Maybe the reason you target that lower area so much, is because you have a subconscious sexual need to get a little closer to a man's d—"

"Are you suggesting that my tactic of stabbing men in their privates is based on some…some…underlying sexual desire, expressed through the medium of violence?"

Veronica tapped her chin in thought. "Mmmm…yeah. Sounds about right."

"Sounds about wrong!"

"Uh-huh." The blonde nodded to herself. "I bet you'd be a lot less uptight if you had a little—"

"Please don't muddy my mind with your perverse thoughts." I interrupted as we continued our walk to the nightclub. "Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship."

"Maybe it's the relationship that's looking for you." She offered with a wink.

"What does that even mean?" I questioned, not in the mood for Veronica's confusing flirt-talk.

But Veronica just ignored me. "Here we are!" She cheerily exclaimed as we walked towards a stone building with the words 'The West Side' in big flashing letters. There was a line of people waiting for the bouncer, a large, muscular man, to let them inside. Some of them had that criminal look to them. "The bouncer will probably give us trouble…though I bet he'll let us in after a few seconds of the 'Wynn technique.'"

Cracking her knuckles, she took a step towards the front of the line, but I stopped her. "Wait. We should probably save hostilities until we're safely inside."

"What? Why?" The blonde withdrew her bow. "We can take that bouncer without breaking a sweat."

"I'm not saying we can't." I clarified while glancing to see if anyone heard us. "But we don't want to tip Meyrick off before we identify him. We're walking into our target's territory. Meaning we don't know how many we're facing, how many exits are in this nightclub, what other hazards we might be facing. Until we know more, we need to be discreet."

Veronica huffed before pocketing her bow again. "Fine. We'll do this the boring way." She lifted her blonde hair and stuffed it into her magenta cap, making her appear to have short hair. "Don't want them recognizing my luscious locks."

"What about your name?" I pointed at the floating white letters above her head. "We'd need a Mob Head to disguise that from—"

"Nah, that's not a problem." Veronica dismissed with a wave. "Believe it or not, most people think my _title_ is my name. And you're not from around here so neither of us should be recognized as anything more than a pair of lovely ladies."

Right. I wasn't one of their Captains, so there was no reason to expect recognition. Honestly, it felt kind of weird not to be treated with respect by bystanders.

Though just to be on the safe side, I tucked my long hair into my green-dyed cap on the off-chance I'd be recognized.

With our minor disguises in place, we joined the line of nightclub patrons and waited our turn.

As the line slowly progressed forward, I noticed that the bouncer held a list with him. Every time a Crafter asked for permission inside, he'd check the list first before either letting them in or turning them away.

"Veronica." I whispered to the blonde as we were a few Crafters away from the bouncer. "What are we going to do if the bouncer turns us away?"

"Don't worry." Veronica whispered back with mischievously grin. "I have an awesome plan."

Instead of calming my worries, her assurance and grin made me dread whatever harebrained plan she had concocted. I sighed heavily, but trusted that she knew what she was doing.

It was finally our turn. As we walked up to the bouncer, Veronica made a grab for my hand and leaned her head on my shoulder in an affectionate way.

 _...What is she doing!?_

"Names?" The bouncer droned on as if he had said it a million times, which he probably did.

"Uhh…really?" Veronica pointed at the names above our heads as if it was obvious.

The bouncer pulled out a book and flipped through some pages, scanning for a name that I already knew wasn't in there. "You're not on the list. Back of the line—"

"What!? Not on the list!?" Veronica questioned loudly, immediately getting the attention of every Crafter waiting on line. She also pulled me closer to her. "Wynn, dear, you made sure to call ahead and reserve us a spot, didn't you?"

 _'Wynn, dear?'_ I echoed in my mind, wondering why veronica was speaking so weirdly. Not to mention why she would put me on the spot with a question I had no idea how to play. Was I to lie? Was I to tell the truth? I didn't know.

Just as I opened my mouth to make an attempt, the blonde answered for me. "Wait a second…" She whispered to herself as if realizing something. Then she narrowed her eyes and glared at the bouncer, looking affronted. "I see what this is! This isn't about being on that list or not. You just don't want any of our kind here!"

"Your kind?" The bouncer questioned with the same mild confusion I shared.

"That's right!" Veronica shouted dramatically as she hugged me closer to her. She was certainly making a scene, attracting the interest of everyone around us. Her idea of keeping a low profile was drastically different from mine. "You and this nightclub just can't accept me and my partner's relationship!"

…

 _Relationship?_

 _What is she…_ My eyes suddenly widened in horror as I realized what she was insinuating.

 _Oh no…_

"Your…relationship?" The bouncer questioned, looking way more confused and a tad awkward. But that was nothing compared to what I was feeling.

Act or no act, I was sure I'd die from embarrassment if Veronica continued any further.

"Veronica..." I tried to warn her not to do it, but she was determined to play the part she set up for herself.

"Shush, Wynn, my beloved!" She stated dramatically while pressing a finger to my lips. "This nightclub is clearly against the kind of love we share!"

Her outbursts, which had already drawn a sizable crowd, followed by her recent exclamation of our 'love' earned a few shocked gasps as well as some excited squeals. There were even some sighs and 'Aww's' from onlookers that had their hearts melted by the blonde Captain's words. I tried to extricate myself from Veronica's grip but she was holding on tight, as if the idea of letting me go was pure agony.

"I never would have expected this nightclub to be anti-gay!" Veronica continued loudly, obviously stirring up the crowd. "Both me and my significant other are outraged! Outraged, I say!" She gave me a small shake, and I immediately felt a hundred pairs of eyes on me. My face was heating up so badly that I was certain it was beet red.

But my attempts at covering my face only made the situation more embarrassing. The crowd began soaking up my embarrassed expression, likening it to the tremendous 'love' me and Veronica shared.

 _Why must you do these things, Veronica!?_ I internally whined, wondering if I could die of embarrassment and just explode in a shower of gear to escape it all.

Of course, with all the romantic appealing to the crowd, Veronica achieved her true aim: making the bouncer look like the bad guy. Already I was noticing several disapproving glares being shot at the bouncer, who seemingly wouldn't let homosexuals in.

"Homophobe!" A Crafter among the crowd accused while pointing at the bouncer.

"How can you deny their love for one another!?"

"Let them in you heterosexist piece of shit!"

The bouncer looked around frantically, sweating awkwardly at the increased hostilities directed at him. "N-no! You got it all wrong!" He attempted to explain. "I didn't turn them away because they were lesbians! I turned them away…and then they…happened to…turn out to be lesbians."

"They were already in love with each other before you turned them away, insensitive prick!"

"Discrimination!"

"I'm not sure I want to frequent a heterosexist nightclub!"

"Either you let them in or we riot!"

"Let them in!"

Veronica smirked to herself and leaned back, content to watch the crowd she had so effortlessly riled up turn on the bouncer. The crowd was repeatedly chanting to let us in. I would have admired her actions if I wasn't so embarrassed.

The blonde leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Come on, Wynn. Play along or else they won't believe it."

"I…I'd rather not—"

"What's that, Wynn dearest?" Veronica asked loudly, making sure everyone could hear her. "You can speak up. Don't let the homophobe intimidate you."

At her words, the crowd stirred again. They offered comforting words to me, assuring me I could say whatever I had on my mind without fear of disapproval.

Unfortunately, the thoughts I were thinking weren't overly-romantic, but increasingly angry at the blonde who had once again put me on the spot.

"Go on, Wynn." Veronica coaxed sweetly.

 _I hate you._

"I…love you."

It was hesitant and weak, but the crowd just chalked that up as shyness. They all applauded our 'relationship' calling it the cutest thing, before once more turning on the bouncer. Surprisingly, Some of them were about to draw swords.

"Alright, alright!" The bouncer exclaimed, hands held up pleadingly. "They can go in! Just don't riot!"

The crowd cheered triumphantly as the bouncer stepped aside, finally permitting us entry. I wanted to get inside as quick as humanly possible, but Veronica's embrace kept me at her calm pace.

Once we were safely inside, I thought Veronica would let me go. But she was still holding me tightly in her arms. "Um…Veronica?"

"Just a few more minutes." She sighed dreamily, nestling her head on my shoulder. "I don't want to ruin the moment."

"You…certainly take your Improv seriously…" I replied with a blush, not sure how to feel about everything.

She giggled to herself. "Oh, right…Improv."

* * *

[Lenzington]

"Uhnnn…" Everything was unclear. The sounds, the sights. The only thing I could register was the stinging pain in my cheek and the cold stone bricks on which I laid…Not to mention the terrible taste in my mouth.

Then I felt a wet sensation near my lower legs.

 _Dear God…did I urinate in my own pants?_

 _I thought I was past this. I am the master of my own bladder._

"Come on…wake up already…maybe I should try holding his nose and mouth closed…"

My eyes fluttered open to see that brown-haired simpleton pouring water over my body, undoubtedly trying to wake me up…after he himself hit me! The brute!

"You…hit me…" Was the first thing I said as I sat up, clutching my face in pain and resentment.

"And you tried to kill me in lava, arrow traps, and fire traps! And stole my water bucket!" He ticked off his fingers. "You're lucky I'm calling us even. Now get me out of this stronghold. No more tricks. No more traps."

"And let you inform the whole Kingdom about this place?" I scoffed at the brute's attempts to fool me. "Forgive me, but I would prefer to keep these hallowed halls discreet."

"Newsflash, asshole! I wouldn't have told anyone anything about this place! Not like I cared!" He paced the floor in front of me while glancing at his clock. "But then you tried to kill me. _That_ I care about!"

I narrowed my eyes. He did not scare me. I knew the only way out and he obviously had someplace to be, if the amount of times he checked his clock were any indication. He needed me. And the fact he saved me from the Enderman and I was still alive only bolstered that claim.

He saved me out of necessity. Not out of heroics.

The only dilemma was how long I could stall him until his time ran out. Because if he could not escape the stronghold before his mysterious ultimatum passed, he would have no further use for me.

I needed more information on him. And more time.

So I quickly ignored the pain in my cheek, brushed off whatever minor dirt had accumulated on my attire, and adopted a puzzled look. "Apologies, Cobbert. I am a little turned around after our skirmishes. I need a moment to get my bearings."

Cobbert frowned before taking a step back. "Then bear away. But if you try something again, I'll show you how terrifying a fishing rod can be." He tapped the tool at his belt forebodingly before leaning against a nearby wall.

 _A fishing rod? Preposterous. Those tools can only procure fish for nourishment…_

My eyes slid to his face, noting the steely resolve.

 _…_ _though perhaps it would be best not to further agitate the barbarian._

For the first time since I awoke, I checked my surroundings. However, when my eyes zeroes in on the large, ornate, stone brick door, I felt all the color drain from my face.

I had made a crucial mistake.

In my haste, I had made a wrong turn, or two, or three. Comparators! Leading Cobbert to the Door…the single most important find in the entire Stronghold…such a mistake. Even a barbarian like him could see the importance of such a decorated and large door. And the multiple switches hanging off the walls—

"Alright, it's been a moment." The barbarian announced as he leaned off the wall and approached. "So where are we and how do we get out. And don't give me any of that 'follow me, friend' bullshit, alright? I want a clear way out of here. Now."

 _Hoppers!_ I cursed to myself. _He will not fall for my traps again. I need another way to stall!_

My eyes roved over the door and the multiple switches as the gears in my head began to turn.

 _Well, I have exhausted several hundred combinations…the odds that this barbarian will guess it are a three-million-six-hundred-twenty-eight-thousand-eight-hundred to one._

"Apologies, Cobbert." I began as politely as my hurt cheek could allow. "There is a straightforward way out of this Stronghold, but I fear we will not be able to cross."

"Oh, really. And why is that?" He questioned without pity. "You feeling another fake coughing fit? Or maybe there aren't enough traps between here and the exit that you can use to kill me?"

"Neither, I am afraid." I gestured to the ornate door. "Behind this door is the quickest route to exit the Stronghold."

Hopefully, I could channel all the liars of the fantasy stories I read to weave together the perfect lie and outwit the barbarian. Brains over Brawn, after all.

"The entire Stronghold is structured like a ring—a hollow sphere even—that surrounds an emergency exit at the core…along with a few unimportant rooms."

 _Most likely the location of Jeb's laboratory…_

"After years of searching this Stronghold, I have deduced that the Door before us is the only entry into the Core Chambers. Sadly, the Door is locked by a 10-digit lever combination." I gestured to the levers hanging off the wall, numbered by signs from 0 to 50.

Cobbert looked suspicious. "If you haven't been able to open the door, how do you even know there's an emergency exit?"

 _Pistons! He caught that…excuse…excuse…_

"Jeb was a brilliant man. He would have planned for any contingencies that could compromise the security of his most covert base. Including an emergency exit." I made up on the spot, though it had a ring of truth to it. Jeb very well could have installed an emergency exit within his lab, in case he was ever overrun by Mobs. "The traps throughout the Stronghold are testaments of his precaution."

"More like paranoia." Cobbert quipped as he gazed upon the levers. "I thought levers only worked on or off. How did he make a combination lock with 50 of them?"

I pounced on his question like a tiger on a field mouse. "That is an easily answered redstone question." Being a devoted college student for several plus years, I could not resist the chance to answer such a simple question. Some lesser minds found combination locks both tedious and complicated. HA!

"You see, Cobbert, each lever is hooked up by a trail of redstone to connect to several redstone torches." He nodded in understanding, prompting me to continue. "These torches…"

* * *

[Cobb]

"Blah, blah, blah…redstone…yap, yap, blah, bla-blah, blah, blah…repeater…yap, yap, blah, blah, drivel, drivel, drivel."

 _Just keep nodding, Cobb. Smile and nod._

How someone could talk so animatedly about something, yet make it sound as interesting as two rocks standing beside one another, I had no idea. If redstone was supposed to be capable of cool robots and trampoline towers and turrets, how could its explanation sound so dull?

Forget the fifty volumes of redstone engineering. Wynn could lock me in a room with Lenzington and his redstone explanations and I'd be begging for mercy after the first thirty seconds.

"Blah. Blah, blah, blah! Yap, yap…inverted…drivel, drivel, blah, blah…pistons…Blah!"

 _He raised his voice that time…maybe he said something interesting?_

 _…_

 _…_ _Nope. False alarm._

I kept nodding whenever he paused to show I was listening when I really wasn't.

 _Ugh…just throw me into another lava trap! It'd be a mercy kill at this point!_

I tried to keep my eyes focused on the student's tinted-glasses, but my eyelids were getting heavy.

Was this all part of his sick plan to bore me to sleep? Then abandon or kill me. Because if so, it was working.

 _Wish I had tinted glasses._ I thought to myself bemusedly. _I could close my eyes and take a nap. And Lenzington wouldn't even notice._

 _I wonder if they're a craftable item. Glass would probably be needed…but what about the rims? And the yellow-tint?_

 _I wouldn't get mine yellow though. Black would be better. Like sun-glasses. Perfect for optimum visibility…in the I-can-see-you-but-you-can't-see-my-eyes kinda way._

 _If Wynn ever tried to lecture me, I could just sit down, don my glasses, and pretend to listen to her through a nice long nap._

 _Wait…I bet I could check out girls too! Yeah, I'd pretend to look somewhere else while secretly glancing out of the corner of my eye—_

"Cobbert!"

"Mha…uh—what?"

Lenzington scowled lividly. "Are you listening to me!?"

"Uh…yeah…you were saying how it'd be a good idea to stare at beautiful women through your tinted glasses so they don't suspect you're leering at them like a creepy, affection-starved shut-in."

Lenzington just stared at me with his tinted lenses, his expression unreadable, as several moments of silence stretched on.

"Lucky guess." He conceded before continuing his spiel. "But the salient point my _redstone_ elucidations show is that this Door can only be opened by correctly guessing the 10-digit combination. Jeb knows I have tried hundreds of fruitless numbers. The complexity of this lock could take years to crack."

 _Years!? I don't have years! I need to get out of this Stronghold now!_ I internally panicked. It was almost Dusk, which meant I only had a quarter of the day left to get back to the Inn. Even though today felt like the longest day ever, time was moving too fast!

"Well…maybe if we work together on the lock, we can open it!" I offered frantically. It was just guessing ten correct levers, right? How hard could it—

…

Wait…how… _hard_?

"I appreciate your offer, Cobbert," Lenzington commented with no real sincerity. "But redstone machinations like this one require complex-thinking to solve." Lenzington withdrew a book from his backpack and began reading numbers to himself before switching ten levers. "5-7-4-2-3-6-1-12-29-0…Another failure."

He sighed to himself while I checked the door again. Looking closely at it.

"So you see, Cobbert, even if I wanted to take you to the closest possible exit—namely the one in the Core Chambers—this Door stands as an insurmountable obstacle between us and it." He smirked to himself. "The trapped corridors are our only alternative, so we might as well—"

I held up my hand to stop him. "I…I think I can open this."

"Pardon?"

"This Door." I rapped a fist against the ornate, stone brick. "Either I'm missing something…or I think I can open this easily."

"Hilarious, Cobbert." Lenzington drawled with what I assumed was a roll of his eyes. Or at least, it sounded like he rolled his eyes behind his tinted lenses. "This is an engineer's work. Therefore, it requires an engineer's mind to solve it. And you, my unwilling companion, have the mindset of a simple neanderthal."

"Ow, the edge." I deadpanned before trying to explain myself. "Look, I can—"

"I see you still have delusions of intellect inside that empty skull of yours, so allow me to explain further." He paced in front of me, with that annoying superior tone.

 _If I'm right about the Door, I am so going to rub it in this egghead's face._

"Redstone is intended to make the most mundane of tasks, simple. Be it lights or…*cringe*…self-cooking furnaces…redstone makes them all simple for the benefit of the unintelligent masses.

"However, it is an engineer's job to make the simple functions of our machinations as exceedingly complicated as possible. Do you know why?"

I frowned dismally. "If I say yes do you still have to tell me?"

"It is because," he continued as if he didn't hear me, "Redstone needs to be complicated enough so that only engineers can understand it. Thus, the dim masses, having the collective brain capacity of a sack of hammers, constantly require our assistance to fix things, and we keep a secure occupation. Forever."

I thought about that for a moment. "How can you call them dim? You yourself had to steal Jeb's button-lever machine because you couldn't think up your own Redstone Fair project. And you _still_ managed to screw it up."

"It was not stealing; It was outsourcing." He defended pointedly. "After all, why reinvent the wheel—or in this case, the button-lever device? And for the record, I could have constructed any one of my personal machinations to impress those plebeians. But the Mind-Boggler would have stood out to the judges AND Potato Tech."

"Or it would have if you didn't mess up." I countered with a smirk before returning my gaze to the Door. "So you're saying that not in a million years could I crack open this door. Because I'm a simple-minded neanderthal, right?"

"Correct." He nodded in assurance. "It is beyond your capacity."

"You sure about that?" I offered him as I reached into my backpack. "This is your last chance to take back what you said."

"Oh? And why would I retract my statement?"

"Because if I'm right about this door, and I'm seeing something you're not, then you'll be the stupid one." Lenzington was yet another Crafter who grossly underestimated others because of experience. Well, I was going to prove him wrong _and_ break through to get to the emergency exit. Two birds, one stone.

"Then by all means, prove me wrong." He smirked smugly with folded arms, undoubtedly hoping I'd make a fool of myself.

But it was the other way around.

I pulled out my iron pick, twirled it dramatically between my fingers, and struck at the stone brick door.

*PickPickPickPickPick*

*CRACK*

The stone brick broke easily, revealing a torch lit, stone brick hallway. And just like that, the impenetrable Door just became penetrable.

"Ta-dah!" I stepped aside and smiled cheekily at Lenzington's pale face.

"I…what…you…no, NO…h-how…"

"Wow, Lenzington. You never thought to do that?" I mocked in an overly condescending voice as I widened the gap in the bricks. For some reason the stone bricks weren't dropping any items, but I was too caught up in gloating to care. "I mean, that would have been the _first_ thing I'd have done. It's not like the thing's made from bedrock or some other unbreakable block. It's _simple_ stone brick. Funny, right?"

"You…you…cheated…" Lenzington's fists were clenched and shaking in resentment.

"Looks like neanderthal bashing-it-in-with-brute-force was the way to go." I commented casually, rubbing in my simplicity as much as I could.

"You…just destroyed…" Lenzington took a calming breath. "Do you realize how much time and effort was spent on that Door!? Weeks…maybe even months!" He slapped a hand to his forehead. "And all the times I punched in incorrect codes—"

"Yeah, and I just opened it in under thirty seconds. Funny, right?" I pretended to look thoughtful. "Well, not funny for you. Incredible funny for me though."

Brain: _You're such an asshole…I love it!_

"You cannot just disrespect the Door like that!" Lenzington protested as he strode forward. "It is _professional courtesy_ to solve the code as the engineer who built it intended!"

"Pshh. Then it's a good thing I'm not a professional." I replied as I walked through the widened opening I made.

"Wh—Wait!" The college student called out while staying on his side of the Door. "Where do you think you are going?"

I hiked up a thumb. " _I_ 'm going to find the emergency exit. But if you want to spend a hundred or so years trying to _courteously_ open this door, be my guest."

Lenzington hovered there, slightly leaning forward, as if the Core Chambers were beckoning to him. He suspended himself between the opening I made, his curiosity and pride desperately battling one another.

"You coming or not?"

"No…Yes…No, wait…No—ahm…Yes? N-ye-no. No!...yyyyyyyes?" He crossed the Door's threshold back and forth as he internally struggled. "NGH! Curse my weaknesses…FINE!"

He took one final leap into the torch lit hallway, showing his resolve. "But only so you do not desecrate this hallowed place."

"The hallowed place that I unlocked." I corrected to which Lenzington ignored.

*fsh*

"You don't have to make scoffing sounds at me." I replied to the student's odd noise. "I was the right one after all."

"I did not make any noises…was that not you?"

*fsh*

"No. I never go 'fsh'…unless I'm fishing." I joked.

"Well, I never go 'fsh' unless I am playing a rousing game of 'Go Fish'."

*fsh*

"So…if neither of us is going 'fsh' right now, who is?"

Lenzington opened his mouth to answer, only to pause speechless. His body was shaking all over as he pointed to something I couldn't see.

"What's—YEOW!" I jumped in the air as I felt something bite me painfully in the butt. I quickly turned to see what had attacked me, as well as to see what Lenzington was pointing at AND what was making that 'fsh' sound.

*fsh*

I turned my stare downwards to see a small, writhing…thing on the floor. I had never seen anything like it before. It was small—about the size of my foot—and grey with numerous hairs all along its body, and two beady black eyes at its front. It slithered along the floor, slightly jumping as it attempted to take another bite of me.

"What the—a bug?" I questioned as I took a step back, checking my arm for any negative status effects the bug could have caused. You could never be too sure.

"Jeb, almighty!" Lenzington exclaimed in fright as he cowered behind me. "What is that disgusting parasite!?"

"What makes you think I know?" I questioned calmly after noting the bug bite had no negative effects on me. Plus, it only did half a heart of damage which was already healed up.

"Well, you are the more experienced one with these Monsters!" Lenzington argued as he kept me as a buffer between him and the bug. "I have never seen such an unpleasant looking thing in all my life!"

The bug made a few more jumps at us, hissing unpleasantly.

"Relax, Lenzington. The thing can't even jump to our height and it's the size of a fish." I withdrew my gold sword and stabbed the thing between the eyes.

*HSHK*

It died on the second swing, dropping scarce EXP and absolutely zero drops.

That was the third time I encountered a Mob not mentioned in Herobrine's book. Stickmen, Witches, and Bugs. They must have been pretty rare for him to just skip.

At least the Bug was easy to squash.

*C-CRACK*

*fsh*

"W-what was that?" Lenzington stammered as he stepped closer to me and my blade. "I think I heard another parasite!"

Sure enough, from the wall, two more Bugs came slithering towards us.

"Two more? No problem." I laughed confidently as I swung my sword to sweep them away. The Bugs tumbled back, before regaining their bearings and slithering towards us again.

*C-CRACK* *C-CRACK*

The sound of something splintering beneath me caught my attention. I suddenly fell as the stone brick floor broke, and two more Bugs came slithering out.

"Ow!" I cried out as the Bugs fastened their teeth to my arm, making me drop my sword. "These Bugs are getting on my nerves!" I slammed my arm against the floor to make the Bugs release me before kicking them down the corridor.

*C-CRACK* *C-CRACK* *C-CRACK*

*fsh* *fsh* *fsh* *fsh*

In the time it took me to pick up my sword, ten more Bugs had broken out from the stone bricks making up the corridor.

"Um…n-no problem! I got this!" I tried to sound in control as I quickly took out my water bucket and dumped its contents. The water flowed towards the cracked floor, its current too strong for the little Bugs to fight, sweeping them all away.

*C-CRACK* *C-CRACK* *C-CRACK* *C-CRACK* *C-CRACK*

The stone bricks around us began to crack apart. The floor, the walls, even the ceiling as bits of stone particles and Bugs fell on our heads. And from them, countless Bugs slithered forth. Ten, twenty, fifty! And they just kept coming! My stream of water couldn't keep them all back!

Lenzington tapped my shoulder "Cobbert, I strongly advise running for this situation."

"For once I agree!" I shouted as we fled down the corridor. Behind us I heard the whispering stampede of countless Bugs slithering after us.

"Those parasites…" Lenzington puffed as he struggled to keep up. "They…they must be the root of the ghost stories regarding this place! The…the Dormant Parasites…the Slithering Floor…M-monsters of the Earth!"

"You mean they're _in_ the bricks!?" I realized in shock. The Bugs were literally coming out of the goddamn walls! "But this whole corridor is made out of that stuff!"

"As is the Stronghold's outer ring!" Lenzington cried out as he pushed himself to keep running. "If you were to fight them, the whole structure could splinter apart!"

 _Not to mention I'd probably be facing over a million of those things._

"That's crazy! If you spent years in this place, surely one of them would have tried attacking you!"

At that exclamation, Lenzington turned to glare at me. "Maybe if you had _respected_ the Door and not shattered one of the stone bricks—!"

"That…that can't be the reason why!" I countered lamely while chancing a glance behind. The Bugs were still swarming forward, hissing furiously like a swarm of angry bees.

"Dormant Parasites!" Lenzington clarified. "Never once did I break _any_ stone bricks! They must respond to any disturbances…and then swarm en masse!"

Brain: _Ooooooh. Then, yeah, it was your fault._

 _Damnit, Brain, not helping! Just when I thought I knew what I was doing!_

At least the Bugs were slow. Two legs were always better than a writhing mass of muscle in terms of speed and distance. Even with Lenzington's half-assed sprinting, we managed to outpace them.

Unfortunately, we were running out of corridor.

"Comparators!" Lenzington shouted as we came to a dead end made up of pure bedrock. "Trapped like rats!"

I took out my pick and futilely tried to bash open the wall, but it was no use. My pick barely made a dent in it. "Why is there even bedrock here in the first place!? I thought this stuff only existed at the lowest levels of the earth!"

Meanwhile, Lenzington ignored me as he patted the bedrock wall, searchingly. "Jeb would not construct a corridor only for it to lead to an impregnable wall. Surely there must be a switch of sorts or a secret entrance."

I joined the student in frantically searching the corridor and wall for any switch or lever or pressure plate, but consistently came up with nothing.

Meanwhile, I felt the ground shake from what I could only assume was the Bugs closing in on us. As I turned to check, I let out a manly shriek upon seeing a crashing wave of grey and silver, hissing and bristling angrily.

"Well, Lenz, looks like we'll have to—sorry, _I_ 'll have fight our way out." I corrected as I held up my fishing rod. It was my Ace-in-the-Hole, even though it wouldn't do crap against a hundred tiny Bugs. At the very least, I could probably test out my Mob Flail before I got eaten alive.

"I refuse to die like this!" He shouted as he kept searching the wall. The floor began to crack around us in response to the wave of Bugs, as several new ones spawned from the bricks, trying to attack us.

Lenzington actually withdrew his bow and began shooting the ones closest to him. "Writhing…disgusting…appalling—hold on!"

He knelt down against the cracked floor and from the corner of my eye I noticed a red flash.

"Cobbert!" He exclaimed in realization. "There is redstone wiring beneath our feet! It must be part of a secret door mechanism!"

"Then…trigger it!" I shouted in exertion as I swung at a handful of Bugs that fell from the ceiling.

Lenzington pulled up his glasses, revealing magenta eyes, before once more covering them with the tinted goggles atop his forehead. Then he pulled out a wooden button. "Keep the parasites at bay while I figure this out!"

I turned to keep the student at my back and pulled out some cobblestone, forming a barricade between us and the oncoming wave of Bugs. I ignored the handful of bugs spawning from the walls as they bit into my ankles, focusing all my effort into making the barricade.

I got it up just in time as I heard the Bugs crash into it. I hoped they couldn't climb like Spiders.

With the main threat handled, I lashed out at the Bugs nibbling on me and cast the fishing rod at them. "Mob Flail!" I called out.

However, the Bugs were too small to latch onto, easily slipping from the hook and continuing their charge towards me.

"Gah!" I shouted in pain as several more bugs jumped at me from behind, sinking their tiny teeth into my neck. "Get _off_!"

I slammed the back of my neck against my cobblestone barricade (doing more damage to me than the Bugs) and managed to dislodge them before pulling out my sword again. "How's that door coming along?" I called out while slashing a Bug down the middle.

"I am rushed enough as is…" Lenzington called back as he broke some of the redstone dust off the floor. Immediately, I heard a piston retract but saw no change in the bedrock door. "Hmm…not there…perhaps an Inverter?"

I slumped in exasperation but snapped out of it when I saw some Bugs slithering towards him. I raced forward, channeling the ivory-haired Captain, and skewered them all into the bedrock wall, just shy of Lenzington's face.

He yelped in fright and fell back on his ass. "That is not helping!" He shouted indignantly before getting to his feet to resume his work. He traced something unseen along the corner of the stone brick floor before placing the button at a certain spot.

I returned my attention forward only to pale in shock. The cobblestone barricade keeping the Bugs back was visibly cracking apart. The Bugs were seeping from it, slowly destroying it with their weird block breaking capabilities.

It was almost like they were possessing the cobblestone before shattering it.

With the last barrier gone, I had to think of something fast. My hands flew to my belt only to come up with the Note Block from the Inn.

…

 _Maybe I can appease them with music?_

I placed the note block down and began repeatedly tapping it, making the sound of a bass drum.

 _…_ _How do I know what a drum sounds like?_

Upon hearing the drum solo, the swarm of Bugs stopped cold.

 _Oh god…is this actually working?_ I thought hopefully as I continued tapping the note block with increased energy.

The Bugs all shared glances with themselves, their beady black eyes looking searchingly at their brethren, in the ultimate awkward expression of 'what the fuck is this guy doing?' before they surged forth again.

"Gah! I was wrong!" I shouted as I abandoned the Note block and tossed some leftover cobblestone in a last ditch effort to dissuade the swarm. "Lenzington!"

*click*

I whirled to see a small gap in the bedrock wall, just big enough for a person to slip in, and then saw Lenzington at the threshold. He was pointing to a wooden button.

"Click it to enter!" He shouted before bedrock magically plugged up the gap, cutting him off.

Realizing I only had seconds before the Bugs were upon me, I put everything into my legs and rushed over to the wooden button. _Please, let me get this on the first try…_

*click*

The bedrock magically vanished in the same place, revealing a nervous-looking Lenzington, and I quickly dove for it just as the furious hisses seemed inches away.

…

There was nothing but silence as the angered sounds of the Mobs suddenly cut off. The bedrock had sealed itself back up through whatever engineering stuff Lenzington had done.

And now we were stuck in total darkness.

 _If only I had some torches…_

…

 _Oh, yeah…_

* * *

[Wynn]

The nightclub was a flurry of flashing lights, blood-pumping music, and moving bodies. A disc jockey, or DJ, was standing atop a sort of crow's nest in the center of the room, playing music discs from a wide selection. Among the songs were 'ward', 'cat', and 'chirp.'

Below the DJ's nest, was a large dance floor made up of several colors of tinted glass, below which redstone lamps were flashing. The result bathed the club in multicolored lights capable of causing epileptic seizures. But that didn't seem to bother the Crafters dancing.

There was a raised section along the sides of the room for tables and a bar which served thick and mundane potions.

However, due to bad experiences with Veronica, I decided to stay away from the bar. Not to mention I couldn't risk getting drunk when we were so close to finding the bombers.

I was waiting at one of the tables while Veronica danced and mingled, trying to identify the TNT supplier and nightclub owner, Meyrick. Once she found that information, we'd be all set to apprehend the guy.

I made sure to scope the place out, thoroughly. There were two exits: The one we came in from, and a backdoor in a far-off corner of the club. We'd have to keep an eye on both in case Meyrick tried to escape.

As for bodyguards, I counted about ten. They were all armed and seemed manageable, so long as they didn't corner us. A fight could actually be avoided if we knocked out our target and snuck him out the back door.

However, I doubted Veronica could be stealthy.

"Phew! Dancing is such a _rush_!" Veronica exclaimed as she flopped onto the seat across from me. "If this place is still in business after we arrest Meyrick, I'm totally coming back."

"So how goes it?" I questioned the blonde.

"Well, you better call a coroner to the dance floor because I'm pretty sure I was killing it! There was even a dance-off—"

"I meant for finding Meyrick." I chastised with a weary sigh.

"Oh, yeah, right." Veronica pointed to a window overlooking the dance floor. "I asked around, and apparently Meyrick's office is up there. He has a mop of orange hair and wears a white overcoat. Can't miss him."

I nodded to the spot she pointed. "Alright, let's go get him."

"You read my mind." Veronica grinned and withdrew her bow as we walked up the stairs to Meyrick's office.

When we came to a door, I raised a hand to politely knock, only for Veronica to kick it open.

 _Subtle as a rhino._

"Hey! Who the hell are you—Gwah!?" One of the Meyrick's goons standing by the door was promptly grabbed an flipped to the ground before he could finish his sentence.

"Stay down, small fry. You might keep out of jail that way." Veronica advised while my eyes zeroed in on the only other person in the room.

Mop of orange hair. White overcoat. The name Meyrick_McSouthers over his head. Definitely Meyrick.

"Meyrick, I presume? We have a few questions we'd like to ask."

"Save it for someone who's interested." Meyrick shot back with a glare.

"But Meyrick," Veronica began sweetly, her boot still pressing the goon into the floor. "I think _you_ 're interested in what we have to say. Unless you rather I turn your face into a pincushion?" She drummed her fingers on her bow.

Meyrick sneered, pulling out a golden hoe from his belt. "Just try it!"

Those words were the only invitation Veronica needed as she pulled up her bow and took several shots at the nightclub owner, her Infinity Enchantment providing her infinite ammo.

Meyrick just ducked behind his desk, letting the arrows fly by. "Goon #4! If you want your pay, get the fuck up and fight!"

At those words, the goon beneath Veronica twisted his body to unbalance her before lashing out with a kick. She dodged with a backflip while I rushed to Goon #4 and stabbed him in the chest.

The goon hissed painfully and tried to reach the sword at his belt, but Veronica was faster, shooting his hand before he could grab it.

While he was preoccupied with the pain in his hand, I shoved him back with a boot before Veronica finished with a roundhouse to the back of the head.

The blonde smirked triumphantly before her eyes widened and she raised her bow. "Wynn, behind you!"

As I whirled around, Veronica shot an arrow past my shoulder, hitting Meyrick in the eye. Although he cried out in pain, that didn't stop him striking with his golden hoe. It was hard to miss its enchanted glow as it swung through the air.

As soon as it made contact, I felt the unnatural force of a Knockback Enchantment propel me back, slamming into Veronica before being blasted out Meyrick's office window.

My Feather Falling boots helped to soften my landing on the dance floor. Veronica was less lucky, landing on a dancing couple to break her fall.

"Whoops…my bad…" The blonde apologized to the couple she crushed while I helped her to her feet.

"You dumb bitches!" Meyrick shouted from above, nursing the arrow in his eye. "You're gonna pay for crossing me! Goons #'s 1-3!" Three goons walked onto the dance floor, swords drawn. "Goons #'s 5-10!" Six more goons did the same. "Goon #11!" A large goon working the bar hopped over the counter, wielding a bucket of lava.

"Oh, good!" Veronica sighed in relief while stretching her arms. "I was worried this would be boring."

The nightclub's patrons, seeing a fight about to break out, scrambled towards the exit. It was better that way; No need to worry about collateral damage.

"Kill them!" Meyrick commanded safely from his office.

Some goons stepped forward, but then stopped abruptly, their eyes focusing in on Veronica, whose hair had slipped out from her leather cap. "B-boss! That's the Golden Pterodactyl of Daymonte!"

" _Really_!?" I couldn't help but groan, to which Veronica grinned cheekily.

"I don't care if she's the demon seed of Satan!" Meyrick argued with an angry-red face. "I want her dead!"

The goons nodded reluctantly before forming a circle around us.

I downed a Swiftness and Jump Boost potion before rushing towards the nearest goon. He raised his sword to attack, but I merely jumped, rolling over his back, before landing behind him. I swiped my rapier cleanly across his leg, collapsing him to the ground.

Another goon stomped towards me, his attacks sloppy yet strong, as he attempted to cleave me in half. I easily dodged each strike with my Swiftness until he tired out. Then I swept at his legs, knocking him down, and finished with an elbow to the neck.

Meanwhile, Veronica had her back to the bar as she continuously fired at the goons. Normally, archers had a set amount of arrows. But her Infinity Enchantment made that restriction irrelevant. Plus, the Power III Enchantment made her arrows far more lethal.

Those goons didn't stand a chance.

Her shots never missed a goon, and, to add insult to injury, every one of her shots followed the 'Wynn Technique', targeting the goons' weakest point.

"AIIII!"

"MY BALLS!"

"It hurts to bend over!"

The goons all cried in distress, clutching their privates while Veronica laughed happily. "That 'Wynn Technique' really works!"

"Come on you useless, bums!" Meyrick reprimanded from above, catching Veronica's attention. "She's just one—Gah!" An arrow shot by Veronica nailed him in the eye. "Same goddamn eye!"

"Why don't you come down here, Meyrick?" Veronica asked with an audacious smirk. "Fight your own battles instead of sending these sissies down here?"

Meyrick growled, trying unsuccessfully to remove the arrow from his eye. "Goon #12! Kill that bitch!"

"You can at least remember my name, boss!" Goon #12, who turned out to be the DJ, shouted from his perch in the crow's nest. He took out a bow and shot a couple of arrows at Veronica. She ducked, narrowly avoiding one, before flipping over the counter and using it as cover.

Back to me, two more goons stood shoulder to shoulder, attacking with a semblance of coordination. Even though I dodged most of them, a few managed to escape my notice, grazing me in the process. And anytime I went to stab one goon, the other would capitalize with a slash.

As I pondered how to effectively neutralize them, a noticed a shadow looming over me. I looked up just as a third goon prepared to pour lava on me.

Instead, the bucket was knocked out of his hands by one of Veronica's arrows. I rolled away as the contents engulfed the third goon, putting him in agonizing pain.

The lava's viscosity was keeping him from escaping, and I had no water to put him out. In a few seconds, he exploded into a shower of gear. Dead.

The other two goons I was facing, surged forward, attempting to catch me off guard. One of their swords struck my head, breaking my green-dyed leather helmet.

My anger flared as my ivory hair spilled out. "How dare you!" I exclaimed in fury, rushing over to the goons and jumping high over their combined sword swings before grabbing their heads and knocking them together. Their thick skulls met with a dull 'thunk' before they collapsed unconscious.

I clenched my fists, angry I couldn't punish them further for destroying the symbol of Ringwood. The cap representing my pride and joy as a Captain.

The first goon I faced tried to surprise me with my back turned, but as he swung, I effortlessly flipped over his head before air-dropping onto the center of his back, knocking the wind and fight out of him.

"Yo, Snow-Hare!" Veronica called from the bar. A flurry of arrows from the DJ's sniper position were pinning her down. "A little help here!"

Spotting the sniper's position on the crow's nest, I leapt off the downed goon onto a table and, using my Jump Boost, jumped as high as I could towards the crow's nest. I reached out my hands and caught the side railing before hoisting myself up.

The DJ turned to face me with surprise before turning his bow on me. However, archery battles at close range could never beat traditional combat. I zigzagged past his two shots before elbowing him in the gut.

He swung dazedly at me, but it was so pathetic I blocked it easily. Then I grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed it twice on the jukebox, popping the latest song out and plunging the dance club into silence.

Weakened and stunned, the DJ dizzily tried to focus on me. I grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pushed him so that he was suspended over the nest's railing. Then I grabbed his arm and observed it to see his health.

Six Hearts.

"You'll survive the fall." I spoke confidently as I released his shirt, allowing him to plummet to the dance floor, breaking the tinted glass in the process.

I hopped down afterwards, landing smoothly with my boots, and watched Veronica incapacitate the last goon.

"Oh, come on!" Meyrick whined from above, arrow finally dislodged from his eye. "Do you two realize how difficult it is to find goons? I'm not talking about those pricey henchmen; I'm talking about dirt-cheap goons! And just look!" He gestured to all the bodies. "That's…1…4…8…12 new goons I need to hire! And you fucking killed that one!"

"That's what you get for buying them by the dozen." Veronica commented while raising her bow. "Now why don't you come on down so we can have a nice chat."

"I have a better idea." Meyrick began before whistling loudly. "Goon # 13! Front and center!"

There was a long silence before the back door slowly opened, revealing a heavily iron-armored man wearing a Zombie Mob Head to obscure his name.

"Oh? And who is this tall, muscle-bound fellah?" Veronica questioned with a hand on her hip. I was a tad more cautious, however. This new goon was different from the others, armored but with no weapon on him.

"This is goon #13." Meyrick explained with a sneer. "See, he's the cheapest of all my goons—only costs me a few hunks of rotten flesh—but is also the strongest."

"Oh, really?" Veronica grinned challengingly at the new arrival. "Well, can't say you have good business sense. Why not ask for more money, big guy?"

"Blf nzpv z ezorw klrmg, nrhh." The goon babbled incoherently. "R'ev yvvm zhprmt uli yvggvi dztvh, yfg mlylwb xzm fmwvihgzmw nv."

"Jibberman." I realized from the goon's dialogue. He hadn't been able to come up with a name for himself before the Void robbed him of his speech and mind.

Veronica just chuckled to herself, though. "You're challenging us with a Jibberman? Forget scraping the bottom of the barrel, that's pretty much the barrel."

"We'll see." Meyrick promised. "Goon #13! Take out the blonde!"

The Jibberman lumbered forward, confident enough to walk right up to Veronica. The blonde just stood her ground, grinning to herself while curiously wondering what the Jibberman could be capable of.

Once he was right in front of her, he reached in his belt and pulled out a red tulip before presenting it to her.

Veronica and I raised an eyebrow.

"No, you lunkhead! Not take her out on a date!" Meyrick slapped a hand to his face while the Jibberman slowly turned his head to face the nightclub owner. "I meant take her out as in KILL HER!"

"Sorry, #13. That's sweet and all, but I kinda have my eyes on another." Veronica apologized genuinely before jumping up and kicking the Jibberman in the neck.

However, the Jibberman didn't budge, his neck stopping Veronica's kick and causing her to fall to the ground, clutching her leg. From the expression on her face, hitting him was like hitting an iron block. And he didn't even feel that attack!

"Ls, hl sv dzmgh blf wvzw." The Jibberman growled as he stooped down and picked Veronica up by her leg. She hung upside-down, surprised by the Jibberman's strength. "Gsvm wvzw blf nfhg yv!"

With a mighty roar, he flung Veronica like a ragdoll. Her body crashed into the bar before sliding down. She coughed painfully as the Jibberman lumbered towards her again.

"Not so fast!" I called out as I lashed out at his exposed leg. However, it was the same result. It felt like I was hitting metal, and I was hurting myself more than him.

"Blf gll?" The Jibberman questioned as he turned to face me.

"That's it, #13. Kill them both. But make it slow." Meyrick wore a gleeful smile as he sat on his windowsill, kicking his feet out like a child watching a show.

 _This could be a problem._

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 11 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 10 String, 8 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 33 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 11 Rotten Flesh, 1 Arrow, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 8]

* * *

 **AN: I liked this chapter. Once again, writing action takes up way more space than dialogue. Hope you guys enjoyed it.**

 **It's been a while since Jibbermen were mentioned, so I decided to throw one in. And if you're confused by the dialogue, that's kinda the point of a Jibberman. But it's not based off nothing. Try running it by Atbash.**

 **Meanwhile, Cobb encounters Silverfish, which he calls Bugs. And since he's in a Stronghold, I can assume you readers and Minecraft-players know what comes next.**

* * *

Omake: Wake-Up Call

"Well…it's been a while…" Cobb said to himself after glancing at his clock. Lenzington was still knocked out from his unexpected one-hit punch, showing no signs of movement.

The fisherman sighed heavily before leaning off the wall and walking towards the downed college student. If he couldn't wake him up, he'd be stuck in the Stronghold forever. Or worse, he'd manage to escape only to get lectured, beaten, and/or learn fifty volumes worth of redstone engineering at the hands of an irate Wynn_Whispers.

"Hey…wake up…" Cobb slapped the guys face lightly, repeating the same words with increased volume. But it didn't work.

After light slapping and shouting didn't work, Cobb tried so many things to wake Lenzington up.

First, he lifted him off the ground, as high as his muscles permitted, before dropping him in order to simulate a falling sensation. Normal Sense told him that would work by startling Lenzington awake.

Instead, the college student hit the ground with a muffled crunch, possibly breaking something, and taking out a heart of health.

"…He'll heal." Cobb said to himself as Lenzington remained motionless.

Second, he took out the arrow Lenzington shot at the tripwire trap earlier, and proceeded to poke the grey-haired Crafter repeatedly.

That didn't work, but Cobb enjoyed poking him. It was strangely therapeutic.

"Asshole…trying to chuck me in lava…" He muttered conspiratorially to himself with each poke, putting more force into each one. "You're lucky I let you off with one punch..." Cobb stopped for a moment and rubbed his chin in thought. "In fact…"

Third, he fed Lenzington some rotten flesh. Not for revenge purposes of course…because that would have been petty.

"Yeah, how's that taste you jerk." Cobb said to himself as Lenzington still refused to get up. "That's for stealing my water bucket." He crammed in one more piece for good measure before moving on to his next method.

Fourth, he took out his wooden shovel and raised it high over his head.

Heart: _Cobb, STOP! That isn't going to work._

Brain: _Says you. Go on Cobb, hit him with the shovel._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Alright,_ Lungs _! Get off my back._

Cobb lowered the shovel, his anger at Lenzington ebbing away. There had to be another way to wake him up.

Fifth, he took out the Note Block and set it on a wooden plank. Then he turned to address the knocked out student. "Lenzington, I have absolutely no musical talent and I have no idea how to change the tune on a Note Block. So unless you want to hear the most obnoxious rendition of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' you'll wake up now."

Lenzington just lay there like a dead fish.

"Alright, I warned you." Cobb sighed to himself before tapping the Note Block. "TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR!..."

* * *

Two-and-a-Half Earsplitting Minutes Later

* * *

*Cough* "Ow…hurt my throat…holding that last note…" Cobb coughed to himself before searching Lenzington's belt for the water bucket he stole. While he gulped down the water greedily, soothing his raw vocal chords, a thought crossed his mind.

"Maybe I should try pouring water on him…"

* * *

 **AN: Debated about having Cobb sing a rendition of his life, but squashed the idea when I realized I was short on time.**


	37. Anomaly

**AN: Not sure if you guys are growing tired with this story or not. Some feedback would be nice.**

 **Congrats to Slenderbrine for getting last week's puzzle correct. If you guessed white because of polar bears, you're wrong because polar bears don't live at the South Pole. The correct answer was no bears. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: When you do not know what I am, then I am something. But when you know what I am, then I am nothing. What am I?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make dual-wielding actually meant you can swing two swords at once.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 37

 **Anomaly**

[Wynn]

"Perhaps you should have accepted his advances." I commented to the blonde as we took cover from the Jibberman behind the bar.

"And jeopardize our cozy relationship? Not a chance." Veronica joked, despite the grimace of pain on her face. Her arm was bent at an unnatural angle, broken by one of the Jibberman's monstrous strikes. Just because Crafters could regenerate health, did not mean they were immune from pain or injuries. If the damage sprained an arm or broke a bone, the Crafter would have to wait for their Health to tick back up before the injury healed.

And with Veronica Hunger Meter so low, she wouldn't be able to regenerate anything.

I chanced a glance over the bar counter, spotting the Jibberman lumber about in search of us. He was strong, incredibly strong, and durable. But in terms of speed and intellect, he was lacking. So hiding wasn't the worst of strategies.

"Hey, Jibberbrains!" Meyrick called down snidely from his perch, devouring cooked mutton like popcorn at the movies. "They're over by the bar!"

"Ls, ivzoob?"

But it would have been a better strategy if Meyrick wasn't giving away our positions. His position gave him a bird's eye view while he acted as the brain to Goon #13.

"Heal up." I tossed Veronica some baked potatoes before leaping over the counter and charging the Jibberman making his way towards us. He reared back an ironclad fist before bringing it smashing down, but I was too fast for him. I slid beneath his legs, just missing his fist, and came back up behind him.

My rapier struck the back of his knees, poking through the iron armor like it was paper. Given his size and muscle, targeting the Jibberman's balance was the best place to start.

"LD!" He roared as he swung a backhanded strike at me. I deftly leapt over it with the effects of my Potion of Leaping, but I failed to observe his other hand, already clenched in a fist and using the momentum of his first swing to his advantage. I couldn't dodge midair.

My vision flashed white as the fist connected with my cheek, rocketing me across the room. I twisted my body as best I could while trying to stay conscious and managed to land on my feet, skidding to a stop on the dance floor.

"Ooooh! That looked like it hurt." The snide voice of Meyrick commented insincerely.

I winced as the sting of the fist finally registered. The Jibberman certainly packed a punch. Taking another hit like that would knock me out for sure.

The Jibberman lumbered forward in a wild charge, looking like he had every intention to steamroll me. However, at the edge where the raised level met the dance floor, an arrow caught him in the knee, causing him to stumble.

I quickly backpedaled to avoid the falling goon before leaping forward and unleashing a series of stabs against the Jibberman's exposed back.

Again the Jibberman roared, rolling over to unbalance me. But I was two steps ahead of him, already retreating to the far wall.

The Jibberman got to his feet, but was met with a flurry of arrows courtesy of a fully healed Veronica.

The Jibberman charged wildly towards the blonde, tanking several arrows to the shoulder and chest before bringing his fists crashing down on the bar counter, splintering it, but not Veronica. She had already somersaulted over the goon, loosing a few more arrows into him at the height of her arc.

I was about to back her up when I felt something fall right behind me. I turned around to see a sneering Meyrick just before his Knockback hoe struck my leg. I spiraled backwards from the force before being painfully clothes-lined by the Jibberman's waiting arm. Right into the ground.

"Wynn!" The blonde called out as she fired several arrows that met their mark in the Jibberman's neck. He tried to roar again, but it was incoherent with all the arrows pumped into him. He had to be close to death by now.

"At least kill _one_ of them, Jibberbrains!" Meyrick called in exasperation while pointing at me.

In response, the Jibberman lifted his foot and stomped down onto my chest. I felt the wind get knocked out of me as well as something crack beneath his weight. A rib or two.

"Noo!" Veronica cried out as she leapt onto the Jibberman, strangling him with her bow. He thrashed trying to get at her, and unknowingly lifted the foot pinning me to the floor.

The edges of my vision were growing darker, making it harder to focus. There was a blur of golden hair as Veronica was swung around, a flash of silver that could only be the Jibberman's armor, the blinking lights of the partially destroyed dance floor…

And the flowing red remains of the lava source placed by one of the goons.

 _That's it!_

The Jibberman finally got a grasp of Veronica and chucked her to the floor before preparing to stomp her out of existence. So with all my remaining strength, and in a terrible show of proper form, I tackled him. It felt like I was running into a brick wall, but it was enough to unbalance the brute, causing to stumble right into the lava source.

He instantly caught fire and whatever health he had left was burned away, his last words were his dying howls. "Rm srmwhrtsg, trermt gszg lmv tllm ozez dzh z kivggb hgfkrw rwvz! R Wvzw!"

Then he burst into gear. Most of it burned in the lava along with his Head, but a few pieces of his iron armor landed safely.

"And…that's my cue to leave." Meyrick stated in what he thought was a charming tone as he tiptoed towards the backdoor. But a second later, five arrows pinned his overcoat to the wall. "…Damnit."

Veronica smirked to herself, trying not to let on how close to death she was as she confidently strode over to the immobilized Meyrick. "You…me…talk…" She gasped out, still trying to catch her breath.

I was the same way, hunched over while my health ticked back up. The baked potatoes never tasted sweeter to my exhausted self.

"Talk? This is police brutality!" Meyrick countered while struggling to free himself of the arrows. "You come into _my_ nightclub, kill or knockout _my_ goons, trash the place—I feel transgressed and violated!"

"We know you're supplying people with TNT. Illegally, I may add." Veronica finally caught her breath. "What I want to know is who you're supplying?"

I walked over to stand by Veronica as she interrogated the man.

"A-alright…so I supply a couple of Griefers and bombers. So what?" Meyrick talked like it was no big deal to be supplying terrorists. "I'm just out to make emeralds. So is every criminal."

Veronica opened her mouth to retort, but I cut her off by grabbing Meyrick by the collar. "A few days ago, a pack of Griefers nearly killed my men with TNT. Are you the reason they had those explosives? Are _you_ the reason my men almost died?"

The anger in my voice was enough to make him sweat. "W-wait, wait, wait! You can't…I mean—Yeah, I made the TNT…but it's Burke and LeShui that are delivering it to the Griefers!"

"Burke and Le-who?" Veronica repeated as she held me back. Then her eyes suddenly widened. "Is…is LeShui the bridge bomber!? The one that broke Burke out of jail?"

"Yeah, yeah that's him…" Meyrick gulped, his eyes trained on my amber glare. "Him and Burke have some cozy arrangement with an out-of-Kingdom employer. An…Alec, I think—"

"And where are Burke and LeShui now?" Veronica asked eagerly.

"…" Meyrick averted his eyes and kept silent. Meaning he knew, but he wouldn't give up that information easily.

"Wynn." Veronica turned to face me and smiled sweetly. "Can you give me and Meyrick some alone time? I think it's time I break out Mr. Sunflower."

"Mr. what?" Meyrick asked fearfully, even as I acquiesced to Veronica's request. He was probably expecting some kind of dangerous, iron-barbed, torture device unsuitably named 'Mr. Sunflower.'

Little did he know, the truth was far more…silly.

* * *

[Cobb]

I set down a torch, quickly lighting up our location.

It was completely natural for me to forget I had torches after running for my life from a swarm of angry Bugs. I mean, it wasn't like I had something keeping track of my Inventory at all times.

"My word…" Lenzington spoke, clutching his chest as if he was suffering a major heart attack. He stared at the bedrock wall we came through. "I thought that was the end for me."

Yeah, same." I commented lamely while checking my Inventory over. My Note Block and a good portion of my cobblestone were left behind. Not to mention I forgot to pick the water back up in my bucket.

It seemed like the further in I got, the more it cost me. I couldn't help but wonder what more it would take to finally escape the Stronghold's…hold.

Brain: _Boooo! Your pun sucks!_

I banged my head against the wall, inwardly smirking at the pain it caused Brain while outwardly clutching it in pain. _Why did I do that!?_

Lenzington seemed to play off my odd behavior as me trying to break open the bedrock. "It is no use, Cobbert. Bedrock is unbreakable. Not even your dense skull can break it." He walked up to the wall and patted it. "Which means those parasites will be unable to meld through and pursue us."

"No Bugs sounds good to me." I munched on some pumpkin pies to replenish my Hunger. "We can just slip out that emergency exit you talked about, right?" Lenzington stiffened. "Right?"

"Er…yes…of course…I am fairly certain Jeb would have planned—"

"Fairly certain?" I questioned with a hint of worry. "Hang on. There's definitely an exit, right? We can't be trapped in here."

"No, we are not trapped." Lenzington spoke carefully as he pointed to the bedrock door. "For every entrance, there is an exit. And vice-versa. There must be an alternative route out of here. And if there is not, we need only wait for those parasites to return to dormancy before making our escape."

I bit my lip in frustration. Things were becoming increasingly tedious and complicated…just like Lenzington preferred. But it wouldn't be Dusk forever.

"Strange." Lenzington continued, marveling at the bedrock. "Bedrock is an indestructible block, confined to the lowest regions of the earth. Yet Jeb has seemingly surrounded the entire Core Chambers with it."

"Oh, yeah." I realized. "Then how'd you make an opening through it?"

The student shook his head. "I merely altered the redstone. Jeb is the true genius behind the bedrock machination. I believe he used a device that somehow replaced the blocks of bedrock with blocks of air, momentarily creating an opening before resealing it with bedrock."

I scratched my head in confusion. "Blocks of air? Is that even possible?"

"With redstone, _anything_ is possible." Lenzington advised while swapping his tinted goggles back to his standard tinted glasses. He then adopted a contemplative look. "If I were to discover the secret to Jeb's bedrock supply…an indestructible material at my disposal…Potato Tech would be eating out of the palm of my hand. Like trained dogs!" Lenzington was talking to himself, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Um…Lenz?" I ventured, wondering if the guy had gone crazy.

"And once I have them right where I want them, then…THEN…I will politely ask for an internship." He folded his arms and nodded to himself, his plans laid out before him.

"Right…" I responded hesitantly, not quite getting his intentions, but admiring his ambition. "Let's try and look for an exit, though. Okay?"

"Indeed. That is 'okay'." He responded with a small smile, before suddenly frowning. "You called me 'Lenz' again."

"Oh…yeah, well—"

"And you are more understanding of the lack of possible exits than I anticipated."

"Well…I don't know…" I scratched my head awkwardly. "You saved my life and I saved yours, so we're cool now, right?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, I wouldn't have known how to open the bedrock if you hadn't told me to press the button. So you saved my life from those Bugs. And then that Stickman almost got to you, but I scared it off."

He looked puzzled. "Stickman? Is that what you call those long-legged creatures?"

"Well, they have sticks for limbs so, yeah. Stickmen." I defended. "What do _you_ call them?"

He scoffed. "I call them by their widely accepted name: Endermen."

"Endermen?" I echoed, trying to get a feel for the word. It wasn't a bad name. Kind of catchy. And their monstrous strength gave credibility to the fact that they would be the 'End' of you if crossed.

 _Heh. Pun._

Lenz folded his arms while glancing to the bedrock door. "While I am sure you mean the best with your nicknames, Cobbert, I am afraid I prefer my full name: Lenzington. Additionally, your increased familiarity with me is misplaced. Do not confuse personal necessity with selfless heroism." He jabbed me in the chest. "You saved me from the parasites and the Enderman because you needed a guide to escape the Stronghold. Even now, that tethers you to me."

I frowned at his cold words. That was completely not true! I wouldn't have just let him die, regardless of whether I was lost or not…right?

He then hiked a thumb towards himself. "And I told you of the button because these Core Chambers are a complete unknown to me. The pitch-black darkness also suggests possible Mobs within, meaning I need an experienced warrior to avoid harm." He looked me up and down. "Given the situation, you will have to do."

 _Ouch._

And here I thought we would become good friends. Mutual life-saving worked for Floyd, so I assumed it would work for anyone. But clearly, Lenz wasn't much of the warrior type, looking past actions and deducing the hidden agendas within.

"I'm numbered at one billion, literally spawned three weeks ago, and yet I'm more experienced than you?" I questioned. "Remind me, what number are you?"

"Seven-hundred-forty-five-million-nine-hundred-twenty-three-thousand-four-hundred-and-twelve." He recited clearly. "And this is not about experience. It is about acting within your aptitude."

"The hell does that mean?"

"It means, your place is to fight and my place is to engineer." He gestured down the bedrock hall that I only just noticed. "For instance, do you see that tripwire along the floor?"

"Yes." I lied, squinting my eyes to find the tripwire in the dim torchlight.

"It is most likely hooked up to a trap. Another of Jeb's precautions. And it is barring our path." Lenz shifted through his backpack. "How fortuitously, then, that I, as an engineer, have brought with me my Basic Redstone Travel Kit or BRTK for short." He pulled out levers, buttons, redstone, lamps, and finally a pair of shears. "But with these wire cutters—"

"They look like shears."

" _Wire cutters_." He emphasized in a no-nonsense tone. "I can clear us a path."

"What do shears have to do with engineering?"

"Silence!" He shouted before snipping at the wires. They popped out as string, but failed to trigger the trap. "And now we can proce—"

*RATTLE*

Lenz rushed back to my side as soon as he heard a noise. It was a Skeleton, appearing from the darkness with empty sockets directed at us.

"N-now it is your turn." Lenz nudged me forward. "Go and perform the job you were made for."

 _Is he serious?_ I thought incredulously before drawing my fishing rod and casting it at the Mob. "Flail!"

The hook caught the Mob and pulled it to the partially destroyed tripwire. With a click, the ceiling opened up and several bright red splash Potions of Healing descended, instantly killing the Skeleton.

 _Huh…so Potions of Healing…damage Skeletons._ That was in Herobrine's book, if I remembered correctly. Zombies and Skeletons only, though. Was it because they were undead, made of bones and decaying flesh? Like Holy Water, the Potions of Healing purified the undead.

"A tad unorthodox, but you did your part." Lenz patted me on the shoulder before nudging me forward again. "Now you lead the way so no Mobs can get at me."

I rolled my eyes at the student before cautiously walking forward.

I didn't have to go far though. The next corner led to two opened iron doors which led into a massive room that I partially illuminated with a torch. Lenz noticed a lever on the side of the door and flicked it, triggering the lamps on the ceiling to completely illuminate the room.

Lenz let out an excited gasp.

It was straight out of a mad scientist's lab. There was redstone machinery all over the place, for things I didn't care to know about. Bubbling stands containing multi-colored potions were on the right side of the room along with a library, several chests, and framed books. One corner of the lab was filled with signs as well as a circle of redstone surrounding some blocks. The left side of the lab had several iron barred jail cells like the ones we saw before. Only instead of stone brick walls inside the cells, it was bedrock walls. And no doors either. And along the back side of the wall was a large picture and a chest.

Beside me, Lenz was making so many excited noises. It looked like his birthday, Christmas, and National Crazy Sex Day had all come at once on the same day. And that day was today. "This…this is…Jeb's Laboratory! It must be!"

He ran forward to the nearest redstone contraption, quickly forgetting any possible Mob threats. I walked over to something on the side that caught my attention.

They were two buttons, placed side-by-side, with signs hanging over them.

The first button said ' _Cake Button_.'

The second button said ' _Warning: Self-Destruct Button. Why on Earth Did I Think Placing These Two Buttons Side-By-Side was a Good Idea. I Must Have Been Drunk_.'

I thought for a moment. Not with my brain but with my stomach.

Stomach: _Cake sounds pretty good right about now._

Brain: _Really? Cuz I'm really feeling the second button would be the better choice._

Heart: _Brain, no._

Brain: _Brain, yes!_

I clicked the cake button and immediately a cake flew out of the wall and into my hand.

I smiled to myself and tried to eat it, but to my surprise it wouldn't fit. It was too big to be devoured in one go.

"Well, that's a waste." I said to myself before placing the cake in my Inventory. Maybe I had to craft it into slices on a crafting table before I could enjoy it.

"Oooh. Hee hee hee." Lenz laughed like a school girl as he prodded the machinery he was admiring. "A Hopper Clock…with customizable pace settings…ingenious!"

It made sense that Lenz would be having a fan-boy moment. From what he said, he had been searching for Jeb's Secret Lab for years. And now that he finally found it, he was like a kid at the candy store.

But…something about the place felt off. If Jeb was a redstone expert, then why all the other stuff in the room?

Like the potion stands. I was no expert in alchemy, but I assumed they needed a constant source of materials to concoct. Where would Jeb get that in a secret lab buried underground…surrounded by bedrock.

Plus, wouldn't it be a huge waste to put bedrock all around the lab? I mean, security was important, but it was almost like he was both keeping people out and keeping something in.

…

Meh, maybe I was over thinking it.

I walked over to the large painting at the back. As soon as I looked at it, I felt my blood run cold. It both repulsed and fascinated me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I knew there was no harm in just looking at it, but also that there was something inherently evil about it. And I had no idea why.

The painting depicted a kind of scare-crow, made up of dark brown blocks in a 'T' shape with three black skulls aligned atop in a row. The painting's lack of detail only made it creepier, as if the obscurity of those skulls' eyes made the thing even more terrifying.

I was glad Lenz was behind me, making awestruck sounds of joy. It lessened the creepiness of the painting and shook off the feeling that something sinister was watching me.

There was also a chest before the painting. Despite not wanting to know more about the creepy picture, I felt something inside me urge me to open the chest. Like it was of vital importance.

Inside the chest was a book with no title. I opened it to reveal a poem.

 **...**

 **[Withering]**

 **There are days when it rains  
and I just want to lay down  
with my back on the pavement.  
I'd stare up at the tears  
of the nameless.  
Pretending every chilling drop  
is a faintly stinging kiss.  
Then I'd fade away from it all  
without notice or being missed.**

 **…**

 _How cheery._

"I suppose Jeb appreciated strange art." Lenz spoke up, taking an interest in the painting I was looking at. "Perhaps he frequented art galleries in his spare time?"

 _And maybe he was taking poetry lessons from Edgar Allen Poe…wait, who is that again?_

"You seem pretty sure that this is Jeb's lab. Are you sure it couldn't belong to anyone else?" I questioned as I tossed the book back into the chest and shut it. I didn't feel any better after reading it, if anything I felt a bit depressed. Poetry like that just sucked the joy out of me. Like some kind of joy vampire.

Lenz scoffed at my doubt. "Of course it is his lab! Why just look at this...um…thing!" He gestured to the corner with the redstone circle. Upon closer inspection it was an eye pattern along the floor, with a cauldron atop a jukebox in the center.

"What does it even do?" I questioned. The redstone didn't appear to be connected to any device. No switch or lever. No lamp or piston. Nothing but a pattern.

"Admittedly…I have no idea…HOWEVER…" He raised a triumphant finger. "I am positive he has something written down in his notes. A little research and I should get a grasp on it…now where would he put those notes...?"

"What about all these?" I pointed out all the signs plastered near the redstone circle. "Maybe they're the notes—"

"Doubtful. Jeb would have kept a written record of his research rather than the limited space of a wooden sign." Lenz scoffed at my assumption, but I was barely listening. I was more preoccupied with the stuff written on the signs.

It was like walking into a serial killer's home. There were dozens of signs. Against the walls, propped along the floor, signs hanging off signs (not even sure how that worked). And they all seemed to paint a story.

 _'_ _He took it!'_

 _'_ _He ruined everything!'_

 _'_ _I was so close!'_

 _'_ _The Egg!'_

 _'_ _Trusted him.'_

 _'_ _Changed the world!'_

 _'_ _Research cannot be for naught.'_

 _'_ _Must find new Egg!'_

 _'_ _Back through the portal. Only way forward…'_

The other signs repeated those basic messages over and over. It sounded like the writer lost something, an Egg, to another guy whom he trusted. And apparently the Egg was enough of a big deal to make the writer go full-on obsessed.

"Jeb is…dead, right?" I questioned the Jeb expert who poked around the library for possible notes. "So he wouldn't have come back here for a long time?"

"Correct." Lenz offered, only half-listening as he opened some chests. "He has been dead for quite some time."

"And was he mentally stable?" I questioned. Because the metaphorical and literal signs all said otherwise.

"Mental stability is relative." Lenz dismissed while closing another useless chest. "Often times, the most brilliant of minds were shunned because the world was not ready to accept their ideas. The mentally unstable today could be the norm tomorrow."

"And if they're coming at you with an axe screaming ' _Here's Johnny!'_ are they still the norm?"

"No…then they would need to be committed to a mental institution or a Jibbermen Rehabilitation Center."

A thought crossed my mind. "Maybe Jibberman are the brilliant minds being shunned."

"I will admit I have seen some Jibbermen do incredible things." Lenz shifted his glasses a bit. "But it will be a long time before they are accepted."

Lenz shifted through another chest only to come up empty. "Comparators! There is nothing but survival guidebooks! Where are his notes?"

I glanced around the room again. Lenz could have his stupid notes, but I needed to find that emergency exit. The lab only had one set of doors: The ones we entered. But that didn't mean there couldn't be a secret door hidden somewhere.

I prodded at the wall with the toe of my sneaker, hoping I'd get lucky and it would magically open to reveal an escape ladder. But I had no such luck.

*Cough*

Maybe there was a lever or button that needed to be placed at a certain spot. Lenz would have to tear up the floor and expose the circuitry to—

…

 _That cough didn't sound like Lenz._

*Cough* "Who…is there?"

I spun around to locate the voice, only to see Lenz standing besides the bedrock jail cells.

And inside, hugging her knees to her chest, was a woman. It had to be a woman judging by the feminine sound of her voice. She was partly concealed in the shadows, but her skin looked a sickly green. I immediately thought Potion of Poison.

Lenz glanced at me searchingly, not knowing what to do, before returning his attention to the imprisoned woman. "Um…my name is Lenzington. Who are—"

"The…other one." The woman murmured with a slight cough. "Is he…Him?"

I stepped closer to the cell, barely hearing the woman's voice. She sidled back in fear, backing up into the wall. No longer were her legs visible in the lamplight. I could just make out her silhouette and the dark-grey eyes of hers that reflected the lamplight.

I held up my arms disarmingly. "Whoa. We just got here. We're not here to hurt you."

I watched as the dark-grey eyes narrowed in the cell. "…No. You're not Him. There are similarities…but you're not Him." The dark-grey eyes closed as she coughed again. "You should be here…to hurt me…to kill me…to end me…"

"Why would we want to do that?" I questioned kindly, shuffling in my bag for some kind of food for the woman. I pulled out some baked potatoes and slipped them through the bars.

The woman's eyes snapped wide and she sidled closer to the bars, thrusting her legs back into the light. She reached out a sickly green hand towards the bars, but paused when my hand dropped the potatoes and returned to my side. Her hand hovered for a moment before reaching down for the potatoes.

Seeing that green skin of hers…There was something familiar about it. It wasn't from a Potion of Poison, but something else. Something I'd seen before. But I couldn't quite place it.

I glanced up at the sign above her cell. It read ' _Experiment 24_ ' in big, bold letters. The cells beside hers had similar signs, all labeled with Experiment numbers. Though hers was the only occupied cell.

I heard a ravenous munching sound coming from her cell. "Mmm…it's been so long…since I've eaten food…"

"How long have you been imprisoned?" Lenz interjected, looking worried. He was undoubtedly finding moral issues with Jeb's imprisoning of a young woman with no food. "And who is this 'Him' you are so afraid of? Is it Jeb?"

My mind was hung up on something else though. If the woman hadn't eaten anything in a long time, how was she still alive? Hunger needed to be refilled daily to stay at full energy. A week would probably be the maximum you could last with no food before starving to death. Had she lasted so long because she wasn't moving to burn off energy?

The woman's eyes darted back and forth between us. "I…I don't know how long…no windows or clocks…in this tomb…" She closed her eyes again and let out a sigh of relief. "But today…that all ends…no more…"

"Indeed." Lenz agreed as he stepped closer to the bars. "But the cell you reside in is made of bedrock. Breaking the cell bars will not give you enough space to slip out."

*Cough* "I know that…for decades I've known that…"

"Then to free you, we would need the bedrock removing mechanism. Point us in the right direction and we will happily free you—"

Anger flared in me, and I slapped Lenz in the shoulders. "Are you serious!? Look at her!?" I gestured to the weakened figure in the cell. "She's been trapped here for who knows how long and you're trying to bargain with her!?"

Lenz rubbed his shoulder and scowled at me. "Resorting to violence, barbarian? We need the bedrock device to free her and _I_ need the bedrock device to become a legend at Potato Tech. This is not selfless heroism, but mutual necessity."

I scowled in anger, but the woman's voice broke me out.

"To save me…to free me…"

"Yes?" Lenz asked eagerly, getting closer to the bars.

"…The bedrock…" She mumbled something else, closing her dark-grey eyes.

Lenz stepped closer to the bars. "Apologies, I did not hear—"

The woman lunged forward, slipping her arms through the bars and crossing them around Lenz's back, entrapping him. Meanwhile, Lenz was screaming like a banshee at the woman's face, now clearly visible from the lamplight.

Her skin was a sickly green speckled with white, making me realize where I saw it before: A Creeper. She had orange hair growing in ugly patches atop her head and her face had a gruesome, perpetual grimace.

"Finally…" She spoke calmly and full of relief, despite Lenz's shouts and desperate attempts at prying her off. She closed her eyes and began to flash white. "I can…end myself…"

The last of her sentence came out as a hiss, but I already knew what was about to happen. That white flash and hiss…I tried to help Lenz disentangle the woman's hold but she was clutching him for dear life.

Or maybe dear death.

"Release me!" Lenz screamed as we both fought to get him away from the cell. The Creeper woman was starting to expand, and I knew she wouldn't let go until she went 'BOOM!'

With little time, I reached into my belt for my gold sword and attempted to slash her hands off the student. Still, I couldn't get her to release her death grip. With no way to free him, I grabbed Lenz from behind before slipping the sword in between him and the woman and held it defensively.

"What are you doing!?" Lenz shrieked with increased desperation. "A SWORD IS NOT GOING TO STOP—!"

*BOOM!*

The sword blocked the explosion, but the combination of two people behind the blast as well as being held by the exploding force propelled us apart. I clenched my eyes in pain as I was thrown across the lab, impacting the wall above the bookshelves. Several picture frames, as well as the books they held, were knocked off the wall and onto me as I slid to the floor.

I coughed painfully and cracked an eye open. "Lenz?...You okay?"

I didn't get a response. Nor did I see Lenz anywhere in the lab. _Did he get blasted away somewhere?_

I used the bookshelves for support as I got to my feet. I was staggered, but I would've been worse off if I hadn't blocked that explosion.

I looked across to see that the cell, being made from bedrock, had survived the explosion. The iron bars hadn't been so lucky. And as for the Creeper—er, the woman…

All that was left of her was the potato I gave her and a Head, presumably hers. It had her same orange hair, but it was longer and not in patches. It also lacked the sickly green Creeper tinge and had beautiful blue eyes. The horrifying grimace was also gone, replaced with a neutral smile.

No sooner had I observed the disembodied Head than it began to contort and warp. Its edges curved in on itself, marring the woman's newly beautiful features, before it imploded. It swirled and pulled itself into a tiny prick in space, leaving nothing behind.

"…" I just stared at the spot the Head disappeared from with horror and disbelief. There was no result or evidence it had been there. That the woman had been there. That she had existed.

It was all gone.

"Lenz!?" I called out frantically, wondering where the college student went. If he got caught up in the explosion…or he caught whatever that woman had to make her Head implode—

No! No that couldn't have happened. His gear would be strewn about if he died. He was alive. He had to be.

"Lenzington!" I called out again. This wasn't about me needing him to find my way out anymore. I didn't need him for anything. But I wasn't about to let the guy die and have that on my conscious.

"AGHHHHHH!"

That was him!

He was alive. That scream was definitely his voice and it came from that creepy scarecrow painting. I ran over to it and pressed an ear against it to better hear him. However, instead of meeting the surface of the painting, my entire head phased right through it.

It was a secret door, disguised as a painting and propped up by signs.

And behind it was—

"Holy FUCK!" I shouted in fear after coming face to face with a disembodied Head. I twisted my body to avoid running into it, only to fall onto a pile of more severed Heads. "AUGH!"

The whole room behind the painting was filled with Crafter Heads. Hundreds of them. Blue hair, green-hair, pink hair, red hair. Fair skin, freckled, tanned, dark. Some grinning, some frowning, but all with those same cold, dead eyes…

"Oh God…" I felt the contents of my stomach threaten to make a reappearance as I tried to take it all in. I got to my feet and hurried past the Heads, doing my best to ignore them. Lenz must have screamed when he saw the Heads.

 _But where is he now?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Heart: _Yeah…I agree with Lungs. We need to get out of this place…right now._

Bladder: _All these Heads are making me lose control of myself._

Brain: _I don't know who this Jeb guy thinks he is, but he must be a sick fuck to keep all these Heads here._

Stomach: _Don't hurl, Cobb! I don't want to lose all those potatoes and pies you ate! Oh…and also…yeah, this place is officially creepy._

Liver: _I don't want to end up like these dead guys! Find Lenz and let's get the hell out of here!_

Never had all my organs been in agreement over something. I was wondering why Jeb would go through such lengths to booby trap his lab. Now I knew why. He didn't want people to know that he was a deranged sicko whose Skeletons in the closet were actually Heads in the closet. Not to mention the Creeper woman he had locked away and done who knows what to.

Once I was finally out of the hall of Heads, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. Hunched over with my hands on trembling knees, I fought to keep my potatoes down.

It was only after several minutes that I finally calmed down. I stood myself up and kept my eyes forward, not even glancing at the hall of Heads behind me.

What I did see, was myself in a small stone brick room with flowing lava behind iron bars in the walls. There was also a giant pool of lava beneath some weird pale structure with green markings along it.

My immediate thought was not to break anything, lest I tempt those Bugs to reappear. My second immediate thought was disbelief mixed with joy. Over by the corner of the room was a ladder with a sign that read ' _Emergency Escape Ladder_ ' in big, hot-damn-am-I-glad-to-see-that, bold letters.

There really was an emergency exit! Lenz was right! There it—

 _Oh, right. Lenz. Did he already go up?_ I thought to myself, even as something glinted on the steps leading to the pale structure.

I walked up the steps to get a better look at the glinting object, and found it to be a pair of shears. Probably Lenz'.

And from my position at the top of the stairs, I couldn't help but gasp. The pale structure was actually a ring of odd blocks holding lime-green reptilian eyes. And the inside of the ring was of a material I had no idea of. It was black with hints of dark blue, but it didn't look like it had any substance to it. The closest thing I could compare it to would be liquid onyx.

It was labeled ' _Portal_ ' with a wooden sign. And the sound it was making…unearthly…foreign…

I took a step forward, unintentionally nudging Lenz's shears into the liquid onyx. It vanished with a flash and I didn't hear the sound of it being burnt by the lava below. Almost like the shears were caught by something.

Just to prove my theory, I climbed down from the pale structure and withdrew a useless item, a bone, from my backpack. I held one hand above the liquid onyx and one hand below it, careful not to burn it from the lava's heat. Then, when I dropped the bone into the onyx, it too vanished with a flash, without falling through into my waiting hand.

 _So it is a portal._ I verified before realizing I had lost a bone and Lenz's shears…

 _And Lenz! Crap! He must have fallen into this thing while he was too busy freaking out over those disembodied Heads!_

Brain: _Sweet! Now we don't have to worry about him killing us to keep us quiet. And the exit is right there! If we hurry, we can probably get back to the Inn before Wynn gets back!_

Heart: _But…what about Lenz?_

Brain: _What about him?_

Stomach: _Yeah! He tried to kill us…I don't even know how many times!_

Bladder: _Plus, he was kind of right. We were using him just like he was using Cobb. With the exit in sight, there's no point in following him through that portal._

My organs were surprisingly cold, but were they right? Did I jump in to save Lenz because I needed him? The consequences of escaping by myself, the lack of an engineer, the lack of an archer, not knowing where I was going or how to get back to the Inn…

There was no way my hamster wheel powered brain could have considered all that in the split-second he almost died!

Brain: _Hamster wheel powered…?_

No matter how I looked at it, I saved him because I didn't want the guy to die. He was a coward, afraid of Mobs despite his skill with a bow. He didn't deserve to die. And he certainly didn't deserve being stuck in God-knows-where without any idea on how to escape.

And boy, did I know what that felt like.

Heart: _That's it, Cobb! Sympathize with him! Let the compassion flow through you like a river of shared misery!_

Liver: _Misery!_

I turned away from the emergency ladder and walked back up the stairs to the portal.

Stomach: _Don't do this, Cobb! He's not worth it!_

My feet stood on the edge.

Brain: _If you go in there, you'll never get back to the Inn in time!_

 _Maybe…but he only fell in because I got him to this lab in the first place._ I reasoned as I stared into the inky darkness of the liquid onyx portal. _I'll just have to apologize to the Captain._

Bladder: _But I don't want her to stab me!_

Brain: _And I'll turn to mush if I have to listen to fifty volumes worth of—!_

I closed my eyes, silencing my inner organs, and leapt into the portal.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 11 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 18 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 10 String, 6 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 33 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 11 Rotten Flesh, 1 Arrow, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {?}, 1 Book {?}, 1 Book {?}, 1 Book {?}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 9]

* * *

 **AN: No Omake this week. Couldn't think of one. Also too busy celebrating Villanova's win. There were some arrests...**

 **This chapter is probably one of the most important ones in terms of overall plot. Several things have been witnessed and have happened, which will be touched upon more in the next chapter.**

 **If any of you have played Minecraft, you probably know what portal Cobb found and where it leads...but what about the less noticeable stuff?**

 **The things that could spell the doom of Minecraftia...**

 **Give me your feedback, leave a fav, follow, review (unless it's inappropriate and/or embarrassing), and see you next week.**


	38. End

**AN: Thanks for the feedback everybody. People really seemed to like the last chapter...and I have a feeling you might like this chapter too...maybe.**

 **Congrats to gs gaming for getting last week's riddle. The answer: A riddle! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What question can you never answer 'yes' to?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add craftable Potions of Blindness.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 38

 **End**

[Cobb]

 _This…feels familiar…_

Just like in the Void, falling through that portal gave me a sense of weightlessness and déjà vu. The surroundings blossomed into a thick, heavy darkness. After several seconds of falling, I wondered if I was actually back in the Void, only this time I'd be trapped forever.

However, next thing I knew I was standing on something solid. Blocks made up of onyx-black crystals, like molten shards. And I was in a small room, the walls made out of some unknown, sun bleached block.

Along the floor was the bone I dropped and Lenz' shears. As for Lenz himself, he was also there. Alive, but cowering in the corner with his head buried in his knees.

"Lenz?" I called out hesitantly. "Lenz, don't freak out, okay?"

He let out a whine mixed with a whimper as he raised his head. His glasses and goggles were up, showing that his magenta eyes were tear-stained and his expression was listless.

Taking his silence as a somewhat good sign, I reached down to pick up his shears and walked them over to him. "You fell into the portal by mistake, right? Do you know where this place is?"

Lenz just stared at me, making me wonder if he was actually processing anything I said. He looked pretty out of it. Walking through a hall of disembodied Heads and almost getting blown by a woman…er…blown _up_ by a female…Creeper—whatever she was—would probably make anyone shell-shocked.

"Heh…heh…heheheh." Lenz began hysterically laughing to himself, his eyes still focused on me and with an expression as listless as ever.

Brain: _Whelp. He's lost it. Better prep a straitjacket._

I ignored Brain—an act I was making a habit of— as I gently shook Lenz' shoulders. "Lenz…Lenz. You're freaking me out. I know you've probably gone though a lot in the past couple minutes, but I need you to…at least appear sane—"

"Heheh…heh…you…fell in as well?" He turned his listless stare to a point to the left. "But at least you…belong here."

I had no idea what he was talking about. Usually not a good sign when the supposed rational mind derails. I followed his gaze to the wall and noticed a small stairwell leading up as well as a chest. I turned back to face him, just to verify where he was looking, before I walked over to the chest.

I was expecting something of value, capable of telling me where we were. Instead I found a stack of [PUMPKINS].

"Pumpkins…of course..." I commented sarcastically as I returned them to the chest. "Why would I be expecting anything different from the owner of the lab that positions a cake button right next to the self-destruct button?"

"Jeb…" Lenz muttered with empty eyes. "How could he…?"

I turned back to look at the college student before glancing up the stairwell. "Lenz, did you check what's up this staircase?"

"All those Heads…and that woman…" Lenz continued, appearing not to have heard me.

"Uh…" I scratched my head awkwardly, thinking of what to say. I wasn't exactly a certified psychologist.

 _Then again, Floyd wasn't a lawyer and look how that turned out._

"Wait here, Lenz. Try and calm down a bit. Deep breaths usually help." I supplied helpfully, even though he didn't show any signs of hearing me. "Yeah…"

I walked up the stairwell, quickly finding it break on a higher level. Above me I saw the night sky…NIGHT SKY!?

 _Crap! It's later than I thought. I don't see the moon though so maybe I still have time._ I glanced at my clock, only to do a double take when I noticed it was spinning out of control. The sun and moon whizzed around the golden disk in an erratic pattern.

 _I don't need Normal Sense to know that's not normal…_

*UNK*

I froze at the sound. Stickm—Enderman. I wasn't quite used to the name, but whatever they were called didn't matter. They were vicious killers.

It sounded like it was above me, but I thought I could slip by it. However, when I peeked above the level the staircase climbed through, my eyes widened and I slowly and silently backtracked down the stairs.

There wasn't just one Enderman. Or two. But fifty! Fifty of those terrifying stick figures, running around a barren wasteland of that same sun bleached stone. Luckily they hadn't seen me, but I didn't feel too fortunate considering I was stranded in a hole with a questionably sane Crafter while those Mobs prowled around.

What were they even doing? I had never seen so many spawned in one place! They obviously spawned from the darkness, but I didn't think they had such a high spawn rate. After all, I didn't see a single one of the standard Mob variety; Zombies, Skeletons, Creepers. Just Endermen. And I didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.

I looked up my stairwell in the ground to get a better look at the sky. Endermen hated water, but I had stupidly forgotten to pick up my water source after I placed it fleeing those Bugs. If I couldn't find a water source to exploit their hatred of swimming, I had to wait until day broke to illuminate them into hiding.

With my clock going haywire, I'd just have to check the sky for the first signs sunlight. I would definitely be late returning to the Inn—especially since I still had no idea where I was—but at least Wynn wouldn't be able to punish me for it.

Though knowing her, she'd probably track me down to the ends of the earth just to read me those fifty volumes…or stab me. Whichever is less merciful.

As I watched the sky, I narrowed my eyes to try and pick out some stars. Wherever I was must have been close to a lit up city or something, because I couldn't see the light of any stars.

Just a pitch…black…

Void.

"Oh no." I began to panic as I backed down the stairs. Was it possible I was in the Void? Or surrounded by the Void? I didn't remember passing any sun bleached blocks before I spawned into existence. But was it possible that Jeb had built a Portal to the Void?

I had to be sure.

I hurried back down the stairs, returning to the small black-floored room and taking a moment to acknowledge the mentally iffy Lenz. "Hey, Lenz. Still listless?"

"…Why Jeb…?"

"Still listless." I took out my iron pick.

I tried mining below me, but the black-floor wasn't cracking fast enough. I had better luck on the sun bleached stone, named [END STONE], as I mined the wall and began making a tunnel down. I made sure not to dig straight down, in case of lava or some great pitfall to suddenly appear beneath me.

The later held true as one of excavated blocks revealed a wide space that opened up into an empty, black void below.

I climbed back up and tried mining in various directions through three walls. Every time, I came across a large opening of that same black Void, occasional with a floating planetoid of End Stone about a hundred meters away.

I fell to my knees upon grasping our situation.

We weren't in Minecraftia anymore. From what I could tell, we were on a hunk of End Stone, floating in the Void with other planetoids of End Stone. Planetoids that were entirely populated by hostile Endermen, capable of killing us in a few strokes.

End Stone…Endermen…

The names couldn't be a coincidence. Was wherever we were where the Endermen originated from? An Endermen dimension?

"We…we are going to die here." Lenz mumbled as he curled upon himself in a fetal position. "This is the end…"

I couldn't argue with him on that one. Forget inter-dimensional travel, I couldn't navigate my way out of a College! And with no visible return portal in sight…and surrounded by Endermen…with nothing to eat but my combined food stores and a chest full of pumpkins…

It did sound like the end.

* * *

[Wynn]

"Meyrick's info better be legit." Veronica whispered as we hid outside an old stone warehouse on the outskirts of the Kingdom. "I mean, yeah, an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of a Kingdom is shady as fuck, but it seems kind of cliché."

"After the beating you gave him with that sunflower? I'm sure feeding you misinformation and further angering you was the last thing on his mind." I commented with eyes locked on the warehouse.

A few seconds with Mr. Sunflower, as Veronica affectionately called it, was all it took for Meyrick to break down and give us everything. The bombers, Burke and LeShui, would be picking up a supply of TNT at the warehouse we were staking out. Meyrick, unfortunately, would be unable to meet them due to him and his goons being arrested for illegally manufacturing and supplying TNT.

Finally, after spending nearly the entire day looking for these two, as well as veronica's antics, I'd be done. Veronica would keep her word and do her part in keeping Rotjes interested in completing the railway. And if everything wrapped up nicely, I'd be back in the Inn precisely at midnight, where a certain brown-haired Crafter better be waiting.

Though, in all honesty, I did very little in getting us far in the investigation. My initial lead at the College was a dead end, and I chased a criminal only for Veronica to swoop in when things looked bad. There was that tough Jibberman, but as for the rest, her sunflower did more than me.

"Hey, Veronica?"

"Hmm?"

"You really didn't need me to catch these guys." I said it as a fact. "You could have done it on your own or with some of your guards, right?"

"…Yeah." She admitted. "But it would've just been another day for me. Searching for leads. Rounding up bad guys. Kicking ass and taking names…" She turned and offered a grin. "Most of the guards respect me too much to question my lovable antics."

"But not me." I replied, already figuring it out.

Her grin grew wider and cheekier as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Yup! That's what I love about you Snow-Hare. So strict and rigid, you waste no time in pointing out what makes me, me. I wouldn't pass up pushing your buttons for anything."

I offered a weary smile. "How nice…You'll be happy to know that I enjoy hanging out with you too. It gives me the chance to see what a lack of discipline looks like. It's a good motivator."

Veronica smirked evilly. "Oh, I'm not too sure about that." She singsonged while tapping her chin in fake contemplation. "If I recall, _you_ showed me what a lack of discipline truly looks like…after a couple of drinks."

I blushed at the memory—or rather lack of memory—resurfaced. "T-the Ivory Skull was a onetime thing!"

"It showed me that under all that stuffiness…and clothes…there's a wild side to you." Veronica wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe one day I'll get to meet that Ivory Skull again."

"If anyone ever uncovered that, I'd look for the nearest bottomless pit to throw myself into." I mumbled in embarrassment, forcing myself to ignore Veronica's knowing smile.

"Oh, don't be so—" Veronica stopped her sentence just as I spotted movement at the warehouse. Five Crafters. "Looks like Meyrick won't be getting a return visit from Mr. Sunflower."

"Shouldn't you call for backup?" I asked the blonde. I didn't want all our effort be for naught just because a few Crafters slipped away. We needed guards to surround the place. Form a perimeter.

"Pft. We took out a nightclub filled with goons, remember? Five guys is easy." She hopped from out of her hiding spot and crept forward towards the warehouse, her bow armed and ready. I shook my head before withdrawing my rapier and following her.

We watched as the five Crafters retracted a piston door before entering the warehouse. We stealthily slipped in after them and hid behind a pile of chests, careful not to make any noise.

Which is more than I could say for the five Crafters.

"Oi! Shouldn't Meyrick be here by now?" One of the Crafters spoke, his stone sword drawn. He was wearing a mismatch of armor, most likely ripped off of random travelers. A tell-tale sign of a Griefer.

"He's never been late before." Another one chirped. Female. But wearing a mismatch of armor as well. Including the quiet one standing in the corner, that made three Griefers. As for the other two…

"I don't like it." One of them commented gruffly. It was Burke. I immediately recognized his ashen complexion and poison-green mohawk from the wanted poster. "That overcoat-wearing ginger looks the snitch type."

"If I had to guess, I'd say he got caught up at the dry cleaner's. The same place that stalls me, I bet." The other one spoke as he paced around the warehouse. "You know it took twenty minutes for them to find my leather armor? And then they didn't even bother to dye it light gray! Just gray! I swear, that dry cleaner's is looking pretty good for my next bomb."

The one rambling about the dry cleaner's was LeShui, judging by the name over his head. He wore a gray set of leather armor and had a blonde bowl-cut.

"Does this look light gray to you?" LeShui asked Burke while shoving his leather cap in his face.

"I don't care about colors and neither will anyone else. Now get out of my face!" Burke pushed LeShui to the ground and tapped the flint and steel at his belt impatiently.

I looked over to Veronica to see her mouthing the words 'what the fuck' as she watched the serial bombers' antics. It wasn't what I was expecting either.

"Hey!" Burke shouted, leaping away from LeShui's downed form. "Don't think I didn't see what you just did!"

"Whatever do you mean?" LeShui asked innocently while hiding something behind his back.

"You just set down TNT!" Sure enough, there was a block of TNT placed on the floor where Burke had previously been standing.

"I didn't set that up." LeShui replied calmly.

"Yes, you did! I just saw you place it!"

"No, you saw me place a...watermelon."

"A red watermelon? With the words TNT plastered across?"

"TNT are letters not words."

"Fuck you, LeShui! You know I mix up letters and words! And yet here you are, drawing attention to it!"

"Better it than the TNT I placed."

"So you admit you placed TNT!"

"Well, obviously. What, did you think I placed down a watermelon?"

"But…you just…NO!"

Not what I was expecting at all.

"Anyway, stop trying to blow me up!" Burke shouted angrily as he picked up the TNT block. "Go find someone else to—"

*BOOM*

A loud explosion sounded from the corner of the warehouse and almost startled me and Veronica into revealing ourselves. The silent Griefer waiting there was instantly killed, his gear and mismatched armor littering the floor.

"Godamnit, LeShui! I didn't mean one of our guys!" Burke chastised with a disapproving glare. There was little heat, however, when shortly after he added, "That was a pretty sick explosion though. Full props."

"Sir!" The female Griefer shouted indignantly, and rightfully so. That bowl cut bomber just killed one of his men. "He just killed—!"

"Yeah? And?" Burke challenged, turning to face the girl. "What do you want me to do? Bring back the dead? Kill the man responsible? The one who freed me from prison?"

The girl shrunk in on herself. "Y-you're right. Apologies. I was being stupid."

"Damn right, you were." Burke walked right up to the girl and looked down upon her. "Don't ever forget your place, Griefer. You're only worth something if you follow orders and don't complain. Otherwise you can be in several places like your friend over there." Burke gestured to the corner, causing the girl to fearfully gulp.

I hated that guy immediately.

"Burke, why did you feel the need to explode one of our own men?" LeShui interjected while collecting the dead Griefers remains. "Alec won't be pleased."

Burke pointed an accusatory finger. "You were the one who exploded him in the first place!"

"I prefer the term 'beautified' and I didn't set those explosives." LeShui shifted his eyes guiltily.

"Yes you did!" Burke exclaimed angrily. His mohawk bristled like a rabid wolverine. "You can't pin this on me! I have witnesses!"

"I see." LeShui began walking towards the two Griefers with TNT at the ready.

"NO!" Burke snatched the TNT out of his hand and spun him away from the cowering Griefers. "If we kill any more of them we won't have anyone to carry the TNT."

"I wasn't going to kill them." LeShui denied. "And I certainly didn't rig up a time-delayed explosive over there by the chests, set to go off any moment, in the hopes I could beautify another Crafter."

 _Wait, what?_

The second that thought entered my mind, there was an explosion from the chests we were hidden by. Veronica and I were propelled through the air before skidding to a halt against the cold warehouse floor.

Right in front of Burke and LeShui.

"Good work, Burke." LeShui congratulated with a pat. "Looks like your random habit of exploding things finally came in handy."

"Even when your craziness does something useful, you still try and blame someone else." Burke shook his head before leveling a glare at us. "You two don't look like Meyrick's goons. What's—?" Suddenly his eyes bulged and his mohawk bristled angrily. "YOU!"

He reached down and yanked the shell-shocked Veronica up by her hair. "You're the blonde bimbo that sent me to prison! The Golden Parakeet!"

"HAWK!" I shouted in exasperation.

"Tweet tweet, asshole." Veronica twittered before aiming a punch at Burke. He had to let go of her to block it, giving her the chance to put some distance between them. "Your bombs have terrorized enough people and made a hell of a lot of paperwork to deal with. So now you're going back to your cozy cell along with your buddy with the Moe Howard hair cut."

"You're just jealous." LeShui shot back.

"And who's the white-haired bitch behind you?" The mohawk-sporting brute questioned rudely. "One of your lackeys?"

I pointed my rapier at the brute. "Does this look like the weapon of a lackey?"

"Ooh, sick burn, Wynn."

"Wynn? Isn't she a Captain of Ringwood?" One of the Griefers questioned. "You got no reason to be here!"

"I know." I admitted in a flat tone. "But I'm kind of being blackmailed into helping."

"Everybody shut the fuck up and kill each other!" Burke shouted as he withdrew a stone sword and swung it at Veronica. The blonde Captain nimbly ducked before back-flipping onto a pile of chests. "That bastard Meyrick told sold us out, didn't he!?"

"Maybe." Veronica sing-songed while loosing several arrows at the bomber. "Or maybe you just couldn't escape the vigilance of the Golden Parakeet."

While those two fought each other, I focused my attention on LeShui and the Griefers. The female Griefer came at me with a heavy axe swing. I effortlessly sidestepped before elbowing her in the back of the head and forcing her to the ground.

The other Griefer came next, wielding a Splash Potion of Poison. He ran right up to me and tried to shatter the potion into my face. In response, I caught the arm holding the potion, spun around, and flipped the Griefer over my shoulder. His back slammed into the ground, driving the wind from his lungs. I then pried the potion out of his hands before throwing it in his own face.

While he screamed in pain, I returned to where the girl was staggering to her feet and kicked her in the back of the knees, forcing her to kneel. Then I slashed her with my rapier to lower her health before rendering her unconscious with a well-placed stomp.

Griefers focused far too much time on ruining people's lives instead of training. Unless in big numbers, they were no real threat.

With the two Griefers out of the way, that only left LeShui. I pointed my rapier at him, but it looked like he hadn't moved from his spot. He was just watching the two downed Griefers.

"Thank you for sparing them." LeShui stated appreciatively. "It will give them the chance to be something greater."

"You're under arrest." I ignored his words and inched closer, not trusting his seemingly unarmed appearance.

He shook his head sadly. "Don't tell me you're like those other close-minded guards who saw only horror in my beautifying acts?"

"You destroyed bridges and killed a lot of people." I continued with a frown. "You're a dangerous criminal."

"People die everyday." LeShui reasoned as he withdrew a lever from his belt. "And when they die, they explode into a shower of EXP and gear. Explosions are natural. Explosions are a part of life. A part of death."

"So that's your motivation?" I questioned angrily. "You blow people up because you think it's natural?"

"It's nothing personal. Just that if people are going to explode and die anyway, wouldn't it be better to go out in a beautiful burst of fire and gunpowder?" He set the lever down by a trail of redstone I only just noticed. _Did he just set that up?_ "Speaking of, do you know one of the first things I learned at the Redstone College?"

"Don't care." I replied harshly, even as my eyes followed the redstone trail to see what he had rigged up. They stopped at a structure loaded with several TNT and water.

LeShui smirked. "TNT cannon." He flicked the lever, igniting the TNT and blasting a block of it towards me.

I quickly sprawled to avoid it, but it detonated right over me. The force of the explosion struck my armored back and decimated the floor, leaving me face down in a smoking crater. I was able to survive, but the injured Griefers nearby weren't so lucky. One of their Heads tumbled into the crater to look at me with lifeless eyes.

"Looks like Burke killed another two Griefers." LeShui commented idly as he looked down from the crater's edge. "Alec will definitely be displeased."

I tried to climb to my feet while LeShui prattled on.

"Live to die another day, Captain." He stated as he turned back to his companion. "Burke! Stop playing around and let's get out of here."

"Playing? PLAYING!?" Came an enraged Burke. "You wanna see fucking playing!? I'll show you fucking playing!"

I climbed out of the crater while listening to the whizzing of arrows overhead, followed by an 'Oh, SHIT!' from Veronica.

Just what was going on up there?

"Wynn! He's spamming TNT all over the place! We gotta go!"

Those words reverberated inside my head like an alarm, forcing me to collect myself or face death by fiery explosion. I climbed out of the crater, accepting a helping hand from Veronica, before bolting out of the warehouse. Burke had already placed several dozen blocks of TNT and was still placing them in an angry frenzy. Veronica wasn't kidding when she said he bombed indiscriminately.

We opened the piston doors and escaped just as we heard the hissing of primed TNT.

The first explosion was the smallest. But like the first domino it instantly primed all nearby TNT, creating a chain reaction of explosions that propelled instant death in every direction. Flashing blocks of TNT flew by as we sprinted away from the warehouse. It would only take a stray explosive to kill us.

When a block of TNT missed Veronica by an inch, I withdrew a Swiftness Potion from my belt and downed it. With my enhanced speed, I dragged Veronica along, straight towards the edge of the chasm, and leapt off. The explosions continued above, but we were falling far away from them and their dangers.

With Veronica's help, we angled ourselves towards the closest slime pad and landed safely. Bits of cobblestone and stone brick rained down upon us. It was disorienting, but we were still alive.

"Damn…" Veronica cursed as she clutched her head. "I think…my ears popped again."

I tried to stifle a laugh, but the relief of being alive combined with Veronica's absurd priorities got the better of me. I laughed loudly and it must have been infectious because Veronica was laughing too. For a while the two of us laughed on that slime pad, oblivious to the panicked crowd reacting to the explosions above.

After a few moments, our laughs devolved into breathless giggles before finally ending.

"Think those two got away?" I asked the blonde, referring to Burke and LeShui.

"Probably." Veronica commented with slight disappointment. "They're slippery bastards, that's for sure. I should've listened to you and called for backup."

"Do you want to keep searching for them?"

Veronica shook her head and sprawled herself across the slime pad like it was a big cushy bed. "It's been a long day…too long…I'll search again tomorrow."

I frowned at her. "So after all that, that's it?"

"I'm not being lazy, Wynn." Veronica argued. "I'm tired. We hauled in a bunch of criminals and I finally got a glimpse of LeShui to add to the wanted posters. And we cut off their TNT supply."

"And what about the Alec guy they mentioned?"

"That's future Veronica's problem." She declared with finality. "Right now, present Veronica is clocking out for the day." She turned to me. "Want to grab a bite before midnight?"

I briefly considered turning her down, hoping to get back to the Inn to see how her guards were doing. And maybe to catch Cobb NOT there. But I figured I could use some dinner, even if it was a late dinner.

"You're buying." I smiled.

"How generous of me."

* * *

[Cobb]

"Lenzington!" I shook the college student frantically, calling him by his full name to get a response. "You gotta snap out of your crazy daze! I can't figure a way out by myself!"

"All…all those Heads…like trophies…" Lenz mumbled, his head jarred with each shake, but his eyes were still unfocused. "After all the research I did…I thought I knew him…an engineer would not have exhibited such barbaric habits."

"Look, I get that you're having a crisis of sorts right now," I spoke while looking him directly in the eye, forcing him to focus. "You found out the guy you idolized is of the mad scientist variety, but none of that matters right now! What matters is us finding a way out of this…End dimension."

It was the only thing I could come up with to describe wherever we were…without further freaking Lenz out. Learning that we were in the Void could have worsened his wrecked mind.

"It does matter…" He spoke to himself. "The man I respected…the legendary engineer…and in that hall…" His face darkened. "Each of those Heads was a victim…not caught in unfortunate lava traps that would have burned them…but actual victims. Jeb hunted them…and hung their Heads on his wall…"

A bit my lip in frustration, trying not to remember all those dead faces. Each one was a Crafter full of experience with the potential to be greater. Of course seeing their Heads, all lined up like a collection, freaked me the fuck out! But in relation to our current predicament, it may as well have been decades ago.

"Come on, Lenz." I shook him a little more, pleading with him to come back to sanity. "I didn't follow you through that portal to watch you lose your mind."

"Liar." He challenged with listless eyes. "You tumbled in…a product of clumsiness…just like me."

"No. Unlike you, I don't go blindly running around after seeing a hall of Heads. I hunch over, dry heave for a bit to get all the mortification out of me, and _then_ I go blindly running around after seeing a hall of Heads." I made it sound like a joke, even though it was completely true, in an effort to get a response from him. "There was an emergency ladder I could have used to get out. Instead I came in after you."

"That…that does not make any rational sense…" Lenz commented, confusion breaking through his listlessness. "You had nothing to gain…there could not have been a ladder…"

"It's the truth. So I'd really appreciate it if you helped me help you to get the hell out of here." I gestured to the stairs. "There's about fifty Endermen out there, and I need whatever expertise or knowledge you have on them if we're going to fight our way out."

I glimmer of feeling returned to Lenz' eyes as he blinked a few times, processing my words. "Fight...? B-but I cannot—"

"SHHHut it!" I covered his mouth with my hand. "I don't care what expertise you have or don't have. Two heads are always better than one."

Lenz pushed my arm aside and stood up from his fetal position. More focus was returning to his eyes. "You do not understand, Cobbert." He frowned while rubbing his arm. "I cannot help you. This dimension…this place…no visible redstone or machination to tinker with…it is completely out of my element."

I groaned aloud and massaged the bridge of my noise. "Oh, come on, Lenz! Is this more of that 'proper place' and 'aptitude' crap? You told me you were spawned among the seven-hundred-thousands. You must have some experience under your belt."

Lenz' eyes darted to the left. If his goggles or glasses were down, I might have missed it. Without them, he was an open book.

"The seven-hundred-thousands…that number is not as impressive as you imagine." He began as he walked over to the pumpkin chest. "I spawned in a group of over one thousand Crafters. Most of them were big, burly, macho men, that took orders from no one and whose knuckles dragged across the dirt.

"As for all the rest, they were of the skinny variety. And I was just the one percent of that demographic whose major talent was stringing big words together in sentences." Despite his self-loathing choice of words, Lenz didn't appear ashamed of calling himself a word-nerd.

But where was he going with his conversation?

"Our group did not know which direction from the Origin Zone to travel. I suggested the tall mountain to the North to get a better view of the surroundings. The group of neanderthals said, ' _Fuck you, Lenny_ ' and traveled East instead." He spat out the nickname Lenny, as if he hated it. "And I had to go along with their choices because I knew I could not last a day by myself.

"I had zero skill with a sword and zero affinity for getting up close and personal with Mobs. Those neanderthals—as dull as they were—had muscles not just for show. They had the _aptitude_ to fight. It was in their veins. It was what they were spawned for. What they were always chosen to do."

He opened the chest and picked up one of the pumpkins. Then he withdrew a torch from his backpack and combined the two to make a glowing jack-o-lantern, which he then set on the black floor. Then he stared into it, like it was a campfire.

"It took a few days, but eventually I accepted that they were made to fight, and I was made for…something else." He smiled sadly. "So I let them be the heroes…let myself be the defenseless sheep being shepherded from the wolves…the wolves that were too busy tearing into the heroes to target me…"

I felt my blood run cold at his metaphor. What had attacked his group?

"When we finally reached Daymonte, there were only thirty or so of us left from that initial thousand…I survived because I accepted that I should flee rather than fight…that it was not my place." He turned to look at me. " _That_ is the level of my experience."

I looked at him carefully, and with a bit of sympathy. "Did you feel guilty over your group?"

"N-no. I did not. They were just mindless meatheads. Nothing more." His eyes darted for a fraction of a second. Barely noticeable, but telling more than his words could. A little glimmer of sympathy. "All the same, I was powerless to do anything."

That couldn't be all there was to it. "Didn't you ever leave the Kingdom to run errands or meet friends or—"

He laughed harshly. "Leave? For what? Once I first laid eyes on Daymonte's machinations and discovered the sweet joys of redstone engineering, I finally knew how to apply my brilliant mind. The pistons, the levers. The sweet sounds of self-automated machinery. I had finally found my place in the world. I was…am…an engineer."

He turned and pointed a finger at me. "And you, Cobbert, are a warrior. And Jeb, an engineer…or so I thought before witnessing his monstrosities…"

"So you're saying you can't help me because escaping some dangerous dimension isn't in your skill set?"

He shook his head. "Not skill set. Aptitude."

"That's the same fucking thing!"

"Comparators. It is like talking to an inebriated monkey." Lenz groaned as he rested his head against the wall. At least he seemed to have snapped out of his crazy daze, finally returning to his normal self. "Allow me to rephrase: Have you ever found something that no matter how hard you tried, you could not succeed?"

"Yeah. Archery." I responded easily. Every time I tried shooting an arrow it either barely sailed or hit me in the face. I even asked Wynn for lessons and still had no luck.

"Then, is it so implausible to just accept you have no affinity for a bow, and to focus your time and attention on something that comes naturally to you?"

"No, it isn't." I argued with a frown, to which Lenz threw his hands up in exasperation. "Everyone spawns from the same Origin. So we all have the potential to do anything we set our minds to. It's only a question of how much time we devote to learning something…and when you keep going when others stop." A snippet of advice came back to me. "You only get out what you put in."

Lenz wrinkled his nose. "That sounds like a sex euphemism."

"Um…that's the mark of good advice." I reasoned in a questioning tone, seeing if he would buy it. It was funny how, despite being trapped in some strange dimension, we were remaining calm through simply talking.

Lenz rolled my advice around, no doubt comparing other words of wisdom as sex euphemisms.

I just shook my head. "I get what you're saying, and I know that when you're frustrated with not learning something, it's easier to give up—I was pretty close myself rebuilding those shelters for Wynn—but I also think we all have our own limitless tap of potential…so anything can be done or learned, regardless of aptitude or experience."

 _So just quit using the 'I lack the aptitude' excuse and help me figure a way out of this End._

Lenz shook his head, his gray hair swishing along with it. "I cannot help. I thought exploring the Stronghold was within my element. There were Mobs, but there was also redstone and traps—the things I actually knew. I believed my skills were the final key to locating Jeb's laboratory—"

"But that wasn't it!" I interjected, grabbing his sides. "I had no clue about engineering or redstone, but I was able to open the door. I got us this far—actually scratch that last part. I don't want to be blamed for this."

Lenz chuckled sadly. "There are no authorities in this dimension, Cobbert. Just Endermen. And I very much doubt they will care about blame." He looked down at his hands. "Perhaps this was also not my place to explore. Perhaps Jeb's secrets were never meant to be found by a weakling like me."

I threw my arms up in exasperation. I was getting nowhere with the student. There had to be some way to instill confidence in him.

"Look, Lenz. You're a smart guy." I began with as much sincerity as my frustration allowed. "And I'm more of a 'think-on-the-fly' or 'try-anything-until-something-works' kind of guy. People are unique like that.

"You focus on complicated engineering stuff, while I just look for the simple solution. But it took both of us, working together, to get this far."

Lenz raised his head, looking like he was thinking. "Working together…like a hopper and a comparator."

 _A comparator and a what? Eh, better just roll with it._

"…Yeah. Exactly like a Hopper and a Comparator." I nodded. "I'm not asking you to fight. I just need you to lend your brilliant mind so we can find a way out of this dimension. So will you help?"

Lenz looked down for a moment and wiped the tear trails off his face with his scarf. Then he picked up and pocketed his shears before straightening his attire. He lowered his glasses to cover his magenta eyes.

"I do not know how much I can assist…" He began tentatively before looking back towards me. "The signs."

"Huh?" I asked.

"The signs from the laboratory." He continued as he paced the floor. "One of them read, ' _Back through the portal_ ', remember? Meaning that someone traveled here once before returning to Minecraftia somehow. Therefore, it stands to reason that there must be a way out."

"For every entrance, there's an exit, right?" I echoed Lenz' words to which he smiled and nodded.

"Unfortunately, the only areas we can explore are currently overrun with Endermen." Lenz glanced at the stairwell with slight anxiety. "We would never survive going up there."

"Then we'll just dig down here." I tossed Lenz my spare wooden pickaxe and readied my own iron one. "This End Stone stuff is pretty weak. So it shouldn't be a problem making tunnels. Just be careful you don't fall off. We're on a floating island of this stuff, after all."

Lenz nodded and gripped the pick awkwardly, picking a random tunnel to mine through. I stood beside him and swung my pick at the first stone.

And then it broke.

"WHY!?" I accused the tool, as if it was accountable for using up its own durability on mining End Stone. "You're doing this on purpose!" I shook its remains furiously until it turned to dust. Then I curled upon myself in comical depression.

"Er…would you like this back?" Lenz asked kindly, presenting my wooden pick to me.

I wordlessly accepted the pick and began mining a tunnel.

As we traveled underground, we heard the grunts of the Endermen above. We kept relatively silent so that none of them could hear us. And to maximize the distance our tunnel could go, I made it as narrow as I could, just big enough to fit a single person. Even if the Endermen did hear us, the space would be too small for their abnormal height.

I didn't know what we were looking for exactly. Would the escape portal look similar to the entrance portal? And if so, would it be close by? If the dimension we were trapped in was the size of Minecraftia, we could spend years wandering without finding anything.

And then I would most certainly be late getting back to the Inn.

Brain: _I warned you._

 _Yeah, yeah. Just help me think up a good excuse for when we finally get out of here._

Heart: _You could tell her your clock broke. It's technically the truth and it would explain how you lost track of time._

Brain: _That's fine for short-term in this dimension, but she probably won't believe we lost track of time if we turn up years later._

Liver: _Then just use the misunderstanding excuse. Tell her you thought she meant midnight several years later rather than midnight tonight._

Brain: _What a great, believable idea! Liver, you are such a genius._

Liver: _Really?_

Brain: _No, you fucking moron. Leave the good ideas to yours truly._

Liver: _Uh…*Sob*…uh…_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Whoa! Relax, Lungs! Geez, I was just joking…_

Listening to my subconscious bicker already made for great mining ambiance, but Lenz felt the need to supply his own hushed words to the silence.

"The chances that Jeb constructed an escape portal underground are astronomically low." Lenz directed his attention to the noises above. "I fear we may have to explore the surface to find it."

"With all those Endermen up there?" I argued. There was no way I could fishing rod them all, and even if Lenz helped with his bow, projectiles couldn't hit the teleporting Mob. Just how had Jeb or whoever built the portal been able to survive in a dimension filled with Endermen?

"Well, my brilliant mind does have the makings of a plan."

"And?"

"It is quite simple. You go up above and flail your arms about with occasional shouting to draw all the Endermen to you."

"…Okay? Then what?"

"Then, I will be free to explore this dimension undisturbed." Lenz stated confidently. "Given enough time, I am positive I can locate a way out."

"And what if the Endermen kill me first?"

"Then I shall remember you fondly."

"I don't like that plan." I shot down. "No way am I gonna risk dying and getting sent to the Void…unless that's where we're at now…um…" I scratched my head trying to wrap my mind around how death in the End dimension worked.

"It is not entirely preposterous that we are in the Void." Lenz held out a metal disk with a red arrow spinning like crazy. "My Compass cannot decide which way the Origin lies. That would mean we are either stood upon the Origin itself, or we are in another plane of existence, far, far away from Minecraftia."

"Is that even possible?" I asked with another swing of my pick.

"Perhaps." Lenz rubbed his chin in thought. "I have heard of portals going to the Nether—"

 _The what now?_

"—But this place is not at all like what is described in the books."

"And what's described in the books?"

"A burning pit of fiery, lava-filled, and monster-filled Hell."

"Sounds like good times. Was inter-dimensional physics a course taught at the college?"

"How you think my description of the Nether is 'good times' is beyond me. Furthermore, the college does not teach a course on—Oh!" Lenz snapped his fingers in realization. "That was that sarcasm I have heard so much about."

"Uh…yeah." _How sheltered is this guy?_ "Haven't you ever used sarcasm before?"

"No, I find it difficult to differentiate from normal speech patterns." He adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps you could help me understand. Is it in the inflection or the tone? Or in the general gait?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Sarcasm's just sarcasm."

"I see." Lenz listened attentively while rummaging in his backpack. Then he stopped and started patting his belt, searchingly. "Hoppers! Of all the days to misplace my notebook, it just had to be the day I finally learn the social nuances."

With one last swing, the wooden pick broke, leaving me with nothing but air in my hands. "Great. Just great—that was sarcasm by the way—really wish I brought that spare pick."

"Cobbert, if you are going to continue using sarcasm, I must insist we find myself a notebook." Lenz stated, frantically double-checking his Inventory. "Just thinking about all these notes I am missing—"

"You're a citizen of Daymonte, right?" I began while setting down a Crafting Table with the intent of crafting a pickaxe out of End Stone. If that didn't work I always had cobble.

"Correct. But how does that pertain to…" His eyes suddenly widened and he shielded himself protectively. "No, Cobbert! I cannot—will not—overwrite my citizenship book! Besides, if it is signed, it cannot be written over."

I let out a disappointed sigh when the End Stone in place of cobblestone didn't make a pickaxe. The bleached stone didn't look useful for anything, but ugly décor. "Well, why are you asking me for a book? You think I carry any beside my citizenship infor—"

As I reached into my backpack for the cobblestone, my hand brushed something unfamiliar. I grabbed it and brought it up to my eye.

It was an [ITEM FRAME].

 _When did I…_

A thought flashed by. The Creeper-woman explosion…crashing into the library wall…knocking over the item frames and the books within that flew into my Inventory…

Books.

"Actually, hang on, I may have some books for you to use." I promised Lenz as I sifted through my Inventory. I counted four item frames so I probably had four books.

I mentally glimpsed each title as I pulled them out.

' _Feelings: And How to Destroy Them_ ' By Frankly_DontGiveADamn.

' _Fifty Shades of Chicken_ ' By LarsLarsPantsOnFars.

' _Advanced Mob-Slaying_ ' By Herobrine.

' _The History of Cadboro Bridge_ ' By Alexi—

…

 _Huh?_

I went back to the third book, completely ignoring Lenz' whines to take notes.

 _Advanced?_

 _Herobrine?_

I tore the book open to the first page and began to read.

 **[If you are reading this, I can only assume you enjoyed my first book 'How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts' and are yearning for an advanced learning. I rhyme to break tension…it was Notch's idea.]**

 **[Since my first book was rejected—I mean they couldn't sell those puppies fast enough!—I have decided to take some…constructive criticisms to heart in order to improve my writing. At Notch's suggestion, I changed the title to something more eye catching…and less insulting. Because apparently, people have feelings.]**

 **[Who knew?]**

 **[Anyway, I write this note to thank Notch for all his support and advice. A better friend I will never find. I have already been approached by several new publishers. I might even be able to write a third!]**

 **[But once again, this book is for the purpose of enlightening Crafters of the dangers of Mobs. While my first book touched upon the basic four, this book delves deeper into the more unique Mobs that plague our world. Endermen, Endermites, Silverfish, Slimes, Witches, and Guardians. Hopefully, my words will help you, the humble reader, survive in this crazy world…where, again, people apparently have feelings.]**

"Hooooooooaah!" I gasped in realization, not even bothering to keep my voice down.

"Cobbert, what is it?"

"Hoooooooooooooooooooooaah!" I turned my head to face Lenz, then back to the book, then back to Lenz, then back to the book again.

"You look and sound like me when I find out the new issue of Redstone Engineering Monthly just arrived."

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I held up the book as if it were a precious treasure.

Because if it had tips on how to slay Endermen…it very well could be.

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 11 Cobblestone, 64 End Stone, 64 End Stone, 64 End Stone, 35 End Stone, 1 Coal, 18 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 10 String, 1 Bone, 6 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 33 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 11 Rotten Flesh, 1 Arrow, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Feelings: And How to Destroy Them}, 1 Book {Fifty Shades of Chicken}, 1 Book {The History of Cadboro Bridge}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 9]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 30 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 17 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 15 String, 19 Carrots, 36 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: A wise man once said...'HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAH!'**

 **Not sure if any of you remember the first book Cobb read back in Chapter 5. Now he has the sequel, with info on Mobs he hasn't even seen yet. Though I'm sure you all know how Cobb is going to get past those Endermen. The other books I just picked some funny titles and Author Names.**

 **A bit of Lenz' backstory came through. He's been around a while, but he's never had to get his hands dirty. Making him just as much, if not more of, a Newb than Cobb.**

 **The Wynn and Veronica vs Burke and LeShui showdown wasn't as impressive. But it wasn't supposed to be. Not everything goes as planned after all. But it kinda touched on their friendship as well as highlight their major flaws. Veronica is impulsive, quick-thinking, but throws caution to the wind while Wynn is precise, careful, and refuses to accept unconventional methods. And that's why the bombers got away.**

 **See you all next week. Unless you see me first.**

* * *

Omake: Fun with Comparators

LeShui made sure he had everything set up before he walked into the place. This was probably the biggest mission of his life. Everything was at stake. If there was even one slip-up-

No! He couldn't think like that. There would be no slip-ups.

He and Burke had already been discovered by that lesbian duo, but that was because they trusted Meyrick to keep his mouth shut.

This was different. Nobody else was involved.

Just him...and the dry cleaner's.

"Hello, sir. How can I help?"

The man behind the counter beamed brightly as he washed a leather tunic of its red dye in a cauldron filled with water.

"Hello. I've been here before." LeShui responded as he glanced around the place. He was the only customer. Apparently Crafters preferred the other dry cleaner's which could actually distinguish subtle differences in color. "I had you wash my _light_ gray leather armor and instead you re-dyed it gray. Is that a policy of your establishment?"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir." The man behind the counter replied automatically. His go-to response for customers with problems. "If there's anything I can do-"

"As a matter of fact, there is." LeShui capitalized on the man's eagerness to make amends. "I have a redstone lesson for you that you might find...enlightening."

The man didn't notice the menace behind those words. "Um...sure! Thoguh I'm not very good with redstone-"

"Oh, it's quite simple, really." LeShui explained earnestly as he pulled out a cauldron, a bucket of water, a comparator, and some redstone. "Did you know, that a comparator can output a redstone signal without the use of a source such as a block of redstone, a lever, or a redstone torch?"

"No...no I can't say that I knew that."

"Basically, you can hook up a comparator to a chest, a hopper, or in this case a cauldron," LeShui continued as he placed the cauldron down and filled it with water, "And then the comparator will output a redstone signal depending on how full the cauldron is."

"That's...very interesting, sir." The man lied as he put on a fake smile.

"Yes, it is." LeShui smiled as he mentally finished the explanation.

 _It is particularly interesting to note that this method makes the perfect time-delayed explosives for establishments using cauldrons for water sources. As soon as the cauldron is empty..._

 _BOOM!_

 _No more miss-dyed laundry._

"Is...that all, sir? I have a lot of leather to be washing."

"Yes. And so little time." The bomber finished as he backed away to the door. "Have a good life."

Ignoring the puzzled look on the man's face, LeShui exited the dry cleaners before sneaking his way to the side and mining out a section of the wall. Right behind one of the washing cauldrons. He placed the comparator, attached an inverter to it, and rigged the ground around the place with several blocks of TNT.

When that was done, he nodded appreciatively at his own work and made sure it was hidden by some empty chests.

"Taking out a lowly dry cleaner's." LeShui commented to himself as he kept his hands in his belt as he left what would soon become a crater. "Will Burke's madness ever be fully satiated?"

* * *

 **AN: LeShui _knows_ his time-delayed explosives. Just as he knows the difference between gray and light gray.**


	39. Advanced

**AN: I couldn't get this to my Beta in time. So pleese ignoir erors if yu c any.**

 **I also wanted to give a shout-out to two ' _My Craft-esque_ ' fanfics. Because...guess what...It's National Tell A Story Day!**

 **...**

 **That's an actual holiday. April 27th. I'm serious. So I figured I'd promote two Minecraft stories.**

 **The first is 'Factions' by AwakenedKarbon. It's...slightly identical to 'My Craft'. You can kind of see the similarities. But it has its own story, so give it a chance and see what you think.**

 **The second is 'Panda Craft' by AwesomeSauce555. It's very similar to my story, but has a female main character instead of a male one. It's also supposedly a fanfic of my fanfic...even though my fanfic is based off the constraints of a video game. It has the same setting as 'My Craft', but I'm assuming it's not related to my story's world or plot. So if you like 'My Craft' and its setting but don't like Cobb or where his story is going, give 'Panda Craft' a read and see what you think.**

 **Moving on. Congrats to Laner for guessing the answer right. There were actually multiple answers I would have accepted, but his/hers was the first. The answer: You can't answer 'yes' to the question 'Are you dead?' Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add rare ores in the End.

Beta: Myself this time

* * *

Chapter 39

 **Advanced**

[Cobb]

"Cobbert!" Lenz warned in a hushed whisper. "Unless you wish for a speedy death by Endermen, you should keep your voice down!"

I didn't care though. All the fear I felt over the inescapable dimension of Endermen evaporated upon reading the intro to Herobrine's second book. His first book had tips on Creepers that were otherwise unknown to Crafters. Surely this book would be the same, but for stronger Mobs.

Those pesky Witches and their splash potion combos. The Bugs that swarmed in unstoppable torrents. Endermen and their strength and reach.

The book would detail weaknesses, strengths, tips, tricks, and anything else that could easily take them down. And since it was a book about survival, I wouldn't be bored out of my mind reading it.

"You don't get it, Lenz!" I exclaimed excitedly as I flipped through the pages. "This book was written by Herobrine, the first person to spawn in all of Minecraftia. I read the prequel to it and it helped me deal with Mobs."

"A book…taught you how to fight Mobs?" His ears perked up in interest and he leaned over my shoulder to glimpse the writing. "Herobrine…Herobrine…Why have I not heard of that name?"

As I flipped through, the word 'Enderman' caught my eye. "Right here. This is all we need."

 **[ENDERMAN]**

 **[Description: Jet black skin with purple eyes. Tall with long arms and legs. When passive, they only make small grunts. However, when hostile, their jaw unhinges and they make a guttural noise as terrible as it is ominous.]**

 **[Tips: Enderman, while appearing dangerous, are a special type of Mob that does not actively seek conflict. Unlike Zombies or Skeletons, they will not attack a Crafter immediately. Instead, the peculiar Mob spends its time in search of blocks. It is the only Mob I know of that can lift blocks, but even that is limited to gravel, dirt, pumpkins, and other minor blocks. Since none of these are major blocks in construction, structures are safe from Endermen.]**

 **[However, Endermen are Mobs of great pride. If a Crafter is to look directly into their eyes, the Endermen take it as a challenge. At that moment, they become hostile and use their incredible teleportation abilities and monstrous strength to kill the offending Crafter. They are capable of 5 hearts of damage and have double the health of a standard Crafter (20 hearts).]**

 _That's why that first Enderman only went after Floyd._ I thought to myself, remembering near Mt. Mur. When that Enderman attacked, I kept my head low while Floyd kept looking at it. No wonder it was so belligerent.

 **[Additionally, Endermen are immune to projectiles. Any arrows shot at them will instantly trigger their teleportation, warping them to safety in a flurry of purple particles. They can also avoid sword strikes by teleporting away before returning with a vengeance. Their teleportation is unpredictable, appearing in front of you or behind you in moments.]**

"I am not feeling any better about our chances for survival, Cobbert." Lenz commented after reading the same stuff I was reading.

"Just give it a minute."

 **[When angered, Endermen are fast, evasive, strong, and vicious. So how does one fight them?]**

 **[By not fighting at all.]**

 **[Since eye contact is all it takes to anger one, simply stare at the ground and you should be able to walk right by. Additionally, I have studied that Endermen only react to eyes, but not similar eye openings. Upon testing with a pumpkin, the Endermen was looking directly into the carved pumpkin's face…and nothing!]**

 **[Upon further testing, wearing the pumpkin on one's head (while ridiculous) masks your own eyesight. Although the pumpkin is rather concealing, it enables minimal vision in navigating amongst the Endermen without raising alarms. The same can be said about staring at Endermen through transparent blocks such as glass.]**

 **[Endermen and water do not mix. Perhaps because water is free flowing and not in a single block that Endermen can carry. Rain and Sunlight also damage the Mob. And if cornered, building a shelter only two blocks high can keep you safe while the Enderman's height keeps it from teleporting inside or entering.]**

 **[The best strategy for dealing with Endermen (if you must) is to utilize weapons that damage over time. An Enderman usually teleports away from a Crafter to prolong the battle as long as possible. Burning or poisoning one will turn the tables, making a longer battle unfavorable for the Mob.]**

 **[Endermen rarely spawn in Minecraftia, but are indigenous to a certain dimension I have dubbed the 'End'. However, since portals there are strictly limited, it is doubtful any of you readers would stumble upon it.]**

"Doubtful, but possible." Lenz chimed in.

 **[Weakness: Water, Sunlight, Splash Potion of Harming, Splash Potion of Poison, Fire.]**

All that for one Mob. Compared to that mountain of writing, the info on Zombies and Skeletons were snippets. Did the other Advanced Mobs have similar notes?

I suppose it made sense. Most of the Mobs I fought were from that first book. They were the most common, spawning the most frequently, and therefore were the easiest to kill.

But if the Enderman section was any indication, Advanced Mobs were rarer and more difficult to deal with. I had only ever seen Witches once, and that once was almost enough to kill me. The same with the Bugs (thought they probably went by a different name since the book never mentioned 'Bugs' in the intro).

Rarer Mobs meant more of a challenge. More to deal with. More to consider.

And if I didn't want to get killed, I'd have to learn how to handle them.

I closed the book and turned to Lenz. "Back when we first ended up in this…End. Do you remember that chest full of pumpkins?"

* * *

"This is asinine!" Lenz argued as I pulled out two pumpkins from the chest in that first room. "Wearing pumpkins on our heads? Who would ever think to do that?"

"Nobody. That's the point." I stated while passing the student a pumpkin. "If we knew that pumpkins could keep us safe from Endermen, we would've used them. Nobody ever thought Creeper explosions could be blocked by a sword, either. But, as we've both seen, they can."

Lenz opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself, probably recalling the Creeper-woman that would have blown him up if I hadn't blocked it. "You…you learned that from Herobrine's first book?"

"Sure did. And it saved my life just as it saved yours." I had to take off my leather cap for the pumpkin to fit, and once it did, I was only able to see through the mouth and eyes of the fruit. "Herobrine wouldn't go through the trouble of researching these things just to publish a book with false information."

Lenz stared hesitantly at the pumpkin in his hands before turning his attention back to me. Then he sighed to himself and put the pumpkin on. "Very well. I shall put my faith in your word…provided you go out there first."

"That's not exactly faith, but sure." I commented as I walked up the stairwell. The Endermen's grunts got louder with each ascending step, but I was confident Herobrine wouldn't let me down.

He hadn't before.

* * *

[Wynn]

"Looks like it's true what they say." I began after polishing off my meal. "Food does taste better when it's free."

"Glad you enjoyed it." Veronica replied after taking out a few emeralds to pay for the meal.

We had been extremely lucky to find a restaurant open so late. Though it probably had something to do with the fact that Veronica, the Golden Whatever-she-felt-like, was popular among the Kingdom's inhabitants. They actually liked her and she seemed friendly with them.

It made me a little jealous, thinking of how in Ringwood, my approach always forced Crafters to stand up straighter. Yet they never offered kind words, content to let me pass without so much as a 'hello'.

As if they were afraid of me.

Afraid of the strict merciless Captain my reputation made me out to be.

…

"Hey, Veronica." I turned to the blonde who held her hands behind her head in a carefree manner. "How come people like you so much?"

Veronica considered that for a moment, taping her chin in thought, before shrugging. "I dunno. Just my personality I guess." Then she suddenly grinned. "Or were you gonna say you liked me for different reasons?"

I shook my head. "Ringwood's Crafters don't look at me the same way Daymonte's people look at you. I uphold the law, and I suppose my bias towards criminals make me seem intimidating. But you're just as intimidating and have a disregard for strict security yet Crafters treat you so warmly. How do you do it?"

Veronica's eyes widened a bit before she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Hey, don't say things like that. You should be proud of your reputation in Ringwood. It's only because you value keeping your Kingdom safe that your methods are so unyielding. Be thankful you're not like those other Kingdoms that resort to flat out brutality to keep people in line."

 _Says the woman that beat up two people with a sunflower._

"And one more thing." Veronica locked her deep green eyes with my amber ones. "Even if your whole Kingdom thinks you're scary, I don't. And do you know why?"

"Because we've known each other for a long time." I replied unquestioningly, as if I already knew it was the answer.

"We _have_ known each other for a long time. But that's not it."

I raised a brow. "Is it…because we're good friends?"

"You're getting warmer." Veronica smiled softly as she leaned in closer. "Last guess."

I hummed in thought, all while noting how dangerously close Veronica was getting. After the stunt she pulled at the nightclub, it was making me a bit wary.

On a whim, I took a wild guess. "Because you enjoy teasing me like this?"

"Bzzzt! Wrong." She slowly reached out and held my hands with hers. "It's because I think you're cool, smart, beautiful, inspiring…and that's why…" She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for something. "That's why…the next time you visit Daymonte, or I visit Ringwood…I'd want to go out on a date. With you."

"What, like a double date? Because I don't need you to set me up with someone crazy."

"And what if the 'someone crazy' was me?"

All coherent thought in my brain was wiped away. "What?"

"Wynn!" She exclaimed half amused, half exasperated. "I'm asking you out on a date!"

"A…date?" I must have misheard her. There was no way she was asking me this. It was just one of her habitual teasing schemes. "A-are you serious?"

"Like a Charged Creeper." She was still holding my hands and was looking at me expectantly. "After barely escaping that warehouse of TNT, and both of us almost dying, I realized I shouldn't be hesitant about my feelings for you anymore. Life is too short."

"You mean…" I was trying to put two and two together, but was only coming up with five. "You're a lesbian?"

"Yeah! Just like you."

I took a few steps back at how certain she sounded in making that assumption. "Veronica…I…I'm not a lesbian."

She looked momentarily surprised but quickly schooled her features. "What are you talking about? Of course you are…Aren't you?"

"No!" I shook my head in denial. "I'm not—what made you even think I was homosexual?"

"Well," she ticked off her fingers, "your clothes, your personality, the way you talk to Cobb or any man in general, your job, your—"

"Alright! I get it! Just…" I held up my hands, removing them from Veronica's grip. Who'd ever think that all the times she teased me, she was actually _flirting_ with me. And the reason she wanted me alone on her mission…

 _Good God, I'm more oblivious than Cobb!_

 _COBB!_

"I'm…sorry, Veronica. But I'm not a lesbian. I didn't mean to send you mixed signals. Or misinterpret yours."

Veronica's hands fell to her side, swaying slightly, before she hung her head dejectedly. "Oh…Okay." She sniffed slightly before rubbing her eyes.

I reached out a hand to pat her consolingly. "I really am sorry Veronica. I had no idea—"

Veronica straightened up instantly, a devious smile spreading across her face along with no evidence of any tears. "How sorry? Because I may know of a way you can make it up to me." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"NOT THAT SORRY!" And just like that, she was back. "My God! You're incorrigible!" I lightly and repeatedly slapped her shoulder, not really causing her any pain, while she just laughed herself into a corner.

What was so darn funny? There was no ways she could bounce back that fast about having her emotions spurned! Like some kind of rubber ball of emotions.

When her laughs finally subsided, she put on a challenging grin. "I don't buy it."

…

"What?" I questioned.

"I don't buy it. You not being a lesbian." She nodded to herself as if it were a fact. "My intuition is never wrong about these kinds of things. And I haven't seen you looking at any man with a roving eye."

"Maybe that's because I don't have a perverted mind like you." I challenged, not liking what she was insinuating. I was definitely heterosexual.

Sure, I hadn't thought about pursuing a relationship, but that was mostly because I had my work to focus on. Kingdoms didn't defend themselves.

As for marriage? Ridiculous. Why would I even need a husband to do all the chores when I had Erin at home? Sure, husbands probably cost less money and more of that emotional attachment prevalent in those romance novels I occasionally read.

But still! I was heterosexual! Emphatically so!

"Oh, Wynny—"

"Don't ever call me that, again."

Suddenly, Veronica reached out and lightly touched my cheek before leaning her face incredibly close to mine. Our noses were an inch apart and I watched as she licked her lips sensually. I barely registered the blood flowing to my face or how it made Veronica give off a satisfied smile.

Her thumb rubbed against my cheek as we remained in that position. I was too frozen in anxiety…and maybe something else, and she looked like she was enjoying herself too much.

Veronica's lush green eyes continued to bore into mine before she finally backed off. "Alright, I'll accept that excuse for now. But let it be known that the Golden Flamingo is never one to back down from a challenge. Especially when the reward for that challenge is making passionate love with my little Snow-Hare."

It was hard to swallow with the lump in my throat. So I just stared in shock at the blonde that was already backing away towards the chasm's edge.

She smiled sultrily. "But I gotta say, for someone who's into guys, you really seemed to enjoy me taking up your space." She offered a lazy wave. "See you soon, Snow-Hare. Count on it." Then she jumped off the edge and deep into the chasm, towards whatever place she called home.

I just stood there, staring at the spot Veronica had been only moments ago. Feeling a range of emotions that I couldn't even begin to fathom. Confusion. Annoyance. Embarrassment. Relief. Anxiety. Unease. Happiness. Frustration.

But mostly embarrassment. Since my face was still as red as an apple.

I wasn't a lesbian…I wasn't!

…

 _Curse you, Veronica! For making me doubt my own sexuality! Curse you!_

After that level of embarrassment, I went to look for a window to throw myself out of.

* * *

After failing to find a suitable window to throw myself out of, I decided to head back to the Inn. It was late after all. Almost Midnight in fact.

After all the craziness of the day, I just wanted to get to my room, order a personal cake (a rare treat), and sleep off all the drama caused by my friend…who I recently found out was a lesbian…and is interested in me…

…

 _I swear this is just like the plot of 'Fifty Shades of Chicken.'_

The point was, nothing, save a direct order from his Eminence, could make me do anything but relax before I retired for the night.

Literally noth—

"Captain Wynn. I hope you had an enjoyable day."

I turned to regard one of my more disciplined guards, Bitters. He was leaned against the entrance to the Inn, looking particularly pleased about something.

"Bitters. What are you still doing up? It's quite late."

"Forgive me, Captain." Bitters bowed. "I know your policy on curfews. But I felt the need to wait here."

"And why is that?" I just wanted him to get on with it. He was the only thing between me and a personal cake. And that is not something you want to get between after a day like mine.

"Well, earlier today, I couldn't help but overhear the consequences for the 'Fishing Rod Champion,' Cobb, should he arrive late." He spat out his title with great loathing before schooling his features into a composed smile. "So I thought you might like to know that he hasn't yet returned to the Inn."

Those words made something snap. And with it, some internal rage began to bubble forth. "He's not back?" I inquired with an outward calm, but an inside storm.

"I'm afraid not. He wasn't in his room and I haven't seen him enter since." He couldn't relay those words fast enough. "And while it _pains_ me to report my fellow companion," He placed a hand over his heart as if the very act wounded him, "I believe that everyone should face the consequences of their actions."

 _Truer words were never spoken._ I thought before storming past Bitters. I warned that idiot not to stay out too late. And what does he do?

Stay out late!

Looks like there _was_ something that could make me forget about relaxing. Spite!

"I also took the liberty of obtaining the complete fifty volume set of Redstone Engineering." Bitters chimed gleefully as he watched me storm off towards Cobb's room. "Anything to ensure the punishment is fully delivered to the unfortunate Cobb. It's in your room on the bed."

"Thank you, Bitters." I gritted out, grateful, but also too mad to thank him properly.

Cobb was supposed to be in his room, contentedly doing nothing to ruin anything. But instead he was apparently NOT in his room, doing whatever he pleased. And expecting to get away with it.

Not on my watch.

And according to my watch, it was midnight on the dot!

As I was walking to his room to see for myself, I was already planning what I'd do. The second Cobb returned to his room, I'd be there. Waiting for him. Ready to spitefully pin him to the wall by his privates and read him all fifty volumes! Through the night if I had to!

Because I was done…DONE…with all the SHIT I had to deal with today!

Veronica, Criminals, a Jibberman, Veronica, Serial Bombers, several dozen monikers for the same thing, VERONICA!

And now I was expected to top it all off with an idiot who couldn't be bothered to come home at a proper hour!?

NO!

I just wanted my well-deserved cake and sleep!

* * *

[Cobb]

Walking across that End landscape, with all its bleached End Stone and dangerous Endermen…

Was fairly uneventful thanks to the pumpkins. I literally stared at an Enderman for a minute while wearing the fruit, and it didn't even care. None of them did. They just kept wandering around, doing nothing, and looking menacing while doing it.

"This landscape," Lenz' voice, muffled by the pumpkin, sounded right behind me as he gazed upon the dry stone. "It is so barren and devoid of life."

"Yeah. This is kind of what I expect Wynn's personality to look like." I commented with a chuckle.

"Who is Wynn?"

"Just a scary lady who's going to read me fifty volumes of engineering once I get out of here."

"Oooh, what fun!" Lenz clapped excitedly. "It is a great read. Personally, I believe things pick up at around the eighteenth volume. That is when they start talking about Comparators and their usefulness is the designing of—"

"Are there any pictures?"

Lenz stopped haltingly, shooting me a questioning look before lighting up in realization. "Ah…more sarcasm, right?"

 _I wish._ I thought sadly as my hopes fell away. Maybe Wynn wouldn't notice if I read from the Herobrine book while she read me the fifty volumes.

The End's landscape wasn't confined to just barren rock. There were also tall monoliths of a black crystalline substance that towered high above our heads. Ten pillars, all arranged in a circle, with varying heights that pointed towards the unfathomable darkness above.

…

So…yeah.

Not much to do in the End.

If barren wastelands weren't your thing, there were tall pillars. If tall pillars weren't your thing either, have fun playing with the Endermen that could kill you with a flick of their noodle arms.

Why couldn't _my_ noodle arms have such strength?

"Cobbert." Lenz tugged on my shoulder, turning my attention towards the edge of the floating island. Through the pumpkin head, I saw he was pointing towards a thin line of End Stone, built out off the island like some kind of single block-wide bridge. Suspended over inky, black nothingness.

It went out into the nothingness, further than my eye could perceive. A thin line of bleached stone that only got thinner and thinner until it disappeared from sight.

"Do you believe someone built that?" Lenz suggested.

I shrugged. "Whoever did must have been fascinated with nothing. Because that's all that's out there. And that's all that's out here. Nothing."

"And the craters?" Lenz pointed towards some massive craters in the otherwise flat landscape. Something huge had decimated the ground. An explosion of some kind. Couldn't have been recent though, since there were no End Stone blocks hovering about.

"Trying to blow up nothing?"

"There cannot just be nothing of value here." Lenz scolded with his hands rested on his hips. "Surely there is a use for this End Stone…perhaps an ore available nowhere else. Otherwise, why build the portal?"

"Maybe it's another trap. Getting sent to an alternate dimension is a real day spoiler."

"Indeed." Lenz reached a hand underneath his pumpkin, swapping his glasses for his goggles as he took a better look around.

"Huh." I thought to myself as we strode past some Endermen. "For some reason…I'm feeling a lot of danger right now."

"Perhaps it is because we are surrounded by Endermen." Lenz suggested as he turned his attention to the circle of tall pillars.

"No…no it feels like something worse…" I unconsciously checked my clock, even though it was still spinning with no exact time. "I think it's midnight."

"What makes you assume that?"

"Well, you know how some people get scars from other people, and then those scars turn out to be cool lightning bolt-shaped, which garner a lot of attention, but then later turn out to burn like a hot iron whenever the guy that gave you that scar is close or feels particularly murderous?"

"…No."

"Oh…" I replied lamely, but I didn't want to stop my explanation just because he couldn't relate. "Well, I can feel a great pain…between the legs…so I'm assuming Wynn knows I'm not at the Inn."

"And Wynn is the scary lady?"

"Exactly. See, I knew you were a fast learner."

His pumpkin face beamed at the praise before his eyes lit up for another reason. "Cobbert! I-I see something at the middle of those pillars! It…It looks like a fountain of bedrock."

"What?" I squinted my eyes towards where he was pointing. All I could see was a slightly lighter black blur against an otherwise dark backdrop. "That's a fountain? How can you even see that?"

"An archer needs good eyesight to see what he shoots." Lenz replied sagely as he walked toward the fountain. "There is nothing else here made of bedrock. Therefore, Jeb must have built it with his bedrock-mining machination. As for what purpose, I am not certain. But I am certain that it could be of use."

"Lead the way, college boy." I walked after him, inwardly cringing at how much reading I'd have to listen to. And I was so sure I could get back before midnight, too. The only consolation was that I managed to snap Lenz out of his crazy daze and got a useful book about Mobs…and that Wynn would be forced to endure the book reading as well.

That was something. Misery likes company after all.

"Cobbert!" Lenz called from the fountain. "I think this is the portal!"

Those words were enough to make me rush the rest of the distance until I was standing before the fountain. Inside was the same liquid onyx material from the first portal. Only this one was made of bedrock and in the shape of a fountain. The center of it had a pillar of bedrock jutting out of the liquid onyx, with torches all around.

"So…do we jump in or…"

"Comparators, no!" Lenz shot back as while examining the fountain. "We do not know where this will even take us. For all we know it could sentence us to a worse hell!"

I gestured to the surrounding landscape of Endermen and nothing else. "What could be worse than this?"

"A world without redstone, for one." Lenz walked around the fountain, looking for any clues or signs.

"You know, that is just a chance I'm willing to take." A world without redstone meant no book about redstone. Which meant no reading about redstone, forced or otherwise. I could live with that.

After coming up with nothing, Lenz could only reluctantly agree. "Well…we have already circled the perimeter of the island. Nothing but these pillars and this fountain. And I do not wish to be stranded here forever with a nerd."

I looked at him, insulted. "Did you just call _me_ a nerd?"

"So I suppose we will just have to, how you say, 'wing it.'" Lenz hopped onto the fountain ledge and I mirrored his movements. "Perhaps we should hold hands?"

"I'm not touching your clammy hands." I warned as I looked into the liquid onyx. Small bits of smoke were evaporating off of it. "Just…just close your eyes and jump on three."

It was all or nothing.

"And by three, I don't mean 'one, two, three, go' I mean go on three. Alright?"

"That is what I assumed you meant." Lenz nodded as he adjusted his pumpkin head and wrapped his scarf snugly around his neck.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…!"

There was the jump and then falling. Falling…falling…falling…falling…some weird conversation in blue and green text that scrolled by.

 **'** **I see the player you mean.'**

 _'_ _King_Cobb?'_

 **'** **Yes. Take care. It has reached a higher level now. It can read our thoughts.'**

Only it didn't scroll by fast enough. It was super slow. Was it so I could read it all? Screw that! I already was going to read a crap-ton when I got back so why would I want to read more about something I don't even know about!

And Lenz wasn't even there to sit through it—I mean commiserate with. Just me. That was just unfair!

"Uh…excuse me?" I called out. As if hearing me, the scrolling text just stopped. "Yeah, um, can I just skip reading this? I don't really understand it and it's boring me."

 **'…'**

 _'…'_

 **'** **What a little shit."**

 _'_ _Indeed. How dare it interrupt our incredibly important and well thought out poem. A reward for it slaying the Ender Dragon.'_

"What dragon? I didn't kill any dragon."

 **'** **...!** '

 _'_ _Oh SHIT! We've spoiled something that should not have been spoiled!'_

 **'** **Quick! Just skip to the end and pray it isn't smart enough to notice our mistakes!'**

 _'_ _Right…uh…uh…Ah!'_

 _'_ _Wake up.'_

* * *

"WAHHH!" I awoke from my bed with a start, rolling off and falling unceremoniously to the floor. I felt a cold sweat cover my body, but I was otherwise fine.

And I was in my room.

"Did…did I sleep in the whole day?" I questioned looking back at my bed. "Was all that End stuff a dream?"

Suddenly, the door slammed open, causing me to shriek. Standing in the doorway was Wynn and the green—haired guard named Bitters.

I began to panic as soon as I saw Wynn's face. She looked livid. But then her face softened when her eyes spotted me on the floor. She looked surprised. "Cobb. You're…You're back."

"Um…yeah." I began, wondering which parts of the day were real and which parts were dreams. How else could I have ended up on my bed? I must have been napping after returning from the redstone fair.

Meanwhile, Bitters was behind Wynn, babbling incoherently. "B-but he-he was…and I was…he wasn't here when I checked…how did—"

"Bitters." Wynn snapped, turning to the guard who straightened immediately despite his confusion. "I believe you need to have your eyes examined. Because it looks to me that Cobb has been in this room napping, and not outside at this late hour."

"I swear to you Captain," Bitters protested as I fumbled to my feet. "I checked a few minutes ago and he wasn't here. He…he must have snuck through the window!"

Wynn raised an eyebrow before striding over to the closed window. "Really? Through a closed window overlooking the chasm, with no nerd pole or ladders nearby? It would be more believable to say he flew here."

"I'm telling you this room was empty last I checked!" Bitters whined.

"And I'm telling you that Cobb was lying on his bed, well before midnight, last I checked." Wynn stated pointing at me.

"But—"

"Enough, Bitters." Wynn silenced him while massaging the bridge of her nose. "It's been a long day, and I wish to enjoy some time for myself before I go to bed. I suggest you do the same…and clear whatever is obstructing your eyes."

Bitters looked like he wanted to protest further, but Wynn's look was all it took to convince him otherwise. Instead, he shot me a look of pure hatred before skulking out into the hall.

Wynn watched him go before turning to me. "So you decided to sleep in?"

"Um…yeah. I guess." I replied, still a bit blurry on the lines between reality and possible dreams. My vision was also a bit blurry too. Like I was looking at Wynn through a pair of glasses or—

"Were you at a costume party or something?" Wynn inquired as she threw away a book from her backpack. Something about redstone.

 _A costume party?_ "Why do you ask?"

She pointed at me. "Because you're wearing a pumpkin over your head."

My eyes shot open, realizing what was obstructing my vision, before I ripped the pumpkin off and looked at it. I hadn't gotten a pumpkin at the fair. And I wouldn't have put it on.

I dug through my Inventory, finding the items frames, Herobrine's book, no Note Block or Iron Pick. My Inventory reflected everything I thought happened in the dream.

Which meant it wasn't a dream.

I had actually gone to another dimension, met Lenz, and journeyed into a secret lab in the forbidden part of the Kingdom.

And I wouldn't tell Wynn about any of it.

Because the merciful Alibi Gods had saw fit to connect that fountain portal straight to my own bed. All mere seconds before Wynn discovered I was gone. It didn't matter why or how. All that mattered was that I was about to get away with everything.

"Yes! Costume Party!" I laughed nervously while tossing the pumpkin into my chest. "So how was your day?"

I said it to divert attention away from me, but Wynn seemed to have a lot on her mind as she blew a stray strand of hair from her face. "It was rough. But I think I secured a deal with Daymonte for the railway His Eminence proposed."

"Neat." I replied lamely while examining my bed for any signs of inter-dimensional portals. If It really was connected to the End, where had Lenz ended up?

Actually, maybe it was better he wasn't there. Wynn would want an explanation for why two guys were in a room together.

Besides, wherever he was, Lenz probably ended up in Minecraftia again, just like me. And I was sure he was nearby.

…Maybe.

 _I probably should go look for him. Even though it's late. At least check the College for him._

I got up to go to the door, but Wynn blocked me. "Hang on. Where do you think you're going?"

"Um…well…you saw that I was here by midnight so now I can go back out right? To see the night life?" I improvised wildly.

Wynn frowned. "While I do appreciate you keeping your word, it is late and time for bed." She turned me around and marched me over to the bed. But it was all done without much force. Almost gently. "I'm sorry for waking you up. I didn't mean to slam the door open."

Aw, crap. Now I felt guilty. "It's no big deal. Really." There was no way I'd be able to go out and look for Lenz without Wynn noticing. It would be better to wait until morning when I was better rested.

"It is a big deal." Wynn continued as she led me back to my bed and laid the covers over me. "I…I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt. I really didn't think you would make it back in time."

I chuckled nervously. "What? Did you think I'd stumble into another dimension or something? Ha. Ha."

"Not something that oddly specific, no. But I did think you'd get in trouble." She withdrew a pair of iron leggings and iron boots from her backpack before tossing them in my chest. "Looks like you proved me wrong."

"Are those for me?" I questioned as I watched the iron gear fall into the chest. "Did you make those?"

"No, I got them off a dead Jibber—I mean, yes!" She polished the armor with a bit of her blouse. "Completely new and not off a dead body. Think of them as thanks for honoring your word and an apology for doubting you."

Double crap. That made me feel even more guilty. I had to either admit the truth or get her something as thanks. I frantically searched my Inventory before zeroing in on something.

"In that case," I began as I withdrew my leather cap. "I noticed you're missing your green leather cap."

"Huh? Oh!" Wynn pressed a hand to her head as if just realizing it was missing. "Yes. I lost it in a minor scuffle. Don't worry about—"

I didn't let her talk herself out of it as I tossed her the cap. It wasn't brand new, but dyed green it would be just as good as her old one. She deftly caught it and blinked at me. "Just wear it. I got kick-ass armor anyway." I gave her a smile that told her how grateful I was for the armor.

She looked between me and the cap before smiling herself and depositing it in her belt. "I'll get some dye for it first thing tomorrow."

"Then on that note, I'll be going to sleep." I yawned loudly before snuggling into my bed. "And don't even think about setting my alarm, because I ditched that Note Block."

Wynn shook her head with a smile before turning off the lights and leaving my room.

That was actually nice. What we did for each other. Even if it resulted from a lie, nobody got hurt.

So it was really nothing to worry about.

…

Then why did it feel like I was forgetting something?

…

…

…!

"The mason!"

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 11 Cobblestone, 64 End Stone, 64 End Stone, 64 End Stone, 35 End Stone, 1 Coal, 18 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 10 String, 1 Bone, 6 Baked Potatoes, 17 Pumpkin Pies, 30 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 10 Rotten Flesh, 1 Arrow, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Feelings: And How to Destroy Them}, 1 Book {Fifty Shades of Chicken}, 1 Book {The History of Cadboro Bridge}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 9]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 30 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 17 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 15 String, 17 Carrots, 36 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: That poor mason. Still waiting for his rocks. He'll get them next chapter.**

 **I felt that this chapter was one of my funnier ones. That is...most of my humor went into the Omake below, but I felt there were some genuinely funny moments above.**

 **The bit about the End Poem after Cobb jumped into the End Fountain...that's kind of my own reaction whenever those words scroll up. I know someone put a lot of work into writing the End Poem and making it sound beautiful...but it's long.** **And it takes forever to scroll down. So I usually just hit 'esc' and return to my last spawn point. Which is exactly what happened to Cobb.**

 **Don't tell me none of you ever skipped that End Poem after killing the Ender Dragon.**

 **I mean, the first words were from the Poem...but then Cobb interrupted and it derailed the blue and green worded speakers. No real plot significance behind them. Just a subtle reference to the source material.**

 **We say goodbye to Veronica for now. It was fun writing for her and she knew how to make a memorable exit. As well as left an impression on Wynn.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a fav, follow, review, OC, PM, or whatnot. And have a lovely National Tell a Story Day, as well as a...* _searches internet for holidays_ *...National Prime Rib Day...I could not come up with this stuff if I tried.**

* * *

Omake: Loaded Question

"Hey...Cobb. Do you have a minute?"

Cobb was in the middle of gathering up his colorful rocks for the mason when Wynn entered. She was looking nervous and fidgety with a slight tinge of red on her cheeks. A large contrast to the normally composed Captain.

"Sure. What's up?" Cobb asked before suddenly adopting a horrified look. "Oh God. You're not gonna read the fifty volumes of Redstone Engineering to me anyway, are you?"

"No, no. You're not in trouble." Wynn assured. It bothered him that _that_ was her go to response whenever they talked. Like he was always guilty of something.

Even in the instance where he _was_ guilty of something, like clogging his room's toilet or stumbling into an alternate dimension. It still bothered him.

"I actually…I came here for your opinion." Wynn blurted out before looking away awkwardly.

…

Well, that was a surprise.

The Captain only ever asked his opinion when she couldn't narrow down two choices. And whatever he picked, she would immediately discard in favor of the other option. Her reasoning being, whichever he picked would ultimately be the most absurd.

Was it because of their armor exchange last night? Did it form some sort of unspoken friendship between them?

"It's not something serious. But…it is personal." Wynn continued after noticing my surprised face. "Something I can't ask my guards."

Something personal? Like an opinion on dyed leather armor? Or maybe something to do with her housekeeper, Erin?

Wynn took a deep breath before letting her head fall. Then she raised her head with a deep conviction behind those amber eyes.

"Do you think I'm a lesbian?"

…

Now…when he thought it had something to do with her housekeeper, Erin…he didn't mean in THAT way.

"Uhh…"

"Be honest." Wynn continued, still looking a little embarrassed while Cobb looked downright confused. "I can take the truth."

"I…I don't…what?" Cobb mumbled, feeling like he misheard her.

Wynn turned to the door, checking if anyone was eavesdropping before repeating herself.

"Do you think I'm a lesbian?"

Cobb blinked a few times, shocked at the overall bizarreness of her question. "Just to be clear, you're asking me if I think you're a lesbian?"

"Yes." Wynn nodded. "My clothes, my hair style, my demeanor. Does that all come across as lesbian to you?"

"And…by lesbian…is that a Minecraftia term or…" He trailed off as his Normal Sense came up with a definition that he wanted to be one-billion percent certain was what Wynn was referring to.

"By lesbian, I mean a homosexual woman, yes." She clarified as if reading his mind. "You can see why I didn't want to discuss this with my guards."

 _Yeah, great for them but what about me!?_ Cobb internally screamed. He literally had no idea how to respond to such an out-of-the-blue question. What was he supposed to say?

'Now that you mention it, Captain, you do seem a bit lesbian-y. Is this why you have a female housekeeper instead of a male butler?'

Or…

'No, you are definitely not a lesbian…not that there's anything wrong with lesbians, if you are one…not that I doubt you are heterosexual…do gender preferences really matter?'

It felt like either answer would be taken badly. And that was the problem! Since Cobb had no idea whether she was a lesbian or not, he had no idea how to best answer the question.

Did he think she was a lesbian? No. The thought had never crossed his mind. She never showed interest in either male or female. Truth be told, Cobb was under the impression that she was either asexual, or a robot whose only emotions were strict, angry, or stab!

But if he answered no, and she was, would she take offense to it? In this instance, the correct answer was the answer that spared him the most amount of pain.

He needed to bide for time.

"Do _you_ think you're a lesbian?"

Wynn frowned as he answered her question with a question. "Cobb, I'm asking you. Do I look like a lesbian?"

Crap. She didn't go for it. What is a lesbian even supposed to look like? Is there even a visible difference?

His eyes darted to the left and right. He needed to get her to answer her own question. Direct any possible hostility back to her so he won't be on the receiving end of it.

He coughed to clear his throat. "Well…are you sexually attracted to women?"

"No, but—"

"Well, there you go. You're not a lesbian." Cobb hastily answered, trying to slide around Wynn to get to the door. He didn't need to stay and gather up every single rock for the mason, right? Twenty-five percent of them ought to be enough. Maximizing profits was overrated anyway,

"Hang on." Wynn caught his arm before spinning it around, sending him spiraling back towards the chest. "I'm not interested in males either. What I want to know is if I come across as a lesbian."

"Um…I feel like this is a loaded question."

She was getting impatient with his roundabout answers. It showed in her annoyed frown, even as she slowly advanced on him. "Cobb, quit dodging the question.

He kept dodging the question. "I really don't have time to answer." He was being pushed back by the Captain's slow advance. Right towards the bedside table.

"Cobb, just answer truthfully." She _looked_ sincere when she said that, but Cobb had seen her fake emotions when she needed to. "Let's rephrase the question. The very first time you saw me, did I look like someone you would consider dating?"

Oh Christ, that's even worse! How could she even say that with a composed face!?

When Cobb first saw Wynn, his thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, 'Who is this person stopping me from defending myself and why is she preparing to knee me in the—How did I end up in this jail cell?'

Did she look approachable or datable? He had no idea! He had never dated anyone before. Why couldn't Herobrine have written a book on how to date girls? Or better yet, how to escape awkward situations!? Those would have been best sellers!

"I…I…Can we go back to the first question?"

"Fine." Wynn kept pushing him back towards the wall to corner him. No other way to escape the question. When he felt his back hit the wall, Wynn finally stopped advancing. "Do. You. Think. I'm. A. Lesbian?"

Her amber eyes were staring at him, expecting an answer. Cobb's green eyes were frantically looking for a way out, but found none in the Captain's flawless defense.

Was the truth the only viable way out of this situation?

…

Fuck that.

"Look, a criminal!"

Wynn couldn't resist turning to follow Cobb's extended finger, giving him the opportunity to climb onto the bed, and leap towards the door.

Wynn caught on soon enough, however, and had downed a Swiftness and Leaping Potion. Before Cobb could reach the door, Wynn vaulted over his shoulder and was in front of him in an instant, barring his path.

"Cobb. I can't ask anyone else this." She explained as the particles swirled around her. "You're the only one I can ask without injuring my pride."

He tried to dart around her, but she simply grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back before forcing him to a wall. "Don't make this harder, Cobb! Do you think I'm a lesbian?"

"I can't answer something like that!" He argued.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know what the right answer is!" He jumped in the air and pressed his legs against the wall, pushing off into the Captain and sending her staggering into a bookshelf. Cobb quickly got to his feet and again tried for the door.

But he was stopped when two arms came around his vision before wrapping his neck in a choke hold. He felt himself being pressed against the ivory-haired Captain. "Answer the question!"

"No…too awkward!" He choked out before slamming his head into hers. The resulting headache made them both fall to the ground.

He crawled across the room and grabbed the edges of the bed like a lifeline. "Please, magic bed! Take me back to the End!"

Anything was better than having to answer Wynn's awkward questions. However, the bed did not respond to his pleas.

When Cobb turned, he let out a girly scream before Wynn tackled him to the ground. The two rolled around the carpeted floor, Wynn every so often asking him that same awkward question while Cobb kept saying anything to dodge the question.

It ended with Wynn straddling Cobb, trying to catch his flailing arms before finally pinning them to the floor. No more escaping the question.

"Now!" Wynn exclaimed triumphantly, blowing a disheveled strand of hair from her face. "Answer me! Do you think I'm…a…lesbian?"

Wynn's voice grew smaller and smaller, as she turned her head towards something by the door. Cobb turned his head to look, and paled when he saw three of Wynn's guards: Hollie, Spencer, and Noah. And they looked taken aback at what they had just walked into.

Their stringent Captain, straddling a man she saw fit to bring along, in _his_ own room, right by the bed, after several bouts of shouting, looking disheveled and embarrassed, concluded with a personal question about whether he thought she was a lesbian.

All the scene was missing was the both of them naked.

"Apologies, Ma'am!" Hollie bowed low with a faint flush of red on her cheeks. "We didn't mean to interrupt you two."

Oh God, they were already drawing conclusions. And Wynn, with her face turning several shades redder, was adding fuel to the fire. Meanwhile, Spencer and Noah were shooting Cobb impressed looks and subtle thumbs up.

He was a dead man.

"We'll come back later after…you've concluded your business." Hollie finished awkwardly.

Here lies Cobb. He was brutally murdered by Wynn as the only way to convince her guards that they didn't have sex.

When Hollie closed the door, Wynn just remained frozen in her position, still straddling Cobb while pinning his arms to the floor. If she was going to kill him, it couldn't be a better time.

He hoped it would be fast. Merciful.

Though considering how embarrassed she looked when caught straddling him…

"Wynn. I _don't_ think you're a lesbian."

But Wynn didn't seem to have heard him. Slowly, she got off of him. Her ivory hair obscuring her eyes. Then she walked to the nearest window.

And proceeded to throw herself out of it.

* * *

 **AN: That outta hold the ravenous shippers for a while. I swear they're like sharks smelling blood. Though in fairness, I feel this is one of my funnier Omakes.**


	40. Engineer

**AN: It's not midnight yet! IT IS STILL MAY 11th, GODAMNIT!**

 **AND I WILL PUBLISH THIS CHAPTER! EVEN IF I CAN'T GET IT TO MY BETA IN TIME! SO PUT YOUR PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES AWAY!**

 **More importantly, I've reached 300 reviews in under 300,000 words and 40 chapters. Awesome!**

 **Congrats to Laner for guessing the last puzzle correctly. The answer was my profile picture: A cob of corn! You get rid of the outside (husk) to cook the inside, then you eat the outside (corn) and throw away the inside (the gross cobby bit). Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add pitchforks.

Beta: Myself this time...for the second time

* * *

Chapter 40

 **Engineer**

[Cobb]

 **[SILVERFISH]**

 **[Description: Small, gray, hairy, and bug-like with beady black eyes. Makes a distinctive hissing noise.]**

 **[Tips: One of the more annoying Mobs I've had the pleasure of meeting, these pests normally lie in stone, patiently waiting for a Crafter to unknowingly mine them and unleash their fury.]**

 **[Silverfish have the unique ability to meld into stone. And that includes their variants: Stone Bricks, Cobblestone, Chiseled Stone Brick, Mossy Stone Brick, and Cracked Stone Brick. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a normal stone block and an 'infected' stone block, save for the subtle softness in the 'infected' stone.]**

 **[In stone form, they are dormant and don't move. But when disturbed, they attack the player belligerently.]**

 **[Alone, they are no big threat. They each have 4 hearts of health and deal half-a-heart of damage per bite. Get enough of them together, however, and you'll find yourself eaten alive. These things are unrelenting, and if they take damage, they alert any nearby Silverfish within 'infected' stone, which then assist in attacking the Crafter.]**

 **[When left alone, Silverfish meld back into stone, ready to attack the next Crafter that disturbs their slumber. Normally, this Mob only exists in Strongholds, one of the reasons why they are largely unknown. However, I have found evidence of them within the extreme hills of Zeppil.]**

 **[These Mobs are small and weak. But also not the easiest of targets to hit with a sword or bow. Splash Potions or TNT—weapons with a lot of splash damage—would be best to clean these pests up. And if outnumbered, RUN.]**

 **[Weakness: Splash Potions of Harming, TNT, Bane of Arthropods.]**

"So that's what they were called." I turned another page of the Advanced Mob book, reviewing the information I just gleaned.

As soon as Wynn threw herself out the window— _I'm sure she's fine_ —I took the opportunity to gather up all my rocks for the mason I completely neglected. That was a dick move on my part.

But I figured, since I was walking, a bit of reading into Herobrine's book couldn't hurt. And it was amazing. I never thought reading could be so interesting. But the way Herobrine described the Mobs. His experiences in researching them. All the work he put in. As well as the understandable way he explained his notes.

Why couldn't all books do the same?

The only exception was the last few pages, which I couldn't understand a word of. It looked like it was written by a spastic typewriter.

Just the first line:

 **[Lmxv xlmhgifxgvw, gsv Drgsvi droo uozhs yofv zmw tild ozitvi rm hrav. Rm gsrh hgzgv, rg rh fmzyov gl nlev li rmuorxg wznztv, yfg rh zohl rmermxryov.]**

I didn't know what the Russian language looked like, but that was the first thing my Normal Sense registered when reading it. There were commas and spaces, but all of the words had vowels and consonants in the strangest places.

It looked like a load of gibberish to me.

And the rest of the book was legible so I had no idea what Herobrine was thinking. Maybe he just ran out of things to write and just said—Fuck it. I'm gonna fill the space with randomness. Let my readers decide whether it means anything.

Well in my case, I ultimately decided it meant nothing and focused on the more substantial writing: The Mob info.

It would have to wait until after I traded in my rocks to the mason. I was already in the market place.

"His stand was around here…OH MY GOD!"

I gasped in horror upon reaching the mason's stand. There was something standing behind the counter, but it wasn't pretty.

"What have I done!?" I shouted while clutching my face. "I made him wait out here so long that his skin and muscles rotted away, leaving only a bare and oddly wooden-looking skeleton behind!"

"I'm awake!" Someone shouted from behind the counter as a head of messy hair rose. "How can I—Oh! Bucko! You're back."

It was the mason. Looking tired, but otherwise not a skeleton. "Wait…if you're here, what's that skeletal think wearing your leather armor?"

"Oh, this?" He pointed to the skeletal figure wearing his armor. "This is just an armor stand I use as a fake me whenever I need some shut-eye on the job." To prove his point, he tapped the armor stand with his hand and took off the leather armor before putting it on himself. "So, I trust you have the rocks you promised?"

"Yeah…sorry about that." I laughed sheepishly as I set the colorful rocks on the counter for him to examine. "I sort of underestimated how far the Inn was."

"It's no problem. I only had to wait…a day." He commented kindly before smiling appreciatively at the stones. "And it was worth it! You know, not many people see the aesthetic value of these stones. Most people ignore them for ores and gemstones."

"Sounds like a couple of losers, am I right?"

"Yes. I can see you're a Crafter of exceptional mineral tastes. And for such a haul of stones, proper payment is in order."

"That's what I like to hear." I smiled as the mason passed me ten emeralds. My first proper trade. "Oh! And…uh…there's something else…"

The mason tilted his head curiously as I pulled out a stack of that End Stone stuff. I watched his eyes for any signs of recognition in the odd substance, but saw only puzzlement.

"Have you seen this stone before?" There was no way I could keep that much of an unknown material in my Inventory without Wynn asking questions and prying into where I got them. So ditching the rocks was the safest thing to do. But it wasn't entirely ridiculous asking about stone from a stone _expert_. And if he found value in the bleached rock, it would mean more emeralds for me.

Two birds. One stone sword.

The mason tilted the rock as he examined the item's name. "End Stone? I've never seen a rock like this before…such an unusual color…"

"Think you can make anything from it?"

"I'm not sure…but I am always up for a challenge." He smiled eagerly as he turned to me. "Do you have any more of it?"

I breathed a sigh of relief before piling all my End Stone on his counter. The look on his face as the stone cascaded down; the look of pure excitement he had over the prospects of studying an unusual new stone.

Bringing the rocks was a good idea.

"So how much can I get for all these?"

"Oh, sorry bucko. Until I know the value of these rocks, I can't exactly put a price tag on them."

Bringing the rocks was a bad idea.

"Now if you'll excuse me," the mason spoke as he gathered all the colorful rocks, "I have some bricks to make and some discoveries to discover."

With the trade already completed, I waved goodbye and walked deeper into the marketplace. I still had some errands to get done. Like finding out what happened to Lenz. Shopping for supplies I might need for the trip back to Ringwood.

And maybe digging more into what I saw in that lab…

I could still remember that Creeper-woman's face before she exploded. Fully aware of her fate…the relaxed expression etched upon her gruesome face…

…

What was Jeb doing down there?

* * *

"Come again, soon."

I flashed an appreciative smile at the bookstore owner. I felt entitled to after the great deal he gave me on those three books. From what the bookstore owner told me, ' _Feelings: And How to Destroy Them_ ', ' _Fifty Shades of Chicken_ ', and ' _The History of Cadboro Bridge_ ' were all published centuries ago, and were very hard to come by. Although he shot me a strange look when I mentioned ' _Fifty Shades of Chicken_ ', he agreed to pay me three emeralds per book.

I kept ' _Advanced Mob-Slaying_ ' for myself.

Most of the emeralds were already needed to replace what I broke or lost on my latest adventure. A new iron pick, a flint and steel, and a cool new helmet made of some metal mesh that resembled what I saw the Griefers wearing. I think it was called chain mail or something, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to craft it. It seemed strong enough though and I needed a replacement for my leather helmet.

It was great having money. Like having something that society generally wanted. Being able to buy things instead of repeatedly asking for free samples saved so much time.

However, the marketplace didn't have everything.

"What do you mean donkey armor doesn't exist!?"

But I was satisfied with my Inventory. My backpack was brimming with useful gear. Especially after I crafted a new stone axe and refilled my bucket with water.

I was on my way to the college when a familiar shout reached my ear.

"Cobbert!"

Only one person would bother lengthening my name while talking to me. I didn't even have to turn around completely to know it was the grey-haired college student, Lenzington.

"Lenz! You're okay." I breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried you were lost in the End forever."

"When I woke up in my bed, with no sign of you anywhere, I feared the same." Lenz wiped a bit of dust off his glasses. "I went back to the laboratory to find you, but came up empty. I assume you did the same searching for me."

"Uh…well…it was pretty late…"

His glasses slid down his face along with his spirits, revealing the resentment in his eyes. "You mean…you did not even bother—"

"Look, I wanted to search for you," I held up my hands to ward off his outrage, "but Wynn, the scary lady we talked about, wasn't letting me go. I couldn't risk it."

Lenz was shaking his fists in anger. "I skipped classes today and threw away my chance at the perfect attendance award …thinking I was aiding a lost brethren. All while you slept easy!?" I caught the makings of his furious magenta orbs before his glasses covered them up. "Well let me tell you, Cobbert. This Wynn of which you speak could never compare to an enraged Mrs. Cornhaven! If she found out I faked calling in a personal emergency to skip the Redstone Lab…"

In response to his fretting, I scratched my cheek sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Really. I just figured you'd end up close by or something." I then remembered a bit of information. "I wound up in my bed too. After the End, I mean."

Lenz looked at me traitorously before humming in thought. "We both wound up in our respective beds…interesting." He whipped out a notebook and started jotting stuff down. "It seems that the fountain portal returned us to our last place of rest. Further testing would be needed, but it is not an implausible hypothesis."

"Quit talking science-y and all." I complained while plugging my ears.

Lenz frowned and turned away. "And after all the trouble I went to find you. That laboratory was thrice as scary by myself."

"Well, why didn't you wait?" I nodded to the side as a sign for us to move. Standing in the middle of a busy marketplace wasn't the best place to have on conversation. "And how did you know I'd be here."

"I could not wait because I was unsure whether you were in dire need or not." He explained. "Leaving an imbecile stranded in another dimension to his own devices would be like letting an ocelot run into a cactus farm."

"Gee, thanks."

"You are very welcome."

"…"

"Secondly," Lenz stated while lowering his voice, "I considered it prudent to perform another once-over on that laboratory."

"Find anything?"

He shook his head. "Whoever owned that lab, did not leave many clues involving their research. No sign as to what was kept in those remaining cells, either."

Once again, that Creeper-woman entered my mind. Was it possible that the other cells held Creeper-people as well? Or did they hold something else entirely?

Something _worse_.

"You said, 'whoever owned the lab.' Does that mean you don't think it was Jeb's?"

He shook his head again and stared at the ground. "I do not know. Or rather…I do not know if I want to know. I _want_ to believe Jeb would not do something so atrocious…but I cannot completely overrule his possible association with that laboratory."

I felt like I should say something. After all, it must have been hard for Lenz, doubting whether his role model was good or bad. "I don't think it was Jeb's. The potion stands in the lab mean that whoever really owned it knew how to brew potions. Plus, housing a magical portal to another dimension doesn't sound like something an engineer would do."

Lenz kept his eyes on the ground. "…Indeed. The college has spawned many an inventive mind. Any one of them could have built that laboratory."

"See? There you go!" I smiled, thinking I cheered him up. "I'm sure Jeb is still the brilliant and totally sane man you think he—"

"You were honest."

I stumbled at his interruption. "Um…what?"

"The emergency exit." He clarified while looking at the ground in shame. "Just like you said. It was there, in the portal room, and it would have returned you to Daymonte. Only instead, you saw it in your heart to follow me into the unknown."

It took me a moment to realize he was talking about how I followed him into the End. "Oh! Well, yeah, I couldn't just leave you there."

"Why?"

I blinked in surprise, not expecting the questioning. "What do you mean why? Because it was the right thing to do. Not everything needs a 'why'."

"You would risk so much for someone you just met…someone that tried to kill you on three separate occasions."

I scratched my head awkwardly. He wasn't making this any easier. Didn't he know that everything was supposed to be forgiven after two people saved each other's life? "Well, are you upset that I went back for you?"

He stared quietly before finally shaking his head.

"Then don't think too much on it." I dismissed with a wave. "We're even now. And neither of us is going to tell anyone about what went down in those labs. Right?"

He nodded in agreement, causing me to sigh in relief. Being discreet about the lab wasn't just for the sake of sparing people the horrors of what we saw down there. If either of us blabbed to the guards about it, they would doggedly question us about every little thing that happened.

We'd probably be arrested for trespassing in the Northeast Sector or some similar crime. And if that got back to Wynn…

I didn't want to think about it.

"So how did you know I'd be in this marketplace." I changed the subject, hoping to spark a casual conversation.

"I did not." Lenz shrugged. "But I recalled you mentioned you were staying at the Stonewall Inn. I was cutting through here to check on you."

"Well, I saved you the trip, then."

"But that is not all." Lenz hastily continued. "I came to request a favor."

"…What kind of favor?" I questioned hesitantly.

Lenz took a deep breath before lifting his glasses and looking me straight in the eye. "I wish for you to accompany me on a journey outside Daymonte."

"…"

"…"

"…um…what?"

"I do not know how my statement could have possibly confused you, but I will repeat myself." He cleared his throat, but I stopped him.

"No, I'm not confused by what you said…I'm just…why?"

"Not everything needs a 'why'." He parroted my words with a small smile.

"Yeah, pretty sure this needs a why." I urged with a frown. "I thought you didn't want to leave Daymonte."

"For the longest time, I did not. And I thought I was making the right decision." He lowered his glasses and withdrew a piston from his backpack, staring at it purposefully. "But after that adventure of ours in the End, I thought there was no hope for escape. I gave up.

"It got me thinking about my entire life, and how it was spent either letting others fight for me while I ran away, or permitting myself to live within a single Kingdom. Before yesterday, I never shot a Mob before. I never went to an alternate dimension before. My redstone never saved a life other than my own before. I never really worried about a life other than my own before.

"But here I am, today. Still alive despite all I have gone through. And it is all thanks to a Crafter I have just met." He pointed to me. "What I am trying to say, is that I have always been running away from things. Just this once, I would like to see how I fare in the outside world. And I would appreciate it if you would accompany me, as a sort of chaperone."

I blinked at that word. Chaperone? Was I just an escort to this guy?

"And…you're sure you want to do this?" I questioned.

"No. Not really." Lenz deflated a bit. "To be honest, I am scared out of my mind at the prospects of what I may face out there. But I am sure that if I stick with you, I will be able to live to see the next day. And the day after. And so on."

"What about college?"

"The year is almost over. All that is left are Finals and I should be able to request to take them ahead of schedule. If I finish them all tomorrow, I should have three months of break before the next semester starts. More than enough time to see the outside world." He tossed the piston in the air before deftly catching it in the other hand. "Besides, I hope to find other aspiring engineers abroad, and see the kinds of machinations they have perfected. I am certain it will broaden my engineering knowledge more considerably than private lessons in a stuffy classroom."

I bit my lip to hold back my protests. I didn't really want Lenz to be outside because I didn't think he'd last 10 minutes. He had no grasp of sarcasm, and was afraid of Mobs. Could he even fight with engineering?

But at the same time, he looked like he had thought it over for a while. He seemed intent on journeying outside Daymonte, even if I tried to talk him out of it.

As for being his chaperone, that idea sounded terrible. Despite how much my skills were improving, I couldn't guarantee I could keep him safe. But I was always advocating that experience didn't matter. That anyone had the right to survive, if given the chance to learn. I'd look like a real hypocrite if I turned him down, just because I didn't think he was ready for it.

I took both hands and scratched my head furiously. "Bah!" My eyes shot open as I looked at Lenz. "Alright, but I have a set of conditions."

Lenz gestured forward. "Name them."

I held up a finger. "First, none of this escort stuff. I'm not your chaperone and you're not my chaperee."

"That is not a word—"

"Upupup!" I silenced his response as I continued. "If we're going to be traveling together, we do it as equals. And maybe friends if either of us can stand each other longer than a minute."

Lenz adopted a contemplative look. "Friends…" He muttered to himself before eventually nodding in approval.

"Good. Numero two-o."

"If you keep making up these words, conversing with you will be tedious—"

"You can't let me do all the fighting." I pointed to the bow at his belt. "You say you're a good shot, right?"

"Indeed." He took out the bow and admired it. "I have trained myself to be able to hit a button while seated in a speeding minecart moving at approximately—"

"Yeah-yeah-yeah-bah-bah-bah-whatever." I tossed him the single arrow from my backpack. "Try to hit something."

He looked between me and the arrow with confusion. "Hit something?"

"Yeah. Show me your archery skills." I didn't see what the problem was, but apparently Lenz did.

"But…but I am not seated within a speeding minecart…nor are there any buttons which I could aim at."

I dragged a hand over my face. As if talking with this guy wasn't difficult enough. "Just aim at anything. Like…" I looked around before spotting a perfect target. Across the chasm there was a flashing billboard in the shape of a grinning woman holding up a bowl of soup. "That billboard. Hit that from here."

Lenz looked across the chasm and seemed to ponder the distance before he swapped his glasses for his goggles and loaded his bow with the arrow I gave him.

His bow was fully drawn, ready to fire, when suddenly he lowered it. "Is that all? Just hit the billboard woman? Or were you referring to the buttons on its eyes? Or the buttons on its shirt?"

"What buttons?" I narrowed my eyes and shielded them to try and see what he was talking about.

"The buttons on the billboard." He clarified. "There is one wooden button on each of the billboard woman's redstone lamp eyes. Additionally, there are several stone buttons along the woman's shirt, most likely emulating a buttoned-up shirt."

No matter how much I narrowed my eyes to focus on the billboard, I couldn't see what Lenz was seeing. Just how good was his eyesight? Or was it all in the goggles? "Um…then hit the eye."

"Left or right?"

"Left."

"Very well." He raised his bow again and calmed his breathing. His face was clear of any stress or tension, completely relaxed, as he pulled back the bowstring and slightly shifted his fingers on the grip.

He aimed carefully, slightly above the targeted billboard…

And then fired!

The arrow moved so fast I could only see it as a blur against the chasms artificial lights. It left a trail of stars in its wake, which I remembered to be Crit Aura, as it sped across the chasm. The direction it was heading was off from the billboard, but as if by magic, the arrow arced slightly near the chasm's center before angling towards the billboard. High.

I couldn't see the arrow the whole way, but I had a feeling Lenz could as he just stared across the chasm. A second later, the billboard's left eye lit up.

He hit his mark.

"Is that good enough of a shot?" Lenz inquired politely as he switched to his glasses again. I just nodded numbly.

"Yeah…yeah that'll do it." Even someone like me who had no grasp on impressive feats of archery had to admit that that was an amazing shot. He fired across the chasm, which was easily a hundred meters wide. And topped it off by hitting a wooden button the size of my hand.

If he applied those archery skills to combat, he could kill people from a mile away. What did he have to be afraid of with skills like that?

"Were you that skilled when you first spawned?"

"That looked like skill?" He questioned in mild surprise before shaking his head. "No. I learned it while in Daymonte. Self-taught."

"Well, I wouldn't want to get you mad with skills like those." I admitted with newfound respect for the college student.

"So does that mean you will accompany me?"

"Not so fast, bull's-eye." I held up a hand while Lenz wrinkled his nose in disdain at my recent nickname. "The third condition is…well…I'm kind of travelling with a group."

"Are they friends of yours?"

"More like acquaintances that think I'm awesome." I said with absolutely no modesty. "But they're led by Captain Wynn of Ringwood. I need to stay with them, so you'll have to stay with them too. And I don't think she would want another tag-along unless I asked her first."

"Ask me what, Cobb."

I froze at the sound of that voice and slowly turned to see the ivory-haired Captain behind me, arms already crossed. "Captain! What a surprise to see you…standing ominously behind me."

"Well, after I threw myself out of that window and gave myself time to calm down, I thought it best to get some supplies." She tapped some cooked porkchops hanging off her belt. "I didn't think you'd be here though. Your pockets aren't exactly heavy with emeralds if I remember correctly."

I raised my mouth to come up with an excuse for the emeralds, but stopped when Lenz cut in with an extended hand. "You must be Captain Wynn." He greeted politely. "Cobbert has told me so much about you."

"Cobbert…?" Wynn blinked in confusion but shook Lenz's hands regardless. More out of habit than anything.

"Though I must say, you do not seem nearly as scary as Cobbert described."

I paled while Wynn's eyebrow twitched angrily. "Oh?" She spoke calmly, but her amber eyes were flashing dangerously. "And what else has Cobb been saying about me?"

"Well, he did mention that your personality was akin to a barren—mmph."

I quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and pulled him aside. "Ahahaha! Lenz! Such a kidder!" I tried to laugh it off, even while Wynn's eyes narrowed. "He's joking, Captain. Just joking."

I gave Lenz a look through his tinted glasses in an attempt to relay a silent plea not to tell Wynn any of what I told him. Some things had to be kept secret for the greater good.

My good.

Wynn glared at me before turning back to Lenz. "So who is he anyway?"

"He's a student at the Redstone College." I answered for him as I removed my hand from his mouth. "I met him when I checked out the fair…and we sort of…"

"…We formed a lasting friendship over our shared interest in redstone." Lenz finished hastily. "And nothing else!"

 _Sure, that doesn't sound suspicious._ I thought sarcastically as Wynn seemed to look for possible faults in our explanation. "Anyway, Lenz wanted to know if he could come with us when we leave Daymonte."

Wynn gave an uncharacteristic groan and rubbed a spot on her forehead. "Another tag-along? We aren't an escort service, Cobb."

"Well, that's why I'm asking you first instead of doing it anyway."

She frowned at my comment but turned to face Lenz. "Were you the one that took that shot?"

"Pardon?"

She pointed towards the billboard. "That arrow in the billboard's eye. Did you take that shot?"

"Er…yes." He nodded a little off-put, wondering if he did something wrong.

"Can you make it again?"

Lenz looked at Wynn in surprise before sending me a searching glance. I don't know why he was looking at me for what to do, as if I knew any better, but I nodded. What was the harm, right?

Lenz lowered his goggles, raised his bow, and loaded one of the many arrows he carried with him. "Right eye this time." Wynn spoke, giving all of her attention to Lenz instead of the billboard.

Lenz shuffled in place before shifting his aim to the right slightly, and just like before, he took his stance, calmed his breathing, and took the shot. A few seconds later, the right eye lit up. Both eyes fully illuminating the billboard.

Wynn nodded in approval before facing me. "He can come. My guards won't attack him, nor will they protect him. If he can defend himself, I have no problems."

Lenz smiled at her approval and bowed. "Thank you, Miss Whispers."

"Good to see someone has manners." Wynn commented before walking up to me and whispering something. "He's a good archer. That shot he just took. I only know one blonde capable of making that shot. And he just did it twice."

She patted me on the shoulder before walking away. "Now with that settled, I have a meeting with Rotjes soon. Cobb, try and keep your staying-out-of-trouble streak going. Or else I'll regret letting Lenzington accompany us."

"Right…thanks, Captain." I waved at her fleeting form before turning back to Lenz. "Well, I guess it's settled then. We'll probably be leaving Daymonte in a few days so you better stock up on gear."

"Not to worry!" Lenz assured happily as he reached into his backpack. "I have all the necessary supplies. Redstone torches, pistons, comparators, string—"

"I think we need to have a serious talk about useful items." I started walking towards the Stonewall Inn, with Lenz following along.

"Sounds like an exceptional learning experience." He beamed eagerly, taking out his notebook to jot some things down. "Perhaps you could also share some tips on sarcasm and social norms for my handy dandy notebook."

"Sure. Social Tip Number One: If I tell you something insulting about someone else, don't fucking tell that someone else about the insults!"

"Ah. That is one for the notes!" he scribbled down excitedly while I just face palmed.

 _I miss Floyd._

* * *

[Three Days Later: Blitz Peak]

It was midnight. Captain Thistle strode forward with stoic purpose, flanked by four of his most trusted guards, as he approached the small pack of Griefers.

As Alec's letter promised, the Griefers were waiting at the base of Blitz Peak. About twenty of them. Hardly the thousand Alec threatened Daymonte with. Thistle smiled at the accuracy of his and Rotjes' assumption.

These Griefers were just a couple of upstarts. All bark, no bite.

Still, it paid to be cautious. Prior to approaching the Griefers, Thistle had ordered his remaining twenty-five guards to find sniper positions amongst the mountain's underbrush. If things turned violent, which they most likely would, they had their orders to take out all hostiles.

Thistle was simply there to give them the chance to surrender peacefully...semi-peacefully. The Griefers had to die, not like they'd be missed, but their leader, Alec_Bishop, was to be arrested for killing several Daymonte guards.

If he tried to resist, he'd be killed too.

That was how it was going to go down.

Thistle stopped in the middle of an open area, his guards stopping with him. The Griefers were watching distrustfully, their hands already on their weapons.

"We're here in response to the message you sent. Where's Alec?" Thistle was in no mood to mince words, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. The Griefers weren't worth any more of his or His Lordship's time.

The Griefers tensed in anger at Thistle's bluntness. All except for the one in gray leather armor with the blond bowl-cut. He looked rather bored, fiddling with a lever on the ground.

In response to the Griefers' obvious hostility, Thistle's guards readied their swords.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a second." A man ran in between the Griefers and Thistle's guards. "We shouldn't be rude to our guests. After all, I'd look like a real prick inviting these guys here just to kill them off."

Thistle's eyes widened at the man's statement. He had a full head of jet black hair styled in a comb-over. His dark-gray eyes gleamed in amusement, though he had some black markings over his eyes. Two vertical lines over each eye.

He wore a simple mahogany T-shirt with black sleeves and a pair of black sweat-pants. He wore a fingerless black glove on his left hand, simple black sneakers, and his belt and backpack were a deep crimson.

He flashed a cocky grin to Thistle before walking forward and extending his hand. "Hi. I'm Alec."

Thistle glared coldly at the hand until Alec had the sense to drop it. "Helluva handshake you got there." Alec commented sarcastically, his eyes still gleaming contentedly.

"I don't touch filth." Thistle responded, loud enough for just Alec to hear. His smile fell a little, but he tried to keep his spirits high.

"Well, now that pleasantries have been exchanged, why don't we get to the business at hand." Alec swung his arms back and forth, fully relaxed and seemingly oblivious to the tension exchanged between Thistle's guards and his Griefers. "I assume you brought the Command Block Codex?"

Thistle smiled a little. "I'm afraid not." Alec's pleasant mood quickly dropped and his eyes narrowed. "Neither Daymonte nor His Lordship will be intimidated by empty threats. The only reason I bothered coming out here was because of what you did to my men."

Alec bit the inside of his cheek slightly before adopting an apologetic face. "If you mean those guards of yours, I am hugely, terribly, immensely, remorsefully, sorry for your loss. I didn't _enjoy_ giving my Griefers the order to kill them, but it had to be done."

Thistle bristled with fury and his hand flexed to his sword. But he stopped himself. There was no need to let a worthless nothing get the better of him. He could be the bigger person.

"I appreciate your apology." Thistle replied. "And I hope _you_ can find it in your heart to forgive me when I kill all your men."

Thistle expected Alec to strike first at the provocation, but he remained as irritatingly calm as ever. "Well, I _am_ the bigger person. You didn't bring me my Codex, and yet I'm keeping you all alive right now. That's the _only_ reason why you're still alive right now."

Thistle smirked to himself. "You really think I'd only bring four guards to this meeting? I came prepared. I got snipers all along the mountain, with their sights on you and your fearsome 'Griefer army'." He gestured to the twenty Griefers behind him.

"Is that right?" Alec paced in front of Thistle, flexing his gloved hand.

"Yeah. And if you so much as lay one finger on me, you'll be dead before you hit the—GUFF!"

Thistle coughed painfully after Alec drove a fist into his gut, doubling the confident Captain over.

"Well, I just laid five fingers into you and yet I'm still standing!" Alec boasted loudly to the laughter of the Griefers behind him. The guards flanking Thistle all readied their swords, furious at Alec's actions, but smart enough to wait for their Captain's orders.

Thistle struggled to get air back into his lungs. "Th-Archers!" He shouted out angrily. "Take them out!"

However, nothing happened.

There was no volley of arrows sinking into Alec or the Griefers behind him. There was no sound of compliance to Thistle's orders.

Just a stretching silence.

"Archers!" Thistle desperately called again. "This is the signal to attack!"

"Wow, this is sad. Here let me give it a try." Alec cupped a hand to his mouth. "Hey, archers! Take out the buff-looking guard on the far left!"

Immediately, a hundred arrows flew from the mountain. All aimed at one of Thistle's guards. The buff-looking guard barely had the chance to run before the arrows riddled him. The spot where he was standing was soon just a pile of gear and a soulless Head.

Thistle looked horrified at his guard's demise, but even more so by the amount of arrows shot. Those weren't his men. Not nearly enough for all the bows that must have been fired.

"Awesome," Alec spoke to himself before cupping his hand again. "This time, take out the bald one!"

The bald guard had the sense to try and dodge. Prolonging his life for just a couple of seconds. But it was futile. The sheer amount of arrows easily cornered him, ending his existence in a pile of gear.

"Get behind me! Both of you!" Thistle called out to his two remaining guards. One of them quickly hurried over to get in a defensive stance, but the other one was shaking too much. "William! Get over here!"

"Ooh, a challenge shot. I'm game." Alec cupped his hand again. "Try and hit the guard he's covering, without killing the Captain!"

Another hundred arrows flew from the mountain, aimed at Thistle and his fellow guard. Thistle tried to block as many as he could, even though they weren't quite directed at him, but every so often, one would slip through his defense and hit his guard. And the arrows were unrelenting. Hundreds at a time.

Soon, the third guard joined his fellows.

After witnessing that, the final guard, William, sprung into action. He turned and sprinted away from the mountain, panic streaked across his face.

"William! Stop!"

Thistle's words never reached William, because the guard stepped on pressure plate before being engulfed in several explosions almost instantly. His gear got destroyed in the subsequent blasts.

Alec whistled appreciatively. "Nicely done, LeShui. Almost makes up for you and Burke screwing up my TNT supply."

"That wasn't me." LeShui protested futilely from amongst Alec's Griefers. "It was Burke."

"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before." Alec dismissed before walking up to Thistle. "I'm sorry I had to kill your men. I really am. I don't want to be that guy that orders people to kill other people. But a point needed to be made." He whistled loudly.

As if on command, the mountain burst forth with hundreds of Griefers. They were all either concealed by rocks or underbrush, but now they were marching down the mountain on Alec's command. They all pooled at the base of Blitz Peak, looking inordinately pleased with themselves to have outsmarted Daymonte's Captain.

Thistle, in the meantime, was livid. His hands were shaking, not in fear, but in unrivaled fury. His four trusted guards were dead. The archers he sent to hide out along the mountain: Dead, most likely.

And Alec truly had an army of over a thousand Griefers at his disposal. This was a very real threat.

"You see?" Alec spoke as he gestured to the hundreds of Griefers surrounding him and Thistle. "This is real. My threat was real. And my attempt at negotiating was real. You just didn't want to listen." He frowned slightly as if to say he regretted it.

But not by much.

His grey eyes still gleamed with content.

Thistle couldn't let this man live. For his fallen guards and for Daymonte's sake…Alec had to die.

He reached for the sword at his belt.

Alec scoffed. "You really think you can kill an army by yourself?"

"No." Thistle scowled as he readied his sword. "Just you."

The dark-haired man gave out a harsh laugh, one in which most of the Griefers joined in. The lines over Alec's eyes began to seep a dark vapor. A black glow washed over him, almost like a black aura. When Alec opened his eyes, they no longer had any white in them. His sclera was a solid black, bits of smoke released out of the corner of his eyes. Thistle paled at the sight before him.

"You're better off facing an army."

* * *

*POW!*

"UGH!"

*POW!*

"GAH!"

*POW!*

*COUGH*

Thistle coughed painfully as he was thrown to the ground, utterly defeated.

"What do you think, guys?" Alec, smoke still enveloping his body, asked the watching Griefers while massaging his hand. "Too much?"

The Griefers responded with loud 'no's' but Alec shrugged them off.

"Meh, you guys are sadists." He dismissed before closing his eyes. He took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. As if turning off a faucet, the black smoke seeping from him, gradually stopped. And when he opened his eyes again, his white sclera had returned.

"What…what are you…?" Thistle coughed out from the floor.

Alec just knelt down beside him and smiled. "I'm real, Captain Thistle. We all are!" he shouted the last bit as he addressed his army. "Listen to this, Griefers! The King of Daymonte didn't honor our humble request for the Codex, because he thinks we aren't real!"

The Griefers booed in response.

"Yeah, it is pretty upsetting!" Alec agreed as he paced in front of Thistle's defeated form. "King Rotjes seems to think that all of you are just some silly bluff! That we don't have the manpower to conquer Daymonte's surrounding villages! That we don't exist!

"Well I say, we do! And who would know better than me, right!?"

The Griefers all cheered in response, eager to follow their leader in whatever he ordered.

"We exist just as much as Rotjes, Daymonte's citizens, or Thistle here! And—!" Alec stopped himself as if suddenly realizing a mistake he made. "Whoops, my bad." He turned to Thistle and picked up the fallen Captain's sword.

Then he positioned it over the Captain's chest.

"Captain Thistle won't be existing anymore."

* * *

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Axe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 34 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Stick, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 6 Baked Potatoes, 17 Pumpkin Pies, 30 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 10 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 8 Emeralds, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 9]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 30 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 17 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 15 String, 17 Carrots, 35 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: RIP Thistle. On the plus side, there's probably a new opening for the Captain position.**

 **...Too soon?**

 **Anyway, this chapter was tough to write. But I kept my Wednesday deadline since it's still before midnight. I also probably pissed off some people. My bad. Please put away those torches.**

 **Cobb now has a new ally in Lenzington and trouble is brewing in Daymonte's horizon.**

 **Not much else to say. Chapter 41 will be published tomorrow so don't kill me.**

 **As always, leave a fav, follow, OC submission, PM, review, or fifty dollars. Ciao.**

* * *

Omake: No Ship Like Shipship

"For Christ's sake, Lenz—"

"I fail to see what part Christ has to play in this decision."

"We're going through dangerous territory." Cobb shouted exasperated. "As in, bring more weapons and less redstone tech."

"Ah, my naïve young Cobbert," Lenz placed a hand on his shoulder as if he was speaking to a child. "In my capable hands, redstone tech _is_ a weapon."

"What, are you gonna build a tank?"

"No…but that is very creative." Lenz made a note in his personal notebook. "I was thinking traps and—er…is that your Inn? Up ahead?"

Cobb followed the student's finger and saw why he was confused. Wynn's guards were standing outside it, arguing heatedly about something.

Cobb barely caught any of it as he approached, but tapped the guard named Noah on the shoulder. "Hey, what's going on?"

As soon as Noah saw him, an eager smile spread across his face. "Perfect timing, Cobb. You can clear this up." Before Cobb could protest, he was gripped by the shoulders and absorbed into the group of guards. "Hey guys. Cobb's finally here, so he can tell you himself what he and Wynn were up to just this morning."

The other guards turned their attention to Cobb, a few of them showing disbelieving stares. Cobb, realizing they meant the 'straddling' situation and the implications behind it, was caught off guard by how big a deal the guards made of it.

"Yeah, go on, Cobb!" Spencer urged with a pat on the back. "Tell them how you tempered the Captain's ironclad heart."

"I didn't temper anything!" The fisherman denied frantically. "What have you been telling everyone?"

"Only what we saw." Noah defended. "What other option is there? That Wynn just so happened to pin you down and straddle you for a purpose other than sex?"

"Yes! There was nothing going on between us!" Cobb argued with a scowl.

"Aha! I knew it." Solara stated proudly besides Micah and Daniel. "That means Wyronica is still a possibility!"

"Wyroni-what-ica?" Cobb questioned looking between the two groups. "What are you guys arguing about?"

"Only the most important thing in the world." Micah chimed in. "Our Captain's relationship with others."

Cobb just stared flatly at the guards as they explained themselves. "See, Hollie, Spencer, and I, after witnessing what happened this morning, are more than convinced that Royal Whispers, you and Wynn's ship name, is a thing."

"But those delusional naysayers," Spencer pointed to Solara, Micah, and Daniel, "seem to be convinced that Wynn…swings for another team."

"Just say lesbian. The word won't kill you." Micah scowled. "And you can't deny that there's a connection between those two."

Hollie rolled her eyes. "There's nothing there. That's just a friendship."

"No! Wyronica is real!"

Daniel raised his hand. "I'm actually more partial to Wynnica…"

"The ship name is FINAL!" Micah shot back.

Cobb kept looking at them flatly before turning his attention elsewhere. "What about those two?" He pointed to Bitters and Liam.

"They're still on the fence."

"Liam's on the fence." Bitters clarified. " _I_ just don't care."

It was painful to admit, but Cobb agreed with Bitters. Was this truly what the guards did in their downtime? Talk about relationships they played no part in?

Why?

Just…why?

"Cobb has been staying at Wynn's mansion." Hollie reasoned. "She wouldn't do that for a simple friend."

"But there's clearly a history between Veronica and the Captain!" Solara responded. "And considering Wynn's behavior, not to mention the way she dresses—"

"If you saw what we saw, you wouldn't be questioning this!"

"Wyronica!"

"Royal Whispers!"

As the two groups looked on the verge of conflict, Lenzington squeezed into the crowd. He placed a supportive hand on Cobb's shoulder. "Best not to get involved, Cobbert. It is out of your hands…out of anyone's hands, really."

Cobb halted in his attempts to intervene. "But…there's gotta be something we can do. They look ready to tear each other apart!"

Lenzington shook his head sadly. "You are fighting a battle against shipping, Cobbert. And I am afraid, that is a battle you will lose every time. Unless Wynn wishes to make a public confession about whom she loves, it would be best to steer clear. Let them tire themselves out. I should know." His face darkened. "I read a bit of romantic literature, involving a plucky male protagonist and three female love interests, which sparked similar responses amongst its fanbase."

"How did it go?"

"Badly." His face scrunched up as if he was remembering something particularly gruesome. "If bloodshed was possible in Minecraftia, I am certain it would have been spilled that day."

"Geez…how did it end?"

"With slowness potions and multiple incarcerations. I do not wish to say any further."

* * *

 **AN: I too prefer Wynnica to Wyronica. It just sounds better.**


	41. Elsewhere

**AN: NOOO! I'm too late! (T_T)**

 **Maybe I should just wait until next week to publish this...**

 **Nah! You guys get it now. It's a short chapter, but it's chalk full of action!**

 **Also, I'm waiting until next Wednesday to announce the puzzle winner. So no new puzzle this chapter.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Paralysis Potions.

Beta: Myself...again...

* * *

Chapter 41

 **Elsewhere**

[Just Outside of Daymonte]

Just outside of Daymonte, in a secluded and vacant mountain village, a courier was nervously scanning for addresses.

The address for the letter was the furthest he'd ever had to deliver, and most likely the furthest within Ringwood's courier routes. That meant using a good chunk of Invisibility Potions to avoid confrontations with Mobs or Griefers.

The courier let out an exasperated sigh, inwardly complaining about the pay not being worth it.

However, in the midst of his inner thoughts, a horse jumped out from a nearby bush, scaring the courier half-to-death. At the rider's command, the horse reared and stamped around the courier who clumsily backed away until falling down.

The rider had wavy blond hair and dark brown eyes. A golden stubble adorned his face along with a deep scar just above his nose. He wore an orange vest with yellow lining over a simple brown T-shirt. Fingerless black gloves held the horse's reins in check. He had light blue jeans and brown boots with orange along the toes. His backpack and belt were orange and he was clad in enchanted iron armor.

"You have five seconds to tell me who you are and why you're here." The rider on the horse demanded, thrusting a diamond sword in the courier's face. "One…two…"

"W-well…I…I'm here t-to—"

"Bzzzzt! Time's up." The rider spurred his horse into rearing again, ready to stamp on the downed courier with solid hooves.

"M-message!" The courier spoke frantically to stop the rider. "I have a message from Ringwood! I'm just a courier!"

His explanation wasn't quick enough, however, as he felt the full weight of the horse stamp on his legs. The sickening crunch was drowned out by the courier's agonized scream as he curled upon his leg.

"A message from Ringwood? Yeah, right. We don't know anyone in Ringwood." The rider raised his sword, poised to inflict further harm upon the courier.

"Perry! Enough!" An armored forearm intercepted the blade before it could strike the courier. "This man is not an enemy!"

The man who stopped the blade had pale skin and dark blue hair. Two black eyes shone with compassion and wisdom, and a deeper strength hidden within. A grey beard tinged with blue hung from his aged face. He wore a simple white long-sleeved shirt with blue sleeves, a pair of blue cargo pants, and a pair of dark sandals. His belt and backpack were the same hue of blue as his hair and, like Perry, he was completely clad in iron armor.

"Get out of the way, Baltic." The rider named Perry demanded as he raised the sword once more. "We can't take any chances."

The man named Baltic simply withdrew a golden carrot from his backpack and waved it in front of Perry's horse. Its eyes lit up in craving at the tantalizing carrot dangled before it. He threw it into the air and watched with slight amusement as the horse reared up to chomp it, displacing a disgruntled Perry onto the ground.

"Bob! You're supposed to be a _trusty_ steed!" Perry complained while the horse named Bob munched happily on the carrot. "This is a backstab! And over a golden carrot!"

With Perry preoccupied, Baltic turned his attention on the courier, who immediately shrunk in fear with what little mobility two broken legs allowed.

"Please don't kill me…" The courier screwed his eyes shut and held his arms up helplessly.

Baltic softened his expression and reached to his belt to withdraw a red potion. "Here," he spoke kindly as he knelt down. "Drink this." He held the bottle up to the courier's mouth, prompting him to drink the healing brew.

The courier opened his eyes to glance between the healing potion and the man's kind face before sipping the brew. His lost Hearts refilled instantly, mending his broken legs. "Good. Now, you have a message to deliver?"

The courier nodded quickly. "Y-yeah. Josep Village, 12 Acorn Street." He reached into his backpack only to freeze when Perry pointed his sword at him.

Baltic shot a disapproving glare at the distrustful man. "Perry, stop it. He's not reaching for a weapon."

"Nobody delivers mail here, Baltic. You can't—"

"He wouldn't know our exact address unless one of ours sent the letter." The kind man reasoned before glaring at the sword. "Now put that away."

Perry narrowed his eyes with a growl before reluctantly sheathing the blade at his belt. However, he kept his distrustful eyes glued to the courier, expecting things to turn bad.

Baltic gave an appreciative nod before turning back to the courier. He was still frozen with his hand in his backpack, but with Baltic's prompting soon began to remove his hand to reveal a message book.

Baltic leaned forward, ready to accept it before stopping suddenly. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Ah. My mistake. I need to pay you a small pittance for the delivery." He rummaged in his backpack for some spare emeralds, but the courier just shoved the message into his arms.

"Just…just take it." The courier nervously dismissed before slowly backing away. "It's free…a-and I'll be sure to warn any future couriers from coming here—"

"You'll tell _nobody_." Perry interjected with a menacing step.

"R-right. I'll tell nobody. I-I won't even warn couriers that come here—"

"No! No more couriers." Perry clarified with a growl. "You tell them if they show their faces here, they'll be hung up on our wall."

The courier shuffled awkwardly. "S-so just to be clear, you want me to warn them off…without telling anybody? How am I to do that?"

"Are you trying to annoy me!?" Perry lunged forward causing the courier to flee in terror.

Baltic cupped his hands over his mouth. "I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding!" He called out as the courier disappeared from sight.

Perry shot the kind man an irritated grimace. "What is wrong with you?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"That weedy courier could have been a spy!"

"That kind man," Baltic pointed to where the courier disappeared, "braved miles' worth of untamed wilderness to deliver us this message. To do his job. And how do we repay him? We break his legs and scare him to death."

"Half the Cult is looking for Carys, and you don't think—!"

"They're looking for the 'Angel of Death', whom, unless otherwise proven, is _not_ Carys_Angel."

"How long before they figure it out with you letting witnesses come and go! Think!" Perry gnashed his teeth together like a mad dog. "Honestly, why does she even keep you around?"

"For my pleasant company, of course." Baltic chuckled before opening the message book. His eyes darted across the pages, quickly summarizing the contents. "Hmm…this changes things."

"Let me guess. It's a fake message, right?" Perry spoke confidently while gripping his horse's reins. "Just a blank excuse for that courier to sneak here."

Baltic shook his head. "We need to tell the others."

* * *

"Tah!"

A quick slash.

"Hah!"

A sweeping kick.

"Dadadadada!"

A series of lightning fast jabs.

The brown-haired woman dodged or deflected them all, her hazel eyes showing absolute focus.

Her opponent, a man with short brown hair, kept up his relentless attacks, all with custom sound effects.

"Ka-stang!" The man shouted while lashing out with a knee.

The woman's eyes widened before she let out a mirthful laugh. "Ka-what?" She asked humorously, dropping her guard and allowing the man's knee to connect with her gut. The next instant, he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, trapping it.

"Ha!" The man shouted with a grin. "I knew my ridiculous sound effects would trip you up eventually! It's my win!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the woman slammed the back of her head into the man's nose, stunning him. Then she twisted out of his grip and used the momentum to unleash a spinning kick across his cheek.

The man fell to the ground, unmoving, before he let out a faint, "Ow."

"That's Heather's win." An onlooker signaled with a raised hand in the woman's direction. "That makes the score 67 to 2."

"You almost had me, though." Heather smiled warmly as she extended a hand to help the man up. "If you hadn't started talking, you probably could've pinned me."

"Yeah, I know." The man accepted the hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Now that I know random shouts can distract you, I'll win for sure next time."

Heather laughed to herself. "That might work on me, but your next opponent is Luis." She pointed to the onlooker who had judged the match, a man with shoulder length silver hair and a black baseball cap.

The brown-haired man groaned. "Why is it always me against you, or me against Luis? Why don't you two beat each other up, and I watch?"

Luis and Heather exchanged a small look, their eyes meeting each other's, before quickly turning away with a blush.

"I guess…if it's alright with Heather…"

"If Luis thinks it's okay…"

Before either of them could agree, Perry and Baltic stepped into the arena. "Luis, Heather, Wing. If I could have your attention. There's something you should hear."

The three Crafters gathered around and Perry joined them. "What's the news, Baltic?" Wing stretched the soreness out of his arms. "Is Carys back? Because getting the tar kicked out of me over and over isn't helping with the boredom."

"Not exactly." Baltic held up the book. "We just got this letter from her. She won't be back soon…because she's in Lazuli."

"What? Why?" Heather asked with concern. "She was just out on a simple scouting mission."

"Calm down. It's nothing serious." Baltic assured. "Her letter said something came up and she needed to get to Lazuli."

"I hope it's not serious." Perry commented as he tried to get a glimpse of the letter. "Operation: Overshadow is in a few weeks. We're supposed to be lying low. Keeping off the Cult's radar. If she starts making waves—"

"This is Carys we're talking about," Luis interrupted flatly. "Of course she's making waves. Part of the reason why we follow her. But she's not a fool. She wouldn't jeopardize all our preparation just for 'something that came up'."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, followed closely by Baltic. "So what else does the letter say?"

"She wants us to pick her up in the airship." Baltic continued. "She says she'll have concluded her business by the time we get there."

"And then…?"

Baltic paused before reading directly from the book. " _You are to gather our forces and wait for me. Once I return, we will move forward with the plan._ "

The group smiled in anticipation. All of their training was about to pay off. After Operation: Overshadow, everything would change.

The Endward Cult will be the ones on the run.

"Hell, yeah!" Wing shouted as he pumped a fist in the air. "I can't wait for this! No more waiting around in this village! Time for ACTION!"

Baltic glanced away guiltily. "Yes…well…actually, Wing. I have a bit of bad news."

Wing turned to the blue-haired man, a bit of the hopeful light vanishing from his eyes.

"There's no easy way to say this…er…Carys values everyone in the Paragons. You know that. I know that. We all know that. But…"

"You're not going on the mission." Perry finished Baltic's attempts at breaking the news with mild indifference.

Wing sank to his knees like a deflated balloon. "But…but…"

"I'm terribly sorry." Baltic apologized with genuine remorse over crushing the warrior's optimism. "Carys wants you to investigate some people living in Ringwood."

"But…but…"

"If it's any consolation, you won't be alone." Baltic tried to cheer him up. "Carys wants Luis to go with you too! Isn't that great?"

"But…but…"

"Hang on. I have to go too?" Luis stepped forward. "Is that a direct order from the Angel?"

"I'm afraid so." Baltic flipped through the pages. "The people you're investigating go by the name King_Cobb…not sure why that's underlined in red…and Flawwed_Floyd. She wants you to find out everything you can about them. Numbers, friends, experience, allies, habits, tactics, etc."

"But…but…"

"Sounds like a lot to cover." Heather interjected while stepping around the dejected Wing. "Maybe I should tag along too, just to watch out for Luis—And Wing. Wing is also a concern."

She blushed a bit at her slip-up in words, to which Luis mimicked.

"No, Heather. You need to stay behind and spread the word to all our hideouts." Perry shot down. "Overshadow is a go, and we need everyone ready for the big day. Make sure all the Paragons are armed and ready. Meanwhile, Baltic and I can take the airship and pick up our terrifying leader."

"But…but…"

"Fine." Heather relented before patting Luis on the shoulder. "You be careful in Ringwood. That's 4Blite's stomping grounds."

Luis gave a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about me. Neither 4Blite, nor the Cult, know about any of us. Hopefully, I can keep this one in check." Luis prodded Wing with his black skater shoes. "Come on, Wing. Best to snap out of it."

"But…but…" Those were the last words Wing muttered before he was dragged out by his red and grey checkered hoodie.

"I'll let everyone know." Heather nodded as she prepared to gather her supplies. "You really think Carys is okay up north?"

Baltic flashed a reassuring smile. "Carys is no Newb. I'm sure wherever she is, she's just fine."

Perry let out a low chuckle. "I'm sure wherever she is, she's kicking some serious ass."

* * *

[Carys]

"In hindsight, I probably should have seen this coming."

I held my last cooked steak up to the snow-falling sky while lying beside my useless horse.

The journey to Lazuli was taking longer than I expected. Costing me more provisions than I was prepared for. The horse was just _so_ damn slow. Trudging along when it should have been galloping as commanded. Add snow fall to the mix and its pace became downright glacial.

 _I swear, I never had to deal with such sluggishness when riding Mr. Pig—_

I halted my thoughts before I could finish thinking that name. I bit my lip remembering what I promised myself.

Every mention of him was a sign of weakness. He was dead. Dead and gone. And if I kept my mind trained on his death, I would lose focus of everything else.

Everything I've worked for…all the plans I've made…I wasn't prepared to risk all that. Not even for Mr. Piggles.

I would settle my business in Lazuli, get suitable revenge on the brown-haired bastard that ended my precious bundle of joy, and put that all behind me.

With a great sigh, I began to nibble on my last provision, trying to draw it out as long as I could. After that I'd be left with rotten flesh. But eating it was out of the question. Not because it was disgusting, but because it sapped my hunger. I needed full hunger to be at top strength.

It was a shame horses didn't drop anything edible, otherwise I'd have slit its throat and feasted on it in seconds. Slower animals probably had more fat on them anyway.

So my only options were to either stick it out until Lazuli (which was a day or two away at best), search for food in a blizzard, grow my own food, or wait for the food to come to me.

I didn't have seeds or crops and the ground was solid snow, so becoming a farmer was out. And only sheep and their wooly coats could survive the freezing temperatures, and I couldn't see any nearby.

But I did notice something else nearby.

A group of Crafters on horseback, galloping towards me from a high snow bank. They were whooping and hollering and waving swords around like idiots. There behavior wasn't like the professional guards that patrolled the land. Plus, they lacked the blue-dyed leather helmets of Lazuli. And the malicious expressions on their faces with their eyes zeroed in on me…

Bandits.

 _Looks like the food came to me after all._

I quickly finished my steak and tidied my hands while the bandits circled me. There were ten of them and they were all clad in iron armor. Their weapons ranged from iron to stone, but they had plenty of provisions hanging off their belts.

 _Hmm. That one has steak…but I'm kind of in the mood for fish…_

When the bandits formed a circle around me, they dismounted their horses and approached me with smug grins on their faces. Some even had lecherous eyes.

They'd be the first to die.

"Well, hello there gorgeous." One of them was foolish enough to walk up to me. "You're a long way from Lazuli. And all by yourself too?" He tsked with a shake of his head. "Pretty stupid."

 _I suppose you'd be the final word in doing stupid things._ I retorted mentally, not wanting to start something…yet.

Obviously these bandits had no idea who I was. Otherwise they'd be begging for forgiveness or fleeing with their tails between their legs. News about wanted criminals didn't extend between Ringwood and Lazuli.

And while I did miss people immediately fleeing in sheer terror from the mere sight of me, it was simpler to acquire food from Crafters who wouldn't run away.

I smirked. This was going to be entertaining.

"Well, it's a good thing the ten of you showed up when you did." I commented charmingly. "I was running low on provisions."

"That is unfortunate." The bandit leader waved off, trying to steer the conversation back in his favor. "But I bet you got more than just food. That diamond armor of yours looks pretty nice. Must have cost you a fortune."

"Why, yes it did." I gushed with a smile, not caring about their subtle threats. They were just minor annoyances with food for all I cared. "But I must ask, who are you people?"

The bandit leader laughed loudly before gesturing to his men. "Us? We're the Snow Golems!"

"Snow Golems!" The bandits cheered in unison.

"The baddest group of bandits that ever enforced these arctic wastelands!"

"Is that so?" I asked with mild curiosity. "And what exactly do you enforce?"

"Only the greatest law of the land! Survival of the fittest!" One of the bandits shouted. "We take what we want. And if you argue, we take your life too!"

A dark smile spread across my face. "Why, I couldn't agree more."

I felt a small stirring of amusement at the shocked looks on their faces. The bandit leader glanced behind awkwardly before returning his attention to me with renewed arrogance. "Well, then I assume you'll just hand over all your supplies to us? Nice and easy?" His eyes roved up and down before adopting what he probably thought was a suave tone. "Of course, you can always join us. I'm sure someone as lovely as you could find a spot in the Snow Golems."

I didn't like the innuendos he was making. And I visibly showed my disgust before answering. "Actually, I have a better idea." I turned to face each one of the bandits. "You give me half of your food, and I'll only kill half of you."

I said it casually, so it was understandable that they proceeded to laugh. As if the idea of one woman taking out ten people was absurd. I didn't mind. Each guffaw would just be another nail in their coffin.

"Hoo! Haha…haha! Oh that's rich! Alright, I'll play along." The bandit leader wiped a tear from his eye and reined in his laughter. "What if we don't want to hand over half our food? What'cha gonna do?"

I gave a single-shoulder shrug. "I'm sure I'll think up something. Though either way, _you_ can't be saved." I hardened my gaze on the leader. "You've already pissed me off enough."

He laughed at my threat like the oblivious blowhard he was. Honestly, it seemed that all bandits were cut from the same idiotic cloth. If he was more intelligent, he probably would have noticed my relaxed state, the enchanted gleam on my armor that I wasn't wearing just for show, the swords and bows at my belt specifically crafted for varying scenarios, the potions, the TNT.

I was a one woman army.

Who just so happened to have neglected bringing ample provisions.

"Well, Miss Angel." The bandit leader announced while glancing at my name. "You think you can kill me? I'd like to see you—GRK!"

The rest of whatever clever retort he thought up was drowned out by the pommel of my blade slamming into his throat. Very effective at cutting off oxygen.

I followed up with a heavy overhead slash before sending him to the ground with a boot to the chest. Most of his bravado seemed to evaporate with him sprawled on his back like a helpless turtle. The rest of it left him when I took his foot and twisted it sharply to the left, punctuated by a satisfying crunch and a predictable howl.

That was enough to show the bandits I meant business. But they were slow on the uptake. By the time they drew their swords, I had already slid past their perimeter. I trudged as fast as I could through the snow while I heard the sounds of their pursuit.

"Get her!" I heard the bandit leader command in between curses. "Don't let her escape!"

 _He thinks I'm trying to escape? That's cute._

Those bandits were a bunch of incompetent weaklings. I just didn't want them getting at my horse, left tied to a post. Even if I was soon to have a selection of ten horses to choose from, I'd stick with the horse I purchased. Sluggish or not.

Plus, I promised I'd think of a worse punishment if they didn't hand over their food.

I intended to keep that promise.

I reached into my backpack as soon as the horse's labored breath reached my ear. Pivoting on my foot, I chucked a swiftness potion at the animal. The bandit, surprised at the change in his steed's speed, easily overshot his charge, face-planting into a snow bank.

 _Eight._

When two more horses galloped forward, their riders readying their swords, I smirked, standing perfectly still. Predictably, their swords hit me with all their might (which was paltry), but the backlash from the Thorns enchantment hit them with enough force to propel them off their steeds.

The opportunity was too good. I splashed a strength potion and grabbed the two by the legs before whipping them across the snow. They joined the first fallen bandit at the base of the snow bank.

 _Seven…Six…_

The next bandit came at me on foot, swinging his sword wildly and with no technique whatsoever. It was laughable, really, how these 'men' thought they could intimidate anyone.

I met bunny rabbits more ferocious.

I knocked the sword to the side with an armored shoulder before lazily catching a wild jab in an open palm. I pulled his arm up and over my shoulder before tossing him through the air.

Right on the bandits struggling to their feet.

 _Five…_

The remaining bandits had the sense to stay back after witnessing half of them taken down so effortlessly.

As for me, I simply withdrew a water bucket from my backpack and poured it by the snow bank. The bandits raised their eyebrows in confusion until they saw me with my loaded bow.

Five arrows.

One Flame Bow.

They were ablaze in moments.

They fell off their horses, panicked with flames engulfing their bodies. It was only natural for them to sprint to the nearest water source—the one I just placed—without thinking.

As soon as all nine of those bandits were gathered in one spot, I threw two splash potions back-to-back.

It was a potion trick Baltic had taught me. One he learned from a touch-and-go experience with some Witches.

The first was a Slowness Potion, to make them sluggish.

The second, a Weakness Potion, to sap their strength.

When combined, they had the effects of paralysis. Any target hit with them would be at my mercy.

And my current target, was nine paralyzed bandits.

They just lay there, unmoving, except for their constantly darting eyes and their insufferable mouths. True to their nature, they were begging for mercy.

No honor to the end.

I withdrew a Splash Potion of Poison from my backpack and threw that at them. While the poison ate away at their health, lowering it to the minimum level of health without killing them, I placed a block of TNT right in the middle.

I took whatever food the guards had at their belts. Steak, potatoes, salmon, mutton, chicken. I left the soups and anything I couldn't stack. Had to travel light after all.

Once I thoroughly raided their supplies, I placed several planks connecting the TNT to a safe distance away, like a fuse, before lighting it.

I promised them a fate worse than death if they didn't comply. Now they got to lay there, numb to the world and powerless to do anything but watch as that fire reached that TNT. Their life was measured by how long it took.

I ignored their frantic pleas as I sauntered back to the bandit leader, still downed from the foot I broke.

He looked shocked to see me. "Wha—You!? Where are my men!?"

Just then, an explosion went off behind me. I could not have timed it more perfectly. "Looks like the Snow Golems are disbanded." I answered coldly as I readied my blade. "Any last words?"

"P-please…" He pleaded with fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry…I don't want to die!"

"Neither does anyone else."

And with a series of stabs, each one punctuated by a whimper of pain, I ended his existence.

I grabbed a handful of the apples he was carrying and left the rest for some fortunate Crafter to find.

I walked back to my steed and leaned against it while I munched contentedly on some apples. I built quite an appetite after all.

It was nice how grocery shopping for me was as simple as slaughtering some assholes.

* * *

 **AN: RIP Snow Golems. We won't really miss you.**

 **Last Chapter ended the Daymonte Arc, so now I'm entering a two-chapter mini-arc about what Carys is up to during Cobb's adventures.**

 **Needless to say, she still hasn't forgiven him. To the point where she's sending members of her faction after him and Floyd.**

 **You got to see a bit of Carys' faction, The Paragons. Including two new viewer submitted OCs. Agent_P (Perry) by Anonymous and Hopeful_Heather by LuckyLuis. They also submitted Wing and Luis, and I felt it was about time to show off Carys' forces.**

 **Fanfiction . Net is a bit off so the reviews aren't showing for some reason. But I'm sure it'll be fixed...eventually.**

 **No Omake this Chapter, because...well...I just wrote one yesterday. And NOT because I couldn't think of anything funny enough. (9_9)**

 **Summer's great by the way, in case any of you were wondering. Feels so good not to have to hand in written papers on a deadline anymore. Instead, I get to _publish_ written _chapters_ on a deadline.**

 **Waaaaaay more enjoyable. (^_^)**

 **See you all next week!**


	42. Dead and Gone

**AN: What!? I'm actually publishing a Chapter NOT at midnight? Must be Crazy Reverso Day!**

 **Then again, it is rather short.**

 **Before we begin, I'd like to address one of the reviews I received asking about if I could use Minecraft youtubers in my story.**

 **The answer is 'No' for two reasons.**

 **One, it would require me to look up Minecraft youtubers to get a sense of their character and personality, which would take time out of writing actual content.**

 **And Two, people watch Minecraft youtubers because they enjoy their reactions and watching them compete against each other while commenting about random things. It's the character that people enjoy. I'm already trying to develop my own characters so, writing youtubers into my story seems kind of excessive and wasteful. If you want to read a story about your favorite Minecraft youtuber, look up a story about that youtuber.**

 ***Phew***

 **Sorry. Just felt like saying that. I hope you understand my reasoning.**

 **Anyway, congrats to Laner for answering last week's riddle correctly. The answer: Your name! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle:** **Dan's mother had three children. The first was named April and the second was named May. What was the name of the third child?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add paint.

Beta: Myself...this time...for the third time...again...

* * *

Chapter 42

 **Dead and Gone**

[Carys]

Lazuli was a Kingdom of Art.

One in which creativity and color dominated every aspect of the frosted tundra territory. Be it ice sculptures, paintings, stained glass mosaics, banners, or, more famously, Snow Prints. The Kingdom was so renowned as a hub for artists, that its very architecture resembled that of a pristine crystal chandelier, surrounding the mountain along which it was built. Ice and snow that never melted in the Kingdom's icy climate.

Even its name was tied to art. Lazuli. Half the name of the blue mineral generally used for dye. The same blue dye that made up their guards' leather caps.

Yes. If Lazuli prided itself on one thing, it was art.

Not that I cared for any of that. I ranked artistic talent somewhere between cauldrons and mundane potions in terms of usefulness. Furthermore, a Kingdom focused solely on art and self-expression could not endure any kind of war, should it arise. Lazuli's guards were arguably the weakest of all the Kingdoms.

Just standing in a Kingdom of such weaklings felt unbearable. There could be no potential allies found in such a prim, artsy place.

But that wasn't why I was there.

Getting in was simple enough. Just a well-aimed ender pearl over the toll gates. Crafters were always so afraid of being caught sneaking into Kingdoms and having to face a swarm of guards. However, people like me—people of strength—had nothing to worry about. Even if the guards were competent, I could dispatch them easily enough.

I left my horse tethered outside the Kingdom. I'd be back for it later.

Once inside the Kingdom, I glanced with mild indifference at the snow-packed buildings surrounding me. Lazuli was build along a mountain and structured so that the bottom housed the poorest, and the top housed the richest, and the King.

That's where I needed to go. The top.

But not to threaten the King. No. Just someone close by.

Once I got up there, I had to ask around for the exact location of my quarry. One such Crafter pointed me towards a pristine mansion built from snow and stained glass, a few ice sculptures standing guard like sentinels.

I glanced at one of them and smirked before flicking it tauntingly. Then I walked past and knocked on the door.

I didn't have to wait long before a woman answered the door. She had short tawny hair and her name was Patricia57. "Hello?" She asked politely, all while showing obvious confusion as to who I was.

"Hello." I spoke softly while giving a kind smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Would this happen to be the residence of the famous artist, Leo_Frost?"

The woman rolled her eyes before nodding in exasperation. "Yes. But I am afraid my husband is at work, answering all the requests from his many fans." She scrutinized me with obvious annoyance. "I swear, this is the tenth time a fan has been asking for him. If you think you'll be bumped up his reservation list just by trying to catch him at home, you'll have to—"

"Actually," I interrupted, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. "You're exactly the person I was looking for."

* * *

"Hey! She can't cut the line!"

"What!? I've been waiting here overnight and she thinks she can just waltz in and cut us? No way!"

"I want Leo to make a sculpture of me! And I'm highly ranked amongst the King's court! If anyone should cut it should be me!"

I ignored all their noisy prattle as I continued to carve my way to the front of the line. Right to where Leo was sitting patiently.

If anyone tried to stop me with an outstretched hand, I caught it, twisted it, and continued forward without even looking at the offending limb. Or the screaming owner of the now broken limb.

After the eighth arm, people began to realize I shouldn't be trifled with and settled for just verbal outrage without anyone acting on it.

Cowards and weaklings. All of them.

Once I reached the front of the line, I was greeted with a man sitting at a table, sporting rainbow hair done up in a pompadour. Ugh…looking at the thing too long was making me sick.

"Excuse _you_." The man, named Leo_Frost, spoke with _very_ obvious disdain. "I have no respect for those that cut the line OR for those that break the limbs of my fans."

"What a coincidence. I have absolutely no respect for artists." I countered, smirking at the outraged look on his face.

"How DARE you." He spoke lowly as he got up from his seat. "If this is your way of getting me to accept your commission, you'd better just turn around…and…"

He trailed off in his rant as I lightly tossed a book on the table. He glanced at it carefully before opting to open it and read. It didn't take ten seconds for his eyes to bulge in horror as the implications of the book dawned on him.

He opened his mouth to protest, but whatever he thought to say died on his lips with the near-imperceptible shake of my head and my cold smile.

I leaned forward, making sure my lips brushed against his ear. "I'm in a bit of a hurry." I whispered, ensuring the people behind me couldn't hear. "So I'm going to ask you only to answer in nods or shakes. If a single word leaves your mouth, if you make any move to signal anyone…well…best not to think about it. Understand?"

He gulped before nodding silently.

"Good." I whispered. "Now, while I have absolutely no respect for artists or their work, I _need_ one to make me some incredibly detailed Snow Prints. So I chose you, one of the greatest artists in Lazuli. You should feel flattered, no?"

After a pause, in which he realized I just asked him a question, he quickly nodded. Despite the arctic temperature, his forehead was already shining with a nervous sweat.

Making someone sweat in the cold…just another level of intimidation to add to my repertoire.

"Yes," I continued as I adjusted my grip on his table. "Your likenesses have received high praise, and I'm sure if I describe them to you, you'll make a couple of masterpieces worthy of my time. But the problem was that someone as famous as you would surely have multiple commissions, with requests pushed back for months. Just look at that line of fans behind me."

I shifted to the right to allow him to see all the disgruntled fans. But Leo kept his eyes glued to mine, perhaps too afraid he might accidentally do something I'd consider a signal, and act upon my threat.

"So, to speed things up a bit, I met your wife at your home and 'convinced' her to come with me for a bit. To a nice, safe, discreet location." The book I had shown Leo was his wife's citizenship information. I also flashed him her entry pass, which I managed to procure from her person, in order to further bolster my threat.

"One of two things is going to happen, Leo." I was ready to get to the crux of my conversation. "One: You say anything that isn't a ' _Very well, Miss'_ and I will go directly to your wife and ensure she is never found again." He flinched in fear, but I was blocking that reaction from his fans.

"Or two: You say ' _Very well, Miss_ ' and the two of us meet outside the Kingdom, you with your art supplies and I with your wife, to make those Snow Prints. And when you are done, I will pay you the proper cost for your work, and you and your wife get to go home together, never to see me again."

I leaned back with my best fake smile, returning to my normal volume. "So, what do you say?"

To any of Leo's fans, I looked like I was ending a harmless conversation with the artist. Which was further bolstered when he nodded with a, "Very well, Miss."

While the fans behind me shouted their disapproval, I just smiled politely. And with almost no volume, whispered:

"Good choice."

* * *

The land surrounding Lazuli, which made up Northern Minecraftia, was covered in snow all year round. There were the occasional spikes of ice jutting from the ground or massive snow-capped mountains, but the constant snowfall made it a winter wonderland.

Herds of sheep traversed the frosted wasteland, their wool the only thing keeping them warm. With the abundance of sheep, most of Lazuli feasted on cooked mutton, with the wool left over. Because of this, colored wool was the primary medium for self-expression. Perhaps Lazuli's focus on art originated from the very availability of wool.

But more importantly, the daily snowfall made the landscape perfect for Snow Prints.

The idea for Snow Prints resulted from the usage of blank maps.

Whenever a new map was made, it projected an overhead view of the surrounding landscape to a certain radius from the map-holding Crafter. Therefore giving that Crafter a look at the expected terrain.

Since snow showed up as an untarnished white on new maps, it gave artists the blank canvas for which they could paint artsy crap to their heart's content. Only instead of paint, they used colorful wools.

Those were Snow Prints. Large scale pictures built flat along the snow and then mapped out to be fitted as a poster or picture. Since maps could be expanded by simply surrounding one with paper, artists could make larger scale Snow Prints for more detailed work. Whenever a Kingdom needed Wanted posters for criminals or self-portraits, Snow Prints were generally used.

I had to admit, my own Wanted poster was spot on. Like looking in a mirror. They really captured my cold, merciless, crimson eyes.

And it was that same detailed work I needed for _three_ particular pictures.

"How is this?" The famed artist panted as he looked to me for approval. He had just completed all three pictures to my specifications.

I hummed in thought as I checked each one. I couldn't skip crucial details. They had to look _exactly_ like the real things. "The eyes. His eyes are a deeper green than that. And his face looks more idiotic than that."

I then pointed to the second picture. "And that one needs a sharper hairline. Jagged near the forehead."

Then I looked at the third one, the largest one and frowned a bit. "And the eyes on that one aren't _nearly_ as adorable as they should be! I want to see sparkles in those innocent eyes of his!"

Leo groaned wearily but returned to his work without verbal protest. He wasn't sweaty from exhaustion. Just the pressure of not seeing his wife ever again.

Which was understandable.

"You said you would bring my wife here." He ventured hesitantly. "Please…just show me where she is so I know she's okay…"

"You'll see your wife when I see those Prints." I shot down coldly with a hand upon my hip. "Though I assure you she's close."

Leo bowed low in apology before continuing. He walked over to the donkey he brought to carry his supplies and withdrew some green and lime wool. Despite the scare, he was devoting all of his focus to his work.

A proud artist, who would settle for nothing short of perfection.

A few more minutes passed, with him making corrections where I told him to. Shaping the Snow Prints into the faces of two despised enemies…

And one beloved companion.

"Stop." I commanded to which the artist complied. "That's perfect. It's like I'm facing them right now." I had to resist the urge of whipping out my sword and stabbing them in the eyes. Or burning them with my flint and steel.

That came later.

And would most certainly occur to the real ones. In time.

Leo quickly took out blank maps to make the Prints and presented them to me. "Please…my wife…" He whined as I accepted them.

To his words I withdrew an iron shovel and dug up a patch of snow nearby to reveal his unconscious wife. Alive and mostly unharmed.

"Here." I lifted the woman out of the hole and tossed her to her husband along with a stack of emeralds. "Your wife and your pay. Now leave."

Leo accepted both with a surprised expression, as if he was fully expecting me to murder both of them after the job was done.

I wasn't that—okay, yeah, I _was_ that cruel. But he did his job. There was no need to kill him for it.

As for the emeralds…

I got them off the Snow Golems.

I kept my eyes focused on the artist's work, not even paying attention to him as he carried his wife and guided his donkey back to the Kingdom in the distance.

All that was left was to clean up the large wool pictures. With fire.

I took out my flint and steel and torched the first two; the ones of two hated enemies. I smiled darkly as the fire engulfed Cobb and Floyd's likenesses, its orange glow reflecting in my crimson orbs. The warmth radiating off that fire helped dispel the icy chill.

 _They'll burn. Both of them. Just like this._

As I was about to set fire to the third one, I heard the muffled sound of footsteps against snow. I didn't even bother to turn around to address the newcomer.

"This isn't a show."

I waited for a reply or the sound of the newcomer leaving. When I got neither, I let out a tired sigh and only then turned to face them.

The newcomer was a male. Brown hair, dark skin, black eyes filled with anger. Wearing a black shirt, a brown robe secured by light brown sashes at his neck and stomach. The lower sash acted like a belt, keeping his more useful supplies at the ready. He also had torn black pants, black gloves and boots with white fur lining. His backpack was black. And over it all was diamond armor.

Above his head, the name SaltOfTheEarth hovered.

"I'm in a bad mood right now." I explained as I regarded the man before me. "So unless you have something to say, I suggest you leave."

The man chuckled humorlessly to himself. "You don't recognize me, do you?"

I focused more on his face before shaking my head. "No. If I met you before, you must not have left an impression. I'm usually good with memorizing features."

 _Particularly if someone has angered me._ I thought, remembering the Snow Prints I had accurately described to the artist.

"Figures." The man commented to nobody in particular. "I spent weeks tracking you down—months even—thinking of little else but my long-awaited revenge. And you can't even be bothered to remember me."

My ears perked at his statement. _Weeks? Then he must know who I am…_

"That's right, Carys." The man continued as he glared at me. "I know exactly who you are. Or should I call you, the 'Angel of Death?'"

My eyes widened just a fraction before returning to their neutral state. "Not many people are privy to that tidbit. And you want vengeance against me. Which means you're a member of the Endward Cult."

"Very clever." He congratulated with a mock clap. "I'm Lieutenant Salt of the Southern Division. The same division you and your faction laid waste to."

"Really?" I replied with surprise, the memory of the man becoming clearer. "I didn't think I missed one of you. I mean there was Garden, that other forgettable Lieutenant, a whole massacre-worth of cultists…" I trailed off as I ticked each one off my fingers, intending to rile the man up.

But he kept himself in check, only channeling his fury into his black eyes.

"Yes. You killed them all. And I was there. I saw you. And you saw me. But I escaped."

"I'd use the phrase 'running away' but if it helps you cope with your cowardice…"

"And I vowed I'd track you down by myself, and kill you for what you did." He spread his arms out wide. "And here we are."

"And here we are." I echoed as I brandished my diamond blade with slight boredom. "If you're trying to make up for your cowardice that day, you've certainly done so with this brazen meeting. Willing to face me all on your own when your whole Division couldn't?" I tsked chidingly. "Not very smart."

He let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Who said I was facing you alone?"

At his words, he snapped his fingers and the surrounding snow shifted, sprinkled with angry red eyes.

Wolves with brown collars, perfectly camouflaged by the snow, began to close in. They had encircled us during our chat, and on Salt's command had their fur bristled and teeth bared for battle.

There were quite a few of them. Salt must have tamed them as a sort of edge against me. So he wasn't completely brazen as to face me without a strategy.

I just laughed darkly, my eyes showing how amusing his efforts were to me.

If he thought a couple of wolves would be enough to kill me, he obviously didn't learn a thing from the last encounter.

"Attack, my pets!"

At Salt's command, the wolves lunged forward. I focused my attention on the wolves in front of me, staving them off with my blade. The ones that attacked from behind, while doing damage, were repelled by my Thorns enchantment.

Salt stayed back, arming himself with a bow as he took aim. His strategy was probably to use the wolves as a diversion while he sniped me from afar with a powerful bow enchantment.

However, he overlooked one thing.

As he took the first shot, I kicked the closest wolf in front of me. It took the hit and burst into flames, howling in pain.

 _Flame bow, eh?_

Salt cursed as he loaded another shot. But I was already a step ahead.

I lobbed an ender pearl high over the group of wolves and placed a block of TNT before lighting it. Just as it was about to go off, the pearl landed, teleporting me away from the blast that killed most of the wolves.

However, the next instant, I took an arrow to the shoulder before catching fire. Salt had tracked the pearl and aimed a shot the moment I appeared. I withdrew a Fire Resistance Potion and drank the amber brew, smiling in relief as the burning pain faded.

The remaining wolves relocated me quickly enough, charging with growls and snarls. Maybe intending to avenge their fallen kin like Salt was trying to do.

'Trying' being the key word.

But wolves, like Salt, were unintelligent. Too stupid to take anything but the direct route. A simple streak of fire between them and I was all it took to incinerate them. They flailed in pain before fizzling away.

It was just me and Salt left.

At that thought, I leaned my head to the left to dodge his latest flaming arrow. I focused my eyes solely on his as I raced forward. Each desperate shot he took was either dodged, or taken with little concern. The Thorns enchantment worked the same for arrows, so each shot he landed hurt him too. Plus, the Flame bow was rendered useless by the Fire Resistance.

It wasn't long before he had to resort to his iron blade. He charged furiously with the sword raised high, Crit Aura resonating along the surface. "CARYS!"

He had already lost. Shouting like a mad dog and charging recklessly was going to cost him. I blocked his swing with my blade and kneed him in the ribs. He coughed in pain before I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the snow. Then, for good measure, I grabbed his leg, placing my foot against its knee and yanked it sharply towards me, breaking it.

Something about the sound of broken limbs sounded pleasant to my ears.

Salt, with all the honor he could muster, only hissed in the agonizing pain I inflicted upon him. His Health was low enough that a simple strike could kill him. And a Potion of Slowness and Weakness kept him immobilized.

He had lost.

"What's wrong, Salt?" I taunted as I knelt beside him. "I thought you said you were going to avenge your Division. How do you expect to do that now?"

He glared at me with pure unbridled fury. "Lean in closer and I'll show you." He threatened with a snarl. He was probably prepared to bite my head off if that's what it would take.

I shook my head pitifully. "Poor Salt." I grabbed a fistful of his hair and shook it a bit. "So proud. So willing to take me on alone. So willing to avenge his fallen cultists."

I made sure to turn his head to face me so he could see my cruel smile. "But I'm grateful for your silly pride. You knew my face. You knew who the 'Angel of Death' was—something the rest of the Endward Cult has been trying to figure out. You had this information, and what did you do with it?" I watched the realization dawn on his face, verifying my theory. "You kept it to yourself. You wanted to hunt me down yourself, without any help. You wanted to bring my Head back, knowing you accomplished it yourself."

I patted his cheek, taking care to avoid his snapping teeth, before letting his head rest. "But, being the proud idiot that you are, you couldn't help but tackle this alone. And you lost. So now my identity gets to remain a mystery for a little longer, and my plans can proceed without having to worry about the Cult's interference."

"Spare me the lecture and just end it already!" He shouted with a face contorted in rage. "We cultists don't fear death! We don't fear the end! The only way forward is endward!"

"Well, I've met a few cultists that would disagree with you on that." I commented, remembering the cultists that had begged me to spare them before I silenced them for good. "But I can't kill you just yet."

I withdrew a Potion of Poison and lightly tossed it in the air before catching it in my palm. I continued this action over Salt's head, ready to drop it at a moment's notice.

"While your pride has withheld information about me from your allies, I'm hoping it won't be the same issue the other way around." Salt's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You must know a few of the other Lieutenants and Executives. Names, appearances, tactics. Give them to me and I'll make your death painless."

He spat in my face. "Fuck. You."

I wiped my face before smiling darkly and letting the Poison Potion fall. The poison ate away at his health, making him cry out in pain despite his resolve.

"You don't like that pain, do you?" The next potion I withdrew was a Potion of Healing, which I dangled tauntingly above his face. "I can make it go away. Just give me a bit of information. Who's the Northern Executive?"

He scrunched his eyes closed. "Kill me now, or I swear you'll live to regret it."

I sighed wearily before dropping the Healing Potion on him. I had to make sure he had enough Health before continuing with the torture.

I took out my flint and steel and brought the two together over his torso. The flames covered his body, making him scream in agony. I waited a bit before dousing the flames with my bucket of water, ensuring he was kept alive.

He gasped for breath, glorifying in the respite I was granting him.

"Information Salt." I urged mercilessly. "You think you can hold out? Against me? I am the strongest Crafter in the world. I will keep you alive. And I will use every method of torture at my disposal to make you crack. To make you scream all about the Endward Cult. And when that's done, you'll finally have the death you desire."

He let out another shaky gasp…though this one sounded different. Almost like—

"Are you laughing?" I questioned with a raised brow. "Don't tell me you're a masochist."

He let out another bark of raspy laughter as he cracked an eye open. "You…you called yourself…the strongest?" He let out another laugh.

I frowned at his comment. "I don't see what's so funny about that. I've killed countless cultists and Crafters alike, all without breaking a sweat." I tried to repress the memory of being tossed in lava by an idiotic Cobb and his sidekick. "No Crafter has come close to killing me."

Instead of ending his mirth, my argument seemed to spur on more laughs. "I…I remember…"

"Remember what?"

He opened his other eye, staring at me with malicious amusement. "I remember…You…back then…in Zeppil…"

At first, I thought he was rambling. Simple delusions brought on by the near-death experiences I was inflicting upon him.

But then a memory surfaced in my mind. One of a long time ago. Of a time I desperately wished to forget.

"You…" He looked directly into my crimson eyes. "Back then you were just a…sniveling…weakling."

"Shut up." I threatened lowly, gripping my navy blue jeans in…in…

What was I feeling?

"I remember…" Salt continued, enjoying the response he was getting from me. "We had just brought in a new…group of Crafters…for selection…"

"Shut up!" I raised my voice, panting in mounting anger. My hands were fumbling at my belt for the familiarity of my sword handle. But I was having trouble.

"How could I forget?" He sneered cruelly. "You were a wreck…hyperventilating…it took that friend of yours just to calm—"

I drove a fist into his mouth, silencing his words. Keeping them from reaching my ears. "DON'T TALK ABOUT HER!" I shouted as I slammed another fist into his throat. "DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT HER!"

I shook him violently, wanting to inflict as much pain on him as possible. No longer caring about possible information.

Salt just smirked victoriously. "Looks like…I riled you up…And all it took was…mentioning that friend of yours…how pathetic…"

That was the last straw. I lifted him by his robe and grinned viciously at him. "You've changed my mind. I think I _will_ kill you now."

I downed a Strength Potion and dragged him away by his leg. With his body still paralyzed, he could do nothing to resist. Though it didn't keep his damned mouth from moving.

"You…you think you're strong? You're just another Crafter seeking revenge…" Salt coughed while being dragged through the snow. "So close-minded...You can't see…what we do is for the best of Minecraftia!"

I tried to tune him out as I passed the third wool likeness made by the artist. Screw information. I was about to kill the fucker in the most painful way possible.

"Crafters die all the time!" He continued. "But for those that cling to life, afraid, we cultists liberate them!"

"I'm about to liberate the hell out of you." I replied harshly before I saw the outlines of my intended destination.

"I don't fear death!" He shouted defiantly. "I welcome it! For it is in death, that a new life can begin! A life far superior to this accursed one of Mobs and survival!"

I released his leg and yanked him up by his robe. "Understand this." I began lowly, my crimson eyes alight with malice. "Dead is dead. You think there's a better life somewhere out there? You want to believe that? Well, that's a lie!

"When you die, that's it! There's no second chapter. No continuation. When you're dead, you're DEAD! Dead and gone! That's how I live! And that's how all Crafters live!"

My face adopted a devious expression as I pointed Salt's face away. "You see that?" I was referring to the outline of cobblestone along the ground, marked with several warning signs. "Know what that is?"

Salt's eyes widened in recognition. "You…you can't mean…"

"Ah, so you _do_ know it." I lifted Salt into the air, sure that the paralysis effects he was under would soon wear off. " _That_ is the Border. Part of an invisible dome of energy that surrounds Minecraftia like a fish bowl."

"Y-you can't…!" Salt protested, desperately trying to move his body.

I readjusted my hold so that he was raised high over my head. "Anyone that tries to cross that Border gets killed. Just look at all the signs they put up to keep Crafters away. And they even marked it with cobblestone."

"Carys!" Salt shouted. It took all his strength just to move his limbs. And even then it didn't do much.

"Why don't we see just how instant a death hitting that Border can be!?"

"You'll burn for this, Carys! The cultists—!"

"That's fine by me!" I shouted as I pulled my arms back. "I'll burn…but not before you fry!"

And with a grunt of exertion, I threw Salt against the Border. As soon as his body passed the cobblestone line, it abruptly stopped as if hitting a solid wall. Then, volts of electricity danced across his skin, jerking his body around and eliciting an earsplitting screech from him.

His body flashed a multitude of blinding colors before bursting in a pile of gear. Some of it passed the Border line, including his Head which rested on the snow just on the other side.

I panted, trying to calm myself down. I had become so incensed by a few measly words.

But I couldn't let that stop me.

"See?" I addressed, looking at Salt's disembodied Head. "Dead and gone…"

Silence was the only response.

I trudged back to the third wool likeness, all while muttering those same words in my head. My own mantra.

 _Dead and gone…_

 _Dead and gone…_

 _Dead and gone…_

When I got to the third likeness, a beautiful picture of my faithful Mr. Piggles in all his pure adorableness, I didn't hesitate to light it. I watched as the flames consumed my faithful steed.

"Dead and gone…" I spoke aloud. Observing the three Snow Prints I had obtained. Cobb, Floyd, and Mr. Piggles.

The dead had no effect on the living. They were gone. Forever. And nothing could bring them back.

"Dead and gone." I repeated, regaining a bit of the composure I lost to Salt.

But the dead would at least be avenged.

The Endward Cult. King_Cobb. Flawwed_Floyd.

They and anyone else that got in my way would pay for their actions. Until they too were dead and gone.

 _Things like killing are second nature to me._

 _Second nature for the Angel of Death._

* * *

[Elsewhere]

In an underground cavern, several dozen Crafters mined away at the durable rock with stone picks. All while a cruel taskmaster shouted out obscenities.

"Pick up the pace, ladies! If you don't work, you don't eat!" The taskmaster roared while slapping the slower miners with his diamond shovel. "That goes double for you, new guy!"

The taskmaster pointed a finger at the new guy in the back. A recent acquisition from the plains.

The new guy tried to protest to the taskmaster's commands, but received a diamond shovel across the face. "Don't waste your energy flapping your jaw! That cobblestone won't mine itself! Now back to work!"

The new guy rubbed the spot where he was struck, royal blue eyes pleading, and flinched as the taskmaster raised his shovel threateningly. With no more words of protest, the new guy raised his pick and struck at the rock.

With an arrogant sneer, the taskmaster turned to observe the other miners. Though 'miners' was too generous a word. 'Slaves' would be more appropriate for the type of work being done without pay.

The new guy wiped some sweat from his forehead. The clothes he wore—a fine black suit and a white collared shirt with a red tie and dress pants—were out of place for the work he was doing.

 _How did this happen so suddenly?_ The new guy thought to himself as he swung his pick back down. _What did I do to deserve this kind of luck?_

"Hey, Nowhere." One of the new guy's fellow miners nudged. "I know it's your first day, but trust me, you don't want to piss these guys off. They can be cruel."

The new guy turned to regard his fellow miner. "My name's not Nowhere."

"But…the name above your head—"

"Just call me Noman."

* * *

 **AN: I feel really good about this Chapter. It's not exactly happy, and there's little humor. But I feel good about it.**

 **The focus was Carys. And I felt like she got the focus she deserved.**

 **Plus, remember Noman? If not, go back to Chapter 27. He's been gone for a long, long time. But I intend to remedy that with the next couple of chapters. Cross your fingers and pray I can pull this off.**

* * *

Omake: Stranger Danger

"How are you holding up, darling?"

"Fine, dear. Just fine."

The artist, Leo, laid his wife on the bed in the safety of their home. After everything that happened, he decided to take the rest of the day off. Making sure his beloved wife wasn't shaken by the ordeal.

"Patricia, do you remember any of what happened?" Leo asked with concern. "Like the woman that did this. Carys, was it?"

Patricia nodded while holding her head. "Yes...yes I remember. She came to the house and asked about you. I thought she was just another of your fans."

"If she is, I'll do everything in my power to see that she is _banned_ from all my fan-clubs." Leo stated with a conviction he thought sounded cool. Though given the context, it sounded rather lame.

"Thank you, honey." Patricia thanked with a kind smile.

"It pains me just thinking how she assaulted you." Leo wondered whether he should alert the guards...or would that only bring more trouble from that Carys lady.

Patricia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I wasn't assaulted." She clarified. "I think she just knocked me out when my back was turned."

"Huh?" Leo questioned. "You turned your back to her?"

"Yes. After we left the house-"

"You left the house with this woman!?" Leo shouted incredulously. "What made you think that was a good idea?"

"Well, at first I was against it. But then, she said that she knew of a place with free cookies and kittens." Patricia explained to a shocked Leo. "So I thought - Free kittens? I _got_ to see that! - And I followed her. But then when we started going down an abandoned and kittenless alley, I realized something was up."

"No kidding." Leo replied flatly.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone would lie about free kittens." Patricia slapped a fist into her open palm as if realizing something. "She must be a really evil person to have lied about that."

"This is what happens when we talk to strangers. Next time it'll be you getting into a windowless warehouse or something." Leo couldn't believe how gullible his wife was.

"I'd never get led into a windowless warehouse." She assured with an easygoing smile.

"What if there were kittens in it?"

"..."

"..."

"...Free kittens?"

* * *

 **AN: Remember, if you see a sign on a windowless van that offers free candy and kittens...**

 **Make sure to round up a bunch of people to tip the van over. That'll show those strangers.**


	43. Yesterday

**AN: Alright. Another Chapter. This one marks the start of the Noman Arc, retelling what our favorite nobody is doing while Cobb is off in Daymonte.**

 **For some reason, a lot of people were wondering what happened to Noman to get him in his situation. I'm not sure why. I mean, we leave him for a few chapters, come back, and he's imprisoned as a slave mining cobblestone.**

 **Seems pretty normal to me.**

 **...**

 **Alright, I did that cliffhanger on purpose. But, I mean, if I had shown Noman's adventures instead of Cobb's at first, and then cut to Cobb in the End with Lenzington, it would be the same reaction.**

 **Hopefully, this chapter will clear things up.**

 **Also, congrats to Void of Shining Darkness for answering last week's riddle correctly. The answer: Dan! It'll...make more sense if you read last week's puzzle.**

 **Puzzle: There is a word and six letters it contains. Take one away and twelve is what remains. What word is it?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add obsidian picks.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 43

 **Yesterday**

[Noman]

"Oof!"

A sharp kick to the back sent me staggering into a large cell with several dozen other Crafters. By the time I turned around, the cell was already sealed by the taskmaster, smirking cruelly.

"Good work today. Keep it up, and I might be persuaded to _double_ your wages!" He guffawed loudly as he left the room we were imprisoned in.

"How can he double our wages?" I questioned aloud. "Aren't we prisoners? What wages would we get?"

"He was being a prick, idiot!" One of my fellow prisoners clarified bitterly. "No matter how many times you multiply by, zero is still zero."

"Oh…no need to curse." I commented sadly as I sat on the stone floor. The cell had no chairs, beds, or objects to sit on after all. "Are they at least coming back with food or water?"

"Sheesh. You're pretty slow on the uptake newbie."

I sighed dejectedly. "I don't even know what I did wrong to get thrown in here. It all happened so fast…I just wish I had someone to tell it to."

At my words, all the other cellmates scooted further away from me, their eyes determinedly fixed on anything but me.

I blinked before letting out a louder sigh. "Yep. Reeeeeally wish someone could lend me an ear and listen to my story."

The cellmates scooted further away, continuing to ignore me.

"Just so I could get it off my chest. Maybe help figure out what I did wrong to get thrown in here. Possibly clear up any confusion…"

Silence.

I frowned as my eyes darted over every single person. Not one of them was paying me any mind.

"Come on. Please?" I begged aloud, hoping for one of them to reconsider. "If nothing else, just to help the new guy?"

That was enough to get a response. One of the cellmates sighed wearily before turning to face me. "Eh, what the hell. Not like I got anything better to do…" He spoke to himself before making a waving gesture with his hand. "Let's hear it."

I graced his willingness to listen with a small smile before clearing my throat.

"Well…it all started yesterday…"

* * *

[Yesterday]

A tumultuous storm was drenching everything in water. From the flat landscape of the plains to the horse I rode upon, all the way down to the waterlogged clothes I wore.

I had no idea how far the Kingdom of Dover Plains was, nor did I spot any suitable cover for—

* * *

[Present]

"Why weren't you naked?"

"Uh—excuse me?" The cellmate had interrupted my story with the most absurd question.

"You heard me. Why were you riding around in rain-soaked clothes when you could have been naked, letting the cool rain cascade down your skin?"

"Well…I…does that really matter for the story?"

"It's what I would've done." The cellmate nodded to himself as if it were completely natural to ride around naked. "I mean, animals are naked all the time. And they don't mind the rain. Only weighs down their fur."

"Well, I wasn't naked. I was fully clothed." I clarified with embarrassment. "Anyway, back to the story. I was riding around—"

"Is it because you don't know how to don the birthday suit?" Another cellmate had entered the conversation, intrigued by where it was going.

"Wha…birthday—what are you talking about?"

"It's really simple." He closed his eyes and stood up straight. "You just imagine your attire leaving you and…" As if by magic, his shirt and pants began to fade, revealing—

"Wait, wait, no, no, no!" I waved my arms frantically and screwed my eyes shut. "I appreciate the lesson, but…but…please, no nudity!"

The cellmate opened his eyes, returning his attire to its proper state.

Another cellmate snapped his fingers. "I got it. Noman probably didn't want his junk sitting on the horse's back."

"Ahhh."

"That makes sense."

"Gotta respect the animal after all."

I opened and closed my mouth, struggling for the kind of response such a situation demanded, but found none. So I just shook my head and returned to the story. With three new cellmates listening to it.

* * *

[Yesterday]

So, as I was saying, I was riding around on my horse, soaked to the bone, desperately searching for some kind of refuge from the rain.

The dark storm clouds blocked out the sun, covering the plains in a cold darkness, momentarily illuminated by the lighting that flashed across the sky. The wind was howling. The mood was grey and dismal. My horse was protesting with every spur—

* * *

[Present]

"What was the horse's name?" A cellmate raised their hand questioningly.

"I…didn't name it." I shrugged before trying to steer back to the story.

"What? You gotta name a horse!" The cellmate looked outraged, as if I had performed some inhumane act or something. "Otherwise, you won't have a connection with it."

"Yeah." Another cellmate chimed in. "And if you don't make a connection with the horse, the audience won't feel as invested with the character. It'd just become another mindless animal!"

I raised a brow at the rationality behind their argument. "Well, I—"

"The man's right. You gotta name the horse." Another cellmate joined the group listening to my story. More like criticizing really.

Were they some kind of back-story critics or something? What was with all the interruptions?

"Ooh ooh!" One of them raised their hands excitedly. "Can the horse's name be Sha-Neigh-Neigh? Y'know, since it's a horse. And horses go neigh for hay."

I sweat-dropped awkwardly. "I don't—"

"One could _say_ horses go _neigh_ for _hay_ all _day_."

"Right, right. I hear what you _say_." One of the cellmates caught on. "Horses _say_ _neigh_ when _hay_ is in their _way_."

"Horses are positively _gay_ for that _hay_. They can't say ' _yay_ ' or ' _hooray_ ,' but _they_ can sure _say_ _neigh_. So it's fitting to call him or her Sha-Neigh-Neigh. Especially since it's a male and female name."

"Fine! The horse can be named Sha-Neigh-Neigh!" I conceded just to stop the rhyming. "Now, can I _please_ continue my story? Please?"

The cellmates all nodded in acceptance as they sat cross-legged in a semi-circle around me. With that decided, I got back to my story.

* * *

[Yesterday]

So um… _Sha-Neigh-Neigh_ and I were traveling across the plains in the middle of a storm.

"There has to be a shelter somewhere…" I spoke to myself as I rode my horse over a small hill. However, the other side had a far steeper decline, leading to a small valley. At the center of which, a sizable tavern stood.

 _Looks like luck hasn't given up on me yet!_ I thought happily as I spurred my horse towards the tavern. It was made out of planks and logs, a detail that seemed off since trees generally didn't grow along plains. Just tall grass and flowers.

So where did the lumber come from?

I read one of the signs near the front. " _The Val-Piege Tavern_. Hmmm…"

I wasn't quite sure how to pronounce it, but finding a tavern during a thunderstorm was good. I could rest, order some food, and maybe even ask about local happenings. Knowing the current events of Dover Plains would definitely come in handy.

So with a deciding nod, I dismounted Sha-Neigh-Neigh, hoping the horse wouldn't wander off and opened the front door.

The door led to a large room with tables, chairs, and a bar displaying a multitude of brightly colored potions. From the walls hung pictures and item frames holding swords and axes. And over in the corner was a jukebox and a set of armor held up by an armor stand. There were some stairs leading to the next floor and some other rooms that must've been for the kitchen or additional tables.

"Hello?" I called out tentatively as I walked over to the bar. I didn't see anyone, so I was worried the tavern had been abandoned. "Anyone here? It's raining quite fiercely out there, so I was hoping I could stay the night."

I heard a sudden bump, followed by a small 'ow' before someone emerged from the bar. An elderly woman with grey hair and wrinkles. "Why hello there, deary." The woman greeted with a faint lisp.

I immediately relaxed at the sight of someone. "Hello. I'm sorry to bother you—"

"Oh, no bother at all, deary." She dismissed kindly. "You're here for a room, yes?"

I smiled, grateful that she was saving me the trouble of explaining myself. Then again, my soaked clothes were probably a clear indication that I needed shelter. "Yes. How much for one night?" I was already reaching at my belt for some emeralds.

The woman, however, turned away the emeralds. "No, no, deary. There's no need for any of that." She reached below the counter and pulled up a bowl of piping hot rabbit stew along with a bottle of blue-gray liquid. "I can see that you're soaked to the bone. Why don't you warm up by the fireplace in the next room. Get some food in your stomach."

"But...I have the emeralds. And I can't just accept your hospitality without…" I trailed off as the old woman pushed the emeralds back towards my belt.

She smiled kindly at me. "You shouldn't turn down a gift, deary." She offered a small wink before guiding me towards the other room.

I kept trying to offer her some emeralds. Surely someone as kind as herself deserved it. But she just kept waving off the offer until she seated me in front of a brick fireplace. She struggled with the flint and steel before eventually lighting a fire on a strange reddish block. Then she turned to leave, offering to tie my horse to a post so it wouldn't wander off.

Alone before the fire, I carefully sipped at the rabbit stew. Combined with the warming fire, the rain's chill was dispelled, warming me up both from the inside and the outside.

Just as I was about to take a swig of the drink the old lady gave me, I paused to admire the fireplace. Whatever the woman had done had made the fire burn without end. Usually fires burned until the block they were burning upon had burned away. There must've been a trick to it.

* * *

[Present]

"This story is boring."

"It's not meant to be entertaining." I protested.

"Y'know what this story needs?" One of the cellmates snapped his fingers in realization. "Pointless sword fights."

"Between who? The story only has three characters so far!" These guys were interrupting my story at every turn. How was I supposed to figure out what I did wrong if they kept adding their own things?

"There should be a sword fight and it should be between Sha-Neigh-Neigh and the old crone!"

"HA! I'd pay money to see _that_!" Another cellmate chimed in.

Then it devolved into a bout of random suggestions to spice up the story, causing more cellmates to join in.

"Love Triangles! There needs to be more Love Triangles!"

"Explosions and motor cycles! And hot women!"

"More philosophical discussions about the evolution of the criminal mind!"

"Pancakes!"

Everyone seemed to have an opinion on my story, each wanting to shout it over the other yelling. It got to the point that some of the Crafters guarding our cell had to intervene. As the arguments continued, I sighed in resignation before continuing the story in my head.

* * *

[Yesterday]

After finishing my meal and accidentally throwing both the empty bowl and untouched drink in the fire, I wiped my hands and returned to the bar. The old lady still hadn't returned yet.

I took out my map to study my location and frowned questioningly. The taciturn Spark had told me that maps showed an overhead view of the landscape as well as a small blip representing the map holder. Additionally, if a map was copied and given to another Crafter, both Crafters would have white blips on their respective maps representing one another.

I didn't quite understand how the magic maps worked when all they were made of were papers and a compass, but I didn't bother to question it. Not when the maps worked so well at reading the landscape.

Looking at the map, I saw the circular outline of Ringwood's walls, the farmland sprinkled with houses and surrounded by a thin wall that must have been Dover Plains, and the flat plains and meadows in between.

However, the tavern, representing my present location, wasn't on the map. There was no brown blot on the map where my white blip was. According to the map, I was still in the middle of the plains.

So the tavern didn't show up on the map. It would explain why the tavern was completely empty.

Despite all the chairs and seats, it looked like the tavern didn't see a lot of visitors. I felt bad for the kind old lady, living out in the middle of nowhere. Being a polite host to the few guests that graced her tavern. She probably wasn't doing too well on emeralds, which made me feel even more guilty about reserving a room without paying her.

Thinking better of it, I decided to slip some emeralds behind the bar counter. She'd undoubtedly find them later, after I was long gone, and have no choice but to accept the kind donation.

Smiling at my generosity, I leaned back by a table and glanced idly around, waiting for the woman to return and lead me to a room to rest in.

As I waited, the room began to feel eerily creepy. It wasn't just because I was alone.

It was because…because I felt like I was being watched.

I was certain I was the only person in the room. Yet I felt some kind of strange presence, hinting at some clandestine observer. A feeling I had picked up on after traveling with an invisible Spark for those few days.

The swords strung up on the wall glinted in the torchlight, making me think they were moving when they were as still as I remembered.

I wondered where the woman got such pristine swords. Perhaps a passing adventurer that made a donation? Same with the armor.

Come to think of it…How was the woman paying for food and supplies?

Did she scavenge amongst the meadows or else recycle where she could? Thinking that made me regret tossing the bowl and drink she gave me into the fire.

Before my thoughts could weigh me down anymore, the old lady returned. As soon as she saw me sitting in the chair, she jumped in surprise. "Oh! Are…are you feeling better now, deary?" She inquired with a strained calm I couldn't understand.

"I am, thanks to you." I replied easily. "I was just wondering which room I should head to. I didn't know if someone else was reserving or…" I trailed off, trying to sound polite. After all, it would be rude to point out her lack of guests.

"No, no!" She clarified a little too loudly. "Any room is fine. Any one you like, but…ah…you must be thirsty from your journey across the plains. I was hoping the drink I gave you would rehydrate you."

"Oh, that?" I rubbed my head sheepishly. "I'm terribly sorry. I accidentally tossed it in the fire with my empty bowl. I forgot to drink it if you'd believe—"

"Not a problem." She interrupted as she sped over to the bar and fixed up another gray-blue bottle. "Here. Drink up."

I raised an eyebrow curiously. "Maybe later. I don't really drink alcohol or…whatever alcohol is."

"It's not a Thick Potion. Or a Mundane Potion." She urged, leaning the bottle forward in an attempt to have me grab it. "It's just a refreshing drink. Nothing of concern."

I blinked and eyed the glass bottle carefully before accepting. "Well, if you insist, I suppose it would be rude to turn it down." I swirled the bottle's contents before taking a sip.

Then I nearly gagged. It was sweet, but also had a weird meaty aftertaste to it.

However, it would have been rude to throw the drink away. What with the old woman looking eagerly between me and the drink. So I screwed my eyes shot and finished the whole thing.

I coughed a bit and wiped my mouth. "That was…a very strong drink." I tried to compliment. "What do you call it?"

"A Slowness Potion."

My eyes widened in shock, watching the old woman smile. But it wasn't a kind smile anymore. It was a devious smile.

I would have staggered back in shock, except for how sluggish my body felt. Like I was weighed down by anchors.

Suddenly, the tavern erupted into a flurry of movement as several Crafters burst from hiding spots behind armor stands or from the upper floor before converging on me.

I was so confused and sluggish that I barely had time to react before I felt something splash into my back. The next thing I knew, my legs couldn't even support my weight.

Whatever they threw had sapped my strength!

"Wait! What's going on!?" I questioned urgently. However, the Crafters merely ignored me as they stripped my belt of all its items. "What did I do!?"

Was this because I tossed that bowl into the fire? I didn't think it mattered that much! If I had known it was a punishable offense…

"Quite a lot of emeralds. And an enchanted diamond sword." One of the Crafters whistled appreciatively as he tried to pocket it. However, the old lady slapped his hand. "Yeow!"

"No keeping the goods! Not before I check and divvy them up!" She barked, voice devoid of kindness or lisp. "Now check his backpack too!"

What? NO!

I tried to protest, but my voice was muffled by the hardwood floor as I was roughly rolled over. The Crafters began emptying my backpack with little care, taking out my steaks, my enchanted golden apples, and my…

"Nice chestplate." The old lady commented as she turned it over in her hands. "Diamond. And probably enchanted too. Why weren't you wearing it?"

My eyes widened in horror. They had taken the Severe Shield. "Be careful with that!" I shouted, muffled by the floor. I desperately tried to move, but could only tilt my head slightly. "You have no idea how dangerous that is!"

In response, one of the Crafters ground my head into the floor with his boot. "Watch your tongue, slave! Nobody speaks to Nana Widow like that!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the old lady, Nana Widow, pass the invincible artifact to some Crafters, who then proceeded to take the artifact upstairs. Along with the rest of my gear. They had cleaned my Inventory out. Completely.

"Take him to the cobblestone mines." Nana Widow spoke coldly as she turned to address the others. "As for the rest of you, clean this place up so it looks better than when he arrived! There can't be any signs of a struggle."

"No! Please!" I pleaded as I was hauled to my feet, still completely paralyzed. I'd need some milk to break whatever potion effects I was under. "I need that armor to save Minecraftia!"

But for some reason, that didn't convince them. They continued to haul me over to a trap door in the floor. Why couldn't they understand that I was a hero of Minecraftia? Surely whatever misdeed I committed could be overlooked in favor of my ongoing service to the world.

"If this is about the bowl, I left some emeralds behind the counter! Please!"

"Ugh, somebody shut him up!" Nana Widow shouted from out of sight. The next thing I knew, I felt a sharp blow to the head.

Then darkness.

* * *

[Present]

That was all I remembered. I woke up in some mines, they gave me a pick, and put me to work along with a bunch of other Crafters.

"Whatever crime I committed, hopefully it'll be resolved soon. I'm sure this is just some big misunderstanding."

I addressed my cellmates, now properly calmed down, hoping they could offer some comforting words.

Instead, they just laughed.

"What?" I asked confused. "What's so funny? Am I missing something obvious?"

One of the cellmates wiped a tear from his eye before the amusement fell from his face. "Oh boy, you're serious?" He glanced around before addressing me. "Look, kid. If you're waiting for them to let you out, you're going to be waiting a very long time."

My blood froze at those words. "What…what do you mean?"

Another cellmate interjected. "He means, you're not getting out of here. None of us are." He gestured to his fellow cellmates. "You think we're some kind of common criminals? Thugs and whatnot? We were _forced_ here."

I looked searchingly around the cell for anyone to refute his claim, but found none. "But…but they can't just keep us here when we didn't do anything wrong."

"Open your eyes, Newb!" One of them shouted harshly. "What about this place seems fair to you? Don't you get it?

"We were all just Crafters walking around the plains, minding our own business. We figure to stay at a tavern for the night, relax with some food…maybe a drink, offered to us by a sweet old lady…and that's where we went wrong.

"It's a con. They drug Crafters with a slowness potion and then finish with a weakness potion to paralyze us. Then, when we're at their mercy, they rob us for all we got!"

I shook my head in horror. "No…no, that can't be true!"

"Next thing we know, we wake up in these cobblestone mines. At the mercy of those slave drivers under _Nana Widow_." The cellmate spat out the name. "I hear she sells this cobblestone to construction projects all over Minecraftia. That's what our blood and sweat goes into!"

The mood had instantly dropped a few hundred degrees. All the cellmates lowered themselves to the ground, scrunched up in hopelessness.

"Some of us have been here for years." One of the cellmates spoke sadly. "All our friends…our families…we could be dead for all they know."

"That's…" I couldn't even voice my horror. Then my face darkened. "The Endward Cult is behind this, aren't they?"

One of the cellmates chuckled humorlessly. "Could be. Though I doubt it. This kind of commercial exploitation is just the work of some horrible motherfuckers."

I covered my ears at his curse, but was otherwise shocked at that information. I thought that the Endward Cult was the ultimate evil. But apparently there were others just as evil. What kind of person would willingly imprison innocent Crafters, steal all of their possessions, and work them as slaves?

And they had my Severe Shield! Plus, Notch's mission book and the artifact list! If they read that…they would understand the true power of the chestplate!

I couldn't let that happen!

"Well, then let's get out of here!" I shouted to all the cellmates. The Crafters guarding the cell just guffawed at my outburst. "They don't have the right to keep you from your families!"

The cellmates spared a grim glance before returning to their hopeless staring at the ground.

"It's not that easy." What I assumed was the head cellmate clarified, tilting his head to the cell bars. "Those are made of solid iron. And they're strict about sneaking in tools. They found one guy with a stone pick concealed in his ass. They cut his food and nearly starved him to death. Plus, he couldn't go to the bathroom for a week."

"Another punishment?"

"No. He physically couldn't go to the bathroom. He had a stone pick shoved up his colon."

"Oh…" I looked around. "Um…where's the bathroom anyway."

The head cellmate gestured to a stained bucket in the corner of the cell.

I blinked at the bucket before forcing my attention back to the head cellmate. "Even if it's iron, surely you could break it if you all worked together."

He shook his head. "Iron doesn't break easily. Without the proper tools…" He trailed off, not wanting to depress the other cellmates.

I frowned determinedly. "Fine. If you won't help me get out, I'll help you get out." Then I marched to the cell bars and gripped them, testing their strength. They were fairly thick. And they weren't budging an inch either.

But I wouldn't know how durable they were unless I tested it with force. I reared back a tightly clenched fist, glancing to the other cellmates, before launching it at the bars.

*CRICK*

"…ow!" I hissed in pain as I clenched my hand. I think I broke something with that hit. "OW!"

The watching guards chuckled at my attempt before walking over to the bars. "Pretty amusing new-guy. I think I saw the bar bend a little." He was being caustically sarcastic. "Maybe you should try again."

My eyes narrowed. "Maybe I WILL!" I swung my other fist at the bars, hoping to do more damage.

But not to myself! "Agh!" I hissed in pain as my knuckles throbbed in pain. The bars remained as unyielding as ever. My soft marshmallow-like flesh wasn't tough enough to put a dent in them.

At my recent failure, the watching guards jeered amusedly. "Maybe you should try, _again_! I'm sure you'll get it this time!"

I ignored their laughter as I tried kicking the bars, only to lose my balance and fall onto the floor. The head cellmate tried to help me up. "Just give it a rest, Nowhere. Just like your name, you're getting nowhere."

I gave him a grateful expression before turning away his help, opting to pick myself up, by myself. "Sorry, but I don't quit easily."

I looked around the cell for something I could use. Some weakness. Something I was missing.

"Even if you break the bars, what are you going to do about the guards?" The head cellmate shook his head sadly. "Face it. There's nothing you can do, Nowhere."

My eye lit up at something and I hurried over to one side of the cell. "My name is Noman. And there's definitely _something_ I can do."

I picked up the bucket the cellmates had been using as a toilet. It smelled worse than horrible, but I fought through the stench. The bucket felt like it was made of iron. Just like the cell bars.

With the utmost revulsion, I fit my fist into the bucket, wielding it like a boxing glove and walked over to the same cell bars. The guards erupted into even more laughter at the ridiculous sight of me wielding the bucket, but I ignored them as I began to pummel the bars.

The impact hurt less than when I was using my bare fists, and each punch was punctuated by the clang of metal upon metal.

However, I noticed the cell bars beginning to creak, if only slightly.

 _Come on!_ I mentally urged as I kept pummeling the bars. Some cracks were starting to form.

The head cellmate was the first to notice my progress. His eyebrows raising in a combination of dawning realization and surprise. Followed by a few of the other cell mates, nudging each other and pointing to where I was working.

 _It's…working…_

After a particularly infuriating bout of laughter, the guards began to notice the damage I was doing to the bars. I could tell by the amusement draining from their faces and their fallen smiles.

Was I a terrible person for finding satisfaction in that?

"Hey. That's enough." One of the guards tried to stop me, raising his voice a bit. "This is just getting pathetic."

Wrong. I was making a dent in the bars.

"I said that's enough! What are you stupid or something!?" While the guard tried to talk me down, the other one was at the cell door, arming himself with swords and calling for backup in entering the cell.

By then, the bars were nearly broken. Just a little more time…

The other cellmates had gotten between the cell door and me, making it harder for the guards to stop my efforts.

"Get out of the way!" One of them barked, pushing aside some cellmates. "Move!"

 _Almost…_

*CREAK*

With a final punch, the bars were destroyed, opening up a one block wide opening in the supposedly-indestructible bars.

"Yes!" I cheered at my accomplishment before getting tackled to the ground. The guards were all over me, pressing me roughly into the floor.

"We warned you, slave!" One of them growled, taking out an iron blade. "You just _haaad_ to take it a step too far."

He poised his blade above my arm, intending to strike. The other cellmates were in similar states, the more violent ones detained by guards.

"You new guys are all the same! So unwilling to accept the way things are!" He smiled cruelly. "It's time you learned…your…place?"

He trailed off as an unusual sound assaulted our ears. Indescribable, a series of sounds that vaguely followed some rhythm.

"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah."

I raised an eyebrow from my position. _Is that supposed to be…theme music?_

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na bah-ba-bah-ba-bah BADUM!" At those words, a Crafter fell through the ceiling, landing on his face with his legs suspended in the air. A moment later and his legs fell to the floor.

An appearance like that had the attention of everyone. The guards. The cellmates. And myself. We all just stared flatly at the man lying flat on the floor.

Suddenly, he lifted his head up and looked around the room. His eyes lit upon spotting us in the cell. "Yes! I did it! That Infiltration Badge is as good as mine!" He jotted something down in a notebook at his belt, oblivious to the mood of the room.

"The fuck…?" One of the guards questioned. I tried to block out the profanities, but it was difficult when said guard was pinning my arms to my sides.

The man that had fallen into the room had partially slicked-back blond hair which was kept unkempt at the front. He had wide light-blue eyes and an innocent expression. He wore a lavender and white two-toned snow-coat along with a pair of black shorts. He had brown and white sneakers and white socks with a red stripe pulled up his legs too high. His belt and backpack were a light blue like his eyes and he was clad in iron armor.

And his name was MarbleFinder.

"Alright!" He fist pumped the air before glancing at another book. "Now I can focus on the…Prison-Break Badge!" He turned around to face us. "So, you've got the prison." He pointed to the guards. "And I got the breaking." He pointed to himself before then pointing to the hole in the ceiling. "Let's make this happen."

The guards blinked in bewilderment and I felt the same as them.

Just…who was this man?

* * *

Inventory (Noman): {Empty}

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: Alright. Sorry this Chapter is a bit later. But in my defense, I had a very, very good reason for procrastinating.**

 **I was playing Uncharted 4.**

 **It's mostly climbing. Though Chapter 11 was the coolest, funnest, most Indiana-Jones-est chapter yet. You know the one I'm talking about.**

 **Unless, of course, you don't have a PS4...or a computer/laptop...which would be weird considering how any of you can read this without some form of internet access-**

 **I'm rambling!**

 **Anyway, back to this chapter. I debated how to have Noman retell his story to the viewers and ultimately decided retelling it to his fellow cellmates was the best way. Allowing for some comedy with his own peanut gallery.**

 **Nana Widow...what a two-faced B-word.**

 **And you'll see more of MarbleFinder next chapter.**

 **No Omake this week. Though somebody suggested I do one of Fifty Shades of Chicken. And while I admit that that would be freaking hilarious...it would probably be hard to write for. I'll think it over.**

 **See you all next week! Stay hydrated.**


	44. Scout

**AN: 18,000 Views! 54 Favs! 54 Follows! Awesome!**

 **This chapter was kind of fun to write. But it's a bit late since I saw the new X-men movie. It was good, but the movie people gave us tickets for their new, acoustic theater or whatever. Blew my eardrums out it was so loud. And it was expensive!**

 **But they did have those reclining seats...**

 **Anyway, congrats to Laner for guessing last week's riddle correctly. The answer was 'Dozens'! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: In California, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I wouldn't be having so many problems getting on my Minecraft account!

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 44

 **Scout**

[Noman]

A week ago, if someone had told me I would wake up one day, slaving away in a cobblestone mine with no hope of escape, I would have thought them ridiculous.

Then, if that same someone had proceeded to tell me I'd attempt to break out of prison by fitting a poop-bucket to my fist and bashing through the cell bars, I'd have thought them crazy.

And if that same someone had continued with their absurd news with something like…off the top of my head…a random man would fall through the ceiling of the cell room, talking about badges and humming his own personal brand of theme music…

I would have put as much distance between that crazy someone and I as humanly possible.

However, here I was, Inventory-less, face in the ground and arms pinned to my sides by the cell guards, looking upon the random man named MarbleFinder as he stood outside the cell, watching us expectantly.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" One of the cell guards questioned as he raised his sword towards MarbleFinder. Honestly, it was bad enough I was pinned down, but did they have to curse so frequently? I could feel my innocent nature getting tainted by their slurs.

At the question, MarbleFinder looked around, as if wondering whether he was being addressed or not. "Well…I'm MarbleFinder. And I _the fuck think_ I'm the Scout that's about to get the coveted  Prison-Break Badge."

"A Scout?" One of the cellmates questioned with what sounded like fear in his tone. "Oh no…" He was joined by a symphony of groans emanating from several other cell mates.

"Judging by your awestruck exclamations," MarbleFinder continued, completely mistaking the groans, "I take it you've all heard of the amazing guild known as the **Scouts**. But if you haven't, I wouldn't mind getting my  Explain the Scouts' Introduction Badge."

"Kill him."

At that command, the cell guards readied their swords and approached the blond Scout…whatever that was. It sounded like some kind of organization.

MarbleFinder backed towards the wall, but raised a finger to halt the guards. "One moment please…" Then he proceeded to do the strangest thing.

He spun around on his foot several times. Round and round he spun, getting faster and faster. If he was trying to confuse his attackers, it was definitely working since the guards just gaped at his antics. Eventually, however, MarbleFinder got so dizzy that he lost his balance and fell over into the wall, his eyes spinning.

"Ugh…I really hate that signal…" He mumbled as he tried to get to his feet but tumbled over each time.

"Signal?" One of the guards questioned. "What signal?"

"Oh, well my fellow Scouts are waiting just outside the area for confirmation that this is the place capturing stray Crafters." MarbleFinder explained easily. "I scanned a map of this place and made copies for them before coming down here. That way, they can see my location as a blip on the map. And when my blip spins around frantically…"

At those words, several Crafters fell through the hole Marble had made in the ceiling. They made a rather chaotic pile of flailing limbs and bodies on the floor. "Yes! My fellow Scouts have made their dramatic entrance!"

"Ow!"

"Getoff!"

"Hey! Who's touching my butt?"

"How are we supposed to get our Dynamic Entrance Badge like this!?"

"There's always the Awkward Entrance Badge."

"Hey, yeah!"

"But I already have that one!"

"Dangit, Marble! You couldn't have laid water or cobwebs for us to land on?"

"Yes." MarbleFinder continued as if his fellow Scouts hadn't spoken or screwed up the landing. "Very dramatic."

"The fuck is this!?" One of the guards raged.

"Language, please!"

"Language please, indeed!" Marble shouted as he withdrew a sword from his backpack. However, it was different than any sword I'd seen. The blade was longer and the guard was more rounded.

As the first guard swung his sword at Marble, he deftly dodged it before countering with a slash of his own. Their battle signaled the other Scouts to do battle with the other guards. Meanwhile, the cellmates not being pinned down decided there was no better time to make an escape. They rushed towards the armed guards and overpowered them by sheer numbers.

When a cellmate tackled the guard pinning me to the floor, I quickly picked myself up and looked around the cell. The brunt of the fighting was taking place near the cell entrance where the Scouts were. Only a few guards were still standing within the cell; the others either knocked out or left as a pile of gear strewn across the floor.

 _Oh, God…_ I averted my eyes as one cellmate violently brought his fist smashing into a guards face, over and over.

I didn't know where I fit into all the violence. All I had as a weapon was a poop bucket. Should I help fight? Or leave it to the other cellmates? Or try and mitigate the death permeating the cell?

What was the right thing to do?

What would a hero do?

"Gah! Somebody get this guard off of me!" I turned to see the head cellmate struggling to keep a guard's sword from slitting his throat.

On instinct alone, I rushed forward, bucket reared back, and slammed it atop the guard's head. The momentary pain and lack of vision was enough distraction for the head cellmate to twist out of the guard's grip before delivering a swift uppercut to the guard's chin, knocking him out.

I would have felt proud at my actions were it not for the head cellmate lifting the bucket off the unconscious guard only to bring the bottom of it crashing down upon his face. Over and over. Until…

I looked away while trying to shove my way to the cell entrance through all the fighting. It didn't take a second glance to see that the guards were getting brutally maimed by the Crafters they had mercilessly had under their thumbs.

It was pure, primal, bloodshed. Something I wished to avoid.

However, making it outside the cell wasn't any better. The Scouts had weapons, but were equally as violent in dispatching the guards. MarbleFinder slashed and blocked with his gold weapon, pushing the guard back.

After a particularly tense deadlock, Marble got into a peculiar stance, his blade held at his side, edge facing inward as if sheathed at his belt. The guard took the opportunity to rush forward…

But Marble was faster. In a blink, he was already past the guard, his blade fully extended as if he had struck. The guard stood facing away, frozen, his sword half-raised to strike, before he exploded in a burst of gear.

"Man, I bet I looked cool doing that…" Marble commented as he hung his golden blade at his belt. He noticed me staring and offered a salute. "Do not worry, prisoner! Scout Marble—that's me—will ensure you break out of this prison tout de sweet!"

I took a step back in hesitation. Whoever these Scouts were, they certainly came at the right time. However, they seemed a little odd—no, a sizable portion of odd with a dollop of odd whipped cream and drenched in chocolate odd sauce.

And a cherry on top. An odd cherry.

I was roused from my metaphorical dessert comparison as Marble walked past me towards the cell. It seemed that all the guards had been…taken care of…and their weapons and armor distributed amongst the cellmates.

"So you're all the Crafters that went missing in the Plains?" Marble asked the group while scratching his head. "I thought there'd be more of you."

The cellmates looked wary of Marble and the Scouts. Probably for the same reasons I had. But there was something more to it. Judging by the weary groans they were giving them, the Scouts must have had an infamous reputation.

"Alright, don't all answer at once." Marble joked good-naturedly as he waved an arm over his shoulder. "Well, freedom is this way so if you'd just follow that'd be great."

The cellmates shared some unsure glances with each other. Surely they'd go along with it, just to escape prison if nothing else.

The head cellmate walked forward to speak for his fellows. "We owe you one for breaking us out. But I know enough about you Scouts to doubt your loyalties." He looked each Scout in the eye as he spoke this, as if hoping his glare could reveal any subterfuge. However, the Scouts remained upbeat and unaffected by the stare. "How do we know you'll stick to breaking us out?"

Marble laughed. "You know how hard it is to get the Prison-Break Badge? It requires locating a prison, breaking into said prison, and escaping said prison with at least one living prisoner!" He gestured around the cell room. "This place is pretty weak in terms of security. It was just hard to find. But it still technically counts as a prison because there's a cell with people inside."

He was describing it like he was fulfilling prerequisites instead of freeing trapped men. Was that all he saw us as? An achievement?

More importantly, would he have freed dangerous criminals from a high security prison just to fulfill those requirements? Just for a badge?

No. There was no way that could be right…

…could it?

"So you only need to get one of out of here, alive." The head cellmate commented with a scowl. "That's hardly a guarantee for their safety."

One of the Scouts dragged a hand across their face. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, we've already gotten our Mass Murdering Badge. So there'd be no mileage in killing any of you."

"That doesn't make us feel better at all!" One of the cellmates argued.

"You Scouts are all the same! Agents of chaos!"

"Hey!" Marble frowned as he pointed at himself. "We represent chaotic good…chaotic neutral at worst!"

"Yeah, right!" Another cellmate chimed in. "All you care about are your precious badges!"

"Don't insult the badges!" One of the Scouts shouted.

"ENOUGH!" Marble and the head cellmate shouted in unison, immediately silencing the crowd.

"This place is still crawling with guards as well as other prisoners. Now I'm gonna need a guarantee that you'll help _all_ those men and these men behind me escape. Not just one." He gestured to all the cellmates. "They all have families that miss them and they deserve freedom after the years they spent in this hellhole…except that guy in the black suit." He pointed to me. "He only got here this morning."

Couldn't argue with that.

"So do I have your word?" The head cellmate turned to Marble who was busy crossing something out in that book of his. "Marble?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was checking off the Shout in Unison Badge. What were you talking about?"

The head cellmate gave him a flat look before turning to his fellow cellmates. "Screw this. We're breaking ourselves out."

The cellmates all cheered as they followed the head cellmate towards the door, armed with swords and makeshift weapons.

"Wait! Come back!" Marble begged as he clung to the head cellmate's leg. "Let us help! Otherwise we can't claim the badge!"

"Like I care!" He shook his leg. "Now get off!"

I watched their argument as they left the room, leaving me by myself.

I wanted to go with them—if only as the best chance of escape—but I had to go back for the Severe Shield and all my other gear. If I recalled correctly, Nana Widow said she'd examine it herself. The last I saw of it was when she had her men take it upstairs in her tavern.

So, with great reluctance, I searched the leftover gear from the fallen guards for anything I could use. There were a few bits of food and a multitude of blocks I could use to build a staircase. Any tools had been taken by the cellmates for weapons.

I looked up at the ceiling, towards the hole Marble and the Scouts had fallen through. If they survived the fall, it couldn't be that high up. Though it was only a one by one hole. I'd have to break apart the cobblestone to make a proper staircase…and all without a pickaxe.

I sighed wearily as I began my ascent, breaking apart the first piece of cobblestone with my only available item: A cooked fish.

* * *

"Grr…come on you flimsy fish…I want to see daylight again!"

Digging my way out with a fish proved…frustrating, but not impossible. I supposed before pickaxes were discovered, Crafters had to break most blocks by hand. And if they could do it, so could I.

After the umpteenth bit of stone, I finally felt the cool relief of fresh air. I hoisted myself out of the hole, expecting the warm embrace of the sun. Instead, I was greeted by the starry night sky.

I had spent a whole day underground…or a whole day digging with a fish. Either way I was out now.

I glanced around to spot some fence posts with armored horses tied to them. They must have belonged to the Scouts.

As for the Val-Piege Tavern, I spotted it over the hill. Its illumination proved a stark contrast with the plain's darkness. There were a few silhouettes of Mobs patrolling nearby.

However, one thing about the tavern I didn't notice before was that it had a ceiling of dirt hovering about a hundred blocks above. I must have been so preoccupied with yesterday's rainstorm that I didn't see it. It completely overshadowed the tavern…

And probably obscured it from view on any maps!

Yeah…if grass blocks were placed above the tavern, the map's overhead view would just see it as more grass among the plains. That was probably why it didn't show up on the maps. Nana Widow had thought ahead to keep her tavern a secret.

Keeping that in mind, I hurried forward towards the tavern. Since it was nighttime, I was certain my black suit and dark hair would keep me relatively camouflaged from the watchful eyes of the guards.

However, the roaming Mobs were another story.

I dodged Skeletons and their arrows and kept my distance from the Creepers, taking a roundabout route to the tavern, before I hid myself below an open window. Peering inside, I saw several bad guards sharing drinks and telling jokes.

 _Not good._ I thought in frustration. I last saw my gear get taken upstairs, but the stairs were in full view of the guards. There was no way I could get there without alerting them.

"Maybe I could make a diversion…" I whispered to myself as I contemplated my options. "Or should I just try to climb from the outside?"

"Why are we whispering?"

"Because I—EEP!"

I exclaimed in surprise upon discovering that MarbleFinder was crouching right beside me, curiously peering at my shocked response.

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" I froze as one of the bad guards spoke from inside. "It sounded like an 'eep'."

I clamped my mouth shut, not trusting my own mouth to remain silent.

"Nah, that's just the wind you're hearing." Another guard dismissed.

I relaxed a bit, relieved that the other guards hadn't noticed me…that is, before Marble had chosen that moment to cup his hands over his mouth and make a loud whooshing noise.

"Whoosh! I'm the wiiiiiind~! WHOOOOOOOOSH!"

"See? What'd I tell you?" The guard inside spoke again with a bit of a slur. "That's definitely the sound that wind makes. Now come on and enjoy another drink!"

"…Alright."

Marble turned to me and offered a silent thumbs up, as if I should be grateful for his assistance.

The only thing I was grateful for was the woozy effects of alcohol on the mind. There was no way those guards were sober.

"What are you doing here!?" I hissed under my breath. "Why aren't you helping the other cellmates?"

"Well, I wanted to," Marble pouted with folded arms, "but they were arguing about whether to save everyone and escape or kill the people responsible for imprisoning them. When I offered my input, they just told me to fuck off." I quickly clamped my hands over my ears to block out the word. "So then I turned around and saw you digging your way up with a fish. And I was all like—what a weird guy—and you were all like—I'm a man on a mission! I'm too good to escape via _doors_!—So I decided to follow you, help you escape, and earn my badge!"

I was still hung up on the part where he thought _I_ was the weird one, but I quickly shook my head of those thoughts. "Look, I appreciate…whatever you think you're trying to do, but I'm not escaping right now. I'm trying to get my Inventory back."

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And then escape, right?" It seemed Marble had a one-track mind.

"Yes. Then escape. But right now, Inventory."

"Is there any way I can help?"

"That's very polite of you to offer, but no tha—"

"You need those guards in there dead?" He readied his blade and I had to frantically shake my head to convince him otherwise.

"No! No! I don't want you to kill people. I just—"

"A diversion, then?" He rubbed his chin in thought before his eyes lit up. "I'm on it!"

"Wait! I didn't say—!"

But he was already gone, humming his own theme tune as he rounded the tavern.

I could see why the cellmates let out annoyed groans the second the word 'Scout' was uttered. I could only assume the rest of them were as reckless and random as Marble.

I briefly wondered whether I should let him be the distraction or find another way in before I heard the tavern's door slam open. "The tavern's on FIRE! Everybody out! Now!" Marble shouted as he waved his arms wildly. The half-drunk guards turned around fearfully before heeding the Scout's warning. They all ran out of the tavern, not even bothering to doubt his words.

I couldn't believe how easy he made it. He cleared them out with just a few words. Even if they were partially drunk, that was still an impressive feat.

With nobody to stop me, I hopped through the window and hurried up the stairs. There were a few doors leading to separate rooms, if for nothing else but to give off the appearance of a proper tavern.

Most of the rooms, were typical of what one would expect in any tavern. Bed. Chest. Window. Furniture. Perhaps some of them housed the slave-driving guards that worked us to the bone.

Then I spotted it. A room at the end of the hallway with a sign labeled ' _Widow's Abode_ ' followed by a ' _DO NOT ENTER_ '. It practically screamed of the place where my Inventory was taken.

I opened the door just a crack and peered inside. It was a lavish room with carpet, a double bed, and stacked high with chests overflowing with gear. Over in the corner were blocks of Emeralds and Gold, piled high within a metal cage. Almost like what someone might find in a Treasury Building.

 _Was that all taken from the Crafters imprisoned here? Or is it from the cobblestone business these people have?_

I didn't reflect too long on that for I saw Nana Widow herself walk into my line of vision along with two other guards flanking her. She was reading a book to herself.

A book that looked remarkably like the one from my Inventory.

"The Severe Shield…Hmm?" To my horror, she went over to one of the chests and withdrew a shining diamond chestplate that must have been my artifact. "Interesting."

"What is it, Nana Widow?" One of the guards spoke with a bow.

She frowned as she turned the chestplate over in her hands. "Seems our recent 'guest' has brought us quite the find…" She flipped a few pages in the book and her eyes flashed with interest. "One of nine, in fact."

"One of nine?"

 _Oh no, she's getting everything from the book!_

Nana Widow suddenly smiled as she placed the book down and held the chestplate a bit closer to herself. "Tell me, boys. Have you heard of the legendary Voda Shlem?"

"You mean that old Dover Plains myth about the limitless water source?" One of the guards chuckled in disbelief before suddenly realizing whose presence he was in. "Apologies, Nana Widow."

The old lady ignored the insolence as she gazed upon her reflection in the Severe Shield's diamond surface. There was a deep greed in her eyes that I didn't like.

"Legend tells us that Qorn, the first King of Dover Plains and one of the First 10 Crafters to spawn, used a powerful artifact in times of great drought to saturate the farmland necessary to feed the entirety of his people." The hushed passion she used in telling the story, I had to admit, had captured my attention, causing me to lean the door open just a bit more. "That artifact was the Voda Shlem…"

"But…but that's just a myth, right?" One of the guards questioned hesitantly. "I mean…no one's discovered an enchantment like that. An infinite water source wherever you walked? Making barren soil fertile? Somebody would have found something like that by now!"

"Yeah," the other guard bolstered. "And even if there was something like that, where would it come from?"

Nana Widow smiled as she put on the Severe Shield. "Why don't we ask the 'guest' that brought us this chestplate and book to find out?"

The guards looked at each other questioningly before following Nana Widow to her door. Realizing that I was about to be discovered, I backed away and hid inside the nearest room, making sure to turn off the lights.

"Actually, before we go…" I heard Nana Widow speak with barely contained excitement. "Would one of you care to test something for me?"

"Absolutely, Nana Widow."

"I want one of you to strike me." I heard the surprised gasps of the guards but I was too busy recoiling in horror.

"Nana Widow…I didn't think you were into such things."

"I guess everyone has their own fetishes."

"No you imbeciles!" Nana Widow growled. "Just…strike me with your sword. And if not that, just your fist. That's an order!"

 _Oh God._ I thought to myself as I clutched my mouth in disgust. She was going to test the Severe Shield's defenses on her own men.

"Well, if you're sure." I heard the metallic 'shing' of a sword being drawn from a belt before hearing it come crashing down on diamond.

Then I heard the sickening noise of a bunch of gear hitting the floor, followed by a yelp of shock from the other guard.

"Rico! My God…He's dead!"

"Looks like it works after all." Nana Widow sounded pleased as she continued down the hall. "Leave him." She called back to the confused guard. "I'll get one of the slaves to clean that up later."

"Y-yes…Nana Widow…" I heard the reluctance in his voice along with the sounds of both of their footsteps echoing down the hall, before leaving me in silence.

With the coast clear, I left my hiding place, pausing only to remorsefully survey the remains of the dead guard. Once again, the Severe Shield had claimed another life. Whenever someone put that chestplate on, somebody always ended up dead. Every time.

What was Notch thinking giving power like that to a Newb? What was Herobrine thinking making something that dangerous!?

At least with the Voda Shlem it made sense. If what Nana Widow had said was true, the artifact was used for good: Feeding an entire Kingdom. Why couldn't I have started with an artifact like that? Something good and benevolent.

Where was the good in the Severe Shield?

Out of respect for the dead guard, I gingerly lifted his Head off the dirty floor and placed it upon a table. Some small shred of dignity. I also left his gear undisturbed as I entered Nana Widow's room.

I wasted no time in picking up the Artifact List that she had left behind. Then I went to the chest she withdrew the Severe Shield from and discovered all my other gear. The emeralds, the sword, the Enchanted Golden Apples. All of it…except for the Severe Shield.

How was I going to get that back?

"Fire! Everybody out!"

At that scream, I turned around to see, once again, Marble behind me. However, he looked like he was disguised as one of the guards so as to not arouse suspicion. Yet, for some reason, he was still screaming about fire.

"Marble, your distraction already worked." I tried to calm him down. "You don't need to convince anymore people that there's a fire."

"But there _is_ a fire."

I blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, see, I figured just yelling 'fire' wouldn't be enough to sell the diversion. So I took the initiative to light the tavern on fire!" As he spoke this, he whipped out a flint and steel and burned Nana Widow's carpet.

"Hang on!" I cried in distress as I knocked the tool out of his hands. "Why would you feel the need to 'sell' the diversion!? More importantly, why would you light the tavern on fire _while we're still inside!?_ "

"Well, _duh_!" He made his face look stupid as if it was obvious. "How else am I supposed to get my  Liar-Liar-Tavern's-on-Fire Badge?"

"That can _NOT_ be a real thing!"

"Says you!"

"Says Common Sense!"

"Common Sense can kiss my ass!"

"Language!"

"…Buttcheek, then!"

It wasn't like me to raise my voice with someone! Marble's stupidity was affecting my attitude. That…and probably being in a burning building. The fire was spreading through the carpet pretty fast.

I couldn't get distracted by his antics. I had to stay focused. So, with a deep breath that quickly became an unhealthy inhalation of smoke, I turned back to the chest holding my Inventory.

As I reclaimed my gear and sorted it in my backpack, I flipped through the artifact list until I got to the page about the Severe Shield. Any attack I tried to make would only kill me, and the wielder was given so much extra Health that it would take an army just to whittle it down. Not to mention, the army would be killed in its efforts.

Well, who was I kidding? It's not like I even had an army anyway.

"Nana Widow!" A shout was heard from outside and I quickly ran over to the window with Marble alongside me to see it.

Down below was a small army of cellmates, armed with swords and armor, and looking ready for a fight. It must have been the group Marble had mentioned that wanted revenge on Nana Widow. The head cellmate wasn't among them. "We've come to kill you! Come out now or we'll burn your tavern to the ground!"

"Um…actually I think it's already on fire?" I heard one of them point out.

"What!? Alright, who jumped the gun!?"

"If you want me to come out," an old female voice laughed into the night, "then here I am."

Nana Widow had walked outside, alone, without any weapons or potions. All she was wielding was the Severe Shield.

Unfortunately, that was all she needed to take on the angry cellmates.

"This is bad." I backed away from the window as I scanned the information about the Severe Shield with a more critical eye.

"Losing all your badges bad or…" Marble trailed off as he kept his eyes trained below. "That old lady has guts though. She's the bad guy…is it wrong to be rooting for the bad guy? I just can't see myself rooting against an old lady."

I ignored the blond Scout as I kept scouring the page. Maybe sniping her would work—No! Projectiles were just as useless as swords…except for potions.

Potions could hit the Severe Shield without any penalty to the thrower. But what potion would be useful enough in stopping an invincible Crafter?

…

Or maybe…the key wasn't in one potion, but two!

"Whoa!" Marble gasped in surprise. "That old lady just took out two of 'em! Without even moving! Was it a Thorns Enchantment?"

I tuned out his commentary as I searched the chests for potions. If I remembered correctly, I needed a Slowness Potion, followed by…what did that one cellmate say?

…Right! A Potion of Weakness!

Together, they would do to Nana Widow what they did to me.

"Geez, now I feel kinda bad rooting for this old lady. She's destroying them without even trying!"

I coughed as the fire grew to dangerous proportions. The smoke was suffocating, burning my throat as I struggled to look for the proper potions. The fire had finished devouring the carpet and was now engulfing the walls, almost running up them.

 _There's nothing here…maybe it's in the bar downstairs!_

I turned to the door, but stopped when I saw it was blocked by flames. Instead, I took my wooden axe and broke apart the burning floor, opening up a hole to the lower floor.

As I was about to jump down, I turned to see Marble still watching the battle outside. "Marble! The place is on fire! Come on!"

"Hang on, just give me a second." He waved away as he kept his eyes glued to the battle. "The old lady is telling the angry mob to get back into their cells. Maybe if they had let me help they wouldn't be in that situation!"

"Marble!" It was no use. Nothing could pry him from the battle. Nothing except…

"If you don't leave now…um…you won't be able to help me escape! Then you wouldn't get your badge!"

Before the words had finished exiting my mouth, Marble grabbed my sleeve and dove down the hole with a scream of, "For the Badge!"

We hit the ground hard, rolling onto the floor as the fire spread more and more. Marble must have started the fire below before he shouted his distraction because the bar tables were mostly charred.

I shielded my eyes from the heat as I made my way to the bar. However, I was stopped when Marble yanked my sleeve yet again. "The way out is this way! Come on, I want my badge!"

"Just…I need to get some potions first!" I tried to get out of his grasp. The bar was already starting to catch.

"Well, then at least eat one of those apples." He pointed to the Enchanted Golden Apples at my belt. "One of their effects is Fire Resistance! You could just walk through the flames."

"Wha…really?" I took one out and hesitated only a moment before devouring it. I only had ten of them, but what better time was there than now to use one?

Upon eating the apple, I immediately felt energized, as if nothing could hurt me. Like I was empowered by a golden flame.

Four tattoos appeared on my arm. A large red heart. A grey shield with a black Pegasus emblazoned upon it. A white, hot fireball. And a red heart bordered by gold.

It was then I knew that the flames wouldn't hurt me, so I quickly rushed forward to the bar and searched the chests for the proper potions. Even as the flames licked my arms, I felt nothing but a faint breeze.

The chests were completely stocked with Weakness Potions and Slowness Potions, but they weren't splash potions like the ones Spark used. Nana Widow probably counted on the Crafters to drink the potions themselves.

Still, there had to be a way to convert them into splash potions. There was a brewing stand present. "Marble!" I called out, even though I couldn't see him through the fire. "I need to make these into splash potions! How do I—?"

"Gunpowder!" I heard him call out. "Put some gunpowder in the brewing stand! Also, do you mind getting me a fire resistance potion? I think I've caught fire."

Taken aback by how nonchalant he sounded about burning alive, I popped the two potions into the brewing stand, along with a fire resistance one I found amongst the chests, and finished with a lone bit of gunpowder I luckily had on hand.

The stand simmered as it prepared the potions, my hand carefully positioned to take them out at a second's notice while also keeping them from burning in the fire.

When they finished, I scooped them up and leapt over the bar. I spotted Marble running around while on fire and quickly chucked the amber one at him, stopping the damage he was taking. Then, together, we burst outside into the fresh, non-smoky, night air.

I didn't even have time to take a breather if I wanted my chestplate back. I looked up, spotting Nana Widow amongst piles and piles of dead Crafters' gear and Heads. She was openly taunting the cellmates, daring them to attack.

And not focusing on me at all.

I quickly crept behind her, potions at the ready, while she just cackled at the cellmates.

 _Almost…_

"Yeah, Nowhere! You creep up on that old lady!"

 _Gosh darnit, Marble!_ I internally screamed at the blonde's cheer. Even as Nana Widow whirled around in open-mouthed surprise.

It was now or never! "Time for a taste of your own medicine!" I called out as I chucked the potions at her. They both hit as she raised a fist to punch me.

If her fist connected…

I screwed my eyes shut, sure I was done for. However, when no pain came, I carefully opened my eyes to see Nana Widow frozen in the same paralysis she used on every cellmate she captured.

Poetic Justice.

No longer worried by her attacks, I stepped behind her and grabbed the Severe Shield, making sure not to cause damage in _any_ way and activate the artifact's crippling defense. Then, I lifted it off her shoulders before depositing it in my Inventory. No longer to do any further harm.

As for Nana Widow, she was desperately struggling to move anything. "No! It's mine! You slaves don't deserve the power! You're nothing but insects!"

I opened my mouth to retort, but was pushed aside as the other cellmates descended upon the paralyzed old lady. It seemed they weren't taking kindly to the way she was talking about them. Or the way she brutally imprisoned and killed all/some of them.

Even surrounded by so much hatred, she kept cursing them all out. Bitter to the very end.

"Whoa…" Marble stood beside me looking impressed. "That old lady took on guys twice your size without even touching them. What…what's the Enchantment on that thing?"

Before he could draw attention to the chestplate or I could witness the brutal beating of Nana Widow, I backed away and fled into the plains. Even though I wished nobody else had to die, she read the book. She knew of the other eight artifacts. That information had to be kept secret.

As for getting to Dover Plains, the last known location of the Voda Shlem, I had to go by foot since my horse was nowhere to be found. Either burned along with the tavern or escaped in the chaos.

"Hey! Wait up!" Marble, the irksome Scout, called from behind as he jogged to catch up. "You gotta thank me for helping you escape! I need to hear the words! It's a requirement!"

Maybe he'd stop following me if I ignored him.

"Nowhere!"

"…"

"NOWHERE!"

"…"

"I want my badge!"

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 1 Glass Bottle, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 40 Steaks, 1 Cooked Fish, 9 Enchanted Golden Apples, 64 Emeralds, 22 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 12 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: This chapter is brought to you in part by Badges.**

 **Yeah, Marble and the Scouts kind of have a badge obsession. They're not bad, but they're not exactly good either. As Marble put it, they're Chaotic Neutral.**

 **RIP Nana Widow. What a two-faced B-word she was.**

 **This chapter kinda showed off the power of the Severe Shield and how dangerous it can be. And that's only one of the nine artifacts Noman's looking for. Will he find the Voda Shlem in Dover Plains? Will Marble get the coveted Prison-Break Badge?**

 **Well, I know the answers. And you don't. (^_^)**

 **And...I can't believe I actually wrote this Omake...I was running out of ideas, and...well...don't judge...**

* * *

Omake: Fifty Shades of Chicken (I)

Bryan was pacing back and forth, looking a combination of nervous and determined, as he rehearsed what he was going to say.

"Let's see… Honey, there's something I— No, no that'll never work!" He rubbed his chin in thought. "Perhaps…Honey, you know I love you, but— Ugh, that's even worse! How am I ever—?"

Suddenly, the door opened. The object of Bryan's nervousness had arrived at last.

"Henrietta!" He exclaimed. "You…you got my message, I see." Bryan looked down at his feet, not entirely prepared for this talk. He'd have to wing it. "There's…there's something I need to talk to you about."

"…"

"Now, before you protest…please, just let me speak my mind. Afterwards, you can give me your answer."

"…"

"Thank you." Bryan was wringing his hands, a bundle of nerves desperate to get his message across to his beloved. "We…we've been dating for a while now…and…and I've been thinking whether we should take our relationship to the next step."

"…" Henrietta had her gorgeous ebony eyes focused solely on Bryan. A bit of hope brimming through.

"But at the same time…" Bryan ran a hand through his blond hair, trying to voice his thoughts. "At the same time, I know how lucky I am to have you. Someone like you…so full of life…a sunbeam of warmth for my sad loneliness…I'm not sure I deserve someone like you."

"…"

"You're successful. You have your own billion-emerald industry. You've probably met guys more charming or wealthy or loving than I could possibly match, and that…that worries me." Bryan felt a weight leave him with that confession. "I'm worried that I'll hold you back from a happier life."

"…"

"S-so…" Bryan stuttered as he pulled out a gleaming diamond, a symbol of a proposal. "I w-want to give you this…b-but…if you have any doubts about me…"

Bryan trailed off as Henrietta walked up to him. She had eyes for nobody but him as she placed a feather-light wing upon his leg, and lovingly whispered:

"Bruck Bruck"

"Oh, you always know just what to say!" Bryan exclaimed as he lifted Henrietta and twirled her around. She clucked blissfully, nuzzling his arm affectionately. "I love you, Henrietta!"

"Bruck Br—"

*SLAM*

Suddenly a second chicken slammed the door open, alarming everyone to her presence.

Bryan gasped. "Henifer!? My ex-girlfriend!? What a shocking turn of events!"

"Bock Bock!" Henifer shouted angrily as she waddled over to Henrietta and began squawking and pecking at her feet. Henrietta waddled away fearfully, calling out for help.

"Henifer, NO!" Bryan shouted as he lifted Henrietta above the enraged ex. Henifer, meanwhile, was desperately trying to leap up and continue her assault on the poor chicken. "Henifer, we agreed to see other people! Don't take it out on Henrietta!"

Bryan quickly reached into his belt for some seeds and waved them above Henifer, getting her attention with the tempting treat. However, as he tried to lead her away, he forgot that Henrietta shared the same love of seeds. She squirmed within his hold until finally breaking free and diving for the seeds…

Right on top of Henifer. The two rolled around in the seeds, a mixture of anger, jealousy, and an insatiable craving for seeds. As each respective chicken devoured its meal, tiny hearts began seeping from them. Then, in one particularly close tumble…

"Cluck Cluck."

A tiny baby chicken emerged between them.

Bryan visibly paled. "This isn't quite how I expected our talk to go."

* * *

 **AN: If you're wondering why this is nothing like the book it's based off of, that's probably because I never, ever, ever want to read a book like that.**

 **EVER.**


	45. Dover Plains

**AN: I'll make this quick since nobody really reads these author's notes anyway. You know who you are...Robert! And you too Kevin and Peter!**

 **I'm really hoping one of you is named Robert, Kevin, or Peter just to make you feel paranoid. They're common names.**

 **Congrats to Laner for guessing last week's riddle correctly. The answer was you can't take pictures with a wooden leg. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **No riddle this week...not because I can't think of one! So don't think I don't have one because I do! I just...don't feel like sharing it.**

 **(9_9)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd probably be rich.

Beta: Myself this time.

* * *

Chapter 45

 **Dover Plains**

[Noman]

Alright, so, apparently I was mistaken in thinking that ignoring my problems would make them go away faster.

"Nowhere!"

Or maybe it was just the determination of the blond Scout following me across miles and miles worth of plains.

"Where'd you go—And don't say you're nowhere because that'd be clever!"

But, I was nothing if not flexible…in the finding alternative solutions way as opposed to the performing perfect splits sort of way.

Which is why, instead of ignoring my problems, I was hiding from them in the largest cluster of tall grass available.

"C'mon! I just need you to say, 'Thanks Marble, for breaking me from that prison,' and then we can call it a day!" Marble called out as he resumed his search. "It's purely for the badge requirement!"

I wished it was just that, then it would have been a simple matter of revealing myself and complying with his wishes. But there was more to it.

"Also, I kind of want to know the deal with that Diamond Chestplate!" He called out. "I mean, that old lady did a lot of damage with it. I'd really want to check it out!"

He saw the devastating power wrought by the Severe Shield and wanted a closer look. A look _I_ wasn't willing to give him.

"Don't make me earn my Start a Wildfire Badge just to smoke you out." He called out threateningly before adopting a contemplative look. "Then again…I do need that badge—"

"Wait, wait!" I raised my hands up and slowly left my cover. "Just…don't burn anything, okay?"

"That's more like it." He called out happily before marching over to me and holding a hand up to his ear. "Now say the words…"

I frowned and let out a begrudging sigh. "Marble, even though you excessively burned a building...thanks for breaking me out of prison."

"Hoo-Yah!" He cheered while pumping his fists. "Another badge bites the dust!" He withdrew that book of his and crossed off something, which, upon closer inspection, was a list of badges. Some were already crossed out, but there were still a few he looked to be missing.

The Distract Someone with an Interpretive Dance Badge.

The Race Against Lime Badge.

The Tackle the Bad-Guy Badge.

The Leatherwork Badge.

The Murder Someone in their Sleep Badge.

The Assisting the Elderly Badge.

And those were just the ones on that particular page. Out of how many pages?

Some of them seemed out of place, but I was too busy shivering at the Murder Someone in their Sleep Badge.

"Now that that's done," he turned to me with an interested expression, "About that chestpl—"

"Badges!" I blurted out quickly.

"…"

"…Uh…there are an awful lot of badges in that book of yours…why is that?" It wasn't the best segue way, but I needed something to distract him from the Severe Shield. And, since all I knew about him was his inexplicable love of badges, it seemed like a good start.

Marble seemed to be in a daze as he looked at me, though. "Are…are you asking me to explain the origins of the badges as well as give an in-depth introduction of the Scouts?"

"Uh…well—"

"Because doing so would fulfill my Explain the Scouts' Introduction Badge!" His eyes were already sparkling with eagerness and he was hopping up and down. He was like a puppy with a treat dangled before its eyes.

"Well…"

 _Anything to keep him from asking about the chestplate._

I put on a forced smile. "I don't see why not."

He squealed in happiness and leapt for joy, before forcing himself to calm down. "Alright then…

"Five hundred years ago, when Minecraftia was still fresh and new, a Crafter by the name of Landon_Noir had a vision. A vision foretelling a set of missions that could be completed."

At the word 'mission' I remembered I still had a job to do: get to Dover Plains to find the Voda Shlem. Having wasted enough time dawdling, I continued towards the direction of the Kingdom. Marble continued telling the story, walking beside me as he did so.

"Some of these missions included making a crafting table, killing a skeleton from fifty meters away, removing iron from a furnace, deal nine hearts of damage in a single hit. Trivial stuff like that." Marble looked up as he adopted a wondrous expression. "It must have been so much easier getting badges back then."

I didn't quite get what he meant, but nodded all the same.

"Anyway," he continued, shaking his blond hair. "Landon found other Crafters who shared his vision about fulfilling missions and decided to work together with them to complete them all. This group would become known as the Scouts.

"And boy, the first Scouts did a lot! I even heard they completed a mission involving slaying a dragon! Isn't that just the coolest?"

"A…dragon?" Was this just more of the Scout's craziness shining through, or was it just a tall tale? After all, what kind of world had dragons in it?

"Yeah, those Scouts did it all." Marble smiled to himself. "However, after finishing all those missions, they realized that they had nothing more to accomplish! Their life's work was over. Landon was so devastated that he attempted suicide over eighty times."

 _How many!?_

"But on his eighty-third attempt, he found the inspiration to make up his _own_ missions. Ones that were _far_ more convoluted than the initial few. Missions that he was sure would give his Scouts a reason to go on! And to keep track of which missions were completed or not, he developed the badge system.

"Completing a requirement would earn you a badge. And whoever had the most badges within a five year span would become the Official Scout Master for the next five years, complete with the privilege of thinking up new missions for Scouts to accomplish and adding to the badge pile.

"That's what I want." Marble rested his hands on his hips in a confident pose. "Once I become Scout Master, I'll add so many cool new badges. Like the Slay a Lieutenant of the Endward Cult Badge or maybe the Do the Hokey Pokey while under the Influence of Pufferfish Badge. Yes…that is my dream."

I had to cough to disguise my snicker at that last badge. "So, you've never gotten the most badges in five years before?"

He shook his head. "I didn't get the most, buuuut," he withdrew that odd sword from his belt, "I _did_ place second ten years ago. My consolation prize was this Longsword, directly from Exter. Not only does it have infinite durability, but it also has this cool trick that lets me careen forward at breakneck speed!"

Just to prove his point, he got into that weird stance again, sword held at the ready, before moving so fast it looked like teleportation. The tall grass in his path was quickly mowed down.

"The sword has that ability?" I looked at the sword with more scrutiny. "What's the recipe for it?"

"Only the Maker knows, and he hasn't shared that knowledge with anyone." Marble returned the sword to his belt, making sure it was secured. "Cleavers, Cutlasses, Daggers, Scythes, Rapiers. The Maker makes them all, but only gives them to those he deems worthy…or those with enough emeralds." Suddenly, Marble's eyes lit up. "Speaking of unique weapons, think you can show me that chestplate now?"

"I…uh…can't, because…because…"

 _Come on, Noman! You may not be the best liar, but surely you can come up with something to satisfy his curiosity!_

"It's…dirty."

…

"The chestplate is dirty and I don't want to show you something that is dirty." I explained stiffly. It wasn't a lie; the chestplate had accumulated some dirt after making contact with so many weapons and dooming those cellmates that challenged Nana Widow…

…

For some reason I felt a huge wave of guilt.

"Well, then I'll just clean it up for you." Marble was already reaching for the Severe Shield and I had to slap his hand away.

"No! The dirt will muddy your eyes if you look at it!"

"It's just a bit of dirt." He urged as he slipped a hand into my backpack, fishing around for the smooth diamond surface.

"Stop! It's not—"

However, he quickly tore the chestplate from my pack and held it aside before rubbing off the dirt with a bit of his sleeve. Soon, though, his eyes narrowed upon reading the item's name. "Severe Shield? That's an odd name for a chestplate…and how come it doesn't have any Enchantments tacked on?"

He turned the Severe Shield over in his hands, looking for any sign of Enchantments. Meanwhile, I was panicking, trying to grab the chestplate without him noticing.

After several failed swipes, I tried something different. "There's nothing special about it! Really! Surely nothing that has to do with several more legendary artifacts of unsurpassed power! Ha…Ha…"

I slapped a hand to my mouth. _Bah! I'm terrible at lying!_ I internally chastised while shooting a nervous glance at Marble.

"Unsurpassed power?" He questioned aloud, shattering my hopes that he perhaps hadn't heard me. He adopted a wondrous expression as he gazed upon the chestplate's diamond surface. His own reflection looked back at him with that same face. "So…with this…I can be the most powerful Scout in Minecraftia!" he hefted the chestplate to the sky and began to laugh evilly. "All will bow before my might! I will ravage villages, plunder Kingdoms, and cut in line at the food courts without feeling an iota of guilt! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

I took a fearful step back, not knowing whether or not he'd lash out at me during his monologue. If only I was a better liar—

"Or I _would_ do that," the maniacal look vanished from Marble's face as soon as it appeared, " _IF_ there was a badge involved. Sadly, there is no  Attain a Super-Powered Artifact of Mass Destruction and Use It for Shits and Giggles Badge." He tossed the chestplate back to me without a second glance.

"Huh?" I couldn't catch the artifact because I had my hands covering my ears at Marble's profanity. But after the air was clear of any dirty words, I picked up the chestplate, all while looking at the uninterested Scout. "You…really don't care?"

"The only things the Scouts and I care about are badges. Right, guys?" He turned around as if expecting someone there, but only saw nothing. "…Scouts?"

He jerked his head back and forth as he scanned the empty plains. Only the dry grass was there to greet him.

"GAH!" He shouted in anguish before falling to his knees. "They ditched me! I can't believe it!"

Was he so caught up in obtaining his badge that he had only _just_ realized that he had been following me by himself?

"Those traitors…I bet they wanted the Ditch a Fellow Scout Badge! Well when I see them again, they're ALL getting the You're a Traitorous Cactus Prick Badge!"

"Um…forgive me if I'm wrong, but…since you followed me without alerting them…doesn't that make _you_ the ditcher?"

"That's apples and oranges!" He protested before mulling to himself. "I suppose the closest Scout Den is in Dover Plains…"

While he was busy doing that, I decided to continue moving to Dover Plains. I wasn't abandoning him, per se. It was just that my reservoir of patience had sprung a leak; one that would only widen if I were to continue humoring Marble's insane badge problems.

It was no wonder those cellmates groaned at the Scouts' assistance.

"Hey, Nowhere! Wait up!"

* * *

"What's the purpose of your visit?"

Facing the toll gates of Dover Plains, I was briefly reminded of Ringwood. Back then, I had Spark for back-up. So silent and sane.

"Nowhere, are you ignoring me? Nowhere? Nowhere? _Nowhere_!"

And now my back-up was an obnoxious Scout, following me for no other reason but to get to a guild base stationed in Dover Plains. From there he said he'd be able to track down where his group was heading. Plus, he could earn a few badges within the Kingdom.

The toll gates were easy enough to get past, though I had to keep up my lie, claiming my number was 999,999,999 since it was both on my citizenship information AND one of Notch's orders that I keep my true number a secret.

It cost me an emerald since I wasn't a Kingdom's Captain on any official business, but I was able to get an Entry Pass. MarbleFinder already had one, much to my displeasure, and was able to continue following me.

As for the Kingdom itself…it was rather empty.

There were short cobblestone walls marking its edge, but the inside of the Kingdom was as flat as the plains. Probably where the name came from.

It was—how to put it—If I had to sum it up in one word: Farmland.

Literally, nothing but farmland stretched further than my eye could see. Rows of potatoes and carrots. Bushels of wheat piled into hay bales. Cows grazing in herds and watched by Crafters on horseback. Other Crafters dressed in leather armor, working the fields with hoes and a white powdery substance in hand.

And that was all in only _one_ fenced area. One in which I couldn't spot where the fence ended!

A few winding gravel paths cut through the fenced in areas, allowing Crafters to travel. However, the fences had signs expressly forbidding trespassing.

Nana Widow had explained that the Voda Shlem was used to save the Kingdom in times of drought. But it looked like the land was doing okay without it.

Surely, they wouldn't miss one little old water bringing artifact.

Though that couldn't be all it was good for. I subtly took out my book and flipped to the description about the Voda Shlem.

 **[Voda Shlem]**

 **Among designing artifacts for each of the Kingdoms, the Voda Shlem was the trickiest. I knew it needed to be something tied to agriculture, seeing how it's Dover Plains' primary export. But I also had to give it combat capabilities, since, well, it wouldn't be worth much if it didn't have some cool ability.**

 **The Voda Shlem, or Water Helmet, was the middle ground. Whosoever wears it can instantly irrigate soil in a six-meter radius. But more useful, is its combat capabilities.**

 **The wearer will have the following properties:**

 **-Instantly irrigate soil in a six-meter radius**

 **-The effects of water will surround you, but you will be immune to them. They will, however, affect Crafters and incoming objects within that same six-meter radius**

 **-Infinite Water Breathing Effect**

 **-Depth Strider and Aqua Affinity. Swim faster and break blocks easier while in water**

 **Appearance: A light blue-dyed leather cap with the name Voda Shlem.**

 **Mainly for evasion purposes. Any attack made upon the wielder would slow down considerably upon making contact with the cap's radius. As if it was traveling through water.**

 **Making this was tricky. The only signs of the cap's radius are slight water dripping particles. It would have been easier just having the artifact summon water, but wielding it as such would be** ** _far_** **too obvious to any attacker. Making the command for it was particularly daunting.**

 **Weakness: Attacking the wielder is like attacking someone in water, though the wielder would not be bound to any of the water's effects. It sounds silly, but it's incredibly difficult to land a hit upon the wielder.**

 **Unless of course, one has a high level Depth Strider enchantment to counter the artifact's effects. Doing so would allow an attacker to move at a regular pace, even inside the artifact's radius. Thereby keeping things equal.**

 **Location: Dover Plains**

Evasion. That sounded like the perfect artifact for me. Anytime a hostile Crafter or Mob would try to catch me, I could just wear the Voda Shlem and keep dodging out of the way. They'd be too slow to even touch me! And if I ever came across any of the Endward Cult, I'd simply tire them out or disarm them in between evasions. No need to don that chestplate ever again.

As to where to start looking for it, I had a pretty good idea. Nana Widow mentioned that there was a myth, in which the Voda Shlem was owned by the first King of Dover Plains. So it stood to reason that the Kingdom's palace, or fortress, or citadel, or castle, or wherever royalty lived would be the best place to start.

"Hey, Marble?" If the Scout was going to stick with me anyway, best to ask him about the Kingdom. "You've been here before. Do you know where the Kingdom's royalty lives?"

"In the ground."

"Thanks, I appre—wha?" I wondered if I misheard him.

"Yeah. The Kings of this place? They all sort of…died out. It all started with one King in particular." He explained nonchalantly. "A while ago. Guy was a tyrant that wasted half the Kingdom's treasury on alcohol and women. Y'know, the things all guys wish they had the money for. Anyway, when he was discovered, an angry mob stormed the palace, dragged him out, and publicly executed him." Marble frowned to himself with folder arms. "Wish I could've been there. I would've easily gotten my Execute a Public Figure Badge and been _thanked_ for it!"

My mouth hung open in surprise. What kind of King wasted his Kingdom's treasury on trivial things like that. And I didn't know what type of guy Marble thought I was, but I'd never waste emeralds on anything like that.

"Didn't that King have any heirs? Anyone to pass on artifa—I mean, take control of the Kingdom?"

Marble snorted humorously. "You kidding? After a scandal like that? The palace was burned to the ground and whatever heirs he had took everything they could carry before fleeing the Kingdom. After that, the people decided that having a monarchy was too antiquated. Instead, they decided to govern by a council, consisting of one family member from each of the twenty-two Families." He gestured to the farmland surrounding our path. "Each Family owns a large portion of farmland and lives in a big fancy-ass mansion."

"But, wait." I held up my hands to wrap my head around Dover Plains' government. "If the farmland is privately owned, then where does the rest of the population live?"

"In the center." Marble pointed west, towards a second, much taller cobblestone wall. "The palace used to sit there, but it's basically an urban speck in a sea of farmland. In short, unless you enjoy farming, this place is dull, dull, dull."

Well, that was a problem.

 _If_ the myths were true, and the Voda Shlem once belonged to the Kingdom's royalty, passed down from heir to heir, then it would have left with the fleeing heirs. And that was only if it was among the possessions they took with them. If not, the Voda Shlem would have likely burned with the palace.

How ironic that the artifact nicknamed 'Water Helmet' would meet its end in fire.

However, if the heirs _had_ taken the Voda Shlem, it could be…well…anywhere! Wherever they had fled to.

I couldn't stop the weary sigh from leaving my mouth. I'd need more clues if I were to come to any conclusion. I'd probably have to poke around whatever was left of the palace just to verify.

"Yo! Nowhere? You ignoring me again?"

"No, sorry, I'm just thinking." I replied hastily.

"Pfftt. Thinking? I never do that. Takes too much time."

 _That explains a lot._

"Anyway, it's been fun walking and talking, but I really need to get back to my group." He turned around to face the opposite way and began to jog backwards towards the Kingdom's center. "Besides, I got badges to earn!"

"Which ones?" I couldn't help but ask.

"The Run Backwards for Five Miles Badge and the Race Against Lime Badge. The former is obvious and the latter involves the sheep races. Placing a winning bet on a sheep _other_ than a lime colored one."

"Well, that's…uh…anyway, it was nice meeting you." I offered politely, for want of anything better to say.

"Same. Hey, you ever hear about a political figure that needs to be publicly executed, could you let me know?"

"If you're in the area, sure." I nodded disarmingly, just wanting him to leave already.

"Alright! Scout Marble, AWAY~!"

And with that he was off, jogging backwards towards that central urban area.

I sighed in relief before looking around and sitting beside a fencepost. With all the prison breaking, walking, and dealing with Marble, I was pretty tired. I'd need my rest if I was going to keep looking for the artifacts.

Just a little while to rest my eyes…

…

* * *

"OI! Wake up, vagabond!"

"Huh? Whuh?" I muttered groggily as I opened my eyes. Standing before me was a guard wearing a yellow dyed leather helmet and iron armor. For a second, I panicked, thinking it was somehow one of Nana Widow's guards.

However, when I felt my Inventory still on me, I visibly relaxed.

"You can't sleep here!" The guard shouted indignantly. "Don't you know whose property that fence belongs to?"

"Um…no?" I tried to be polite about it, biting back any hostility, but I was just napping for a bit.

The guard huffed angrily while muttering about out-of-towners. "This is the property of Lord Maplefrost, one of the twenty-two representatives of this Kingdom's council! A man who doesn't take kindly to vagabonds leaning on his fence. A man who takes the security of his land _incredibly_ serious. Get the picture now?"

"Er…"

The guard groaned before continuing. "A man who is currently hosting an auction preview for tomorrow night. Where he is to sell items and artifacts worth more than a month's worth of my salary! So if Lord Maplefrost finds out some vagabond is snoozing on his fence or even thinking about stealing the Voda Sh—"

The guard suddenly stopped his ranting, keeping his lips hung on that 'shhh' sound desperately trying to suck in the tidbit he had just let slip.

But I wouldn't let him. I stood up straighter, my eyes gleaming with interest. "The Voda Shlem? It's being auctioned tomorrow night!?"

"You…You didn't hear that!" The guard tried to threaten. "I…oh, I'm so fired."

He slapped a hand to his forehead, while my mind whirred in thought.

What were the odds? Really, what were the odds that I'd snooze right next to the farmland owned by the same person that holds the Voda Shlem?

And he was auctioning it off tomorrow night! Which meant all I had to do was buy it from him. Surely I had enough emeralds for that…unless someone else thought it more valuable.

 _…_ _Oh._

Just like that, the flame of excitement had been extinguished.

There was no telling what kind of people would be at this auction. Probably those of wealth or high class. I'd have to outbid them all for the Voda Shlem.

"Well…" The guard muttered to himself as if trying to reason his mistake. "After the preview, the whole Kingdom will be abuzz about the Voda Shlem so I guess it doesn't matter if a random vagabond—"

"How do I get an invite to the auction and where is it being held?" I hastily asked the guard who just held his hands up placatingly.

"Easy there, blue-eyes. For your information, it's being held in Lord Maplefrost's mansion, tomorrow at dusk. But security will keep anything dingy-looking from entering. Not that _you_ could even get past the front gate without being part of one of the twenty-two families."

He said that with so much condescension that I couldn't help but worry. I wasn't a member of the twenty-two families, but I had to get inside.

The Severe Shield could carve through security—

NO! No, I couldn't think like that or I was no better than Nana Widow.

I needed something else.

Something that could get me past the front gate, unseen.

…

 _Maybe…_

I turned to hide my smile as I walked away from the haughty guard.

Looks like Spark's Invisibility Potion would come in handy after all.

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 1 Glass Bottle, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 38 Steaks, 9 Enchanted Golden Apples, 64 Emeralds, 21 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 12 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: Well, Noman's after the Voda Shlem. Hopefully he can get into the auction without incident, obtain the artifact, and make his escape without anything happening whatsoever.**

 **...**

 **Anyway, this chapter talked about Dover Plains, the Scouts, the Voda Shlem's powers. Mostly set-up for next chapter.**

 **Also the Omake below is part two of the Fifty Shades of Chicken Omake. The idea was just too funny to pass up.**

 **But anyway, leave a fav to get your Leave a Fav Badge. Or better yet, leave a Follow to get your Leave a Follow Badge!**

* * *

Omake: Fifty Shades of Chicken (II)

"Sorry about yesterday. Henifer never really moved on after I broke things off." Bryan admitted sheepishly while sitting with his fiancé at a restaurant. "As a matter of fact, she still hasn't returned the Respiration helmet I left at her place."

"Bock Bock."

"You're right. Now's not the best time to ask. What with you and her…conceiving a chick together."

It was embarrassing, to say the least, even though the two had instantly forgotten their animosities towards each other to coo over the newborn chick. Bryan still had to call the cops to cart Henifer away. The court case to decide whether or not a restraining order would be needed would be in a few weeks.

But now, he was enjoying a lovely dinner with his fiancé. She had even agreed to pay.

God, he loved her.

"You didn't have to pick the most expensive restaurant, you know. Not that I'm ungrateful." He handed his menu to a waitress who was staring at Henrietta with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. Bryan made sure not to order any cooked chicken from the menu. "It's just that I feel guilty making you pay for all this."

"Bock _Bock_ Bock?" Henrietta replied slyly.

"Whoa! Not _that_ sorry." He chuckled nervously at his fiancé's boldness. "But I'll make it up to you somehow. I promise."

Speaking of promises, he had to work on those vows for when they got married. Also, he'd probably have to read up on how to properly marry someone. There was the sickness and health thing…and…well, the ' _I do_ ' is all that really mattered anyway.

While they waited for their food, Bryan admired his future wife in all her beauty.

Her cute, beady eyes.

The way the breeze made her waddle sway ever so slightly.

Her pristine, snow white feathers…

…

Wait a second!

"You're not my fiancé! Henrietta has _Eggshell_ white feathers! " He slammed his hands on the table, his seat falling with a clatter. "Who are you and what have you done with her!?"

At his exclamation, the chicken sitting across from him jumped onto the table, grinning maniacally. "Bock Bock…BOCK BOCK!"

Bryan gasped and took a step back as if he was slapped. "Henifer!? My ex-girlfriend!? What a shocking turn of events!"

"Bock Bock Bock." Henifer replied mockingly

"I can't believe I was fooled by something so obvious! How'd you even get out of jail?"

"Bock."

"Oh, right. I forgot all about that." Bryan admitted before snapping back to the more pressing question. "But what have you done with my beloved Henrietta!?"

"Bock Bock." Henifer sing-songed as she waddled back and forth along the table. "Bock Bock Bock."

"What do you mean; I don't have time to waste?"

"Bock Bock." She adopted a vicious smile. "Bock."

"What do you mean; My wife's goose is about to be cooked?"

"Bock Bock Bock!"

"What do you mean; You kidnapped my wife, emptied her bank accounts, and took her to a Chicken Factory to be cooked and served with a side of baked potatoes?"

"…Bock." She replied flatly.

Bryan gasped. "You monster! What will the chick think when she hears you've been attempting to murder one of her parents!? Henrietta, my love! I'm coming to save you!"

And with that, Bryan rushed out to rescue his fiancé from his evil ex-girlfriend's insane plot.

"Um…" The waitress held up their orders, looking between the vacated seat and the chicken clucking maniacally. "Yeah, I'm gonna need someone _not_ a chicken to pay for these."

* * *

 **AN: At least Henifer didn't try and get rid of his fiance through - *looks impishly towards the camera* - _foul play?_** **Eh? Eh?**

 ** _..._**

 **I'll just go...**


	46. Auction

**AN: Yeah, this chapter is late. Sorry everyone.**

 **But it's still out. And I think I did pretty good on this. Anway the reason this chapter is late is kind of a funny story. See, Wednesday night, I was working on the chapter when I think to myself - I could really use a glass of ginger ale. So I go to the freezer where I was keeping it, only to see that the bottle tipped over and was partially frozen along the side of the bottle.**

 **I didn't think much of it.**

 **However, I didn't take into account the accumulated pressure combined with the freezing element. In short, when I opened the bottle, the built up pressure caused the ginger ale to shoot out and nail me in the left eye.**

 **That's right everyone. I might get a black eye...from opening a bottle of ginger ale.**

 **I'm such a weeny.**

 **Anyway, after going through the joyful process of washing ginger ale out of my eye I found I couldn't see very well with it, so the last thing I was gonna do was type up a chapter that night. Instead I just went to bed.**

 **My eye still kinda stings, but it's better than it was last night. I'm never opening a bottle of ginger ale again...unless I'm in the mood for ginger ale.**

 **So enjoy your chapter.**

 **Puzzle: What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrecty?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add ginger ale.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 46

 **Auction**

"Ahh, Lady Veridan of the Prescott Family! Go right in, Lord Maplefrost is most eager to see you."

The woman garbed in fine leather armor nodded politely before stepping past the fence's guards towards the Maplefrost Mansion.

One of the guards let out a weary sigh. It was such a burden looking presentable to so many powerful figures. Lord Maplefrost had extended invitations to each of the Families. All had been included.

The Cohnbosch's. The Meriwether's. Even the poorly named…erm…Turdfellow's and Longbottom's were invited.

Though the guard was certain that if anyone so much as snickered at their surname, they would be quickly expunged.

As the guard noticed two more approaching guests, he stood up straighter and put on a polite smile. He gestured his arm to the entrance. "Ahh, Lord Remington and Lady Treble. Such an honor to—" However, the guard suddenly stopped when he felt something brush past his extended arm, even when he couldn't see anything there. "The fuck?"

"It's such an honor to fuck?" The guard paled at Lord Remington's affronted tone. "I _do_ hope you'll keep that attitude in your pants while my wife is present."

"Y-yes, Lord Remington. I am terribly sorry for my slip-up." The guard bowed low to the Lord and his wife, completely forgetting the invisible presence he felt brush past him, straight towards the mansion.

* * *

[Maplefrost Mansion]

 _Why does everyone feel the need to curse?_ Noman internally questioned as he entered the mansion, completely concealed by Spark's Potion of Invisibility. Even though he foolishly bumped into the guard at the front gate, he seemed to have slipped in without alarming anyone.

Next he'd need to find a secluded spot to reappear in. Perhaps a bathroom or storage closet.

Despite his bumbling, he did in fact have a plan. A plan he spent all of yesterday working out.

First, he had studied the guests entering to ascertain proper wardrobe: Dyed leather armor of white, blue, green, or purple. Since he had blue eyes, he figured blue dyed leather armor would match the best. A quick purchase later and he looked the part.

Then he had downed the Invisibility Potion, intending to bypass the guards and slip inside. Nobody would notice an extra guest amongst the crowd.

He planned to lay low and keep the attention off of him until the Voda Shlem was ready to be bid upon. Hopefully, the emeralds Notch left him would be enough to outbid the competition.

And if not…

Er…

He hadn't thought _that_ far ahead. He'd just have to hope for the best. Stay optimistic and all that.

He quickly slipped into the bathroom designated for men and made a quick check to see if anyone was around. He didn't have any buckets of milk to nullify the potion so he had to wait until the eight minutes were up. Hopefully without anyone entering.

*SLAM*

 _…Stay optimistic._

A furious man with combed hazel-hair stormed into the bathroom, closely followed by a smaller man. "How humiliating!"

"Please, Lord Turdfellow." The small man tried to calm him down. "I am sure Lord Fitzburger meant no ill will with his snicker—"

"I don't recall asking for your opinion!" The man named Lord Fitzburger snapped. "I know the truth! Those Fitzburger's think they're superior just because their Family name doesn't have the word 'turd' in it! The nerve! The _cheek_!"

Noman shrunk into the furthest corner of the bathroom, watching his arm as the invisibility effect ticked by.

"I can see it on everyone's faces! That look of pity at having a name like ours!" The angry man huffed as he turned on the faucet and splashed some water on his face. "Why, I have half a mind to collect my Family and leave this offensive place!"

"Then…" The smaller man seemed hesitant. "Shall I scour the mansion for your Family members?"

"I said I had _half_ a mind to leave." Lord Turdfellow growled. "The other half of my mind is keeping me here long enough to get my hands on that artifact. I'll bring prestige to the name Turdfellow, even if I have to own this Kingdom's legendary Voda Shlem to do it."

Noman's invisible eyes widened at what he just overheard. It was as he feared; there was competition for the Voda Shlem. And from one of the twenty-two Families too.

Lord Turdfellow straightened his hair and breathed a calming sigh. "Now…shall we return to the party? I'd hate for the other Families to think their snickers were enough to rattle me."

His companion reluctantly nodded before following the man out of the bathroom. Just as Noman's invisibility finally wore off.

His eyes were glued to the bathroom entrance, fully expecting someone else to enter. However, as the seconds turned to minutes, he realized he was safe and quickly changed into his leather clothes. He wished there were some mirrors to check himself, but realized that he had no idea whether or not Minecraftia _had_ mirrors.

So, again, he just had to hope for the best.

With that thought in mind, Noman exited the bathroom and headed towards the dining room where the auction was to take place.

* * *

It was difficult to believe that anyone would need a room the size of a barn, just for the sole purpose of dining. But that was exactly what the Maplefrost's dining room looked like.

It had several dozen wooden tables, covered with white carpet like tablecloth. Foods of all kinds were laid out on the tables, or otherwise carried around by waiters. Chandeliers of glowing stone hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in a golden glow. Statues of gold and emerald were molded into the pillars supporting the floor above. A stone podium had been arranged for the auctioneer to present the items and call out bids. The floor was made up of a pristine white blocks, almost like…marble.

Noman gave an involuntary grimace. He had reminded himself of the spontaneous Scout with his observations of the room.

God only knew what Marble was up to now.

"Hey, Nowhere. Care for an hors d'oeuvre?"

"No thanks, Marble." He turned down with a wave.

Knowing Marble, he was probably out trying to earn another badge for something or another. He couldn't be worrying about him if he wanted to walk out with the Voda Shlem.

However, Noman was still new to auctions. He had no idea what the Voda Shlem was worth, let alone what the other Families would be willing to bid on it.

If he asked around to get an idea, there was a chance somebody would call him out as not being a member of any Families. But if he did nothing and went into the auction blind—

…

"Wait…" he turned to the waiter who had just offered him some cooked salmon. "Marble?"

The blond waiter turned around, revealing himself as Marble. "Changed your mind about the hors d'oeuvres?"

Noman was flabbergasted. "Bwuh? How…how did you even…what!?" He felt a headache coming on. "Marble, how did you get into this party!? Only members of the Twenty-two Families were invited!" He whispered to keep the other guests from noticing them.

He scoffed. "Well, duh. How else am I supposed to get the—"

"God forbid, if you say this is for the Crashing a Party Badge or…or the Make Noman Go Insane Badge, I _will_ break your hand." Noman was shocked at the violent threat he just made. Even more so when he realized he _meant_ it.

Marble clamped his mouth shut before clutching his dominant hand closer to his chest. "…I'm still gonna think it."

Noman's eye twitched and for one crazy moment he considered donning the Severe Shield and going on a frenzy. Thankfully, Marble was able to bring him out of his crazy thoughts. "I'm kidding! Relax. I actually have a genuine reason for being here. It's a funny story actually."

"Try me."

"Well you see, after I went to the Sheep races and bet against the Lime runner—and won a killing mind you—a fellow gambler complimented my eye for picking winning sheep, and asked me for advice on the other races. So, I told him which ones I felt were best to win for the biggest payout and watched as he won race after race.

"Turns out, the guy was Lord Maplefrost, Head of the Maplefrost Family. And he was so overjoyed at his winnings that he invited me to his party to serve as a waiter. Cool, right?"

Noman raised an eyebrow. "I still don't get why you agreed to being a waiter—you needed the Be A Waiter Badge didn't you?"

"Yup, yup!" He proudly held up his book of badges and crossed one out. "Though for the record, the badge is called I Can't Wait to be a Waiter Badge. Now, how about one of these hors d'oeuvres?"

"I…ugh…sure." Noman wordlessly accepted some salmon, deciding it was the path of least resistance, and nibbled on it while surveying the rest of the dining room. Marble aside, he'd still get that Voda Shlem.

He had to.

"So what are you doing here anyway? Are you a member of a Family?"

Noman paled at Marble's question. Why is it that the Scout only showed observance when it was against Noman? He was oblivious the rest of the time!

Still, telling him probably wouldn't do any harm. He had no interest in the artifacts after all.

"Alright, please keep this a secret." Noman whispered to the Scout while making sure no one was eavesdropping. "I'm not a Family member. I snuck in for a chance to bid on the Voda Shlem artifact."

Marble tapped his lower lip in thought. "The Voda Shlem…oh, yeah! That thing is all anyone can talk about. It was previewed just yesterday."

Noman nodded in agreement. "It's very important that I outbid everyone else. Do you think around…say…sixty-four emeralds will be enough? Or do you think more will be needed?"

"Definitely more." Someone tried to walk up to Marble to request a piece of salmon, but the blond Scout simply ignored them before scarfing one for himself. "The Voda Shlem hasn't been in Dover Plains for a long time. Chances are a bunch of the Families will bid for it just for its ties to this Kingdom's history. Assuming, of course, the thing actually works and the Voda Shlem isn't just a fairy tale."

That sounded problematic. There was no telling how much money the Families would spend just to own the artifact. It made Noman wonder why Maplefrost was even thinking about selling it.

"Sooo…" Marble trailed off as he teetered on his foot. "Who are you trying to secure the Voda Shlem for?"

"What?"

"Well, you can't be doing this for no reason, right?" Again, another party guest walked up to Marble for some salmon, but was denied by the Scout's obliviousness. "You gotta be trying to secure it for someone else, right? For a ton of emeralds?"

"No. I'm securing it for myself."

Marble's eyes widened before he pressed a finger to his lower lip. "Hmm. Are you perhaps out for revenge and planning to use the Voda Shlem's supposed power to—"

"No. No revenge, just—" He paused as if considering his reasoning. He _was_ intending to use the artifact in his fight against the Endward Cult, but that wasn't exactly revenge. Unless it counted as Notch's revenge.

"Well, there isn't a badge for it." Marble huffed in annoyance. "It's either money, revenge, or badges. That's the motivation for all the other guilds."

Noman frowned at those words. "Is it so hard to believe that I'm doing this to save the world from the Endward Cult?"

Marble's eyes widened. "Saving the world...What, like a hero?"

"Erm…yeah. Exactly right. Like a hero."

Marble looked puzzled at something. "But…didn't all the heroes die out?"

 _Die out?_

"Hmmm." The blond began flipping through his badge book. "I think I remember seeing a Save the World Badge…near the back, maybe?"

"Wait, Marble," Noman gripped his shoulder, "What do you mean all the heroes died out?"

Marble just shrugged. "Crafters just don't do it anymore. Selflessly helping others doesn't exactly pay the bills after all."

Noman was about to ask more when he noticed a group of people coming towards them. All of them looked irritated for some reason.

 _What did I do!?_

 _Oh, wait…I'm with Marble._

 _What did Marble do!?_

One of the approaching party guests cleared their throat and spoke sharply. "Excuse me."

"You're excused." Marble responded without missing a beat.

The same party guest scowled deeply. "Pardon me?"

"Well, I'm a waiter and not a top political figure," Marble contemplated with genuine thought, "But I suppose I can pardon you too."

The party guest grit her teeth in further annoyance. "Well aren't _you_ the clever one?"

"Thanks. I try."

 _He's got to be doing that on purpose_. Noman reasoned as steam practically poured from the angered party guest's ears.

" _You_ are a waiter!" The party guest finally got out. "Which means _you_ must pass out hors d'oeuvres to the guests. Not striking up conversations with them."

"Well, I just offered my friend some salmon." Marble explained. "Plus, I haven't noticed anyone approaching me for salmon."

A vein seemed to pop from the party guest's forehead. Just as she opened her mouth to offer further scathing comments, her eyes zeroed in on the black haired man. "I don't believe we've met. Which Family are you from?"

 _Oh, hamburgers!_

 _Hanging around Marble is about to break my cover!_

"Um…which Family am I from?" He repeated to buy some time. Regaining some composure he switched to the same haughty tone that front gate guard used. "Well, I should think it's _obvious_ which family I'm from." Noman stretched out his words, hoping to bait the guests into answering for him.

"Mmmm…No, I can't recall your face."

"Must be a lesser Family."

"Boy, I hope this guy tells us about which Family he's from. Otherwise, we might all grow suspicious of him and threaten to burn him alive. I just felt the need to say that out loud so that we're all on the same page."

Murmured assents came from all the guests.

 _Double hamburgers!_

"Well, erm, I'm from the famous…Uhh…"

Oh, God. He hated being under pressure. Why couldn't Marble do something crazy to divert their attention!?

"The Uhh Family?" One of them questioned.

"Wait…no, no, that's not what I meant."

"Well, I should hope not." One of them huffed. "I've been in the Uhh Family all my life and I don't recall your face at all."

Noman blinked in shock. Uhh was an actual Family name?

But that didn't matter! He needed another Family name. Something that sounded genuine, not made-up-on-the-fly, and would undoubtedly allay their suspicions.

"I'm of the…Wing…Winger Nut…Cornhaven…B-baron Humdinger…Family."

It's like his mouth was falling down the stairs.

And the silence that stretched on only confirmed his fears. Marble had actually chosen that moment to go be a waiter somewhere else.

One of the guests narrowed their eyes. "That's funny. Real funny." He took a step dangerously close to Noman. "Because I heard that the Winger-Nut-Cornhaven-Baron-Humdinger Family were vacationing in Oak Docks, and therefore couldn't come to this auction."

…

…

 _Roll with it!_

"You are correct!" Noman pasted a smile onto his face, hoping the sheen of his cold sweat didn't show. "But…er…after hearing that the Voda Shlem was being auctioned, they…uh…asked me to appear in their place and represent their noble Family. After all, an artifact of such historical significance would make a great addition to our Family's prestige."

The guests nodded to themselves, apparently satisfied with the excuse. "Well, if you think you're going to win that artifact, you'll have to outbid…pft…Lord Pottyman."

The guests stifled their laughter as if sharing an inside joke.

"He means Lord Turdfellow." One of the guests whispered to Noman upon noticing his confusion. "That man is prepared to spend however many emeralds it takes to own that artifact. As for me, I'll save my emeralds for something better. Like that Looting Sword."

"Lord Maplefrost has a Looting Sword too!?" One of the guests asked incredulously. "Unbelievable. Where is he getting the levels for those enchantments?"

"Who knows? The amount of emeralds he's earning on a weekly basis is suspicious too." Another guest chimed in. "I'd give anything to know how he does it."

"What's Looting?" Noman asked, hoping he didn't sound like a Newb.

"Looting is a rare Enchantment that increases the amount of drops from felled Mobs." One of the guests explained. "It can even improve the chances of getting rare drops."

"With something like that, it would be so much easier obtaining potion ingredients. Why, I even heard that Maplefrost is selling off…"

The conversation continued as each of the guests talked about what they were aiming to bid for. Noman listened attentively, learning which artifacts were splitting up the competition. Apparently the Looting Sword was a big deal as well as a Silk Touch Enchantment Book.

Noman turned out to be more charming than he anticipated, easily winning over the guests that approached him. He even retold a story about being imprisoned in the cobblestone mines, playing it off as an event that happened decades ago instead of three days ago.

It wasn't long before Lord Maplefrost got to the front of the room to announce the auction was about to start. The crowd of guests quickly found their seats, leaving Noman struggling to locate an empty one.

Eventually, however, he noticed a vacant seat besides a man wearing purple leather armor. The man had dark grey hair, small grey framed glasses, and wore a black baseball cap. He looked subdued amidst the crowd.

It was as good a place to sit as any.

"Mind if I sit here?"

The man spared an emotionless glance before shrugging. Taking that as a good sign, Noman sat down and focused his attention on Lord Maplefrost.

"Greetings, honored guests!" He shouted jubilantly with arms spread out. "It is a fine occasion, seeing so many Families under the same roof. I'd be humbled if not for the fact I had to agree to sell so many items just to bring you all here."

The crowd laughed at his joke, even though it sounded pretty caustic.

"Now, without further ado, let us begin the auction." Lord Maplefrost stood aside to allow a small man to step up to the podium. "My butler Baltimore here will be acting as the auctioneer."

Baltimore cleared his throat while several guards brought up a single item: A diamond pickaxe.

"We'll start with this durable diamond pickaxe, enchanted with both Unbreaking III and Fortune II. The starting bid will be at twenty-five emeralds."

 _Wow. What a starting bid._

One of the guests at another table raised their hand.

"That's twenty-five." Suddenly, the butler began talking fast. Faster than fast. His mouth was going a mile a minute. "Twenty-five. Twenty-five. Do I hear thirty? Thirty?" Another guest raised their hand. "Thirty! Do I hear thirty-five, thirty-five? Going once, going twice – forty! Forty, forty, do I hear fifty? Fifty, we're up to fifty! Anyone for fifty-five? Fifty-five? Fifty-five? Going once, going twice…sold to Lord Cohnbosch for fifty emeralds!"

While the guards presented the pickaxe to Lord Cohnbosch, Noman had a glazed look in his eyes. He felt like he needed a nap after hearing all that. "I've heard of fast talkers, but that's ridiculous."

"You don't go to a lot of auctions, do you?" The grey-haired man beside him asked, resting his cheek on his arm.

"No. This is actually my first. You?

"Same." The man tilted his hat to get a better look at the surroundings. "I don't usually enjoy this type of company. But we all must make sacrifices."

"You don't enjoy this company?" Noman inquired. "I don't understand. Aren't you a Family member?"

"No." The man fixed his black eyes upon Noman. "But neither are you."

"Uh…I…I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am a proud member of the…the…the Family with the longest name."

The man just shook his head. "Those wealthy swine carry themselves with an arrogance, even amongst their own. And that is something you don't have. Makes you stick out to me at least."

Noman let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah, alright. I'm not supposed to be here. Are you going to tell the guards?"

"Maybe if I cared to share it." The man shrugged before returning his attention to the next item up for auction: A pair of Feather Falling iron boots. "Which item are you here for?"

"The Voda Shlem."

"Then I see no reason to rat you out since we're not after the same artifact." He held out a hand. "My name's Leadstripe."

"Noman." He greeted with a firm handshake.

Noman smiled at the man's reasoning and began to relax. The two idly chatted while the auction passed by. Among the other items auctioned was a chestplate with Thorns III, a Flame bow, and a Silk Touch Shovel. But none of them caught Leadstipe's attention.

But there was one thing.

"The next item up for auction is a real treat! A living thing, found swimming off the coast of the Morel Islands!" Lord Maplefrost gestured behind the podium just as a faint mechanical sound was heard. A large cage was rising up from the floor. And inside was…

 _What in Notch's name is that?_

A huge light green blob was lying on the floor of the cage, wriggling around like an amorphous slug. One moment it was flat and the next it was compounding together to try and form something. However, every time it tried to gather itself, it stopped short and collapsed into a pile of goo.

"This little wonder," Lord Maplefrost continued through the shocked gasps of the crowd, "Is known as Slimy. Say 'hello' Slimy!"

The thing known as Slimy just let out a faint gurgle, as if it were a drowning man.

"Isn't he nice?" Maplefrost continued as if he was oblivious to that horrible sound. "We believe Slimy here is some evolved version of the Slime Mob prevalent in the swamps. Which is why we thought it best to keep him from the preview yesterday. Now, Baltimore, if you'd continue?"

"Er, yes Lord Maplefrost." Baltimore tried to avert his eyes from the amorphous creature. "We'll…er…start the bidding at…ten emeralds for Slimy. Do I hear ten? Ten?"

Not a single hand was raised. The guests were either too stunned or too horrified at Slimy to make a bid.

"Er…then…what about five emeralds?" Baltimore continued, trying to fish for bids. "Come on ladies and gentlemen, nothing like Slimy has ever been seen before. That's worth at least five…"

Still, nobody made any bids. For the first time during that auction, Baltimore was forced to end the bidding and return the Slimy to Maplefrost. He looked annoyed that nobody wanted the thing, but kept it in check long enough for the creature to be moved back below the floor.

As Noman watched the cage sink, he couldn't help but wonder what the Slimy was. Leadstripe showed the same morbid fascination with the creature, but chose not to speak of it. It remained in the back of his mind as the auction continued.

Next was the Looting Sword which earned quite a lot of attention. The bidding went as high as two-hundred emeralds, eliciting a small chuckle from Leadstripe before it was sold to Lord Rogers. The Lord eagerly accepted the enchanted golden blade before excusing himself from the auction, most likely not wanting to stick around for the rest.

However, Noman didn't think about him too long when the next item demanded his full attention.

A light-blue dyed leather helmet was gingerly carried to the podium, where it immediately drew everyone's attention.

Noman saw Lord Turdfellow lean forward a little in his seat, a hungry look to his eyes. He really wanted that artifact.

"As I am sure you all know by now," Lord Maplefrost announced, "This artifact is the legendary Voda Shlem. Many years ago, it was owned by the royalty of this Kingdom. When the twenty-two Family council took over, the helmet vanishing into obscurity…until today that is."

He was doing a good job building up interest for the artifact. Many of the guests showed awe and intrigue gazing upon the device. Noman included.

"Now I know what you're all thinking." Lord Maplefrost continued as he paced before the artifact. "Is this Voda Shlem real when there have been so many fakes over the years? Well, if I can have some volunteers from the audience, I will gladly test its properties before you all."

Several hands immediately shot up from the audience. Everyone wanted an up-close look at the artifact and would happily use this demonstration as an excuse.

Lord Maplefrost quickly went around, picking out three random guests, before guiding them to the podium.

"So that's the artifact you're bidding on?"

The momentary shock of hearing Marble beside him was enough to tear his attention away from the Voda Shlem. "Marble! Stop scaring me like that. And…hey, where did Leadstripe go? Did you scare him off too?"

"Who's Leadstripe?" The Scout questioned as he leaned on the table. "I saw this seat empty when the Voda Shlem was brought out."

 _What? Does that mean Leadstripe left?_

 _No, that couldn't be true. He said he was after an artifact, but never bid once. Leaving now wouldn't make sense. He probably went to the bathroom or to go get food._

"Observe the amazing effects of this artifact." The sound of Lord Maplefrost snapped Noman out of his thoughts regarding Leadstripe, allowing him to focus on the demonstration. The three guests Maplefrost had picked out were trying to punch him. However, they were all moving very slowly while Maplefrost was moving at a normal pace. And sitting atop his head was…

The Voda Shlem.

"As you can all see," Maplefrost continued while effortlessly dodging the slow punches of the guests, "this artifact makes evading your enemies look easy. Imagine if bandits or Griefers were to attack. Simply don this helmet and watch as their attacks slow down."

The audience clapped in amazement, Noman included. From where he sat he couldn't spot the slight water dripping particles of the Voda Shlem's radius, but the helmet was doing exactly what the book described it to do. And having such an ability in his arsenal would make subduing bad guys all the easier.

After dodging several more punches, Maplefrost pushed the three guests to the ground, where they slowly toppled. When they were all on the ground, he quickly took off the helmet, returning them to their normal movements.

"Now, Baltimore, if you'd be so kind as to start the bidding."

Baltimore walked up to the podium and cleared his throat once more. "We'll start the bidding at thirty emeralds."

Predictably, Lord Turdfellow's hand was the first to shoot up.

"That's thirty emeralds. Thirty emeralds. Do I hear thirty-five? Thirty-five?" Another hand shot up. "Thirty-five! That's Thirty-five emeralds! Do I hear forty? Forty? Forty!"

Noman had seventy-nine emeralds in his Inventory. The last of Notch's allowance. If the highest bid went past eighty, he'd be out of luck.

"Do I hear fifty? Fifty emeralds, going once," Noman's hand shot up for the first time since that auction began. "Fifty emeralds! We're up to fifty emeralds! Do I hear fifty-five? Fifty-five emeralds?"

Again, Lord Turdfellow raised his hand.

"Fifty-five! Do I hear sixty? Sixty?"

Noman raised his hand. The battle down to Turdfellow and himself.

"Sixty! Good heavens!" Baltimore was patting at his forehead, wiping off the sweat as he continued his auctioneer fast-talk. "Sixty emeralds! Do I hear sixty-five? Sixty-five?"

Turdfellow looked uncomfortable as he raised his hand again. He didn't plan on spending so much. Just a bit higher and he'd give up.

"Sixty-five! Do I hear—" Noman's hand was raised before the auctioneer could finish. "Seventy! Seventy emeralds! Do I hear seventy-five? Seventy-five?"

Turdfellow looked to be struggling internally on whether or not to continue. Noman was hoping he'd stop. If he made seventy-five, the next increment would be eighty emeralds; Too high for Noman to place a bid on. This was the moment of truth.

Turdfellow lifted his hand half-way before giving a resigned sigh and letting it fall to his side. He was frustrated, but had conceded defeat.

 _Yes!_ Noman practically cheered in his own head.

"Seventy-five? Seventy-five? The highest bid stands at seventy. Going once, going twice—"

"Two-hundred."

Noman and half the audience recoiled at the words that were spoken. Near the back of the room, a man wearing a set of red-dyed leather armor had his hand raised. He had a calculating look in his eyes, which were of different color; One black, one grey. He had black hair tied in a long ponytail and had a black mask covering the lower part of his face. His name was Ciro_Che.

"Er…" Baltimore pulled at his collar at the tense atmosphere caused by Ciro's bid. "We don't usually place a bid out of increment like that—"

"Oh, apologies." Ciro bowed low. "I just wanted to move things along. Would you prefer I stuck to sequence until we got up to the two-hundred bid? Or rather I place the highest bid prematurely and get this over with?"

At his phrasing, Baltimore glanced awkwardly around the room. "Well…I suppose…yes, two-hundred emeralds. Two-hundred emeralds is the highest bid. Do I hear two-ten?"

Noman just stared dazedly at the artifact. There was no way he could match that. That guy, Ciro, had just walked up and placed a bid that blew all the other buyers out of the water. He was probably waiting all that time until the smaller bid battles were over. Until the competition was just one man: Noman.

And Ciro had just trumped his bid.

"As of now, two-hundred emeralds is the highest bid."

 _I can't believe it._

"Two-hundred going once…"

 _After all that…_

"Going twice…"

Noman screwed his eyes shut in frustration.

"Two-ten!"

 _Huh!?_

Noman opened his eyes to see that Marble had raised his hand. "Two-ten! Do I hear two-twenty? Two-twenty?"

"Marble? You…but…how…"

"I said I made a killing in the sheep races. Enough for two-hundred fifty emeralds. I don't have my Mathematics Badge, but I'm pretty sure that beats two-hundred." Marble shot a gleaming smile. "You sure you need this to save the world?"

Noman nodded slowly, a smile beginning to form on his face.

"Then I'll get it for you, and earn my Help Save the World Badge."

"Two-twenty! Do I hear two-thirty!" Ciro had raised his hand again, shooting Marble a dirty look as he continued to place bids.

"Two- fifty!" Marble shouted to the surprised gasps of most of the guests. "What? That guy was doing it so I figured I could too. Two-fifty!"

"Er…two-fifty! The bid is at—my word—two-fifty!"

"Two sixty-five!" Ciro shouted. By now the auction had devolved into a shouting match. Noman took the opportunity to slide his seventy-nine emeralds into Marble's hands.

"Two…two…hang on! One…two…three…Ah! Two-eighty!" Marble shouted after successfully counting all the emeralds. "Top that, Ciro!"

Ciro growled lowly and narrowed his heterochromatic eyes before once more raising his hand. "Two-eighty-five."

He was slowing down! One more push to bring it home!

"Three-hundred emeralds!"

The crowd gasped further at the highest bid placed that day. Ciro's face paled as he hung his head low. He didn't have enough emeralds to beat that. And nobody else seemed willing to match Marble's bid.

So that meant…

"Three-hundred is the highest bid."

 _Could it really be true?_

"Three-hundred going once…"

 _I—no—_ we _did it!_

"Three-hundred going twice…"

*SLAM*

"MURDER!"

The auctioneer's final words were drowned out by the shouting of one guest as he burst into the dining room. "Lord Rogers has been murdered! His gear was strewn across the halls! And somebody stole his Looting Sword!"

The guests shrieked in horror at that announcement, quickly panicking and rising from their seats. The guards rose up to calm them down at Lord Maplefrost's orders. Meanwhile, the Voda Shlem was taken by the guards as part of some security protocol along with all the other unsold items.

"Wait!" Noman called out as he rushed towards the podium, Marble in hand. He tried to batter aside the restless crowd, but they battered back. He had to get to that Voda Shlem! He couldn't lose it now! Not after they had finally won it in the auction!

But by the time they got there, the artifact was gone. Taken away until Lord Rogers' murderer and the Looting Sword were found.

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottle, 35 Steaks, 9 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed_ _Blue_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 2 Bones, 12 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: Just when it's in his reach, the Voda Shlem continues to evade him.**

 **This chapter was fun to write...even with a ginger ale injured eye. I decided to write it entirely in third person as opposed to my first person perspectives. Sometimes I find it easier writing third-person. I'm still experimenting with my writing.**

 **Should I still be experimenting this far into the story?**

 **I dunno. Probably not. Still gonna, though.**

 **I tried to make this as close to an auction as I could. Some of the items were generally valuable items in Minecraft. Usually the ones with the rarest enchantments. As for that Slimy creature thing...think of that what you will.**

 **The Family names I got from some of the viewers actually. Yeah, I just PM-ed some of them asking for fancy names.**

 **Prescott and Remington were from Slenderbrine. Uhh, Rogers, and Cohnbosch were from Void of Shining Darkness. And Longbottom and Turdfellow were from Toddem Mach. I may not have used all the names I got, but the ones I did, I just credited.**

 **And Ciro_Che...he wants that Voda Shlem just as much as Noman. I wonder why. (9_9)**

 **Anyway, see you next week. Unless my eye doesn't heal over...then again, I don't really see any of you at all.**

 **...Omake below.**

* * *

Omake: Fifty Shades of Chicken (III)

If what Henifer had told him at the restaurant was true, Bryan had to get to the Chicken Factory fast before his fiancé became an entrée.

Luckily, the Chicken Factory was located right next to the restaurant they were eating at. Freshest chicken around. Though in hindsight, Bryan probably should have questioned why his chicken fiancé would arrange to eat at a place so famous for its freshly cooked chicken. Henifer was so twisted. She probably intended to serve him his very fiancé on a silver platter!

The fiend!

"Chickpea!" Bryan burst through the Chicken Factory doors. "I've come to save you from this hellish place!"

"Uh, sir?" One of the factory's personnel stepped forward, his arms overflowing with coal. "I'm afraid you can't be here without—"

"Nothing can keep me from my love!" Bryan shouted heroically as he punched the defenseless factory worker in the face. "Now put down your weapons or face my fury!"

The rest of the factory's personnel turned to look at the violent man. They had no weapons in sight. Just fuel for furnaces and some seeds for breeding chickens.

"You've forced my hand!" Bryan shouted desperately, completely misreading the situation. "And by hand, I mean this iron axe I carry with me at all times!"

Suddenly, the factory's personnel realized the violent man was armed and crazy; a dangerous combination. They quickly dropped everything and scattered as he advanced.

"Don't worry, my little chickpea!" Bryan roared triumphantly as he swung the axe through the air, hacking apart the fleeing factory's personnel. "These men can't come between you and I!"

"My leg!"

"My arm!"

"My tummy!"

"These warriors are fearsome," Bryan admitted after kicking a cowering factory worker not even attempting to fight back, "but with the power of love, THERE IS NOTHING I CAN"T DO!"

"Help! A madman is killing us with an axe!"

"Oh, I'm mad all right!" Bryan shouted while gripping a factory worker by his shirt. "Mad…with love!"

"No! Just mad!"

"Listen, you little troll!" Bryan shook the factory worker. "Tell me where my fiancé is before I _axe_ you more directly! Ha! Don't make me _axe_ again! Haha! We wouldn't want any _axe_ -idents to happen –"

"Alright, I get it!" The factory worker groaned. "Your puns are killing me more than the axe is!"

"Wait, wait! I have one more. I have an axe and you don't! Hahaha!" Bryan slapped his knee in amusement before his face once more morphed into dead seriousness. "Now, where's my fiancé?"

"Why would your fiancé be in a chicken factory?"

"Don't confuse me with your riddles! Just tell me where she is!" Bryan held the axe to the factory's worker's neck.

"A-alright, wait! W-what does she look like?"

"Well, she has Eggshell white feathers, cute beady eyes that burn with a passionate flame…and I don't mean to boast, but the way her little waddle sways ever so slightly in the breeze," Bryan shivered with arousal, "She really is too good for trash like me."

"…Are…are you saying your fiancé is a chicken?"

Bryan sent the incredulous factory worker a death glare. "You couldn't possibly understand the depths of our love! And what's so wrong with chickens anyway, hmmm!?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" The factory worker replied hastily. "I'm sure your fiancé is quite…erm…beautiful."

The death glare increased tenfold. "That's my future wife you're complementing! Don't even think about sweeping her off her feet!"

"Wha—No! No, no! I'm not! I already have a wife—"

"Oh, so now my future wife isn't good enough for you, hmm? Not good enough to have an affair behind your wife's back and risk your marriage!? HMMM!?"

"I…I don't…you're sending mixed signals, here…"

"Enough stalling! Tell me where my fiancé is!?"

"W-well, we keep the chickens in a pen just outside." The factory worker pointed to a set of doors on the opposite end of the factory. "Just through there and to the right."

Bryan nodded to himself, before dropping the factory worker. "Don't worry, chickpea! I'll save you from these madmen!"

And with that, Bryan rushed off to save his future wife from the dastardly villains of the Chicken Factory.

"Villains!? We're the victims here!" The factory worked shouted indignantly while carrying his wounded fellows.

The fiends!

* * *

 **AN: Tis a sad day when the Omake is funnier and more interesting than the Chapter.**


	47. Skull-dagger-y

**AN: Yeah, the Chapter's title is a pun. So what?**

 **You got a problem with puns? Huh? HUH!?**

 **I didn't think so...**

 **I'm so happy that My Craft has over 20,000 Views, 59 Favs, and 56 Follows! That's more than I can count on one hand and I count ten per finger too!**

 **Anyway, congrats to AxeHelix for getting last week's riddle correctly. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrecty? None of them! Because 'incorrecty' isn't a word! ****Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **I've decided to do a riddle once every two weeks instead of once every week. Just felt like announcing that. (^_^)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Potions of Obliviousness

Beta: Myself because I couldn't get this to my Beta on time.

* * *

Chapter 47

 **Skull-dagger-y**

"Ooooh. So close."

Noman would have reprimanded Marble for his obvious statement of their failure, if not for the fact he currently had a thousand yard stare. He was utterly dejected. His hands were clutching the podium where the Voda Shlem had been lying only a few moments ago.

The guests were still panicking too. A dozen yellow-capped guards were trying to calm them all down. Lord Maplefrost barked out orders to a handful of other guards to lockdown both the mansion and the grounds, and to spread the word to the remaining guards.

Nobody was to get in or out of the premises.

This was a disaster. Just when he thought he had obtained a second artifact, it was taken right out of his fingers. Noman worried that Maplefrost might even withhold the items, out of fear for any more getting stolen. Though, perhaps if he addressed him when things had calmed down enough…

"Everyone, calm down! Lord Rogers' murderer _will_ be found!" One of the guards shouted over the screaming guests.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN!?" One of the guests raved. "Lord Rogers, one of the twenty-two Family heads and a member of Dover Plains' council, was just murdered!"

"We need to get out of here! Who knows when this killer will strike again?"

"What if the killer is targeting the Family heads!" Lord Prescott looked absolutely terrified. "I'm too young and handsome and wealthy to die! Plus, I'm modest!"

A yellow-capped guard stood up on a table. "Us guards will protect you. Now cease this pandemonium! Don't you know that screaming only makes people want to kill you faster!?"

Instead of calming the crowd, those words riled them up even more. In all this confusion, whoever killed Lord Rogers would never be found.

 _How could things possibly get worse?_ Noman dared to think.

"Die, you capitalist swine!"

Lord Maplefrost was roughly shoved out of the way by a guard. Right before an arrow could nail him in the skull.

There, on the balcony overlooking the dining room, was a man wearing a black-dyed leather cap and iron armor. He had a bow drawn back, aimed at—

"Marble!" With that exclamation, Noman snapped out of his depression and tackled the blond Scout to the ground before the arrow could hit him.

However, before he could say anything, several more arrows flew at the two downed Crafters, shaving off a few Hearts.

The rest of the dining room wasn't so lucky. Everyone was panicking so much, that they failed to notice the archers on the balcony until it was too late. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Arrows of increased power and fire rained down upon the guests, injuring them, setting them ablaze, or flat out ending them.

It seemed the 'lone' archer wasn't alone. Noman counted at least fifteen archers on the balcony. And who knew how much more were waiting. But the most notable thing about these archers was the black-dyed leather caps. Meaning…

"Cultists!" A guard answered Noman's thoughts before he too was riddled with arrows.

The Endward Cult was here.

"Everyone get down!" Another guard shouted, using the tables as cover from the multitude of arrows. Noman and Marble followed his advice as did some of the more composed guests. "Protect the Family heads!"

"Bah! I hate party crashers!" Marble frowned as an arrow missed him by an inch. "And they're cultists to boot! Double Bah!"

Noman peeked over the table to look at the dining room only to recoil in horror. "They're killing people!"

"Well, yeah, that sucks too, but—"

"Language!"

"Ugh—that blows too—"

"LANGUAGE!"

"That—Aw, forget it! Just get in there and take 'em out!"

"What!?" Noman shouted in alarm. "Why me?"

"Because, last I checked, you had the super-powerful chestplate!" The blond Scout rapped his knuckles against the dark-haired Crafter's skull as if to rattle his brains. "If that thing enabled an old lady to take on fifty angry Crafters, then it sure as… _heck_ …can take out these cultists!"

Noman's face looked conflicted. "I…I'm sorry…but I can't." He locked his blue eyes imploringly with Marble's light-blue ones. "Every time I put that chestplate on, someone dies."

"So? This is the Endward Cult we're talking about! The guys on a mission to eradicate all Crafters in Minecraftia!"

"I know…but…maybe if we could just imprison them…or better yet, try and dissuade them—"

Noman's suggestions were cut off as an arrow pierced his shoulder, prompting him to sink lower into cover.

"Fine, I'll take care of them myself! And with style too!" Marble withdrew his Longsword. "I need my Tackle the Bad-Guy Badge, anyway. Hey, give me one of those Notch Apples."

"What!?" Noman clutched the golden fruit to his chest protectively. "But I need these for my mission! I can't waste them—"

"Well, I can't get any more badges if I'm dead! And you can't complete your mission if you're dead!" Marble argued back. "So either get out there and do something or Notch Apple me!" He held out an awaiting hand.

Noman hesitated for a moment, but eventually gave in when he realized the Scout was right. Notch gave him the Notch Apples to aid in his fight against the Endward Cult. Well, now they were fighting the Endward Cult.

"Alright, here." He gave up one of his precious apples to the Scout. "But even if you eat one, then what? They'll only give you Fire Resistance."

Marble laughed as he took a bite. "Man, you have no idea what these things can do. Check this out!" As soon as he finished the apple, and several colorful particles swirled around him, he vaulted over the table they were using as cover and charged towards the balcony.

Noman watched as the cultists directed their arrows at the blond Scout. Noman wanted to scream at him to stop, but paused when he noticed the eager smile on Marble's face.

The arrows hit him. And kept hitting him. He was set ablaze. Turned into a human pincushion. And he kept saying 'ow' every time an arrow hit his face.

But he didn't die.

The Notch Apple's effects were shielding him from damage.

After taking several dozen arrows, Marble finally stumbled beneath the balcony where he was shielded from the cultists' sight. He withdrew some blocks from his backpack and began building a staircase up to the balcony.

Meanwhile, Noman kept low in cover as he tried to crawl to another mass of tables. He had to admit, these cultists were excellent archers. If he so much as exposed a piece of his clothing, an arrow would be shot at it not two seconds later.

If things continued like this, the dining room would become a graveyard.

When Noman finally reached the other tables for cover, he let out a short gasp upon seeing a cowering guest, flanked by two armed guards.

"Get your own cover!" The guest shouted in both anger and terror. "I'm Lord Harrisfield, one of the twenty-two Heads! I'm worth more than your life!"

Noman was about to open his mouth to defend himself when he suddenly remembered what Lord Harrisfield bid on. "Didn't you buy the Flame Bow?"

The Lord scoffed. "Of course I bought the Flame Bow! And if you think I'll let those cultists get their grubby hands on it, you're sorely—"

"Did it ever occur to you to _use_ the Flame Bow?" Noman reasoned.

Lord Harrisfield scoffed even further. "Me? Fire a bow? Come now, I pay people to do that for me! Plus, it would decrease the value of the bow if it were used!"

The two guards shared a deadpan look with each other before grabbing the bow from Harrisfield's belt. "Hey! Unhand that, you guard dogs!"

The protests were unheard as one of the guards loaded the bow with a flaming arrow and shot it towards the balcony. It hit its mark and one of the cultists burst into flames before tumbling off the balcony and exploding into a shower of gear.

Noman grimaced at the ugliness of it, but nonetheless, continued crawling forward.

Considering all the items the guests had bought, and how half of them could be used for combat, Noman realized he needed to spread the word to all the selfish guests stubbornly holding onto their items.

…Not himself though. No, he had a good reason for not wanting to use the Severe Shield. He didn't want to kill people again. The guests just didn't want to get their hands dirty.

Completely different motivations.

Yes.

After crawling to several other tables used for cover, and convincing Lord Longcoat and Lord Meriwether to use their respective Thorns III Chestplate and Protection III Chestplate, Noman noticed that some of the cultists were starting to jump down.

Or rather, someone was knocking them down.

"Surprise!" The confident voice of Marble rang out as he shoved a cultist off the balcony and onto the floor. The guards quickly descended on each cultists pushed off, overwhelming them with sheer numbers.

Yet still there were archers on the balcony. And they weren't giving up.

After taking one too many hits while crawling, Noman kept himself in cover and munched on some steaks. He could have used the Notch Apples to heal instantly, but he had already used two in the span of a few days. Considering the amount of gold each on required, he had to save them for when they were absolutely necessary.

Noman actually spotted someone standing up from cover and turned to see who it was.

Surprisingly it was the man that tried to outbid him for the Voda Shlem, Ciro_Che. He withdrew a bow of his own that glinted in the chandeliers' light. He closed one of his heterochromatic eyes, revealing only his gray orb, as he pulled back the string and took a shot.

Noman watched as the arrow flew at two cultists on the balcony. However, what happened next defied everything he knew about Minecraftia.

The arrow _exploded_.

As soon as it made contact with something, it detonated in a large explosion that engulfed both cultists and sent their gear tumbling off.

Many of the guests and guards flinched at the explosion, probably thinking the cultists were setting up TNT. Nobody but Noman saw Ciro shoot that arrow.

Ciro put the bow away, glancing left and right as if checking if anyone saw him. Then his eyes settled on Noman's, still firmly fixed on the bow that shot the exploding arrow. Ciro narrowed his eyes dangerously.

However, Ciro was so focused on Noman that he failed to miss the cultist sneaking up behind him.

"Ciro! Behind you!" Noman called out, snapping the dark-ponytailed man from his glares. He quickly spun around and elbowed the cultist in the arm, forcing him to drop his sword. And in that instant, Ciro scooped up the sword and plunged it into the cultist's chest. Then he pulled it out and struck again, and again, and again until the cultist exploded into a pile of gear. Dead.

Ciro looked back at Noman with an unreadable expression before offering a grateful nod.

Despite the combined efforts of the guests, the guards, Marble, and Ciro, there were still some cultists left. A few of them took shots at Noman's cover, trying to arc them into killing him. He needed to move fast or get skewered.

"Go!" Ciro called out as he raised a different bow. "I'll cover you!"

Noman didn't bother arguing with the man as he bolted from his hiding spot, trusting that Ciro would indeed cover him.

Arrows rained down upon the hapless Newb as he shielded his head with his arms. He kept his eyes focused on the next set of tables, even as arrows pierced his torso and arms. Even though he was able to dodge the flaming arrows, he was still pelted. They hurt way worse than a Skeleton Mob's shot.

At least Ciro was covering him.

…Or at least, that's what he thought. For as he looked up through the pain and arrows, he saw Ciro just watching him coldly. The bow remained undrawn at his side.

"Cir—OW!" An arrow caught Noman in the knee, tripping and sending him sliding painfully across the polished floor.

What happened next played out in Noman's head like it was slow motion.

He struggled to turn over on his back. He watched as three separate arrows were fired with pinpoint accuracy at himself. And he watched as Ciro kept staring at him coldly. With a glint of eagerness in his calculating heterochromatic eyes.

 _No!_ Noman thought frantically as he tried to move out of the way.

 _I can't die now!_

He knew it was pointless. Those arrows were going to hit him.

And he didn't have the Health to survive.

 _'_ _Well, I can't get any more badges if I'm dead! And you can't complete your mission if you're dead!'_

Marble's words floated through Noman's head as he instinctively withdrew his artifact and swapped it with his leather tunic. In his will to survive, Noman had no other choice.

 _Severe Shield!_

Noman watched as his Health Bar quadrupled and several potion effects manifested as individual tattoos on his arm. And as the arrows touched his chestplate, the powerful Protection enchantment made it so he barely felt a prick, even as the chestplate glowed with light.

The powerful Thorns Enchantment on the Severe Shield soon activated, causing the three cultists that shot at him to explode in a shower of gear. The backlash was too much for them to take.

And just like that, Noman had ended three more cultists.

Instead of feeling accomplished, Noman felt ashamed. This was just like that day he first claimed those lives with the chestplate. He didn't mean to use it. It was just on instinct.

He didn't want to die.

Having recovered enough, Noman got back into suitable cover. He shot an accusing glare at Ciro for not covering him and almost letting him die.

Only to gasp in horror at what he saw.

Ciro had moved to another set of tables, and had plunged his sword into the back of one of the guests. Noman spotted two piles of gear nearby, each with a yellow-dyed leather cap. Those piles used to be guards.

Before Ciro killed them to get at that guest.

And that guest was Lord Turdfellow, another bidder for the Voda Shlem.

Noman suddenly realized why Ciro had been content to watch him die. If all the artifact's bidders died in the confusion caused by the Endward Cult…Ciro would have no competition. He'd be the only bidder left alive.

He wanted the artifact badly enough to kill for it.

"Stop!" Noman called out, already running towards Ciro. The pony-tailed man drove his sword further into Turdfellow and gave it a twist, killing the Lord. The entire dining room was so preoccupied fighting off the remaining cultists that nobody noticed Turdfellow's death wail. But the entire time he was killing him, Ciro had his eyes solely on Noman. Or more accurately on the diamond chestplate he was wearing. His heterochromatic eyes shone with a multitude of emotions. Shock, greed, anger, and a little bit of fear.

But before Noman could get close to the man, he was off. Pushing past cowering guests and guards before sprinting out the main doors.

Noman followed, but not before swapping the Severe Shield back for his blue-dyed leather tunic.

The dark-haired Newb was certain that Marble and the guards could handle the rest of the cultists on that balcony. Even though fighting the Endward Cult was part of his mission, obtaining all the artifacts was also part of that mission.

So, whether he should prioritize stopping Ciro_Che—A man willing to kill to obtain the Voda Shlem—or a couple of Endward Cult grunts, was the decision he was struggling with.

In the end, he was more worried about Ciro_Che killing Lord Maplefrost and stealing the Voda Shlem than he was about the Endward Cult.

Noman burst through the dining room's doors into a hallway that split into three different directions. One way went left, another way went right, and the third way led to the front doors of the mansion.

Noman looked left and right before spotting Ciro running down the right hallway. He moved to go after him—

Only to stop short when an arrow whizzed in front of him before sticking into the wall.

He turned to face five people standing in the middle of the hallway leading towards the front doors. Four of them were wearing black-dyed leather caps and two of those four had bows drawn and ready to shoot.

However, the fifth person, standing center in the group of five, was the one that stood out the most.

He had what looked like a Skeleton skull over his head. He wore a dark grey jacket with light grey lining, and under that a simple black t-shirt with a single grey stripe running across. He had black jeans with dark grey straps hanging off of them, black shoes with light grey at the toes, and a light grey backpack and belt.

Hanging from his belt was a Crafter Head that looked exactly like Lord Rogers' and a golden sword that must have been the stolen Looting Sword.

 _More cultists?_ Noman thought as he took a hesitant step away from where the arrow was lodged in the wall. _Why are they just waiting out here?_

One of the black capped cultists laughed. "Looks like they missed two of them! I knew those guys were lousy shots." He loaded his bow with an arrow and pointed it at Noman. "Looks like you were right for us to wait out here, Lieutenant."

 _Lieutenant?_ Noman turned towards the skull-wearing Crafter who just tilted his head in response. Noman couldn't read the name over his head. It was like the Mob head he was wearing was obscuring his name.

 _Is…is he behind this attack?_

"Why are you doing this?" Noman spoke before he could stop himself. From everything everyone said about the Endward Cult, their goal was the eradication of all Crafters in Minecraftia. But exactly what drove them to that point.

This was his first chance to actually talk to one. Maybe if he understood their reasoning, he could get them to stop.

The cultists with the bow began to laugh derisively, pulling back his bow further. However, just as he was about to fire, the skull-wearing Lieutenant pushed the bow aside and threw off the projectile's aim. "Wait."

The cultists looked surprised at their Lieutenant's order, but lowered their weapons all the same. Then the Lieutenant stepped forward.

"Why are you asking such a question?" He began with slight interest. "Surely after surviving that dining room, you know what we're here for." He tapped Lord Rogers' Head at his belt.

At the gruesome gesture, Noman reflexively took a step back before shaking his head. "That's not what I mean. Why are you killing people? What is all of this for?"

The Lieutenant tilted his head. "Can you really afford to waste time on questions like that?"

Noman nodded. Even though he wanted to follow Ciro, he had to know why the Endward Cult was doing what it was doing.

Ciro could wait. This took priority.

The Lieutenant let out a weary sigh before directly facing Noman. "The Endward Cult seeks the eradication of Crafters for many reasons. Some personal, some tied closer to greed…and some based on perverse and loose morals.

"But I am here because these people _need_ to die." He held up Rogers Head like it was a trophy. "This wealthy fool spent enough emeralds to feed a village on something as frivolous as a Looting Sword. And all the other Lords and Ladies in that dining room are no different." The Lieutenant practically spat out those words. "They surround themselves in a wealth accumulated from the hard work of those beneath them.

"Even worse, their 'Family' hierarchy rules an entire Kingdom, forcing rules that benefit themselves upon the populace." He spread his arms out. "Minecraftia can do without greedy filth like them. And once they are freed from this plane, it will become a better place."

"Or," Noman offered shakily, cutting off the Lieutenant's rant. "You can just drop the Looting Sword…and leave."

The Lieutenant let out a small chuckle. "I suppose I could. Unfortunately, my master requires this sword. And whatever my master requires must be done."

"Then at least leave!" Noman raised his voice to try and reason with them. The cultists flanking the Lieutenant tensed, but none of them made a move without the say-so. "Nobody else needs to die today. Not the Lords, not the guards, and not even you cultists."

The Lieutenant shook his head. "You're wrong. Like I said before, these people _need_ to die. _Somebody_ has to die." He withdrew the Looting Sword from his belt. "Do you know why this Looting Sword is so valuable?"

"Because it has an enchantment that gets more loot from slain Mobs." Noman answered easily, remembering what the guests had said about it. However, he failed to see what that had to do with their conversation. "Why does your master even need it?"

The Lieutenant chose to ignore that last question. "You are correct. The Looting Sword obtains more loot to the wielder for each Mob slain. However, what deeper purpose does this imply?"

One of the cultists leaned their head towards the Lieutenant. "Sir, we shouldn't be wasting time like—"

However, the cultist was silenced when the Skeleton skull tilted to look at him. The Lieutenant continued to watch the cultist, even after he had backed down, before once more turning his attention to Noman.

"The answer is this; The core purpose of this Sword is the core problem that faces Minecraftia: Supply and Demand." The Lieutenant held up the sword to the light, watching it shine brilliantly. "Minecraftia is nothing more than a speck, choked off from the rest of the world. Surrounded by an impassible Border that vaporizes anything it touches. A bubble, closed-off, in which there is only a set amount of resources.

"Yet despite this, Crafters continue to spawn every day. Crafters who waste resources. Crafters who take and take and take! Crafters who climb over each other in piles, blocking out the sun, stealing food and water and the very air, _suffocating_ all of us in darkness—!"

"Sir!"

Noman watched carefully as the Lieutenant, who had been clutching himself more and more throughout his tirade and hyperventilating, steadily unwound upon his cultist's exclamation. He took a few breaths, steadying himself before finally regaining his calm.

He bowed slightly. "Sorry for that…I got a bit carried away. You get my point though."

"Yes, I think I understand." Noman had no idea that Minecraftia was surrounded by an impenetrable Border. With a billion Crafters spawned into existence, it made sense that preserving resources would be an issue.

So the Lieutenant saw the Endward Cult's objectives as limiting population growth. Less people would mean having to share less. And the resources could last everyone a bit longer.

"So, Noman," the Lieutenant extended a hand. "What say you to joining the Endward Cult?"

"Huh?" Noman replied dazedly. Even more so at being addressed by his nickname instead of the name above his head. _Join them? Where did that come from?_

The cultists beside him were equally confused. "Sir, he's part of the Families! Why extend an invitation to him!?"

"He is not of the Families." The Lieutenant responded harshly. "He snuck in here just like we did. He's just a common man seeking an item." He turned back towards Noman. "An item, might I add, that could belong to you if not for the greedy pigs hogging it for themselves. Such people do not deserve items of such worth, wouldn't you agree?"

Noman remained silent.

"Why waste your emeralds bidding for it when you can just walk up to them and slay them for it?" The Lieutenant extended his hand further out. "Join us, Noman. Join the Endward Cult and you can have all you desire…and more."

"Or…you can just drop the Looting Sword and leave." Noman withdrew his blade as he answered, hoping there wouldn't be a fight but hearing enough to know that that wasn't going to happen.

The Lieutenant's arm fell to his side. "A pity." Then he raised his hand to signal his fellows. At once, they wielded their bows and swords with the intent to kill.

But Noman wasn't entirely stupid. There had been more to his questions than just a need to know. He had been stalling for time. Enough time for the dining room battles to end and the victorious guards and guests to walk out those doors.

Which is exactly what happened.

The cultists paled at the sight and even the Lieutenant looked taken aback at how many had survived their ambush.

"More Cultists?" One of the guards questioned as he took a fighting stance along with his fellow guards.

"Sir, there are more than we anticipated." One of the cultists stated while putting more space between them and the guards.

The Lieutenant nodded. "Yes, but it appears our efforts succeeded in killing a few of the Family heads. That will cripple the council for sure."

"You want to talk about crippling!?" One of the guards shouted while wielding his sword. "Because after I'm finished with you…the…um…only cripple will…will be you!...And then I'll kill you!"

The other guards shook their heads in shame. "You need to work on your trash-talk, Steffens."

While the guards murmured about terrible trash-talk, the five cultists quickly turned to sprint for the doors.

However, those were soon guarded by the guards stationed outside the mansion. They must have responded to Maplefrost's orders to keep anyone from getting in or out.

And now the cultists were surrounded.

"I can't stand being in a hallway with so many people." The Lieutenant commented before withdrawing several green-blue orbs from his belt and handing them out to his cultists. "We're going with Plan B. Split up."

"They have Ender Pearls!" One of the guards shouted as everyone descended upon the cultists. Noman, who had no idea what Ender Pearls were, was pushed aside into the wall.

"Stop them!"

The cultists threw their respective pearls over the crowd in five separate directions. And just like that, where there once were five cultists, there was nothing but air as they seemingly vanished.

"There they go!" One of the guests exclaimed as they watched a black-dyed cap round a corner.

The crowd quickly split up to chase down the cultists, but Noman kept himself close to the wall and tracked where that Lieutenant had thrown his pearl. Directly at the curling staircase.

The Newb gave chase as the skull-headed cultist ran up to the second floor before taking a left. The golden Looting Sword was still glinting at his belt, catching Noman's attention like a golden blur and making it easier to follow his movements.

However, the next instant, there was another golden blur.

"Tackle the Bad-Guy Badge!" Marble's blond hair shot into the Lieutenant's side from the door leading to the balcony. The Lieutenant coughed painfully before both of them impacted the floor. The Looting Sword slid from his belt and bounced off the wall with a clang of metal before finally settling.

"Ha! Marble used Tackle!" The Scout grinned from his position over the high-ranking cultist. "It's super-effective!" A hand shot up to clamp around Marble's neck. "Or not…" He choked out as he clutched his neck for air.

Even thought the Lieutenant had his face covered, there was no mistaking the livid aura he was emanating. "Get off me! GET OFF ME!" He screamed as he withdrew a weapon from his belt and drove it into Marble's skull. If Health didn't operate on Minecraftia logic, he'd probably have died.

Marble managed to disentangle the Lieutenant's iron-like grip before distancing himself from him. Meanwhile, Noman dove for the Looting Sword, rolling over it as he picked it up and stood beside the Scout.

"You saw me tackle that guy, right?"

"Yes, Marble."

"So you'll attest that I earned my badge, right?"

" _Yes_ , Marble."

"Cool."

The Lieutenant, noticing the sword was no longer at his belt, turned to face Noman and Marble. His sudden outburst almost forgotten. "I must ask you to return that Looting Sword."

"I intend to. Lord Maplefrost will want this back."

"Ah…I see the confusion." The Lieutenant shook his head. "I meant myself."

"You dropped it." Noman stated. "You're halfway there. Now you just need to leave."

Once again, the Lieutenant's aura flared in anger, an emotion lost on his masked face. He tossed his weapon, an iron dagger, from one hand to the other before twirling it with the grace of a seasoned knife-fighter.

"It appears you brought stupidity to a knife fight."

* * *

Things were bad.

Really bad.

The Lieutenant was tearing Noman and Marble apart with nothing but a dagger, one of those Exter exclusive weapons that Marble had mentioned.

It was absurd how something so small could cause so much damage.

But whenever Noman raised his diamond blade to strike, the Lieutenant simply intercepted the flat of the blade with his free hand before pushing it aside and lashing out with his dagger. Usually targeting the forearm or neck.

Marble went in with his Longsword, trying to get a slash in. But the Lieutenant's hands were a blur as he effortlessly batted aside every strike. On one such exchange, he actually caught Marble's sword-wielding hand and pushed it to the side, taking the opportunity to stab him in the shoulder and sending him tumbling to the ground.

It had been going like that for a few minutes. Anytime one of them was too injured to continue, they would switch to heal up. But the Lieutenant didn't even look to be breaking a sweat from the fight.

He was on a whole different level.

Noman wondered if he'd have to use the Severe Shield just to end the fight.

Once again, Noman ran in to deliver a powerful strike, but the Lieutenant simply batted it aside before swiping at Noman's eyes.

As the dagger closed in, Noman threw his hand up reflexively and actually caught the Lieutenant's hand just below the blade.

"Aha!" Noman laughed in disbelief before he winced in pain. The Lieutenant had twisted his wrist to slice at Noman's fingers, causing him to release the cultist. The next instant, Noman was kicked back into a wall before the dagger was thrown at him. Had he not dodge-rolled out of the way, he would have been talking through a dagger-sized hole in his head.

Noman crawled back to the awaiting Marble while the Lieutenant yanked his dagger out of the wall. He certainly was skilled with it.

"We're getting nowhere, Nowhere."

"I can see that, Marble." Noman replied flatly. "Got any ideas?"

"Yeah, but seeing as how you'd rather not use it…" Marble trailed off as Noman got the gist of it.

"You two are surprisingly difficult to kill." The Lieutenant commented as he twirled his dagger in the air. "If you hand over the sword now, I might spare your lives."

"As tempting as that sounds, why don't you try this move on for size!" Once again, Marble got into his stance, holding his Longsword at the ready. Noman took a step back, remembering how dangerous the Longsword's strike was.

The Lieutenant raised his hand to chuck the dagger, but suddenly lowered it for some reason. Almost as if considering something. Instead of throwing the dagger, he just took a defensive stance.

And in the blink of an eye, Marble careened forward at breakneck speed, his sword trailed behind him and glinting in the light. A blond bullet that struck the Lieutenant's intercepting dagger.

The impact of metal upon metal clanged loudly like a bell but the force behind the strike was too much for the Lieutenant to stand. He was blasted back and into a separate room.

Marble panted in exhaustion but shot Noman a cheeky smile. "How's…that!"

Noman nodded looking impressed before putting his guard up once more. He couldn't imagine the Lieutenant recovering from an attack like that, but he wasn't entirely sure what the high-ranking cultist was capable of. The Newb tentatively entered the room to continue the fight, with Marble right beside him, as they searched for the skull-wearing cultist.

The room was dark, the only source of light being the moonlight streaming through the open window. The Lieutenant could be hiding anywhere.

However, Noman noticed a man lying on the ground. A man with dark grey hair, wearing purple-dyed leather armor and a black baseball cap. Looking remarkably like—

"Leadstripe?" Noman quickly leaned down to help the man up. "What happened? Why are you—"

"There's no time for that now!" He argued weakly while pointing to the window. "That skull-wearing thief just vaulted out that window!"

"Don't worry!" Noman replied easily as he moved past Leadstripe to look out the window. "We kept him from stealing the Looting—"

*SPLASH*

Noman felt a splash potion hit him in the back and immediately felt his strength get sapped away. He turned expecting a cultist to have thrown it…

But gasped in horror upon seeing Leadstripe slash at Marble back with an iron dagger. The Scout let out a pained gasp before a second strike slashed his throat, preventing him from shouting in pain. He tumbled to the ground, even as Leadstripe kicked at his chest for good measure.

"W-what?" Noman stammered as the grip on his sword weakened, though more from Leadstripe's actions than the Potion of Weakness that was splashed on him. "Leadstripe?"

Leadstripe smirked triumphantly as he withdrew the Skeleton skull from his Inventory and put it on while also tearing off his purple-dyed leather armor and tossing it aside

"I think you mean, _Lieutenant_ Leadstripe."

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword {Sharpness I}, 1 Bow {Infinity}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottle, 31 Steaks, 8 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 2 Bones, 12 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: Lieutenant _Leadstripe_!? What a shocking turn of events!**

 **This Chapter, I continued writing in third-person. I don't know, sometimes I'm okay with it sometimes I'm not okay with it. Like I feel like I need a new word to describe Noman other than just 'Noman' or 'Newb'. At least in first-person I have 'I' and 'me'. I don't know. Give me your feedback.**

 **The Endward Cult has revealed itself in the form of Lieutenant Leadstripe! You can probably identify him from back in Chapter 28. They're not to be trifled with. Especially with those dagger skills.**

 **The Chapter's title is a pun on the word skulduggery, which means underhanded behavior or trickery. It kinda fit with Leadstripe's deceit as well as the fact he had a skull and dagger.**

 **The Lord names and who suggested them are as follows: Meriwether from Slenderbrine, and Longcoat and Harrisfield from AxeHelix.**

 **As for Ciro, the guy killing off competition for the Voda Shlem, Noman might have to deal with him soon. That is, if Leadstripe doesn't kill him first.**

 **And for the record, my eye has healed up nicely. Though I can never open a ginger ale bottle the same way again...**

 **Leave a Fav, Review, Follow, PM, or what have you.**

* * *

Omake: Fifty Shades of Chicken (IV)

"Henrietta!"

"Bruck Bruck!"

Bryan ran up to the fence trapping his beloved and several dozen nameless chickens and splintered it with great force. The chickens, kept confined for so long, poured forth in a surge of feathers.

Bryan took the brunt of this surge as he fought his way to his fiancé. He scooped her up in his hands and performed an overjoyed twirl while holding her up. Then he brought her close to his chest in a passionate hug. "Oh, Henrietta. I'm so sorry…"

"Bruck." Henrietta forgave easily, nuzzling into his face.

"I had no idea how far Henifer was willing to go to get back together with me." Bryan sniffled before chuckling to himself. "I guess you can say I'm a 'chick' magnet. Eh? OW!"

At that terrible pun, Henrietta had pecked Bryan in the eye; A punishment for a pun so terrible. Not to mention horribly inappropriate given the circumstances.

"…Too soon, then?" Bryan chuckled sheepishly while rubbing at his eye. "Well, let's get you out of here."

"Bock Bock Bock."

At those 'Bocks', Bryan whipped his head up and scanned for the snow-white feathers of his ex.

Then, near a control panel on some scaffolding, he spotted her.

Henifer.

"Henifer!? My ex-girlfriend!? What a shocking turn of events!" Bryan couldn't help but shout before Henrietta slapped him with a wing. "Sorry, force of habit—Anyway, if you came here to watch my fiancé get roasted, I'm afraid you're too late!" Bryan paused before adding, "Bitch!" for good measure.

"Bock." Henifer replied smugly before jumping onto a wooden button on the control panel . "Bock Bock. Bock BOCK!"

Suddenly, the floor of the chicken pen began to open up, revealing a boiling vat of lava below. What little chickens still left in the center of the pen quickly fell in before being cooked alive.

With little time to save both himself and his fiancé, Bryan did the only noble thing he could. He tossed Henrietta over the fence to safety right as the floor opened up beneath him. He threw out a hand in an attempt to grab something to save himself and his hand found the fence posts.

Hanging onto the posts for dear life, Bryan dared not look down for fear of looking at his own doom.

"Bock! Bock! Bock Bock Bock!" Henifer rolled around laughing. It seemed like this was her plan all along. Henrietta was merely bait to lure Bryan to a death by lava. Punishment for breaking up with her.

What. A. Bitch.

"Henifer! Quit acting like a Yandere! Some people find it hot, but I find it a tad off-putting!"

She spared a cold glance towards Bryan. "Bock. Bock."

"Don't give me that!" Bryan shouted in reply while trying to pull himself up. "This is exactly why we broke up in the first place! You were always trying to kill me whenever I looked at another chicken! That and I hated your taste in music too!"

"BOCK!" Henifer squawked as if struck. Then she narrowed her eyes before turning around and firing an egg right at Bryan's face.

"Peh! Peh! Just because the truth hurts, doesn't mean you should be firing eggs at me!"

"Bock!" Just as Henifer was about to fire another projectile, Henrietta clambered upon the control panel and leveled a challenging stare towards Henifer.

"Bruck Bruck." Henrietta cracked her neck before keeping herself low to the ground and poised to attack.

"Bock." Henifer replied before getting into the same stance.

Bryan gasped as he watched that entire exchange. "It's a Catfight! Only instead of cats, they're chickens. So…a Chickenfight!"

It would be a fight to the death. One in which the winner would decide Bryan's fate.

So Bryan watched, as a spectator, while his ex-girlfriend and his fiancé leaped at each other, fury burning in both of their eyes. And as their wings met in combat—

* * *

"Cobbert!"

Cobb groaned as he was forced to tear his eyes away from the book. Right at the best part. "What is it, Lenz? I'm trying to read a sophisticated and intelligent book here!"

One of the guards had recommended the Fifty Shades of Chicken Saga and loaned it to Cobb. The reason being that Cobb reminded the guard so much of Bryan with all the kooky antics both of them got into.

Honestly, Cobb couldn't see the similarities. Though Henifer kinda reminded him of Carys. What with the whole' trying to burn Bryan in lava' thing and being batshit crazy.

"Help!" Lenz whined from afar. "I am being inundated with Mobs!"

"So shoot them with your bow!" Cobb called back, reluctantly setting the book down and withdrawing his sword. "Also what's 'inundated' mean?"

"I cannot shoot them! They are too close! Help!"

Cobb groaned before rushing off to help his tinted-spectacled friend.

He'd have to finish the saga another time.

* * *

 **AN: Would anyone be mad if I just ended the saga there?**


	48. Finders, Keepers

**AN: Hey.** **I'm late.** **Moving on.**

 **Puzzle: What goes up a chimney down, but can't come down a chimney up.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add brooms.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 48

 **Stealers, Keepers**

"Ugh!"

To say that Noman's plan to secure the Voda Shlem had 'gone off the rails' would be an understatement.

"Agh!"

More appropriately, the plan had gone off the rails, caught fire, and was sent crashing into a nearby cat shelter. Dozens of lovable, metaphorical felines must have been screaming in agony at that very moment. Because, not only did Noman _not_ have the Voda Shlem. He had also angered a Lieutenant of the Endward Cult and was currently getting the crap kicked out of him.

"Guh!"

Noman was sent sliding across the floor and into the hallway by the Lieutenant who was currently idly flipping his dagger in the air before catching it.

Noman tried to get to his feet, but found himself too weakened to stand. The Weakness Potion the Lieutenant—or rather Leadstripe—had splashed him with was too draining. Fighting the cultists had been hard enough before, but now it was downright impossible.

"You…you're a Lieutenant?" Noman coughed out as he nursed his bruised side. His Health wasn't regenerating fast enough to heal his wounds. "What…why are you—?"

"Trying to stall me with a conversation again? I think not." Leadstripe pounced upon Noman, his dagger sinking into the Billionth's forearm.

Noman had no choice. He reached to his belt and devoured a Notch Apple, feeling its revitalizing effects, before Leadstripe could finish him off. "Just…wait a moment—!"

"You can wait when you're dead." Noman had to bring up his arms in a sloppy guard while Leadstripe continued to pummel and slash at him. The Notch Apples were truly impressive with their regeneration capabilities. But looking at the counters on his arms, he knew the effects wouldn't last.

Where was Marble when he needed him?

"Sneak attack!"

As Marble dove from the bedroom to make another tackle, Leadstripe effortlessly dodged before driving a fist into the Scout's side. Then he pinned him down with his foot.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Scout."

Marble coughed. "I was kinda hoping you did…"

Leadstripe raised his dagger. "I hear you Scouts are all about badges. Well prepare to earn your Killed in Action Badge."

"What, you think there's a badge for everything?" Marble questioned with disgust. "I'm insulted."

"…Okay?" Leadstripe raised his dagger higher to deliver the finishing blow.

"Wait!"

Leadstripe turned at the exclamation, dagger still poised to end Marble, to see Noman holding the Looting Sword in the air.

"If you kill him…then you lose this sword!" The Billionth threatened, raising the sword even higher.

Leadstripe still had the Skeleton Head on, so reading his expression was impossible. But Noman was certain that the Lieutenant _needed_ the sword. He had left the auction right after the sword was sold to Lord Rogers. And the first demand he made after losing the sword was for Noman to return it. The Billionth may not have known what he needed it for, but that was irrelevant.

Leadstripe seemed to be listening though. "Are you proposing a trade? The sword for this Scout's life?"

"Y-yes!" Noman really hadn't been thinking of a trade. The sword thing was more a spur of the moment than a calculated plan to save Marble's life. After all, there was nothing keeping Leadstripe from killing the Scout and then killing a weakened Noman.

"And what if I just kill him, then you, then take the sword for myself?"

"Then…I'll…uh…"

"He'll burn it!" Marble supplied helpfully before taking the flint and steel from his belt and sliding it across the floor to Noman's feet. The Billionth quickly picked it up before lighting a fire and holding the Looting Sword over it.

"Yes! I'll burn it!" Noman clarified pointlessly.

Leadstripe kept silent, his Skeleton Head a brick wall concealing his true emotions, before he lifted his foot off Marble and let the Scout crawl away.

Noman's eyes widened at this action. He never thought Leadstripe would comply. He must have really wanted the Looting Sword.

And now, Noman had full control over the situation.

Leadstripe let out an aggravated sigh. "I was hoping I could kill the two of you with my little surprise. You were too trusting of me, so I was sure I could stab you in the back. Now I've jeopardized my identity." He took off his Skeleton Head as he said this. "This mask is useless now." He tossed it aside like trash.

"Why did you need the mask in the first place?" Noman couldn't help but ask as he still held the sword. He expected Leadstripe to demand the sword first before letting Marble go.

"The Lieutenants and Executives are the authority of the Endward Cult." Leadstripe explained while redressing in his purple-dyed leather armor. Noman saw nothing suspicious about a change in wardrobe, so he allowed it. "What remains of our secret identities must stay discreet. So missions like this don't arouse suspicion."

"And who are the other Lieutenants and Executives?"

Leadstripe smiled smugly. "I don't feel like selling out my master, or my comrades."

"Well, if you want your sword back in one non-smoldering piece you better start answering." Marble threatened.

"So who's your master? And what does he intend to do with this sword?" Noman chimed in.

"The answers, as well as your deaths, will all come in good time." Leadstripe threatened lowly. "But first…" He sucked in a large gulp of air before shouting out, "HELP! CULTISTS!"

Noman and Marble flinched at the Lieutenant's exclamation, but otherwise shared confused looks. "What was that—?"

"I think I heard something this way!" Several guards ran into the hallway, no doubt attracted to the noise, and stumbled upon a scene of three Crafters with one of them holding the stolen Looting Sword.

"Stop them!" Leadstripe pointed at Noman and Marble. "Those cultists are trying to steal the Looting Sword!"

"Huh?" Noman barely had the time to question before he was tackled by the guards and wrestled to the floor. The Looting Sword was knocked from his hands where it skittered across the floor. "Wait, stop! He's lying!"

"Save it for prison, you cultists!" The other guards had tackled Marble in a similar way, completely ignoring Leadstripe who scooped up the sword before chucking his Ender Pearl out the window.

"You numbskulls!" Marble shouted while pointing towards the window. "He's making off with the sword right now!"

"Huh?" By the time the guards realized Leadstripe had taken the sword, he was already chuckling amusedly to himself.

"Useful to the very end. A second identity is truly a wonderful thing."

The guards moved to tackle him, but just as he was standing there one minute, he was gone the next. Teleported away in an instant.

Just like that, the Lieutenant had escaped with the Looting Sword.

"God Damnit!"

"Language!"

* * *

"Considering the unexpected ambush, we were lucky to suffer so little casualties." A guard spoke to Lord Maplefrost. The Lord was currently being flanked by several armored guards. "Things could have been a lot worse."

"Nobody cares about how many of you guards were lost!" Maplefrost exclaimed with folded arms. "The bigger concern are the Lords and Ladies killed in the attack. I bet that's what the Cult was going for." Maplefrost looked over the surviving guests, all of whom were rounded up outside his mansion. "Twenty-one of the twenty-two Family Heads were present at this auction. Not only were Lords Rogers and Oppenheimer killed, but so were Lords Remington and - *snicker* - Turdfellow."

"That's…terrible, sir." The guard spoke somberly.

"Yeah, it is! Just think of my reputation!" Maplefrost swooned dramatically. "At a party _I_ hosted, several Family Heads and council members die! I'm ruined! Nobody will want to come to my auctions anymore!"

"Er…sir?" The guard spoke awkwardly. "I was referring to the loss of council members and human life."

"Oh…yeah…so was I…" Maplefrost rubbed his chin in thought. "The council will have four empty seats. At least until their Families elect a new Head."

"Excuse me, Lord Maplefrost." Noman rushed up to the Lord with Marble in tow.

"Oh, what is it now?" The Lord grumbled in annoyance before his eyes brightened. "Well, if it isn't Marble, my little good luck charm in the sheep races. Glad to see you didn't get killed by those cultists." Marble smiled in response while the Lord's eyes slid over to Noman. "And you are?"

"Um…I'm a member of the…Winger…Nut…" Noman attempted before trailing off.

"The Winger-Nut-Cornhaven-Baron-Humdinger Family?"

"Yes! That one."

"I thought they were on holiday at Oak Docks?" The guard beside Maplefrost spoke up.

"They are." Noman interjected. "But they left me here to bid for the Voda Shlem. Which is what I came to ask about. See, my friend here," Noman pushed Marble in front of the Lord, "Outbid for the helmet. So I was wondering…since he bid for it fair and square…and the Endward Cult threat has subsided—"

The Lord held up a hand to stop the Billionth's explanation. "I'm terribly sorry, Lord…Nowhere? Odd name but better than Turdfellow, I suppose. Anyway, with the recent attack and the fallen council members, I have too much to worry about without throwing in the remaining auction items. While I hate to pass on a three-hundred emerald bid, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until my next auction to bid for it."

"And when will that be?" Noman's spirits fell a bit, but he tried to remain optimistic. "A week? A month?"

"Three years." Noman's spirits plummeted. "And that's only if my reputation for security stands. I wouldn't get my hopes up. Now if you two will excuse me…"

The Lord and his guard left to check on the remaining guests and preserve what little sympathetic public image he had left. Meanwhile, Noman sunk to his knees.

"It's over." He mumbled sadly. "That was my only chance…"

"That sounds like quitter talk to me." Marble picked the Billionth up by his collar. "So you might have to wait three years. It's not like the helmet is going anywhere."

Noman shook his head. "No. You don't understand. I'm going to lose it."

"What do you mean by that?"

Noman sighed before withdrawing a book from his Inventory and turning a few pages. "My chestplate and the Voda Shlem. They're both artifacts—or rather they were both made by the same person."

"So?"

When Noman found the proper page, he showed it to the Scout. "There's nine artifacts though. And here's another one of them."

 **[Yanhua Gong]**

 **A simple yet destructive tool. One best suited for the warring Kingdom of Exter. The command block for this tool was a bit difficult.**

 **The weapon has the following effects:**

 **-Infinity Enchantment. Unlimited arrows**

 **-Each arrow fired will spawn four primed blocks of TNT at the point of impact. Whether block or Crafter**

 **Appearance: A regular bow with the name Yanhua Gong.**

 **This is the King of all siege weapons. Buildings and walls are nothing to this weapons destructive power. It the right hands, it can reduce a fortress to rubble in mere minutes.**

 **I wanted to add a fireworks trail to the arrow, just to make it flashier, but I lacked the proper command knowledge to make such an effect. So I settled.**

 **Weakness: Since the explosion is from TNT, blast resistance blocks like obsidian or bedrock won't be destroyed. But stone, wood, grass, sand, gravel, glass, diamond, iron, etc. will be a different story.**

 **Since it has the Infinity Enchantment, the bow is useless if the wielder lacks any arrows. Thorns and Blast Resistance might help in countering the wielder, but without them, evasion is the best course of action.**

 **Location: Exter**

"Okay. It's a badass bow—sorry—it's an _awesome_ bow. But so what?"

"Ciro had that bow." Noman whispered while stashing the book back in his Inventory.

Marble's eyes widened. "You mean that guy in the red leather suit and the weird mismatched eyes?"

Noman nodded. "I saw him fire a bow that exploded on impact. Plus, he killed Lord Turdfellow and almost let me get shot with arrows."

"So, what, he was taking out the Voda Shlem's competion?" The Scout looked around at the guests muttering to themselves or asking to leave. "I don't see him anywere…you don't think he went to steal the Voda Shlem?"

"That's exactly what I think." Noman sighed dejectedly. "With the head start he's got, he probably already found out where Maplefrost stashed the thing and is planning his getaway."

"Well then we gotta grab it first." Marble was already pulling Noman towards the mansion. "We'll take it before Ciro can."

"Marble, we can't do that."

"What are you talking about? Of course we can! How else am I going to get my Help Save the World Badge if—"

"No. Forget the badges." Marble looked aghast that Noman had even suggested something like that. "What I mean is, we can't steal. Stealing is wrong. Don't you have morals?"

"I did…but then I had to toss them for my Haywire Moral Compass Badge."

"Of course." The Billionth rolled his eyes.

"Look, Nowhere." The Scout gripped Noman's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. "Scouts have to be uncompromising and stubborn to get badges. Like a boulder weathering a mighty river."

"But I'm not a Scout—"

"Well I am! And I want that badge. I'm just a few short of breaking a thousand." Marble was shaking Noman desperately. "Come on, please! I can even get my Robinhood Badge if we steal from the wealthy and give to the poor. The poor being you."

"I'm not poor!" Noman protested.

"Well, you _did_ give me all your emeralds," Marble held the gems tantalizingly in his hands, "so technically you are poor. So it fulfills the requirements."

Noman was about to make another protest, but stopped himself. He needed to think this over.

True, it was bad to steal from people. However, he wouldn't be stealing for personal gain. He _needed_ Herobrine's artifacts to combat the Endward Cult, for the greater good of all Crafters. If those Lieutenants and Executives were as strong and clever as Leadstripe, he'd need every advantage he could get.

Noman couldn't help but wonder if that was Ciro's thought process when he slaughtered Lord Turdfellow and watched as the Billionth was almost turned into a pincushion. Was he doing wrong things for the right reasons?

And that look he gave…after he saw the Severe Shield in action. That combined with his possession of the Yanhua Gong made it seem like he knew more about the artifacts than most Crafters.

Was it right to steal? If it was to save the world?

Was it right to do anything you wanted if it meant saving the world?

…

"…Okay." Noman relented. "Okay. We'll… _steal_ it before Ciro can."

"Yes!" Marble cheered.

"But we should probably leave the three-hundred emeralds we bid for it."

"No!" Marble whined as the two moved to the side to sneak into the mansion. "That's not even stealing! That's fake stealing!"

"Why don't you shout that out, Marble?" Noman quipped sarcastically. "I think some of the guards and guests didn't hear you."

"I SAID, 'THAT"S NOT EVEN—MMPH!"

Noman quickly slapped a hand to his mouth, ignoring the questioning stares directed at them by the guards and guests.

 _Maybe I should rethink my theft partner?_

* * *

"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah."

"Keep it down, Marble." Noman hissed as the two stuck to the shadows in the mansion. Noman's black suit was keeping him camouflaged, but Marble was wearing mostly lavender and white. Plus he was still humming his own absurd theme music.

"Hey, who's the one that's infiltrated places before? _Who_ has all the experience?"

"Oh…right." Noman looked ashamed as he bowed. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now as I was saying...Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah. Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah."

Noman was glad most of the guards were outside making sure the other guests were safe because he was certain that Marble's theme music would have aroused suspicion. The way it echoed off the mansion's halls.

The two had backtracked to where Noman had last seen Ciro: The hallway outside the dining room. Ciro had gone right, so they would too.

Still, even if Ciro had gone to steal the Voda Shlem, _somebody_ would have seen him. There were so many cultists and guards and guests running around that avoiding them all was impossible.

 _So why wasn't he seen?_

 _And how did he get that bow in the first place?_

Noman was jostled from his thoughts when Marble pointed ahead towards a turn in the hallway. The shadows of two guards were splayed across the wall. They were about to turn the corner!

"Hide!" Noman hissed as the two concealed themselves behind some armored armor stands. They waited for the guards to pass before hurrying around the corner.

"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah—"

Noman turned to the Scout. "Could you tone it down a little?"

"…Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah." Marble hummed much softer than before.

The Billionth accepted the compromise as they continued their search. For what exactly…he didn't know. Maybe a vault or a safe or something. Something that could conceal precious belongings.

Because they had to be kept somewhere. Somewhere heavily guarded.

"Where would Maplefrost have kept the items for the auction?" Noman whispered aloud.

"And thing." Marble supplied.

"Right, and…thing?"

"Yeah, that green glob of goo known as Slimy." Marble clarified. "It was the thing nobody bid for, remember?"

"I guess it slipped my mind." He kind of had other things to worry about at the time. Cultists, artifacts, Ciro, friends who were really Lieutenants to death worshipping, mass-murdering cultists, not dying. He didn't have time to worry about a…a…

 _Wait a second._

"That Slimy thing was in a cage." Noman stated blandly.

"Yeah?"

"A cage that rose from the floor before sinking back into the floor."

Suddenly, Marble's eyes lit up. "Which means an auction item is held beneath the dining room. Perhaps with all the other auction items."

"Should we head back there to check?" Noman was already turning to backtrack but Marble's hand stopped him.

"That way was just for the cage to rise up. There must be another way down for guards or personnel. I say we look for the stairs, or better yet, _make_ some stairs!" He withdrew a stone pick and raised it to break the floor.

Only this time, Noman's hand stopped him. "Maybe we should pick a less conspicuous place to dig. Like an empty room or closet instead of the middle of a hallway."

"Good thinking."

* * *

After finding a cliché broom closet—despite the fact that there were no brooms in Minecraftia—the two friends had begun to dig into the floor.

The first layer was that marble-like block that turned out to be [BLOCKS OF QUARTZ]. Then it was wood. Then dirt and stone. The two friends were at that layer for a while, working tirelessly with their respective stone and wood picks and occasionally snacking on Noman's supply of steak.

To pass the time, the two struck up an idle conversation.

"I tell ya, Dover Plains is going to be pretty furious at the Endward Cult for what they did." Marble commented while taking a bite out of a steak. "Did you see Lord Maplefrost's face? He was livid. And I'm sure the other Family Heads that survived aren't too pleased with their colleagues dying. Or the attempts on their lives."

"I don't think I understand." Dover Plains' politics was still confusing to him. "The Family Heads are the members of the council, right?"

"That's right." Marble wiped his hands on his snow-coat before getting back to work. "Twenty-two Families. Twenty-two Family Heads. Twenty-two mansions with property for faming and livestock. And twenty-two council members that decide the laws and regulations for the Kingdom."

Leadstripe's words about the Family hierarchy returned to Noman. "So, how does one become part of a Family?"

"That's usually up to the Family Heads to decide." Marble grunted in exertion as he cracked a particularly sturdy block of iron ore. "See, a 'Family' isn't the same as a family since, well, Crafters can't have children. Testificates can, but Crafters spawn whenever.

"I guess as a Dover Plains term, a Family could be likened to an adoption. A Family Head invites other Crafters to join their Family and help with the agricultural business. Usually it's to establish ties between trading companies or forge friendships and business deals. Kind of like shallow arranged marriages.

"The Family members maintain the Family property and gather behind the Family Head, which represents them on the council."

"So," Noman swung into the tough stone and flinched at the resistance, "when a Family Head dies…"

"They have to elect another one from the remaining Family members. Just like how Kings are elected for the Kingdoms. Exactly the same in fact." Marble chuckled to himself. "It's funny, how in trying to break away from their old King, Dover Plains used the same methods for electing their leaders. The only difference is instead of one King, there's twenty-two."

"So…if you're not part of a Family, there's no chance to becoming a council member?"

"Yep. But Dover Plains has done alright. Under this system they keep agricultural exports high and a lot of people happy. A pretty good deal all around."

Noman begged to differ. If their system only allowed Family members to rise to power, the population would feel underrepresented and powerless as a result.

Was that what Leadstripe was talking about?

"And the odd Family names?"

Marble chuckled. "Beats me. Maybe the original Family Head was named that and their descendants are simply keeping the name. I've seen a few Lords addressed as such, but with different names over their head. It's a feudal lord thing."

Noman was left to ponder as they continued digging down. Eventually, they hit something that wasn't stone or dirt.

But iron blocks.

"This looks like it." Marble withdrew a block of TNT and placed it on the iron. "You might want to step back a bit."

"What happened to being stealthy!?"

"Well my Dynamic Entry Badge was botched up back at Nana Widow's so this is the next best thing!" Marble was already raising his flint and steel. "Fire in the hole!"

Noman quickly scurried up the dirt and stone staircase they mined out as he heard the hiss of TNT below. A second later, Marble was right beside him. "Marble, if we die in this explosion, I just want you to know that deep down I consider you a reliable friend."

"Nowhere, the first time I saw you I mistakenly thought you were a girl and almost flirted with you!"

"WHAT!?"

"I'm sorry! You looked like a pretty girl in a suit! A _flat_ pretty girl in a suit! That's a compliment. I just felt like now's the best time to confess and earn my  Awkward Confession Badge—!"

*BOOM*

"AHHHHHHH!"

"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na bah-ba-bah-ba-bah BADUM!"

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword [ _Sharpness I_ ], 1 Bow [ _Infinity_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottle, 24 Steaks, 7 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 2 Bones, 12 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: Another Chapter bites the dust! And, as a matter of fact, it's been one year since I started this story! Happy Birthday ' _My Craft_ ' !**

 **Neat! 48 Chapters in 52 Weeks...It's starting to get exhausting though. I can see why authors usually have more time for deadlines. It may be time for me to change up my update schedule...seeing as how I'm having more and more trouble meeting Wednesday's deadline.**

 **But enough about that. This chapter was a bit more humor as well as a bit of - what's the word - _exposition_! I got a review about the Family hierarchy of Dover Plains and realized I hadn't really explained it. Hopefully, Marble's explanation cleared things up.**

 **Lieutenant Leadstripe got away, but Noman has other things on his plate. Like Ciro_Che and his Yanhua Gong. Oh, and, Marble's there too.**

 **I'm not sure how you guys are feeling about this Noman Arc, like if you're missing Cobb or not or if Noman and Marble are substantial enough characters to keep things interesting. But I feel like writing in third person is refreshing from how I usually write with Cobb. So I don't regret this.**

 **And for Family names, Oppenheimer was given by Void of Shining Darkness.**

 **And now...for the epic Finale of the Fifty Shades of Chicken saga...**

* * *

Omake: Fifty Shades of Chicken (V: Finale)

"Many thanks, Cobbert." Lenz breathed a sigh of relief. "I was certain that Zombie would have doomed me were it not for your timely aid."

"Yeah, yeah. Great, great." Cobb dismissed. "Now I can finish my reading."

"Oh! Are you reading up on Herobrine's Mob book?"

"Uh…"

"Because I would not mind learning more about those monsters' weaknesses, myself."

"Well…look, I'm reading something _else_ , alright?" Cobb argued. "It's a sophisticated book with three-dimensional characters, and an engaging plot."

"Really?" Lenz questioned, trying to get a better idea of the book his companion was reading. "Is it a real life story?"

"Well, the preface said it was..."

"Then, perhaps, can I read it with you?" Lenz suggested earnestly. "This could be one of those 'team bonding' occasions I have read so much about! Besides our mutual love of redstone, we do not have much in common."

"Yeah…mutual…" Cobb rubbed his head awkwardly. "Actually, I'd rather read it by myself."

"What? Why?"

"Because who the hell reads a book together? For team bonding?" He argued. "Reading isn't that kind of activity. Just…try bonding with the other guards."

Lenz looked down sadly. "I…I do not think they like me much. But I will try."

"You do that." Cobb nodded with a twinge of guilt. He'd interact with Lenz more… _after_ he finished reading the epic tale he was overly invested in.

"Now, where was I…" Cobb opened the book to where he left off.

* * *

It would be a fight to the death. One in which the winner would decide Bryan's fate.

So Bryan watched, as a spectator, while his ex-girlfriend and his fiancé leaped at each other, fury burning in both of their eyes. And as their wings met in combat, Bryan was certain of one thing:

 _There is nothing more serious than this._

However, as epic as the fight no doubt was in Bryan's mind, it was actually quite subdued. Henifer would peck at Henrietta. Henrietta would run around Henifer, confusing her, before slapping her with a wing. Chickenfeed tactics.

If anyone else was watching, it would be impossible to tell the two enraged chickens apart.

So for the sake of making this tale as epic as possible, the fight will be told from Bryan's _imaginative_ perspective.

 _Ahem…_

 **Concealed within her wing, Henifer brandished a menacing buster blade ten times her size and leveled it at Henrietta. In response, Henrietta withdrew a crimson scythe with a razor sharp edge and flourished it as if accepting the Ex-girlfriend's challenge.**

 **In a blur of movement, Henifer struck, splintering the ground where Henrietta would have been if she hadn't sidestepped away. Seeing an opening, Henrietta swung her scythe, leaving a trail of sparks where the scythe scraped across the ground.**

 **Henifer's eyes widened in terror before she spun to dodge, the scythe barely grazing her beak. Enraged over her marred beauty, Henifer brought her wings together and weaved the proper hand signs before unleashing her dreaded Kung-Pao Fireball Chicken Jutsu. The flames seared the air around Henrietta, igniting the platform they were fighting on and lowering her Life Points to 2900.**

 **"Bruck!" Henrietta squawked as she chucked her scythe at the Ex. The tool spun through the air before splintering in the fence post an inch to the left of Henifer. A miss. The edges of Henifer's beak tilted up smugly before the color drained from her face.**

 **"Bruck, _Bruck_!" Henrietta called out as she threw out a pokeball. It opened, revealing her prized Gardevoir. "Bruck, Bruck Bruck!"**

 **At her command, Gardevoir pooled a large amount of energy at her center, forming it into a pink sphere, before unleashing a Moonblast against Henifer. The Ex recoiled in pain, her Life Points dropping to 3000.**

 **"Bock!" Henifer shouted, abandoning her blade in favor of a pokeball of her own. "Bock, _Bock_!" The pokeball left her hand, opening up to reveal her mighty Salamence. Immediately, Salamence's ability _Intimidate_ activated, lowering Gardevoir's attack. "Bock, Bock!" She tapped a rainbow colored stone on her bracelet which resonated with her pokemon, causing it to glow a rainbow hue before revealing itself as the Mega evolved Mega Salamence!**

 **"NO!" Bryan called out in horror while trying to keep from falling into lava. "Not Mega Salamence! It's like Salamence, but Mega!"**

 **"Bock!" Henifer grinned viciously before commanding her pokemon. "Bock! Bock, Bock!"**

 **Salamence immediately collected its vast energy from throughout its body and focused it into a dark purple aura at its head. Then, when it had amassed as much energy as it could, it launched the ball of purple aura into the air. When it was high enough, it exploded into a Draco Meteor shower.**

 **"Henrietta!" Bryan called out helplessly, even as the Draco Meteor descended upon his fiancé. Gardevoir got between her and the attack to protect its trainer.**

 **"Bock Bock Bock!" Henifer laughed triumphantly as her opponents were obscured by explosions and clouds of smoke.**

 **And for a moment, Bryan thought she was gone.**

 **However, as the dust cleared, both Gardevoir and Henrietta were unharmed, Life Points still at 2900.**

 **"Bock!?" Henifer recoiled in surprise. "Bock Bock!?"**

 **Henrietta smiled knowingly. "Bruck Bruck. Bruck. Bruck Bruck Bruck."**

 **"Of course!" Bryan realized even as Henifer was taken aback. "Gardevoir isn't just a Psychic type. It's also one of those new-fangled Fairy types! Dragon type moves like Draco Meteor have no effect! Henifer must not have realized because she hasn't played pokemon since Generation 5!"**

 **"Bruck Bruck." Henrietta smiled as Gardevoir stepped away from its trainer and unleashed another Moonblast. Being Super Effective against Dragon types like Salamence—er, _Mega_ Salamence—the Moonblast devastated the pokemon, making it unable to battle and lowering Henifer's Life Points to 1500.**

 **"Bock…Bock!" Henifer cried out defiantly as she once more picked up her buster blade and began to charge Henrietta recklessly. "BOCK BOCK BOCK!"**

 **"Bruck." Henrietta shook her head sadly, nothing but pity in her voice at how the Ex had fallen, before she began to power up. Her eggshell-white feathers turned a brilliant gold while the feathers on her head spiked up as if charged with electricity. Her beady black eyes turned a light blue. Her muscles bulged, doubling in size and making her one ripped chicken.**

 **Bryan gasped. "Henrietta! Since when could you turn into a Super Chicken? And if you could fight like this, how did you even get chicken-napped to the Chicken Factory in the first place?"**

 **"BOCK!?" Henifer stumbled backwards, her attack forgotten upon Henrietta's shocking reveal.**

 **After finally powering up, Henrietta packed her wings to the side, as if condensing all her energy into a single blast.**

 **"B-Bock! Bock Bock…Bock!" Henifer tried to bargain, holding her hands up pleadingly. "Bock Bock—!"**

 **"Bruck." Henrietta replied simply, before aiming the energy blast at the evil Ex. "BRUCK-BRUCK-BRUCK-BRUCK-HAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

 **Henrietta fired a searing stream of light blue chi across the platform, destroying the control panel and blasting Henifer off towards the lava below.**

"Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooock~!" Henifer screamed as she descended, desperately fluttering her wings to try to glide to safety. However, as she neared the edge of the pit, about to land safely, Bryan kicked at her.

"That's for the eggs to the face! And also not returning the Respiration Helmet I left at your place!"

"Bock! Bock!"

"No, I already checked my Inventory and it wasn't…oh." Bryan realized after checking his Inventory more carefully. "What do you know. It was there. My bad, then—But you still tried killing me! So…yeah…that's not cool either."

"Bock Bock Bock Bock Bock!" Henifer pleaded as she continued falling into the lava. Made more agonizingly slow by her desperate flappings. "Bock Bock!"

Henrietta looked down upon the falling Ex and uttered what could possibly be the best one-liner ever.

"Bruck."

"BOOOOOOCK!" Henifer screamed in agony as the lava met her feathers, igniting them and cooking her alive like all the other chickens she doomed. The last thing Bryan saw of his Ex-girlfriend was a Cooked Chicken, which slightly jumped from the lava before sinking into the fiery muck.

Henifer was dead.

Forever.

Again.

Henrietta fluttered down to help pull Bryan off the edge. Once the two had left the horrifying Chicken Factory, they went back home, made passionate love, and lived happily ever after.

THE END

* * *

Cobb closed the book, feeling a sense of finality combined with an empty hollowness.

"I'm not sure where half of that fight scene stuff came from," He admitted confusedly, "but that was the best saga I ever read!"

He got up and walked back to the guards' camp, wanting to return the book to its rightful owner. Maybe they had other recommendations for the fisherman to read.

 _Though, I still don't see a resemblance between Bryan and I._

* * *

 **AN: I loved writing that fight scene. Just said - fuck it - and** **threw in any anime/manga I could think of.**

 **Credit to Pokemon, Yugioh, Naruto and Dragonball Z. If you don't know what any of those things are, you have my pity.**


	49. The Price of Power

**AN: Another Chapter...another failed deadline. I've got to take another break soon.**

 **Congrats to The Ravenclawed Demigod for getting last week's puzzle correct. The answer was: unbrella. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Slimes would be able to reform.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 49

 **The Price of Power**

"Well, that was a comfier landing than I expected."

"My…back…"

"We really should count our blessings that a soft, complaining cushion was here to break our fall, eh, Nowhere?"

"—off…"

"Nowhere?"

"Get off me, please…"

Marble gasped. "Nowhere!? Since when were you a cushion?" The Scout quickly jumped off of the injured Billionth, who proceeded to grumble into the floor.

Once fully recovered, the two looked at where they ended up. It appeared to be some kind of secret bunker. The ceiling was made of blocks of iron, but the floor and walls were made of stone brick, lit only by torchlight.

"Quite the place to hide valuables." Marble whistled appreciatively as he walked around. "I wonder if this runs below the entire Maplefrost estate."

"Let's just worry about finding the Voda Shlem." Noman didn't want to be distracted from his objective. He'd almost lost and gained the artifact several times in the same day. It was maddening thinking how close he'd gotten each time, only for it to be plucked away from him.

This time, he wouldn't let it slip away so easily.

"Well…if I was an expensive artifact," Marble mused to himself, "I'd probably have no choice where I'd be, since I'd be an immovable artifact. But Maplefrost would probably keep it somewhere super safe. The safest place any item could be stored."

"And that would be…?"

Marble frowned. "An ender chest."

Noman looked perplexed. "Ender…wait, like the pearls the cultists used?"

"They're made of the same materials." Marble scratched his head in annoyance. "Ender chests work like a sort of 'Crafter bank'. Whatever a Crafter puts in can only be accessed by that same Crafter. In that sense, an ender chest's inventory space is only limited by the amount of Crafters using it. Plus, all ender chests are interchangeable and can work between dimensions."

"Dimensions!?" These ender chests sounded more like fiction than fact. "You mean these chests can violate the laws of space?"

Marble scoffed. "Since when have the laws of space been relevant in Minecraftia? A Crafter can carry over thirty stacks of anvils in their backpack without feeling any additional weight. How does _that_ make sense?"

He had a point there.

"Fortunately, Maplefrost sent the artifacts away via his guards so he could focus on the cultist attack. He wouldn't have had time to store them in an ender chest. We have until he comes down here, however, to find the guard that _does_ have the artifact."

"And before Ciro does."

"Yes. And before Ciro does. And THEN I can get my badges."

"Right. And then you can—Alright, enough about badges." Noman began to sneak down one of the hallways with Marble in tow.

It was strange how Maplefrost had a spooky second basement under his estate. Unless he was mistaken, Noman was pretty sure that spooky second basements weren't normal.

What exactly was Maplefrost trying to hide?

As if answering his unspoken question, Noman found himself passing a set of glass windows overlooking a large room below. He and Marble quickly ducked upon spotting two yellow-capped guards standing watch in the room below. They weren't spotted and were allowed to poke their heads up to watch what was unfolding below.

The guards were standing beside some weird cobblestone structure with water flowing down glass tubes and ending in two areas: One fenced off, and one sealed with glass and weird mechanical looking blocks. The two guards had a brewing stand on a table between them. Their mouths were moving, but neither Noman nor Marble could make out what they were saying.

However, they did see what was happening with the structure.

From the large sealed cobblestone part of the structure, a Skeleton flowed with the water down the connecting glass tube.

"Where did that Skeleton come from?" Noman asked, all while his eyes followed the Mob.

Marble was doing the same. "That cobblestone room probably. It's sealed…so I bet it's pitch black on the inside."

"Right…Mobs spawn from darkness." The Skeleton continued to flow down the glass tubes; a marble in a complicated game of Mousetrap.

 _But what are they spawning Mobs for?_

 _…_ _And also, what's Mousetrap?_

Eventually, the Skeleton reached a diverging pipe. One way led to the area sealed with glass and the mechanical looking blocks. The other way led to the fenced off…and oddly enough had a Testificate fenced above.

The Skeleton flowed towards the glass area. However, Noman's attention was ensnared by more Mobs coming through the pipes. Skeletons. Creepers. Zombies.

The Creepers and Skeletons always went towards the glass area. However, the Zombies, drawn to attack the Testificate, moved towards the fenced area. Even though they were obviously trying to attack the Testificate, who all the while was hopping frantically, the flowing water eventually overpowered the Zombies, forcing them into the fenced area.

"You know what," Marble poked his head further up, "I think that thing is a Mob Spawner."

Noman turned to the Scout. "A what?"

"It's basically a Mob factory. Look." He pointed towards the cobblestone area, which was now filled with Skeletons, Creepers, Spiders, and some other strange Mobs. A guard walked over to it and pulled a lever, causing the mechanical-looking blocks to extend and crush the Mobs. "The Mobs spawn from the darkness, and then flow down to be separated. Zombies go to the fence while everything else goes to those piston crushers. They probably have hoppers hooked up to collect all the loot those Mobs drop."

"Really? That's amazing." Noman could hardly believe the ingenuity of such a device. Not only could it control Mob spawning, but it could also earn items from it. And since Mobs could constantly be spawned from darkness, it was an infinite supply of resources. Bones, string, gunpowder, spider eyes, arrows, and more! "But…why separate the Zombies?"

"Not sure." Marble admitted, his eyes turning to the Zombies amassed in the fenced off area. Another guard was throwing Splash Potions of Healing to quickly kill them off. "They're killing them off anyway so I don't see why they'd go through all the trouble…unless they're actually Scouts in disguise, going for their Fruitless Acts Badge."

"...Maybe?" Noman replied, not wanting to be so impolite as to say that the chances of that being true were as likely as the moon being made of cheese. "Anyway, we should really focus on finding—"

"Wait, wait!" Marble cut him off, gesturing wildly to the Mob Spawner. "Look."

Noman followed the Scout's finger to spot a Zombie being deposited into the glass tubes from the cobblestone structure. At first, Noman didn't see what was so interesting about it. But after narrowing his eyes, he saw what Marble was talking about.

The Zombie looked more like a Testificate than the regular Zombies he had encountered. It was hard to miss the giant nose and oblong shaped head with extra forehead space. Not to mention the thick unibrow above its eyes. Yet it had the same tattered shirt and pants and clammy green skin as a Zombie.

Remembering the book on Mobs Helena had provided, Noman recalled that Testificates could be tainted and converted into Zombies. True, he hadn't seen such a thing happen, but he trusted the book's information. However, he had no idea that they could spawn just like any other Mob.

As the Testificate Zombie floated down the tubes, one of the guards tapped the shoulder of the other and pointed to the Mob as it went down. Immediately, one of them walked over to another lever and flicked it off, closing the cobblestone structure from the rest of the Mob Spawner.

"Looks like we're about to see what this thing is for." The Scout poked his head further up, going so far as to press his face against the glass to get a better view.

 _He's going to get spotted._ Noman thought in annoyance as he rose to pull the Scout back down.

When the Testificate Zombie finally reached the fenced area, one of the guards walked up to the brewing stand and pulled out a Splash Potion. He chucked it at the Testificate Zombie while the other guard pulled out something gold from another chest and fed it to the Testificate Zombie. Immediately, the Testificate Zombie started shaking as if it were cold.

But there were no more immediate changes.

"Alright, you've seen what they've done. Now let's _go_." Noman tried to tug Marble away from the window, but the Scout refused to move.

"Give it a minute."

Noman huffed before folding his arms. The two continued to watch the Testificate Zombie, as did the guards below, for one minute. Then two.

Finally, something happened. The Testificate Zombie lost its sickly green skin and its tattered shirt changed into a black apron and a brown tunic. Before their very eyes, the Testificate Zombie became a Testificate. A female.

"They…cured her?" Noman didn't remember reading anything like that in the Mob book and Marble looked equally surprised. But also interested.

The two guards below didn't visibly react, as if they were used to Zombies turning into Testificates all the time. While the newly cured Testificate shivered in terror and glanced at her surroundings in confusion, the two guards opened the fence and pulled the Testificate out of it. They shoved her towards a set of doors in the room before roughly escorting her out.

"Can we move on now?" The Billionth looked to Marble for confirmation, but frowned upon seeing the Scout breaking the glass window. "What are you doing?"

"I wanna see what they did," was his reply as he jumped through the window and tumbled onto the floor below.

"Right." Noman sighed to himself before muttering under his breath. "Not like we have other more important things to look for."

"You say something?"

"Uh—no." Noman stuttered, jumping down onto the Mob Spawner floor. "Must have…been the wind."

"Yeah, that wind is always talking behind my back." Marble clenched his fist in frustration. "I'll catch that wind some day."

"Uhh…"

"Anyway, check this out." Marble opened the chest beside the levers controlling the Mob Spawner. He withdrew something gold and—

Noman gasped. "Is that…a Notch Apple!?" Noman looked over Marble's shoulder at the rest of the chest's contents. "By Notch! They're full of Notch Apples!"

Marble held one up to his face, scrutinizing it closely. He frowned and took a tentative bite. After devouring it, he checked his arm and nodded to himself. "They're golden apples…but not Notch apples. These are their cheaper twin brother, made up of gold _ingots_ instead of gold blocks." He crammed a bunch of them into his backpack. "They're not as strong as the Notch equivalents, but it's shiny, gold, and valuable. So I'd say taking them fulfills my  Robinhood Badge."

"What's a Robinhood?"

Marble paused in his cramming to think for a moment. Then he just shrugged before continuing.

Noman walked over to the brewing stand and checked what type of potions they were brewing. There were two Splash Potions of Weakness on the stand with a space missing for a third potion. It was safe to assume that the potion they used on the Testificate Zombie was the one missing from the stand.

"So…they splashed her with a Potion of Weakness," Noman traced his gaze to the chest of apples, "then they fed her a golden apple. That's the cure to Zombification…if that's even a word."

Marble gasped in realization. "No way! That's so cool!" His eyes lit up and he slammed a fist into his palm as if figuring something out. "No wonder Maplefrost has a bunker! He'd want to keep this as secret as possible! This is revolutionary!"

"What are you talking about? Is a Zombie cure that important?"

"Of course it is!" Marble gushed as he picked a Potion of Weakness from the stand. "Don't you get it? This machine isn't just a Mob Spawner. It's a Testificate Factory!"

Noman just looked confused at Marble's exclamation, but the Scout wasn't paying attention. He rushed over to the doors the two guards had gone through. Hanging beside them was a sign that read ' _Prison Cells_ '. After double checking the sign, he returned to the control panel and started pulling levers. "Hey! Don't go pulling random stuff! Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Yes…no…but trial and error, right?" Marble switched a few of the levers on and off until the water once more began flowing from the cobblestone structure. And with it, all the Mobs that spawned in the darkness. "There we go…"

"Is this another chaotic Scout thing? Or is it a Badge thing?"

"Neither. It's a calculated plan!" Marble grinned as he began breaking up the fenced area. "Since this thing churns out Zombies, those guards will find this place overrun with them by the time they get back. And that's just the diversion we need to find that artifact!"

"That's…actually a good plan." Noman blinked in surprise. "Where were these plans when you were burning down taverns?"

"They were in the deep recesses of my mind. Now find some cover by those doors."

"Hey…" Marble and Noman looked up to see who had spoken. It was the Testificate hanging over the glass pipes as Zombie bait. "If you guys wouldn't mind, could you get me down? I don't like being Zombie bait." The two looked at each other before ignoring the Testificate and getting to their hiding spots. "No? Just gonna leave me here? Okay, great, thanks a ton, fucking assholes."

"Language!" Noman couldn't help but protest. It wasn't that they didn't want to save the Testificate. The Zombies wouldn't head towards the fenced area if there wasn't suitable Zombie bait to persuade them.

Sure, Noman might have moral dilemmas with leaving a living being as bait for Zombies…

…But it wasn't his idea. It was Marble's.

So it was okay.

"Hey! You're not stemming the flow of Mobs! This is too much!" The Testificate wailed.

No guilt whatsoever.

"Seriously! Get me out of here!"

None.

"HELP!"

After several dozen Zombies, both the normal and Testificate varieties, were transferred to the fenced area, quickly crowding it, the Testificate was pleading for help. That brought the two guards running.

"What happened!?" One of the guards shouted angrily. "Did you leave the lever on again!?"

"W-what!? No!" The other guard replied nervously. "No, I even double checked before we left!"

"Well the next time you look at your ass—"

"Language!"

"—you better _double check_ that my _foot_ isn't buried half a mile up it!" The guard quickly shut off the lever and grabbed some Potions of Healing at his belt. "We got to clean up your mess before Maplefrost gets back."

"I'm telling you it wasn't me!" The guard protested. "And…did you hear someone shout 'Language'?"

The guard shrugged. "Probably the wind."

"Right…because that's the sound that wind makes…"

While the guards were distracted with the Mob Spawner, Noman and Marble slipped through the doors towards where the guards had come from. A long hallway stretched before them.

"I swear, Nowhere," Marble whispered with a smile, "you shouting out 'Language' whenever someone curses has got to be the shittiest—"

"Language!"

"—crappiest—"

" _Language_!"

"—and most lamestest super power ever."

"…Lamestest isn't a word." Noman pouted.

Despite the lighthearted banter, neither Noman nor Marble were prepared for what was at the end of the hallway.

"What the—?"

"Yeah, I figured as much."

It was a room filled with cages and cells, layered up several levels. Each one held no less than ten Testificates of similar clothing and occupation, along with accompanying signs.

"What…what is...?" Noman tried to speak, but was caught with the horror of what was before him. These Testificates were imprisoned underground, crammed in cages and away from natural light.

Suddenly, Marble's statement about the Testificate Factory made more sense to the Billionth. Testificates were able to make trades with Crafters based on their occupation, usually demanding relevant items in exchange for emeralds. Some even accepted emeralds for enchanted items.

But Maplefrost wasn't waiting around to find Testificates with good trades. Rather, the Lord was mass producing them. Using his patented Zombie Testificate cure, he was spawning them from nothing, healing them, and shelving them like bottles of wine.

By God. He was monopolizing _living_ beings!

This went against everything humane and decent. Making life just to imprison and exploit it. It was no wonder Maplefrost could afford those artifacts and auction items. With all the emeralds he was getting from trades, he was sitting on a metaphorical gold mine.

Beside Noman, the blonde Scout smirked. "No wonder he needs a bunker to hide this. I bet the other families would _love_ to know the source of Maplefrost's wealth." Marble's eyebrow twitched in surprise. "And…uh…whatever the heck that thing is."

He was pointing towards a large cage on the floor, containing the green glob of goo simply known as Slimy. The guards must have decided to store it with all the other imprisoned beings.

Noman took a look around. "If Slimy is here, you think the other auction items are too?"

"Boy, you really have a one-track mind."

"Oh, really?" Noman gave the Scout a level stare. "Ahem. _Badges_."

"Badges!? Where!?" The blonde crouched low, twisting his head this way and that like a bloodhound trying to sniff out ridiculous achievements.

While Noman gave an amused chuckle, he noticed a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. The Slimy in the cage was moving. Once more, it looked like it was trying to gather itself together. It flowed to the center of the cage, building itself up and up…only to collapse upon itself into a big green mess.

It let out another gurgle…though it sounded more distressed than menacing.

"What even is this thing?" Marble walked up to the cage and peered inside at the amorphous creature. He knocked on the cage a few times, causing the Slimy to shirk away from that side.

"Careful, Marble." Noman warned, pulling the Scout away. "You don't know what it'll do."

However, upon closer inspection, Noman noted how two shamrock green eyes peered at him from Slimy's depths. They quivered slightly, looking almost misty-eyed, as they gazed upon Noman pleadingly.

Noman moved his head from side to side just to verify that Slimy's eyes were indeed following him. Tracking his every movement. "Why is it looking at me?"

In response, the Slimy let out a faint gurgle. Its voice sounded like it was being smothered by a pack of jelly.

"Did you hear that?" Marble looked between Noman and the Slimy. "It understood you! Try talking to it again."

"Um…okay…" Noman reluctantly turned back to the Slimy. "Can. You. Understand. Me?" He spoke each word slowly, wondering how a blob of slime could even hear without ears. However, Slimy let out another gurgle, though more pronounced, all while trying to form something once more.

"It…it sounds like it's trying to say something."

"Grgl…sprgle…"

"Girgle Sprgle." Marble repeated those sounds as if it was some kind of secret message. "What do you think that means?"

"I think it means this thing can't talk since its mouth is probably ankle-deep in itself." Noman reasoned. "Maybe if it could sound it out…or spell it out for us…"

At those words, Slimy's green free-flowing eyes lit up like a light bulb. It quickly amassed itself into a large blob before carefully spreading itself out on the cell floor. It looked to be making a tremendous effort to form something. And when it was done…

"It's an 'S'!" Marble exclaimed at the green letter Slimy was able to form. Slimy let out an affirmative gurgle before forming a new letter. It was a tad sloppy, but that was understandable given how difficult it was to form anything.

"Next looks like…a 'P'."

"Right, right. Then an 'L'."

"…'I'…'T'—oh!" Unable to form itself into letters anymore, Slimy lost its shape, becoming a deflated blob on the cell's floor, seemingly heaving in exertion.

"Okay, so 'S'…'P'…'L'…'I'…'T'…Split!" Marble exclaimed in realization. "It wants us to split it up!"

"Split it…how?" Noman questioned while the Scout withdrew his pickaxe and began breaking the cell.

"This thing looks just like a Slime. It's a Mob that hangs around swamps mostly. But the thing about Slimes' is that they can separate after you attack them. They break off into smaller pieces."

"Alright, but why should we help this thing if it's a Mob? Won't it attack?"

"I don't think so. Not once did it ask for us to let it out of its cage." Marble protested readying his Longsword as Slimy flowed out of the cage. "It just wants to split apart."

Marble raised his sword to strike, the Slimy waiting patiently before him. However, the Longsword's blade sunk into the green jelly known as Slimy. Not appearing to do much damage. The Scout struggled to dislodge the blade, all while Slimy gurgled sadly.

"I—ugh, gross—I can't tell if I'm damaging it." After finally wrenching his Longsword free, Marble wiped his blade on the side of the cage with a bit of disgust. "Maybe we could try burning it…"

Upon hearing that, the Slimy shrunk away in fear, wildly shivering as if saying 'Fire Bad!'

The Scout sighed. "Well, then I'm out of ideas. What about you, Nowhere?"

"We don't have the time for this." Noman didn't mean to sound so cold, but they really needed to find the Voda Shlem before Ciro could. Not to mention if any guards saw them, they'd be arrested for trespassing in Maplefrost's hidden basement and Testificate supply. They had no time to dilly-dally.

"But Nowhere…" Marble whined as he stepped aside. "Look at this little guy. It's small and defenseless and needs our help. Where's your sense of compassion?"

 _Maybe I'd be more compassionate if we hadn't lost the Voda Shlem to that Cultist attack. Or if I hadn't been ambushed by a seemingly innocent old lady._

Noman frowned to himself, looking at the poor pitiful creature before him. All it wanted was this one thing of them, and it was behaving politely, not attacking them once. After a brief moment of hesitance, Noman reached into his Inventory for the proper item. "Once we damage it enough, are you sure it'll split apart? Or will the damage carry on to its split pieces, killing it?"

"Um…hmm…" Marble tapped his lower lip in thought. "I don't know. Not usually…"

That wasn't quite the reassurance Noman was hoping for, but he donned his Severe Shield all the same. "Stand back, Marble."

The Scout took a big step back as Noman approached the Slimy with his sword in hand. The Severe Shield supposedly had a massive damage effect. So Noman figured it would be enough to destroy the Slimy.

The Billionth poised his blade above Slimy, looking for a final confirmation from the creature.

"Grgl."

Good enough.

*SHLUK*

The blade stuck, just as Marble's had, but the added strength of the Severe Shield inflicted enough damage for the creature to splatter apart into three separate puddles. The green slime ran dribbled and ran across the stone brick floor.

"Um…did it work?" Marble poked the nearest puddle with a stick, hoping for some type of movement.

"Oh no…" Noman clutched his arms in terror and screwed his eyes shut. "I did it again…I killed again…"

"No, Nowhere. You—"

"Every time I put this on, something dies!" Noman shouted, wrenching the artifact off as if it was burning him. "I should have known it would do the same to the Slimy!"

"No, Nowhere." Marble yanked the Billionth's sleeve. "It's fine. Look."

Noman opened his eyes just enough to see each of the three puddles of slime shaking slightly. Then they began flowing, amassing, into three separate blobs. However, unlike before, the separate blobs had no trouble forming into something. Each one built itself up, gathering more and more of its splattered mass, before finally standing at a Crafter's height.

Next, limbs began to form on each of the three new Slimies. An arm here, a leg there. Then more pronounced features like noses, ears, fingers, and even a head of green, jelly-like hair. They even began to form shapely…chests…

Noman blinked in surprise. A moment ago, Slimy was just a formless blob.

But now it was three _female_ , Slime-like Crafters.

"…What?" Noman tried to stutter out.

"It's a girl!" Marble clapped cheerfully. "And triplets too! What a wonderful miracle of birth!"

"…What?"

One of the Slimies looked at their hands in surprise before beaming happily. "Free! Free! I can finally shape myself!" She tried to twirl in jubilance and it half worked. She twirled, but she didn't have any legs to twist over one another since…well…she was lacking legs. Her waist was one thick pile of goo. "Well, half-shaped is good enough for me!"

"Easy for you to say." Another Slimy mumbled sadly, glancing at her own missing right arm. "I'll never be able to fire a bow again. Or climb a ladder. Or play the piano." She sniffled sadly.

"Minecraftia doesn't have pianos!" The third Slimy shouted angrily. This one was missing her left arm. "And what do you have to complain about anyway? We're all left-handed! But now I'm no-handed!"

"I can't possibly be mad right now." The first Slimy giggled as she slithered to the other two. "Without all that mass weighing us down, we can finally move, and talk, and…and…" She trailed off as her stomach—or rather the section of slime where her stomach should have been—gurgled loudly. Her cheeks painted themselves a lighter shade of green at her obvious hunger.

"…What?"

As if suddenly realizing they were there, the three Slimies turned to Noman and Marble. The first one was beaming brightly with perhaps a twinge of embarrassment. The second one looked depressed, but also kept her eyes on the two males. And the third one was scowling, but appeared to tolerate their presence.

Then, they all bowed slightly. "Thank you, heroes." They all spoke in unison.

"Do you have any food, perchance?" The first one tacked on.

"…What?"

"Hero, eh?" Marble smirked. "I like the sound of that."

"Is he brain-damaged or something?" The third Slimy pointed to Noman. "He just keeps repeating 'what' over and over."

"…What?"

"See? It's getting on my nerves."

"Now, now." The first slimy soothed charmingly. "Don't be upset…um…" The first one tilted her head in thought. "What's your name again?"

"It's not _my_ name, genius." The third one growled. "It's _our_ name. We were all the same person once after all."

"Oh yeah!" The first one cheered before adopting a puzzled look. "But why can't I remember? I feel like I'd remember our name."

"I think it was Slimy." The second one spoke faintly, as if worried her opinion might make others angry.

"No! Not Slimy! That's just the idiotic name the Lord Maplecock gave us!"

"Language!"

"Also, wasn't his name Maplefrost?"

The third one folded her arms. "I know what I said."

"Alright, so what was your name?" Marble interjected, taking interest in their argument.

The third one glanced awkwardly to the side. "Of…of course I know what it was! I…I wouldn't forget something like that!"

"There's no shame in admitting you forgot too." The first one comforted kindly. "We all forgot, I think. Though I feel like it was something like…Tiffany?"

"Ha!" The third one scoffed. "A girly name like Tiffany? No way!"

"But aren't you all girls?" The Scout questioned.

"That's sexist! Besides, our name was obviously something tough and full of testosterone!"

"Estrogen."

"Who asked you!?"

"Um…"The second one spoke up. "I-I thought our n-name was Tiana...because…oh, nevermind. Sorry I said anything…"

"Ugh! Tiana is even worse!" The third one groaned. "I tell you our name was Tamara! Now THAT'S a tough name!"

"Hmm. Sounds like they're having a naming dispute. What do you think, Nowhere? Think I should give them all new names?"

"…What?" Noman was still dazed at what was happening. Slimes didn't just randomly materialize into Crafters. Green, jelly-like Crafters but Crafters all the same.

"You're right, Nowhere. I should give them all new names. And if possible earn my Naming of the Dames Badge."

The stupidity of that badge name was enough to snap Noman out of his daze. "I didn't encourage you to…CAN WE JUST LOOK FOR THE VODA SHLEM ALREADY!?"

The three Slimies and Marble recoiled in surprise, startled at Noman's tone. Even Noman was shocked by his sudden outburst. It was just…he had a mission to get done. He didn't have time for all these distractions.

The second Slimy sheepishly scratched its arm. "I…I know where the Voda Shlem is…if you want…I mean…you did free us and all…"

"Really?" Noman pounced immediately, grasping the Slimy by one of her shoulders. "Where…OW!" He pulled back his arm, feeling a sharp burning sensation where he had touched the Slimy. "What was that?"

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The second one wailed with tears in her eyes. At least it looked like tears, what with her whole body made of slime. "Please don't hate me!"

"Serves you right for groping her…us…Bah! This is confusing!" The third one clutched her head as if in pain.

"Wha…I didn't grope anything!" Noman defended while blushing profusely.

"Nowhere you player, you." Marble wasn't helping with his supportive nudges and wiggling eyebrows. "Looks like someone's trying to get their Gigolo Badge. Though…since it's a Slime-girl…more like a Jiggle-o Badge! Eh, eh?"

The third Slimy frowned. "That pun legitimately killed me a little."

"Same." Noman replied flatly before returning his attention back to the second Slimy, ignoring Marble's words of 'Oh, everyone's a critic!' "Anyway, you know where the Voda Shlem is held?"

She nodded slowly before pointing towards a set of doors. "Maplefrost brought us to the room holding the auction items only once. Just to show the guards the entirety of what they had to safeguard. But I remember the Voda Shlem…er…it was a green tunic, right?"

"Um…close…" Noman replied kindly, not wanting to sadden the easily depressed second Slimy. Distinguishing between the three wasn't hard. The first one was happy, the second one sad, and the third one angry.

"I remember that Voda Shlem thing too!" The first one cheered. "It was light-blue! The color of the ocean!"

" _That_ thing?" The third one scoffed. "It was a leather cap, right? Big fucking whoop."

"Language!" Noman shouted before clearing his throat. "Do you remember anything else? Like water dripping particles?"

All three Slimies paused for thought, scouring their memories for that information.

"Hmm. Nope!"

"No…sorry."

"IDGAF."

Noman sighed in disappointment. "Can you at least take us to where it's being held? We really need it—"

"We're stealing it from Maplefrost."

"Marble!"

"What? It's true."

The third Slimy wore a malicious grin. "Stealing from Maplecock?" Noman covered his ears. "Count me in! That prick kept us locked in that cage forever. Tried to auction us off like slaves!"

"Oh he wasn't that bad." The first one tried to remain optimistic. Noman could relate to that. "Not as bad as that _other_ guy. The one that made us half-slime."

The second one shivered fearfully. "W-what if _He_ finds us again!? I-I-I don't want to go back in a cage!" She rocked back and forth, clutching her knees with one arm.

"Someone made you into a Slime?" Marble questioned. "How?"

"He…um…" The first one scratched her head. "Y'know, it's weird…I can't really remember how He did it…I just remember the Morel Islands."

"That's where Maplefrost said he found you." Marble supplied helpfully while Noman roused the second Slimy from her depressed slump and convinced her to lead them to the Voda Shlem. They continued their conversation as they moved through a long corridor.

"I remember the Morel Islands too." The third one added. "We were there looking for mushrooms…then we got jumped and kidnapped."

"Before you continue your story, I think you all need names." Marble pointed to the third Slimy. "Since you're missing your _left_ arm, I dub thee…Righty!"

"I still DGAF."

"That's the spirit! And you!" The Scout pointed to the second Slimy. "Since you're missing your right arm, I dub thee…Bethany!"

"Wha…how does that even—"

"As for you!" Marble continued on, pointing at the first Slimy who hopped eagerly on the spot. No doubt excited over a new name. "You're missing your legs...and have a sunny disposition…so I hereby dub thee…Legoless."

The bright smile fell from her face. Not even she could put a positive spin on that nickname.

 _I know your pain._ Noman thought to himself. _Idiocy of this level is difficult to bear._

"Maybe I could have a different name—?"

"Now that that's out of the way, what can you tell us about the mysterious person that turned you half-slime?"

The third Slimy—sorry— _Righty_ , frowned in thought. "Well, He wore a mask. A black Skeleton Head. So we couldn't tell what His name was…"

"A-and he used potions…" Bethany added. "The weakness-slowness combo paralyzed us instantly…though I can't remember anything more specific about what He was wearing…"

Noman decided to step in. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"You asking us what the last thing we remember is?"

"…I'll rephrase. Do you remember the auction?"

"The auction…oh yeah!" Legoless tried to snap her fingers in realization, but failed since her arms were made of slime. "It was…there were a lot of Lords…um…"

"The auctioneer was named Baltimore." Righty added. "And—shut your ears, Nowhere—Maplecock was running his damn, fucking mouth off. That fucking prick. I bet he whips his dick out whenever he has to pee, the freak."

After the curse rant was over, Noman removed his hands from his ears. "Bethany. Do you remember any of the auction?" She shook her head. "Well, then it seems like you do have memory problems. But I don't think it's that you can't remember. I think it's because your memory split along with your bodies."

"So, what, each of them can only remember a third of their life?" Marble questioned. "That suc—er, is terrible. Yes, that's what I was gonna say."

"It's well worth the trade-off." Legoless smiled softly. "As we were, our memory wasn't doing us any good. We couldn't talk to anyone or form anything. I don't regret what you two did for us. That deserves a hug!" Legoless approached the two Crafters and gave them a great big hug.

However, whatever Slimes were made of was causing the two damage upon contact. Causing them to writhe in discomfort.

"Ow! Ow! The love hurts!"

"Legoless stop!"

"Oops." She giggled lightly before releasing them. "Sorry." She stuck out her tongue cutely while Noman and Marble wiped the slime off of them.

As they continued down the hallway, Noman and Marble chatted idly with the three Slime girls. Noman even offered them some food, which they ravenously accepted.

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the corridor.

"W-w-what was that!?"

"An explosion!"

"Meh, I hear explosions all the time." Marble shrugged before another explosion landed him on his rear. "Though this might be a little abnormal."

Several more explosions rocked the shook the corridor, making it harder for four of the five Crafters to stand upright. Legoless, with her entire below-the-waist a blob of slime, had perfect balance.

"Is someone setting off TNT!?" Righty shouted, causing Noman to realize something.

"No! It's Ciro and the Yanhua Gong! He must be fighting for the helmet up ahead!"

Legoless gasped before pausing. "Who's Ciro? Is that someone I should remember but can't?"

"Beats me. I don't even know what a Yanhua Gong is."

"We need to hurry!" Noman rushed forward with the others following in his wake. The explosions continued to echo off the walls, getting louder and louder as he approached the proper doors. The Billionth burst through them, frantic to get to the artifact.

Before him was Ciro_Che, no longer garbed in his red-dyed leather suit. Instead, he wore a billowing crimson trench coat with frayed edges at the tail. A black undershirt adorned with a white skull. Black jeans, red shoes, a white belt and a midnight-black backpack. Half of his face was still concealed by the black facemask, and his heterochromatic eyes, one black and one grey, glared at Noman. His black hair was still done up in its ponytail and he was clad in diamond armor that shimmered with the power of enchantments.

In one hand, Ciro held a bow, undoubtedly the Yanhua Gong. Several craters and explosions littered the room along with defeated guards or loose piles of gear. A few auction items sat unprotected on several pedestals.

And at Ciro's belt was the light blue cap that could only be the Voda Shlem.

"Come for the artifact, eh Billionth?" Ciro_Che mocked while pointing his bow at Noman. "Well you're too late. It's mine now."

"How…how do you know I'm the Billionth?" Noman was mad that he'd been beaten to the punch, but he was also curious as to how this mysterious Crafter knew of the title Notch had given him. "Who are you?"

Ciro chuckled softly before pulling back his bowstring. "I'm the _true_ chosen one."

Then he let the arrow fly.

Remembering what the bow was capable of, Noman quickly threw himself out of the way. Although avoiding the arrow's explosion, he was far from unscathed. The blast knocked him into a pedestal, bruising something and costing him a few Hearts.

Looking at where the arrow had impacted, Noman only saw a smoking hole in the floor. It seemed like the area below was hollow, blocked only by a one block thick floor.

Hearing another arrow whistle through the air, Noman rolled aside, trusting that the arrow would be aimed at wherever he was standing a second ago. His trust was rewarded after surviving another blast.

Ciro laughed as he fired a few more shots. "Why don't you put on that Severe Shield? That is, if you can find the time between shots!"

Noman dove to cover behind a pedestal, only for it to be blasted in pieces not a second later. Ciro was too skilled with that bow. His precision was amazing. And even if he didn't hit his target, the explosive splash damage would do the job for him.

Noman could barely catch his breath, let alone put on the chestplate. How was he going to beat another artifact user?

Just as Noman was running low on Hunger and breath, with an arrow aimed right at him, something quickly scooped him up before carrying him out of harm's way.

"What the…OW!" Noman yelped in pain from the contact with Legoless' slime.

"Sorry, Nowhere." His savior apologized with a smile. Despite having no legs, Legoless was surprisingly nimble, able to carry Noman and evade arrows all at the same time.

"What the…is that the Slimy thing?" Ciro questioned in surprise and mounting frustration over missing his shots. The explosions weren't even unbalancing her. "Ngh! Hold still!"

Another arrow was fired, aimed straight at Legoless. Even Noman thought they were done for before the Slime girl stretched and arched her back unnaturally, easily dodging the projectile.

Ciro was about to let loose another arrow when Righty ran up behind him and lashed out with a sharp kick. It caught Ciro in the side, stumbling him. "Gah! What the fuck is this thing?"

"Language—Oof!" Noman was plopped onto the ground a safe distance away from Ciro's range. Meanwhile, both Bethany and Marble joined Righty to engage Ciro in battle. Or rather, Marble joined in, his Longsword glancing off of Ciro's bow. Bethany stood nearby, trying to stealthily creep behind and snatch the Voda Shlem from Ciro's belt.

Ciro really had his hands full with fighting a Slime girl and Marble while also keeping the helmet at his belt. He kept firing arrows, not caring if he possibly blew himself up so long as he hit his target. Noman suspected his armor had Blast Resistance. However, Marble, Bethany, and Righty kept right on dodging.

After several minutes of evading, firing, punching, striking, kicking, and swiping, Bethany finally managed to grab the helmet.

"You little, amoeba!" Ciro growled. "You don't deserve its power!"

"Not so good at close combat, are you archer?" Marble mocked before driving his pommel into Ciro's ribs.

Ciro withstood the jab and stood strong as he aimed his bow at the floor beneath all of their feet. "DON'T MOCK ME!"

He fired the arrow, exploding the ground and the floor and blowing up one of the Slimes.

"Bethany!" Someone shouted, though Noman couldn't tell who. He watched as the chunks of Bethany were blasted apart, along with the Voda Shlem that flew from the Slime girl's grip and teetered on the edge of the freshly made hole in the floor.

The bits of Bethany fell into the hole along with an enraged Ciro. Righty was blasted back, hitting her head on another pedestal and falling unconscious. And Marble was left hanging off the side of the hole, smoldering slightly from the explosion and barely holding on.

Noman and Legoless rushed forward, but for different reasons.

Noman went for the helmet before it could fall down the hole. Legoless went to Marble for the same reason.

As they reached the hole, Noman knelt beside the edge and reached out for the Voda Shlem. It was teetering in such a way that it could fall at any second and was just outside of his reach.

"WAIT! Don't grab me!" Marble shouted to Legoless, who quickly retracted her outstretched arm. "I'm at half a heart. If your slime so much as touches me, I'm dead!"

It was right there. Almost within his grasp. He couldn't let it slip away again.

"Nowhere! You gotta pull me up!"

"Just…give me…a minute…"

"What!?" Marble protested weakly before his left hand slipped off the edge. "Quit joking around! I'm losing my grip!"

"Almost…" He could just about touch it. It was finally going to be his.

"Nowhere! I'm gonna fall!"

Just a little bit more. And he'd have gotten a second artifact.

He couldn't let it slip away again.

"NOWHERE_MAN!"

"Just…about..." The helmet tilted over the edge and Noman lunged as far as his arm could permit to grab it.

He felt the familiar texture of leather in his firm and unyielding grip. "Got it!"

However, as his eyes gazed upon the artifact he sought after for so long, the artifact that had eluded him time and again, the artifact he rescued from falling into the abyss, he noticed something else falling into the abyss.

A flash of blond hair and betrayed light blue eyes.

"No…" Noman reached out his other hand, a fruitless attempt at trying to save the Scout. At trying to convey how sorry he was for letting him fall. That he prioritized the artifact over him.

That it was done for the good of the world. To stop the Endward Cult.

That he wasn't to blame for his actions. That it was all for the best.

But as Marble's face disappeared into the shadowy depths, "No…" was all he got out.

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Light Blue_ ] {Voda Shlem}, 1 Diamond Sword [ _Sharpness I_ ], 1 Bow [ _Infinity_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottle, 15 Steaks, 7 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 2 Bones, 12 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 0]

* * *

 **AN: When your cliff-hangers are actual cliff hangers, everyone wins! Ha-HA!**

 **...Too soon?**

 **This Chapter was fun to write, (not the Marble falling part) mainly the parts involving the Slime-girl trio. Take from that what you may. It might mean something...or it could mean nothing.**

 **But this Chapter does have a point for Noman's character. After failing so many times to get that helmet, he didn't want to lose it again. Much like the Chapter title, the whole Chapter had the theme of 'the price of power'. Sometimes you gotta make sacrifices to get what you want. Humanity for an endless Testificate source, memories for a body...and a friend for an artifact.**

 **There was a LOT more humor with the Slime-girl trio and their separate personalities. Much like the memory split, they all sortof have a personality split, with each one having different emotions. It's not the same as Vanilla Minecraft, but this is _my_ universe.**

 **No Omake this week...mainly because I'm out of ideas. I mean when you write about a five-part chicken saga...**

 **You start to ask yourself - what the fuck did I just write?**

 **Also, it's time for everybody's favorite game: Good News vs Bad News!**

 **The Good News is Noman's Arc will go on for two more Chapters (Don't quote me on that.) before turning back to Cobb's adventures, an Arc I'm really excited to get to.**

 **The Bad News is, I won't be able to publish next week since I need to get my laptop checked out. The charger isn't working properly and I don't want to type this up in a Library - God forbid the person sitting next to my computer glances over and finds me writing about Fifty Shades of Chicken or somthing similar - so my laptop is on Disability as of now.**

 **See you on Wednesday...um...wait, I need a calendar...Wednesday, July 20th! That'll be the date of Chapter 50! (Don't quote me on that.)**


	50. Millionth

**AN: Hey! I actually met my promise! Neat!**

 **Hey! This Chapter has less humor and more gut-wrenching sadness! Neat!**

 **I didn't think people would keep up with this story given its length. I mean, 50 Chapters is a lot. But I'm pleasantly surprised and happy that you are all still interested in my humble story.**

 **Puzzle: You answer me, but I never ask a question. What am I?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd have Slime Mobs reform.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 50

 **Millionth**

"After them!"

"Don't let them escape! They know too much!"

"They'll pay for killing our comrades!"

"Er…has anyone noticed that two of them look kinda green?"

"Don't be racist, Ted."

Noman, Righty, and Legoless were currently running away from a storm of angry guards.

The explosions and noises Ciro had made with his bow had gotten the attention of every available guard in Maplefrost's bunker. Upon arriving, however, the guards saw several of their comrades dead or unconscious, with only three Crafters present, all too shocked to form any kind of defense.

With one of the culprits holding the Voda Shlem the guards were tasked to…well… _guard_ , it painted quite the compromising scene for Noman and his companions. Naturally, the guards assumed they were to blame, and began to chase them. Not only to avenge their comrades, but also to prevent any information leaks on Lord Maplefrost's Testificate farming.

"Crap! They're catching up!" Righty saw fit to warn, still a bit dazed after waking up from unconsciousness. Noman didn't even bother to cover his ears or mutter anything about obscenities. "Nowhere, pick up the pace!"

But Noman was only moving his body mechanically, with no emotion or urgency. He just kept following those ahead, not really caring if the guards caught up. He was too busy replaying events inside his head.

The fight.

Ciro's attack. The explosion.

Marble barely hanging off the edge…

And then he fell…

 _Marble's…dead?_

 _No! No, I…I'm sure he's fine…That hole could have dropped into water or…or maybe he survived the fall. Yeah. He could have survived! He had to have of!_

Noman ignored the small part of his mind telling him that the Scout was at half a heart of Health when he fell. And that drop into that hole…

 _I didn't have a choice._ Noman tried to reason. _The Voda Shlem was about to…I couldn't lose it again! This was what we came down here for!_

The Billionth patted the light blue leather cap held securely at his belt.

 _Marble wanted to help me get this…_ urged _me to get this, no matter the cost! It's just like he said…_

 _'_ _Scouts have to be uncompromising and stubborn to get badges. Like a boulder weathering a mighty river._ '

Noman still wasn't a Scout, but the principle was the same. Marble would have wanted him to obtain the artifact…would have been glad to sacrifice himself for the greater good of Minecraftia. To rid the world of the murderous Endward Cult.

Noman regained a bit of his speed, catching up to Righty and Legoless ahead of him, even passing them. His thoughts were steadily lifting his spirits.

 _Marble…your death wasn't in vain…with this artifact, I'm one step closer to fulfilling Notch's mission and saving Minecraftia from the cult's evil. I swear on your grave, this artifact will…be…_

Noman almost stopped in his tracks upon realizing something. Ciro had the Yanhua Gong. And he fell just like Marble had. If Marble was dead, there was a good chance Ciro was dead too. Meaning the Yanhua Gong was just sitting down that hole, waiting for someone to pick it up amongst all the other scattered gear.

And while explosive arrows didn't really appeal to the Billionth's non-lethal preferences, like the book had advised, it made a great siege weapon. Surely the Endward Cult would have a base or fortress. A place of residence or something similar.

How convenient would it be to have explosive projectiles to lower their defenses.

 _I need to get down to that bow!_ Noman thought covetously. _It's not like Ciro will need it. Plus, it'll be for the good of all Crafters. I can't let this opportunity slip. Not when I'm so close to having a third of all the artifacts in my possession._

"Nowhere!" Righty shouted urgently. "We can't outrun these guards forever! Next corner we turn down, dig us out a hiding spot."

Snapping back to reality, Noman nodded before readying his wooden pickaxe. It was pretty weak, but he was sure it'd do the job.

Just as Righty had instructed, the three turned a corner and dug out a section of the stone brick corridor. Noman's pickaxe, however, broke on the eighth block, making the hiding spot a tight squeeze.

"Don't you have any other pick?" Righty shouted in exasperation while Legoless slipped into the hole.

"They went this way!" A gruff guard called from around the corner, followed by the echoing of stampeding feet.

"Fuck it!" Righty slipped into the hole as well, leaving Noman as the last to seal the opening with stone bricks. The three stood in absolute darkness with Noman pressing himself against the wall to avoid corrosive contact with either of the Slime-girls.

"Uh…Nowhere?" Legoless began tentatively, with the air of telling someone something odd.

"Shhh. They'll hear."

Staying silent, they heard the guards run past their hiding spot, with shouts of catching the culprits before Maplefrost heard of it.

Again, Legoless tried to speak up, but Noman shushed her, not wanting to risk being found. Not until the guards were well out of earshot.

Once they were, Noman breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, Legoless, what did you—?" Noman was cut off as he was pressed against the wall by something slimy, followed by the sharp burning pain. "Ow! I know it's cramped, but—!"

"Grgl…"

Hearing that, Noman's eyes widened. He couldn't see in the dark niche he dug out, but he had an idea what was happening.

With what little elbow room he had left, Noman used his diamond sword to break apart the wall sealing them in. It took longer, with intervals of pain caused by the Slimies behind him, but he finally managed to break the wall, causing light to flood in and everyone to spill out.

Noman turned to look at the Slimies and frowned. They no longer had the forms they once had, returned to their amorphous, though significantly smaller self.

Damage caused them to split apart. But close contact appeared to merge them back together. Stuffing them into that narrow niche unexpectedly put them back together.

However, without Bethany, the second Slime-girl, they'd never return to their original size.

The Slimy gurgled faintly, flowing towards Noman, but he already knew what to do. He fished inside his backpack for the Severe Shield and approached the wriggling mass. All it took was a strike to separate them once again. Back to Righty and Legoless.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Legoless sunk to her knees…or…rather if she had knees…uh…she sank in relief. "I was afraid we'd be merged forever again."

"That was weird." Righty commented while holding her right arm over where her heart would be. Noman vaguely noticed her arm had the Hunger Meter and the Meter with the bubbles on it. However, her Health and Experience Meter were on her left side, since she was missing that arm. "It's like we were nearly whole…only not. Without Bethany…" Her eyes widened in realization and she looked around. "Hey, where is she anyway? And that blond guy too? Did they escape down a different corridor?"

Legoless sank lower, this time in depression. "Righty…I'm so sorry…Bethany, she…she fell down one of the holes…along with Marble…"

"…What?" Righty looked to Noman, his grim face only confirming her fears. "That…that can't…I was only out for a few minutes…"

Legoless let out a pained sob. "Bethany…she can't be gone…it'd be like losing a part of ourselves…and Marble…we didn't know him long, but…but…" She was struggling to hold back the tears.

"Stop that!" Righty growled, staying strong. "Bethany is fine, alright!? And so is that blond-haired guy!"

"But…but they fell…" Legoless tried to reason, tears threatening to stream down her face. "And…and…Bethany…she was…blasted apart…"

"Shaddup!" Righty snapped, bonking Legoless lightly on the head. Apparently, Slimes couldn't damage each other with their corrosive surfaces. "She's fine, I tell you! I thought I knew everything about this form when we were glued together for all those years. But turns out, I _still_ don't get it! We can separate and split apart, we may very well be invincible, super gods or something! So I'm not gonna believe that a part of us is dead! I mean…" She paused as her hand covered her heart again and her voice lowered. "We'd at least _feel_ if a part of us was gone…right?"

Legoless sat there with a quivering lip before rushing forth to try and hug Righty. "Oh, Righty! You're so right…y!"

Righty bent herself unnaturally to dodge the hug. "Hey! No hugging! Or touching! I don't want to go through merging and separating again! Now quit your moping, and let's find those two."

Noman nodded in agreement. He wasn't too sure Marble and Bethany were alive, but he was going to head down there anyway to find the Yanhua Gong. Now, at least he wouldn't have to convince the two to come with him.

Legoless wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a small smile, but only to Righty. In fact, she was barely looking at Noman, even as they backtracked towards the room holding the auction items.

Though Noman swore he saw the Slime-girl scowl at him out of the corner of his eye.

 _Why is she…No, I must just be seeing things._ Noman assured. _She can't be blaming me for what happened to Bethany. It was Ciro who killed her. Not me._

 _And the same with Marble. It wasn't my fault. I had to choose between saving the world and saving a friend. Nobody can blame me for my choice!_

 _I_ had _to do it._

* * *

Upon returning to the room holding the artifacts, Noman and the two Slime-girls noticed that it was completely empty, the gear of Ciro's victims still spread across the cratered floor. In their haste, the guards must have prioritized apprehending the intruders as opposed to guarding the remaining auction items.

Lucky for them.

Noman searched the dead guards' loot for anything useful and came up with a water bucket. Poured down the hole, it would allow them to safely descend.

To make things safer, Legoless went first, then Righty, then Noman, each of them giving each other a wide berth so as not to bump into one another.

As they descended into the hollow space, they were struck by how dark it was. With only the limited light shining down from the punctured floor above, none of them could tell how large the hollow space was, or how far down it went. All they could do was go with the water's flow and hope for something to land on.

Below, Noman could hear Legoless sniffling. "This…this is quite the drop." She tilted her head up, looking only at Righty. "You…you really think they're okay?"

She was looking for confirmation, something to put her faith into. And though Righty didn't look her in the eye, she kept her voice strong. "Of course they're fine. No way Bethany is dead."

Noman remained silent. Whatever comforting words he could manage would sound forced and insincere. Legoless didn't want to hear them anyway.

*Cough Cough*

Noman's eyes widened at the sound. Coughs and sputters from below. He gazed searchingly into the darkness, trying to detect any movement.

"Ugh…first I fall and then water gets poured on me!?"

The voice sounded masculine, but Noman couldn't quite tell who it was. It could have been Marble…or Ciro.

"I had better get my Blind as a Bat Badge for this, because I can't see shit!"

It was Marble.

"Marble!" Noman called out, earning a startled gasp from the Scout below. "Are you okay?"

However, the only reply was silence.

"…Marble?" Noman tried again.

"Hey, blond guy!" Righty shouted. "Is Bethany with you? Is she okay?"

That earned a reply. "Well…I wouldn't say okay…she's…not herself…"

"Quit it with the riddles!" Righty shouted in annoyance. "Just tell us she's alive!"

"Don't worry!" Marble called back. "She's alive…she saved my life in fact—and made me earn my Piss my Pants Badge—But we're both okay!" For a moment, a small fire flickered below, illuminating the blond Scout—and a couple green specks along the floor—before being extinguished. "I hope you guys brought torches because my flint and steel is nearly out."

"Hang on…" Noman checked his Inventory and pulled out some planks. "I can make some sticks! So long as you have coal we should be able to make torches!"

However, once again, silence was the Scout's reply. It was almost as if he was refusing to answer Noman.

Once the group was safely on the ground and out of the flowing waterfall, they fumbled around in the darkness before finding Marble. "Ow! Slime Burn!"

"Sorry…"

"Here's the coal." Marble fumbled with something at his belt before presumably handing it over to Legoless, who then proceeded to hand it to Noman. Quickly turning his planks into sticks, and sticks and coal into torches, Noman set one down far enough away from the flowing water to light up the area.

Even with the torch's light, most of the cavern they had traveled down was shrouded in darkness. Where they had landed was perfectly flat, as if someone had carved into it. In fact, the entire cavern looked to be the remnants of a mine. Probably to supply the cobblestone needed for the stone bricks of Maplefrost's bunker and mansion.

The group stood upon a shelf of sorts, one that jutted from the walls. On the edges of the shelf, the cavern continued to descend into the pitch black emptiness. However deep was unknown.

 _How did they survive the fall?_ Noman couldn't help but wonder as he looked up. The distance between the punctured floor above and the shelf was far beyond what a Crafter could sustain in terms of fall damage. Marble and Bethany should have been reduced to pancakes along with…

 _Ciro!_ Noman began placing his other torches around the shelf, searching for Ciro's body or gear.

Behind him, Legoless and Righty were talking to Marble. "So how did you survive the fall? I was so worried that you…and Bethany…were…"

"Easy, easy." The Scout calmed them down. "First off, Bethany is the reason I survived. She fell down first after getting blown apart by Ciro's bow. Then…well… _I_ fell down…" The anger with which Marble said that made Noman turn back around. "Anyway, I thought I was a goner, just falling without being able to see anything. Luckily, I was able to save face, limiting my cowardly scream to a mere seven-and-a-half out of ten instead of a full-blown ten out of ten.

"But double luckily, I felt something cushy catch me before I hit the ground. Or rather…some _things_."

Legoless and Righty gasped, and even Noman couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Hanging off of Marble's head and shoulders were three mini Slime-girls, each no bigger than a rabbit.

"Is that…Bethany?" Legoless questioned as she gazed upon the three organisms.

"Yep!" The Scout lifted one up by his hand. "Cute right? These little things worked together to catch me before I became a Scout-pancake. And better yet, they don't sting me when I touch them." As if to prove his point, the three mini-slime girls crawled over his arm and down his legs before waiting along the ground. "Much like actual Slimes, it seems you can split until you reach this point. Though at this size, any damage can kill them."

"So when that explosion blasted them apart…" Righty adopted a contemplative expression, "Their bits just formed into three new and much smaller organisms."

"Yeah, only…I'm not sure how to put them back together." Marble held one of them up sadly. "Once Slime Mobs separate, they can't exactly reform."

"Actually, if I'm right, all they need to do is gather themselves together to reform Bethany." Noman commented helpfully, earning a scowl from Marble. The Billionth couldn't understand what his problem was, but it felt weird having all those dirty looks directed at him.

"Nowhere's right." Righty nodded. "Bethany bits! Reform into the crybaby we all know and love!"

Each one gave a small nod, before two of them slithered up the Scout's leg before moving across his arm and connecting with the third mini-Slime in his hand. Immediately, the mini-Slimes lost all traces of their features. They doubled…tripled…quadrupled in size, spilling over Marble's open hand and stinging him a bit.

Before he could place the forming Slime-girl on the ground, the mass became too much for him to carry. He collapsed onto his back as Bethany's left arm and legs formed, followed closely by her hair and features.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Legoless exclaimed happily at the fully formed Bethany. "You're okay!"

Bethany looked down sadly. "I'm…I'm sorry for worrying you so much."

"No. No." Legoless dismissed with a shake of her head. "I'm the one who should be sorry. For a moment…I truly believed you were gone…"

Bethany sobbed. "Well, don't be sorry. Because I'm sorry that you're sorry."

"And I'm sorry that you're sorry that I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry that you're sorry that I'm sorry that—"

"Can you please get off of me!?" Marble shouted in annoyance, causing Bethany to look down in surprise. She had apparently forgotten who she was stood atop.

"Oh no! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Bethany quickly jumped off, apologizing profusely. "I-I-I forgot that—"

"No more apologizing from you!" Marble shushed with a hand. "Or you!" He stopped Legoless before she could say anything. "In fact, there's only one of us that needs to apologize for anything."

Legoless nodded at that before turning to Noman. "Nowhere, don't you have anything to say to Marble?"

"Huh?" Noman blinked in surprise as everyone turned to look at him. "Uh…yeah, actually. Marble, did you see where Ciro landed?" At that, Marble's expression morphed into a frustrated scowl. "He had the Yanhua Gong on him so I want to check his gear."

Legoless frowned in annoyance. "Nowhere! That's not what I meant!"

"Then…what?"

Legoless opened her mouth to answer, but Marble silenced her. "Don't bother, Legoless. It's best if Nowhere just asks that helmet on what he did wrong. After all, it's obviously more important to him."

Noman recoiled at the caustic tone behind those words. Marble may as well have hit him. "Wha…what are you talking about? What did I do wrong?"

"You really don't know do you?" The Scout shook his head in disappointment. "I see you saved that helmet." He pointed at the Voda Shlem at Noman's belt. "No surprise. You cared enough for it not to let it fall down a hole."

"Is that what this is about?" Noman replied defensively. "You survived the fall, didn't you?"

"Oh, and that makes it okay?" Marble answered coldly. "Let me ask you something, Nowhere. Did _you_ believe I survived the fall? Did _you_ know that Bethany would be alive to catch me?"

Noman opened his mouth to answer, but stopped himself, realizing the thoughts that had crossed his mind immediately after the Scout's fall. He closed his mouth, remaining silent as he fought for the right words.

"That's what I thought." Marble covered his face with his hand. "Y'know, for a second I thought you were actually torn over the choice you made. But as soon as you got down here, all you bothered looking for is that damn bow!"

"L-language…" Noman tried to muster tentatively.

"Even now, you don't regret choosing that Voda Shlem over me! You chose a piece of leather over a comrade! A friend!"

"Whoa, whoa." Righty piped up. Bethany was shivering in terror at all the yelling happening. "What the fuck are you two talking about? What happened…?"

Legoless turned to her. "While you were knocked out, Marble was hanging off the edge of that hole with half a heart. I couldn't grab him, so it was up to Nowhere to pull him out." She turned to scowl at the Billionth. "But then he chose to grab the Voda Shlem instead! He's the reason Marble fell!"

Righty's eyes widened in surprise before knitting themselves into a glare. One directed at Noman.

"Now hold on!" Noman tried to argue. "You don't know what it's like to keep having something within your grasp, only for it to be taken away each and every time. The Voda Shlem was…I had no idea if I'd ever see it again—!"

"And you had no idea you'd ever see me again, either!" Marble shouted back. "After everything I've done for you, after all we went through, you were willing to throw me away for a leather cap! Was that the extent of our friendship!?"

"No! Of course not!" Noman defended frantically. "I'm grateful for everything you've done! Without you, I never would have gotten this far…but…but…" Noman took a calming breath. "This is part of a mission—"

"Oh, bullshit!" The Scout sighed as he turned away from Noman's flimsy argument. "You and your _mission_ are total bullshit!"

"First off, language. And second off, you don't get it. None of you understand." He turned to look at each one. "These artifacts are meant to _save the world_! To defeat the Endward Cult! You've seen how powerful they are! One of their Lieutenants was enough to almost kill us!"

Marble frowned. "Really? Because I recall us handling him pretty well until those guards tackled us—"

"It was a close call and you know it!" Noman was getting incensed by how little the Scout seemed to care about his mission. "That's why I need these artifacts! Without them, I don't stand a chance. This isn't like some…petty…insignificant…BADGE!"

He didn't mean to say it like that, but the damage was already done. Slowly, Marble lifted his head to look deliberately into Noman's eyes. "What did you just say?" He growled out lowly.

"Y-you heard me." Noman replied with a stammer, not really feeling pleased with himself. He had obviously touched a nerve.

The Scout took a step forward, getting up in the Billionth's face. "You don't know _anything_ about what these badges are worth to me. About what the Scouts are worth to me. So don't pretend you know the first thing about either of them."

"I know that those badges are just random achievements thrown to you…stepping stones on a path to nothing!" Noman shot back.

Marble chuckled humorlessly to himself. "Funny. Because that's what I see these artifacts as." He grabbed the Voda Shlem from Noman's belt and held it up above his head. "Just stepping stones on a path to nothing."

"Give that back!" Noman shouted, leaping for the artifact.

"Just look at yourself. Like a pig with a carrot dangled above it." Marble tossed it to his other hand and halted Noman in place with a hand to his chest. "You claim your mission is to save Minecraftia? Yet you're willing to sacrifice comrades to get that far? How does that make sense?"

"You're not seeing the bigger picture." Noman argued, trying to lunge for the Voda Shlem again. "What's one or two lives compared with the thousands…maybe millions who'll die at the Endward Cult's hands!?"

"Nowhere!" Righty shouted out in fury, causing Noman to recoil. "If that's what you really think, you're a bigger idiot than Maplecock!"

"Wha…what?" Noman didn't even bother to cover his ears.

"No Crafter is going to accept their death so long as you tell them 'It's for the good of the world.' You can't just offer that with a shrug and walk away!" Righty's green eyes blazed in anger. "It's heartless!"

"Heart…less?" Noman couldn't believe what he was hearing. He quickly turned to Marble. "But…but what about your advice! You said that…that a Scout must be uncompromising and stubborn…able to weather a mighty river...Was that just a lie?"

Marble shook his head. "No. A Scout does need to be uncompromising and stubborn…willing to commit themselves entirely to obtain a badge…no matter how ridiculous or absurd…" He faced Noman fully. "But there's a cardinal rule held with greater respect." He fished out the badge book from his belt and turned to the first page, showing it to Noman.

 **[Never abandon a comrade to die.]**

"…"

Noman read that line several times, taking in its meaning. It was just six words, but the conviction in Marble's eyes told him it was to be taken as seriously as the grave.

"A Scout can never abandon another Scout to die, Nowhere. Because if one dies, they can no longer earn badges. And that is the greatest emptiness for a Scout." He closed his eyes thoughtfully. "When I fell…I thought that was it…I thought I'd never know the joy of another badge—never feel that swell of accomplishment. To me, that was the scariest moment I've faced."

Noman looked down in shame, realizing how Marble must have felt. All the Scout had done had been to help Noman. Yet when he needed him…

He let him fall.

"I…I'm…"

Noman felt the Voda Shlem being handed back to him before Marble stepped away. "If you're truly sorry for what you've done, admit it. Then prove it," he pointed to the edge of the shelf, "by tossing that helmet over the edge."

Noman looked up apprehensively. "But…Marble—"

"No. That thing in your hand is just a piece of leather." Marble explained with a scowl. "It's not a Crafter's life. It's not your life. It's just an object you've been obsessing over this whole day."

Noman looked at the light blue cap held in his numb fingers. "But…after all we've—"

"Throw it away, and then I'll happily help you find your way down to retrieve it again. As friends." He promised. "But first, I need to know that it doesn't mean more to you than a comrade's life."

Noman gulped, his eyes darting to the Voda Shlem and back to Marble and the three Slime-girls. They were all watching him expectantly. Slowly, Noman approached the edge, the hand holding the Voda Shlem shaking slightly.

"It's just a piece of leather, Nowhere." Marble repeated. "Don't let it rule you."

Noman looked down into the dark abyss, his breathing a little faster, as he pulled back his arm, ready to throw the artifact down.

The artifact that he needed to defeat the Endward Cult.

The artifact that may be lost forever in the abyss below if he were to chuck it.

"Ngh…" Noman clutched the Voda Shlem close to his chest and backed away from the edge.

He couldn't do it.

Behind him, he heard Marble give a disappointed sigh. "Well, I guess that's that." He sounded so hollow, making Noman's feel ashamed of himself.

 _I'm sorry, Marble…I really am…but I can't take this risk…_

"I'm on my own, then." Noman spoke aloud, not even turning to face the Scout.

"Yeah…" Marble answered after several seconds. "I guess you are…"

Noman placed the Voda Shlem at his belt once again, feeling something unpleasant twist inside his gut. "Did you see where Ciro fell?"

Marble growled angrily. "Even now, you're still going after his bow! When will it be enough, Nowhere!?"

"I understand why you're angry, Marble." Noman answered hollowly. "But…I need to see this through. I have to."

Marble looked like he wanted to say something, but bit his lip instead. "Fine. Bethany."

"Oh!...um…yes?" The sad Slime-girl asked while cowering behind Legoless.

"Did you see where Ciro fell?"

"Um…yes…one of my selves…er…saw him fall over that edge." She pointed towards the edge Noman was near. "Whatever's left of him is probably a ways down…but—"

"Thanks." Noman answered, walking up to the flowing waterfall and placing whatever spare blocks he had left to redirect the flow over the edge. He also put on his leather armor—with the exception of his tunic—to leave a space for the Severe Shield. He didn't know whether Ciro survived the fall, but he wasn't going to take any chances. If the crimson-garbed heterochromatic Crafter was still alive, he'd expect a battle.

Meanwhile, Marble walked up to the waterfall, intending to swim up it. Legoless closely followed him.

Bethany, however, looked torn between going with Noman and going with Marble. She was looking between the two, looking saddened.

"Come on, Bethany." Righty spoke, walking up to the girl. "We're getting out of this hell-hole."

"But…but what about Nowhere?"

Righty shook her head. "Nowhere's in the wrong, here. No way am I gonna follow a guy that values a stupid artifact more than our lives. This is for the best."

Bethany looked down dejectedly, before nodding. The two joined Marble and Legoless in floating up the waterfall while Noman prepared to float down.

"It's not worth it, Nowhere." Marble called out. A last message before parting. "It just isn't."

It was Noman's turn to answer in silence, as he slid up to the edge before being carried down by the water's flow.

* * *

The cavern seemed to stretch down for miles. Though Noman couldn't tell if that was caused by the sheer distance or from the empty lonliness.

He never thought he'd miss the idle absurdity Marble used to fill the silence. Traveling with him, while exasperating at times, was also comforting. A helpful ally…

Noman sighed. _Well…at least if he hates me, he'll have those emeralds I gave him. I'm sure those will help him forget._

Noman tried to shake those thoughts from his mind. He couldn't focus on the others at the moment. He needed to remain vigilant to find Ciro's gear…or Ciro himself.

As he continued to flow down, Noman noticed a bit of light illuminating a new shelf. The waterfall poured across the shelf before flowing over the edge and deeper into the cavern's depths. He quickly left the waterfall, landing on the shelf, and walked up to the light.

It was a torch. But not Ciro's gear.

Noman frowned as he looked up from the torch, seeing another torch, then another, forming a loose path to the cavern wall. Then his eyes trailed up the wall, observing a sort of makeshift staircase made out of dirt, built along the wall.

Someone built that.

It seemed to trail up high—

*UHNN*

 _Zombies!_ Noman thought to himself as he withdrew his diamond blade. However, as he whirled around, he couldn't pinpoint the location of the Mobs. They were sticking to the darkness, just on the outskirts of the torchlight.

Noman backed away from the darkness until he was standing beside one of the torches. They wouldn't be able to sneak up on him if he stayed in the light. If they wanted to kill him so badly, they'd have to reveal themselves.

Predictably, that's just what they did. Three Zombies left the darkness and marched towards the prepared Billionth.

Zombies were no real challenge to him anymore. He raked his blade across the first one's head and sliced the second one right down the middle. His Sharpness diamond sword was really something powerful.

He hefted his blade to finish the last Zombie—

*TWANG*

Noman's eyes widened at the sound of a bow and the subsequent whistle of an arrow before an explosion blasted him forward. He bowled into the Zombie, knocking both of them over, before rolling across the ground.

 _That was the Yanhua Gong!_ Noman was able to process in his shell-shocked state as he groaned to a sitting position. _So Ciro did survive the fall…_

Another twang and whistle told him to move just before an explosion ripped through the ground where he was stationed. However, in his hasty roll, Noman forgot about the Zombie that was now in his face.

The two wrestled across the ground before the Zombie stood atop the Billionth, scratching at his flimsy leather armor. Noman held back the Zombie's face, taking care to avoid its snapping teeth, while he positioned the tip of his blade over the Zombie's center and thrust. The strike earned a pained groan before the Zombie disappeared.

Noman didn't have time to celebrate as another arrow came screaming towards him. With his Health low from all the attacks, Noman quickly donned his Severe Shield, quadrupling his maximum Health and allowing him to survive the explosion.

"Show yourself!" Noman called out to the surrounding darkness. "Your arrows won't do you any good anymore!"

For a long time there was nothing but silence. Then a voice carried itself throughout the cavern. An echo.

"I'd rather stay in the shadows if it's all the same to you." Ciro's voice taunted. "After all, what sniper would willingly give away their location?"

Noman bit his lip angrily. He made a good point. Noman couldn't fight what he couldn't hit. And the darkness was concealing the heterochromatic Crafter's position quite effectively. Meanwhile, if Noman stayed in the torchlight, Ciro would have no trouble hitting him.

"Besides…" Ciro continued. "I wouldn't want those pesky friends of yours to gang up on me. Where are they anyway?"

Noman felt that familiar something twist in his gut before he looked down in shame. "They're not coming…But I can handle you myself!"

"Sure you can…just like you're supposed to handle the Endward Cult all by yourself." Ciro mocked. "Notch really put his faith in the wrong Crafter."

Noman's eyes widened in surprise. "Notch…? How do you…what do you know about Notch?"

"More than you."

Another arrow came screaming at Noman from the left. He quickly backpedaled away, clearing both the arrow and the blast before they could reach him…

Only for a second arrow to impact the ground to the right of him, blasting him across the floor before rolling to a stop.

"Ugh…Who are you!?" Noman called out, both in anger and burning curiosity. This Ciro knew too much about the artifacts, about Notch, about all of it. Just what was his connection?

"I told you before," the voice carried throughout the cavern, masking the sniper's location, "I am the _true_ chosen one." Another arrow shot towards Noman, forcing him to dodge. "The one that will defeat the Endward Cult and avenge Notch's death!" Several more arrows blasted apart the ground, littering the shelf with craters. "The one and only…MILLIONTH!"

With his Severe Shield equipped, Noman took the brunt of Ciro's explosions. Enduring blast after blast, until Ciro took a moment to rest.

"The Millionth?" Noman questioned to stall the sniper while he devoured some steak. He needed to refill his Hunger _fast_!

"That's right." Ciro called back, seeing no need to finish Noman quickly. "I was Notch's apprentice nearly four hundred years ago. I was his strongest fighter. One of his closest comrades…and yet…"

"And yet?" Noman ventured tentatively.

Suddenly, Ciro's voice became more malicious. "And yet he chose to put his faith in _you_ —some guy he hadn't even met—over me! He chose to give you his Severe Shield! Left nothing for me but an empty space! Thinking I'd be happy with how things turned out!

"Well, I'll show him…I'll prove him wrong!" Several more arrows came pelting from the darkness. "It'll be I who eradicates the Endward Cult! It'll be I who obtains all nine artifacts! Not you! And not anyone else!"

Noman flinched in fear. There was no way he was going to reason with Ciro. Any thought of working together to defeat the Endward Cult was dashed by his vindictive diatribe.

He had no choice but to fight.

With that, Noman ran up to one of Ciro's launched arrows, ending to take it dead on. When it impacted, Noman was blasted back as the explosion ripped through his body, shredding his leather armor to bits.

But his chestplate held firm.

And since he took a hit…

"Gah!" Ciro shouted, feeling the effects of the Severe Shield's powerful Thorns Enchantment. However, his pained yell signified that he wasn't dead yet. He must have had strong Enchanted armor to withstand that backlash.

"Nice try, Ciro!" Noman exclaimed. "But clearly you missed a couple of facts about this chestplate! Any hit I take will hurt you more than it'll hurt me!"

Surprisingly, Ciro laughed at Noman's words. "You think you're invincible, don't you? You've had that Severe Shield for, what, less than a month? I've had this bow ever since I stole it, over two hundred years ago!"

 _Two-hundred!?_

"I have more experience, and I've learned ways of getting around Thorns Enchantments!" At that, Ciro shot three arrows, each one slightly off from hitting Noman.

By the time Noman decided on which arrow to intercept, they had already impacted, their explosive splash damage throwing Noman back and into a wall. The Severe Shield couldn't stop explosive damage like that. Only precise strikes that actually landed.

"Not bad…" Noman admitted. "But you're forgetting I have _two_ artifacts!" With that, Noman grabbed the Voda Shlem at his belt and wore it for the first time. He didn't feel any different, but then, not all the artifacts had a reaction.

Ciro laughed derisively. "We'll see…" Several more arrows shot towards Noman. While he couldn't see the water particles of the Voda Shlem's radius within the dim light, he had memorized the book's description of the radius.

 _It has a six-meter radius. That should be big enough to slow down his arrows. Then it should be a breeze to intercept them with the Severe Shield._

Noman saw the arrows drawing nearer. Ten meters. Eight meters. Six meters. Four met—!

*BOOM*

"GAH!" Noman cried out as he was once more flung to the ground. The arrows didn't slow down one bit!

 _What…what did I do wrong?_

Ciro's laugh carried through the air. "See? I knew it! That helmet is useless in your incompetent hands! You lack the experience to harness its power!"

Several more arrows were fired towards him, and still the Voda Shlem refused to work. There had to be some kind of secret to get it to work. Something that he perhaps missed from Herobrine's description of the artifact.

But now wasn't the time to check it out himself. He had explosions to dodge.

Even with the added Health and Protection of the Severe Shield, Noman couldn't take many more hits. Ciro truly was a master of the Yanhua Gong.

"After I've killed you," Ciro taunted from afar, "I'll have enough artifacts to take on one of the Endward Cult's Divisions! If they thought the Angel of Death was bad…wait until they see what _I_ 'm capable of!"

Noman heard another twang, followed by an explosion directly above him. Looking up, he yelled in shock as several blocks of gravel collapsed through the blasted hole in the stone. He shielded his head with his arms as he was buried alive in gravel. All oxygen was cut off, and he could barely move trapped in all the loose blocks.

It was suffocating.

He desperately tried to break the blocks, his Severe Shield doing nothing to protect him from the smothering gravel. Outside the gravel, he heard the muffled noises of explosions as Ciro repeatedly shot at something. Noman's remaining Health was steadily dropping. By the time he dug himself out, breathing a sweet breath of air, he was already at three Hearts.

And worse, the entire ground surrounding him was reduced to a cratered mess. Ciro had blasted apart the floor of the shelf they were fighting on until he punched through towards the cavern's steep drop.

Noman was left half-buried in gravel, on an island of floating stone.

Only then did Ciro finally step out from the darkness, walking on the same level as Noman, as he raised his bow.

"As disappointing as I expected."

*TWANG*

He shot at the island beneath the gravel, the only thing supporting Noman, causing both him and the gravel he was buried in to fall further down below.

 _I can't do this!_ Noman realized as he frantically tried to escape his falling gravel tomb.

 _I can't win this!_

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Light Blue_ ] {Voda Shlem}, 1 Diamond Sword [ _Sharpness I_ ], 1 Bow [ _Infinity_ ], 1 Wooden Axe, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Stone Bricks, 7 Gravel, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottles, 11 Steaks, 7 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 2 Bones, 14 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 1]

* * *

 **AN: If you don't feel like this chapter was an emotional tearing-your-still-beating-heart-out-of-your-chest-and-replacing-it-with-a-bucketful-of-tears chapter...good for you. Then again, I'm not the best at writing sad things.**

 **Noman vs Ciro. Billionth vs Millionth. The result...well...**

 **Some of you actually thought Marble was dead, but this is a whole lot worse. Now Noman's on his own...and getting the artifact-loving crap kicked out of him.**

 **But don't worry. This sad arc about Noman's obsession over artifacts will soon end. Next chapter will be the arc's conclusion, then we'll get back to happier waters. Like watching Cobb fuck around and pretend to know what he's doing.**

 **I can hardly wait. (^_^)**

 **Omake below. Also, if you could come up with Omake suggestions, PM them.**

 **See you next week.**

* * *

Omake: Prophecy

[365 Years Ago]

Somewhere in a swamp, beneath an oak tree's canopy of leaves, a group of Crafters were huddled around a fire. One of them, a bald man with beady black eyes, a brown tattered shirt, a black beard, and clad in diamond armor, was retelling a chilling tale.

"So…desperately hung over and in need of something to revitalize him, the young Hero placed a Crafting Table and readied his gold and his apple. He was intending to make a golden apple. Something that could restore his strength…" The bald man paused for dramatic effect, even as all the watchers sighed wearily. "But the Crafting Table…TOOK ALL HIS GOLD! OOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

The bald man continued to make spooky noises, even when faced with the uninterested looks his listeners were giving him.

"...oooooooh?"

"Notch, you already told us that story a million times." One of the listeners, a man wearing a billowing crimson trench coat and a black face mask covering his mouth, rolled his eyes. One black and one grey. "In fact, you've told us that story for every one Crafter that spawned before me."

"Well…it's a great story." Notch defended sheepishly.

"Yes, but we're trying to tell spooky stories." Another listener interjected. "I got one! Once upon a time, there was a Killer Rabbit—"

"Oh, not this again!" The man with the red trench coat dismissed.

"I'm telling you, Ciro! There really was a Killer Rabbit!" The second listened argued. "It had huge teeth and red slits for eyes! It almost killed me!"

Before anyone could reply, a wheezing cough cut through the pitter patter of rain. It sounded nearby.

"You guys hear that?" Notch asked seriously, all signs of his goofiness gone. "Sounds like someone's caught in the rain."

"Well, we better go invite them in." Ciro shrugged as everyone got to their feet and followed their leader into the downpour.

They all called out in search of the mysterious wheezing noise, trying to locate it as best they could. However, Notch was the one to find the Crafter in the end. It was an elderly woman with a hunched back, garbed in tattered robes.

"Excuse me, miss." Notch began kindly. "Do you have a camp nearby? Possibly separated from your group?" The old lady tried to speak, but was stopped by her wheezing cough. Unable to answer, she simply shook her head, no. "In that case, would you like to come to our camp until this storm blows over? The swamp is no place to be wandering alone, after all.

The woman paused to consider, before eventually nodding. Notch supported her as they made their way back, his other companions taking notice and returning as well.

Once returned to the safety of their camp, Notch handed the woman one of his cherished and trademarked Notch Apples. She devoured it hungrily, and breathed a sigh of relief at the soothing effects the apple had on her weakened self. Her wheezing coughs cleared up instantly.

"Thank you…kind Hero."

"Don't mention it." Notch replied kindly. "That Notch Apple was taking up Inventory space anyway."

"The gold used for that apple could have fed a village for a week."

"Not helping, Ciro!" Notch tried to shush him, but Ciro was already laughing jovially. The two always enjoyed pushing each other's buttons. They were assholes to each other, but that was what friends were for.

Even if their relationship was more of a master/apprentice kind of deal.

The woman looked onto Ciro with an odd stare. "You…" She pointed a finger at his heterochromatic eyes. "You…are number one million…"

"Wha…how did you know that?" Ciro questioned before narrowing his eyes. "Have you been spying on us?"

The old lady shook her head. "It is not I who has been spying…'tis the spirits. The spirits of the Void." She waved an arm into the air, shifting the smoke from the fire. "They see all, hear all, smell all, taste all—"

"Ew…"

"They are everywhere and nowhere. Beneath the earth. Beyond the stars. In the dark spaces of our minds. Wherever we can and cannot see, they most certainly lay."

"…Neat? I guess…" Notch offered politely, all while Ciro was crossing his eyes and making crazy motions with his fingers.

"Neat indeed." The woman continued, apparently ignoring Ciro. "I simply interpret the spirits, reading futures and fortunes and relaying them to those I deem worthy." She stared at Notch for a moment. "You are number two. The Second to spawn in all of Minecraftia. 'Tis no mean feat."

Notch's eyes widened in wonder, but Ciro was quick to squash those feelings. "You were Ringwood's King. I'm sure a lot of Crafters know who you are and what number is yours. It's not exclusive information."

The old woman's eyes narrowed. "I see you are a non-believer. Doubting the power of the Void spirits. Perhaps a demonstration will put your doubts to rest."

"Yes. Perhaps it would." Ciro countered before sitting back and gesturing for her to begin. "Well, go on. Read Notch's future."

The woman frowned before huffing and turning to Notch. "Hand me your palm."

Notch eagerly thrust out his palm into the woman's wrinkled hands. "Oooh, I hope there's a giant robot in my future!"

"But Jeb just made you one of those for your birthday." One of the other listeners pointed out.

"That was a medium-sized robot at best. Didn't even have any lasers." Noth mumbled to himself.

The woman stared at Notch's palm, her eyes widening and narrowing every so often. "Oh my…this is…this…"

"What is it, miss?" Notch inquired breathlessly.

"My guess? Dirty hands." Ciro laughed before getting a rib to the side.

"I see…I see that you have a bright light…deep inside…a light that shines brightest in the dark…but I also see a great darkness in your future." Notch focused his attention on the woman, surprise clear on his face.

"How can you _see_ darkness? If it's so dark, it can't be seen."

"Shush." Notch chided before turning his attention back to the woman.

"This darkness…this darkness is closer to you than you think." The woman continued. "Closer in time or closer in place…I cannot be certain…I see…I see black leather caps…and Nitebane…"

"Nitebane?" Notch questioned. "But that's—"

"Oooh!" The woman shouted, closing her eyes. "This darkness is too powerful. I see…I see you…battling this darkness…such a destructive battle…my goodness! I've never seen something like this before!"

"And?" Notch urged. "What happens? Do I win? Or…or…?"

The woman's eyes scrunched together closer than ever. "I…I see that you cannot defeat this evil alone…nor can you defeat it at this present time…but I do see another light…One that burns much brighter than yours…a star…

"This star will present itself…when the world of Minecraftia has aged for five centuries…and this star… _will_ defeat the darkness and save Minecraftia…probably…"

"Probably?"

"The Void Spirits are kind of iffy about it." The woman admitted.

"Oh this is ridiculous." Ciro dismissed. "Notch, you can't possibly be buying this."

"What will this 'star' look like?" Notch ignored Ciro, making the old woman smile mockingly at the heterochromatic warrior.

"I…I cannot tell the features." She admitted. "All I can tell you is that he will be known…as the Billionth!"

"The…Billionth?" Ciro questioned thoughtfully. The word sounded foreign to him, which it should have. The number of Crafters was not even a fifth of the way to a billion. And if this supposed Billionth was supposed to spawn when Minecraftia was five-hundred years old, that meant…three-hundred and sixty five years! That would be how long it would take to spawn him.

But that was absurd!

"Are you sure it's not the Millionth that's supposed to help Notch defeat this darkness?" Ciro questioned skeptically. "Because—and I don't mean to brag—but I'm quite formidable…"

"You are not the one." The woman announced clearly. "The spirits are very clear."

"But…" Ciro didn't even know why he was taking such offense to the ravings of an elderly woman. "I've been Notch's apprentice for—"

" Billionth. _Not_ Millionth."

Notch hummed in thought while Ciro just grumbled. "Billionth…I'll keep that in mind."

"Wha—Notch!"

"It can't hurt to have the information." Notch reasoned. "Who knows? Maybe these Void Spirits know more than we're giving them credit for."

Ciro scowled at the old woman. "I seriously doubt it."

 _Just one letter…_

* * *

 **AN: Just one little letter can make a BIG difference.**


	51. Merits

**AN: Well, here it is. The conclusion to Noman's Arc. I won't say anything more and let the Chapter do the talking.**

 **Congrats to Ari-Dexel13 for getting last week's riddle. The answer: Phone. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, arrows could be shot out of the air.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 51

 **Merits**

"NO!" Noman shouted out in desperation, all the while trying to pry himself out from the falling gravel.

At his current Health, hitting the ground would kill him, whether he wore the Severe Shield or not.

As for the Voda Shlem, even if he could manage to get it to work, it was meant to slow down oncoming attacks, not nullify fall damage.

If he hit the ground, he'd be dead. And Ciro would be left victorious to claim the Billionth's artifacts.

He needed something to cushion his fall.

As he glanced around, he spotted a stream of water cascading down the cavern. It must have been the same water he used to flow down earlier.

 _But…why can I see it in this dark cavern? Are my eyes just adjusting?_

Shaking those thoughts away, he realized he should be thinking less about dim lighting and more about saving his own bacon.

Putting more strength into it than he thought he had, Noman flailed out of the entombing gravel and drifted towards the stream of water. As soon as his torso was surrounded by the stream, he felt all of his falling velocity slow down, abruptly bringing the feeling of his organs to his throat.

However, in his haste to get to the water, he seemed to have drifted too far into the stream. He came out the other side, regaining a bit of his lost momentum before impacting the ground.

Yet for all the pain and discomfort he felt, he greedily accepted it as signs that he was still very much alive.

*TWANG*

Reflex alone saved Noman from an explosive death. He was able to narrowly evade Ciro's latest arrow, shot across from him instead of from above. The arrow impacted some thick, black, crystal-like substance before exploding. Oddly enough, the explosion didn't leave a crater.

Noman turned towards the source of the arrow to see Ciro standing before him yet again.

Ender pearls were the first thought that crossed the Billionth's mind to explain how he got down so fast without any effort. It was probably the same way he survived falling down the first time. He simply chucked an ender pearl against a shelf floor before he hit the ground. Noman was willing to wager they were also the same way he infiltrated Maplefrost's party.

However, that wasn't the only question of Noman's that was answered.

Even at the latest level of the cavern—so deep underground that there should have been no light—the area was illuminated by a warm, orange glow.

 _Lava._

Several shallow pools of it were spread around the floor, with an occasional space filled with that same black, seemingly indestructible, crystal-like block wherever water flowed. There was no steeper fall awaiting them. No hollow floor for them to fall through.

This was the bottom.

"You should have just let it end." Ciro called from across, already materializing another arrow into that bow of his. "You're a hundred years too early to challenge me."

Noman frowned at that. "I'm not here to challenge you. I'm here to claim those artifacts and stop the Endward Cult." It was probably a bad idea, especially since the artifacts were a sore topic with Ciro, but Noman couldn't think of anything else to stall with. His Health was far too low to make any sort of counter-attack.

Predictably, Ciro scowled. "What do _you_ know about the justice the Endward Cult deserves? They were claiming lives and causing tragedies since before you were spawned! What gives you the right to claim responsibility for everything they've done?" He gripped his bow so tight Noman thought it would break. "What makes _you_ more qualified than _me_!?"

Noman paused to try and make an argument. "I…"

"No!" Ciro bellowed, pulling back his bowstring. "You _don't_ know! You aren't qualified! And with this arrow I'll prove it!"

Without any other options, Noman did the only thing he could think of.

"…What are you doing?"

Noman had taken off the Voda Shlem and Severe Shield…and was backing up to one of the pools of lava.

"Maybe I'm not qualified for this…" Noman began carefully, all while Ciro kept his eyes glued to the artifacts. The helmet in one hand and the chestplate at his belt. "I've already had to make choices—choices that I wish I could take back—but I'm going to keep trying until I get it right."

"Oh?" Ciro questioned, momentarily lowering his bow. "And why would you go through all the trouble?"

"Because I believe Notch intended for the Billionth to be a Crafter of genuine innocence." Noman recalled the words Spark had used to cheer him up. "A Crafter with the desire to help those in need."

"Eh?" Ciro scoffed loudly. "Genuine innocence? What good is that against the Endward Cult? You've wasted my time with your answer!" He raised his bow again, intent in shooting the Billionth.

"S-stop!" Noman shouted while holding the Voda Shlem out…right over the lava pool. Ciro's eyes widened fearfully at the action. "If…if you shoot…both of the artifacts will fall into lava with the rest of my Inventory! You'll have nothing!" Noman desperately willed away the hesitance in his voice to make the bluff believable. It was his only chance.

"You'd go so far…out of spite?" Ciro questioned cautiously as he lowered his bow.

The hand holding the Voda Shlem shook slightly. "You bet I would!"

Ciro, however, was watching Noman's hand very closely. And that small, little shiver was all the confirmation he needed. "No…I don't think you will." He raised his bow again and walked towards the on-edge Billionth with the utmost trepidation.

"S-stay back! I mean it!" Noman shook the helmet threateningly, hoping to appear willing. However, all it did was slow Ciro down a moment before he resumed his walk. "Lower your bow! And don't come any closer! I'll…I'll throw the artifacts into the lava!"

Ciro shook his head, his eyes glittering maliciously. "You won't. You've gone to so many lengths just to possess that Voda Shlem. And you wouldn't have come down here, looking for my bow, if you didn't care about the aryifacts more than your own well-being." Noman could hear the sneer in Ciro's voice. "You won't toss them. You don't have the stones for it."

"I…I…" Noman backed up to the lava pool as far as he could. The hand holding the Voda Shlem was shaking violently…but he couldn't let it go.

Ciro was right.

"You don't have the stones and I can tell you exactly why." Ciro continued, trying to keep Noman's attention as he slowly drew nearer. "You're not cut out to be a savior. You're not meant to be a hero. All you are is a delivery-boy, here to present to me what is mine."

Ciro lowered his bow and extended a hand to reach for the Severe Shield at Noman's belt. Meanwhile, the Billionth was wrestling with the words Ciro had just spoken.

 _No…that's not true…I'm more than a delivery-boy…_

 _I…I…_

Noman was on the verge of frustration and Ciro was on the verge of grabbing the artifact…

When suddenly…

"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah."

Ciro paused to look around for the sound, his hand still hovering near Noman's belt.

Noman looked around as well. Mostly confused, but also a tad hopefully. _Is that…no, it couldn't be…_

"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na bah-ba-bah-ba-bah BADUM! GERONIMO!"

Noman and Ciro both located the sound coming from above at exactly the same time. When they looked up, they saw something large falling through the cavern's darkness. Something that was heading straight for them!

Ciro instantly reloaded his bow and fired an arrow at the oncoming mass.

*BOOM*

The explosion ripped through the air, echoing across the cave and splitting apart the oncoming object into three separate masses, all of which impacted the floor around Noman and Ciro…

And splattered.

"…Slimy?" Noman questioned aloud, even as the three green masses each morphed to form a separate entity.

"Catch me!" A male voice shouted an instant before one of the green masses caught him. "Ow! Slime Burn! Ow!"

"…Marble?" Noman asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Scout roll-call!" The blond shouted enthusiastically, brandishing his Longsword with a pose. "Marble!"

"Legoless!" The legless Slime-girl chirped with a flamboyant pose.

"B-bethany!" The left-armed Slime-girl stuttered timidly, offering her own shy pose.

"Righty." The last right-armed Slime-girl droned dully, her only attempt at a pose being a half-hearted wave.

"Yeah!" Marble shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Now _that's_ an entry worthy of the  Dynamic Entrance Badge!"

"Tch. I knew you lot were nearby. Waiting to ambush me." Ciro got into a stance, expecting a battle.

"Guys…you came back…" Noman spoke in disbelief, not even bothering to keep his tears in check. "How…how did you even find me?"

"How could we not?" Righty called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We just followed the sound of explosions."

"But…I don't—why come back …even after what I did…?"

Marble turned to the Billionth, offering a shrug. "Well…I wouldn't be much of a Scout if I left someone behind. Even if it meant earning the Ditch a Fellow Scout Badge." Noman smiled weakly, even as the blond patted him on the shoulder. "Now what do you say we kick this guy's ass and all get out of here?"

Noman wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve before returning Marble's confident look. "I'd say…language."

"Really? Ass is a curse?" Marble laughed. "You must have baby ears or something—"

"Hey!" Righty shouted, alerting the two. "If you're both done making up, we could use some help over here!"

Ciro was already firing at the three Slime-girls. Chunks of the ground were blasted apart in his efforts to kill the trio. However, with their pliable bodies, dodging arrows was child's play. The trouble was that they needed to close in to finish him off, and the Millionth was being careful to prevent that.

"I don't know what you Slime-things are," Ciro commented while backing up, "but I'll destroy anything in my way!"

Noman and Marble leapt aside to dodge one of the Millionth's random shots before charging towards the Crafter.

"Hey, Ciro!" Marble called out. "Nice temper you have! Where'd you get it? The temper store?"

"Wha…that…that insult didn't even make sense!" Ciro shouted in anger, focusing his fire on the blond Scout.

"Here's an insult for you!" Righty shouted next. "Your aim is so bad, you couldn't hit the broad side of the ground!"

"I'll show you bad aim!" Ciro fired a shot directly at Righty…only for it to miss as she bent her amorphous body.

"Huh. You're right." Righty spoke with mild interest. "That _was_ bad aim."

Ciro growled, steam practically pouring from his ears, as he turned his attention to the Slime-girl instead of the others who were approaching.

Noman began to see what Marble's plan was. Ciro couldn't aim his bow at five people at once. If they all surrounded him and kept his attention long enough, surely one of them could sneak into his guard.

It just required more distracting insults.

"Hey, Ciro!" Legoless interjected, earning the Millionth's attention. "You're mean!"

"A-and you look scary…sorry." Bethany added meekly, quickly dodging an arrow.

Righty groaned. "Leave the insults to the professionals, people."

However, that last jab seemed to have stirred up Ciro more than any of the other insults. "Scary! SCARY!? How dare you say I look scary!?" The Millionth looked livid and was facing Bethany with his full attention. He raised his bow towards her before turning it at an upwards angle. "Now you'll see what this bow is capable of in a _master's_ hands!"

At that, Ciro shot an arrow, barely pulling the string back, in a quick-fire that had no real momentum to it. The shot arced towards Bethany, but the trajectory was so obvious that it looked an easy dodge.

But then Noman noticed Ciro readying another shot. And then it clicked.

"Bethany!" He shouted. "Dive away!"

But before the Slime-girl could react, Ciro shot a new arrow with full force. This one hit the first arrow with pinpoint accuracy right in front of Bethany, causing them both to explode. The combined force was enough to rip Bethany apart, splattering her across the floor.

The small pools of slime quickly collected into three miniature Slime-girls, each recovering from the blast.

"So that's how she survived the first time." Ciro spoke to himself as he towered over one of the miniatures. The tiny Bethany looked up, her eyes quivering in terror, as Ciro raised his foot. With every intention to stomp her out of existence. "I won't make the same mistake again."

"Stop!" Noman charged in without thinking, swinging his diamond blade through the air to strike Ciro's side. However, the Millionth dove aside, sparing the mini-Bethany but having an arrow already loaded. He blasted apart Noman's ground, forcing him backward before sliding to a stop at the edge of a lava pool. Noman was on his knees, his Health a mere two Hearts...

"Gotcha!" Legoless shouted triumphantly as she leapt towards the unsuspecting Ciro. It looked like her only planned attack was a bear-hug, but given the damage contact with her caused, it might have been enough.

Might have...if Ciro hadn't already blasted her with an arrow.

It caught her dead center in the chest, enough damage to hurt her, but not split her. Instead she sailed overhead, arcing straight towards the pool of lava. Noman shot a hand out to grab her and barely managed a grasp her arm, leaving her dangling over the edge of a lava pool.

"Ow! OW!" Noman cried out as the slime burned through his Health. Righty was quick to assist, running to take over Noman's grip and spare him the damage. The contact between the two Slime-girls allowed Legoless to partly pull herself out and fuse with Righty.

But as Noman turned, he saw that Ciro already had his arrow trained on the three of them. His eyes shone triumphantly as he released the arrow…

"Not today!" Marble sprung out of nowhere, tugging the Millionth's ponytail enough to throw off his aim. The arrow sailed high over Noman and the Slime-girls' heads, blasting apart the ceiling and causing something bright and molten to flow down.

 _More lava!?_ Noman internally cried out.

Marble kept yanking Ciro's hair, all strategy forgotten in a bout of immaturity. Only for Ciro to elbow him in the ribs and throw him over his shoulder. The Scout slammed into the ground hard, a pained gasp escaping his throat.

"That does it!" Ciro's face mask had fallen in their scuffle, revealing an expression twisted in fury. He stamped his foot down onto the Scout's chest and held the bow at point blank range. An arrow loaded and poking Marble's neck. "I'm going to blow your _fucking_ HEAD OFF!"

"Hey!" Noman shouted threateningly, catching everyone's attention. He was stood at the edge of the lava pool, Righty still helping Legoless, with his hand holding a light blue leather cap over the lava. " _Language_." He hissed without a shred of hesitance.

Ciro just looked at the Billionth before letting out a harsh laugh, his arrow still pointed at Marble's neck. "What? Trying to bluff your way out of this again?"

Noman narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to comment. The Voda Shlem was held in his hand over the hissing lava. Behind him, lava continued to slowly pour down the cavern walls into where they were fighting.

"Nice try, but as I said before, you don't have the stones to—"

Noman threw the Voda Shlem high, not even bothering to watch it tumble through the air. Arcing straight into the lava pool.

"You IDIOT!" Ciro rushed forward, his eyes wide with panic, as he abandoned Marble in his haste to save the artifact. Noman didn't even stop the Millionth, stepping aside to allow him to throw himself over the lava pool to bobble the Voda Shlem in each hand before safely securing it in his vice-like grip.

He wasn't quite able to clear the pool, however. His upper torso impacted the edge with a painful THUMP and he desperately scrabbled along the stone's surface, hugging the edge.

"YOU ALMOST COST ME AN ARTIFACT!" Ciro bellowed, turning his head to where he was sure Noman would be.

However, Noman was no longer waiting by the lava's edge. Neither was Legoless or Righty. The attempt Ciro was sure the Billionth would make upon reclaiming the Voda Shlem never came. The three had gone over to pick up the Bethany bits and Marble and were now running to escape the cavern.

A cavern that was slowly filling with lava.

Ciro's eyes widened in fear as he saw the lava—lava that he had inadvertently unleashed— flow onto the ground, before beginning to gush towards him. He didn't bring any water.

And the Voda Shlem in his hands couldn't do anything against lava.

"…Fuck."

"Language!" A far-off cry echoed, safely away from the burning lava.

* * *

After safely finding their way back to Maplefrost's bunker, two of the three Slime-girls poked their heads up to look out for guards.

"All clear." Legoless called down cheerfully. The next instant, Bethany slithered out, followed by Marble.

Noman climbed forward, taking a moment to glance over his shoulder at the caverns below. He could still make out the glow of lava far below, but felt a detached emptiness towards it. He couldn't fathom why he was feeling so disinterested in Ciro's fate, or the fate of the Voda Shlem. But as he turned back to his companions, Marble stooped down to offer the Billionth a hand up, he felt comfortable with it all.

That thing twisting in his gut was replaced with…well…he felt at ease.

And it was with this comforting feeling that he gratefully accepted the Scout's hand and pulled himself from the floor.

"Well," Righty spoke dryly, "Think Maplecock will notice a giant pool of lava under his mansion?"

"Langauge, please." Noman commented shrewdly, but with a smile all the same. "I'm just glad we all made it out—hey!"

A good-hearted hair-ruffle, courtesy of Marble, disrupted the Billionth's words. The blond was grinning happily. "I'm proud of you, Nowhere. What you did down there was pretty badass, not gonna lie. I mean, the look on Ciro's face when you tossed that helmet…"

He made a good imitation of Ciro's expression, one of outrage mixed with fear, and Noman nodded along, though a tad bit sadly.

It wasn't hard for Marble to notice. "Hey, I'm really sorry about the Voda Shlem—"

Noman looked up at Marble with a knowing smirk. "No you're not."

"Uh…well…yeah, you got me" Marble admitted sheepishly. "That thing was driving me crazy. And seemed to be driving you and Ciro crazy too."

Noman couldn't argue. It was a shame that all their efforts amounted to the same result: Only one artifact. But his friends had all survived.

And that was enough for him.

"At least you managed to get some new recruits." Legoless chirped happily. "Ooh! I can't wait to meet the Scouts! You think they'll like me?"

"Not to worry." Marble turned with a confident smile. "All the Scouts are as charismatic and charming as yours truly…more or less."

"…Take me back to the cage." Righty groaned. "Maplecock's prison is better than whatever madness the Scouts get up to."

"Lang—"

"Shut the fuck up."

"—uage…"

"Don't think that, Righty." Bethany spoke tentatively. "J-just think of all the b-badges we can earn…"

Suddenly, Marble's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot!" He pulled out his badge book and flipped through the pages, marking several spots. "…One-ninety-eight…one-ninety-nine…two hundred!" He exclaimed happily. "That's two-hundred whole badges under my belt!"

Noman smiled supportively. "That's great, Marble. Congratulations."

"Thanks! I was really worried I wouldn't make it this high." Marble closed the book and withdrew something new from his belt.

"So, how many more badges do you think you'll need to pass the other Scouts?"

However, Marble ignored the question as he crouched down, working with something in his hand. For a second, Noman was worried that the Scout was giving him the cold shoulder once more.

But as he craned his neck, he realized it was anything BUT cold.

"Why the fire?" Noman questioned, noticing how the Slime-girls all backed away from the flame. They really had a thing against fire.

Then, shock flitted across Noman's face when he saw Marble burn something.

"Marble!" Noman shouted, reaching for the burning badge book before it vanished in a puff of smoke. Gone forever. "Why did you just burn that!?"

"Well, duh." Marble turned, speaking like his madness was the most obvious thing in the world. "How else am I supposed to get my Burn a Book of Badges Badge?"

"The…burn…book…badges?" Noman questioned, practically envisioning the sparks flying from his own head. "But…you…"

"Oh, sorry girls." Marble stamped out the fire, his purpose with it done, and allowed the Slime-girls to approach them once again.

"Hang on one second!" Noman shouted, causing Marble to flinch in surprise.

"I don't see what the problem here is, Nowhere."

"No, I bet you don't!" Noman grit his teeth in frustration. "All this time you've been proclaiming your devotion to these badges! Badge this, and badge that! Badge! Badge! _Badge!_ " Despite his exhaustion fighting Ciro and escaping the cavern, he still found the strength to rant. "And-and-and you just throw the book away!? Are you _kidding!?_ "

"Well, no, because you just saw me burn it—"

"Then what was the point of it!?" Noman asked with immense frustration. "Why go through all that, only to burn the book!?"

Marble smiled. "Nowhere, that's the whole _point_ of the Scouts."

"…huh?"

"Look," Marble placed a hand on Noman's shoulder. "Remember when I told you about Landon_Noir, the very first Scout, and how he founded the first badges. Based on Achievements he envisioned."

"Well…yeah?"

"Well, he may have liked the challenge those Achievements brought him, but even more than that, he _treasured_ the comrades he made completing the Achievements. You think Landon could have slain a dragon single-handedly. Or collect enough rails to build a one-thousand long minecart track? Or hold down a Skeleton while he shot at it from over fifty meters away?" Marble laughed to himself. "No! Nobody could alone! And that's why Landon loved every second of completing Achievements! Because of the friends he made along the way."

Noman's mouth hung agape. _So…there's…an actual method to Marble's madness?_

"When he ran out of Achievements, Landon felt empty, knowing there was nothing more he could complete with his friends. And I'm sure they felt the same way. That's why he made new badges—why the Scouts pick a new Scout Master every five years to think up new badges. We'd run out otherwise!

"So, I'm not exactly doing it for the badges." Marble admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I love the sense of accomplishment they bring whenever I get one. But they're just pages in a book. More important are the people I befriend getting these things. They're the true worth—the true merit to these badges. And I've met a _ton_ of interesting characters gaining these badges. Like that time I earned my  Infiltrate an Exter Strip Club Badge…or when I met you getting my Prison-Break Badge!"

Noman felt like it was only yesterday that Marble had fallen through that ceiling, humming his ridiculous tune. _Was he…only thinking of meeting new people?_

"Oh, Marble!" Legoless gushed, pulling the blond Scout into a hug. "That's so touching! You truly are a good person!"

"Ow…ow…ow…ow…three-second rule!"

While Marble struggled to free himself from Legoless, Noman recalled the cardinal rule in Marble's book—probably in all the Scouts' books.

 ** _Never abandon a comrade to die._**

So then…the Scouts were not a guild focused around badges—well, they were, but that didn't matter as much as their comrades. Their friends.

 _'I know that those badges are just random achievements thrown to you…stepping stones on a path to nothing!'_

Noman felt his gut wrench at what he had said to the Scout. He had no idea the badges meant so much more…

"I…" Noman shook his head slightly. "I'm…not sure I understand it perfectly…but—" Noman looked up at a snickering Marble. "What?"

"Nowhere, you already understand it perfectly." Marble had a habit of making confusing things sound obvious. "You wouldn't have chucked that Voda Shlem if you didn't."

Noman's eyes widened slightly as realization slowly dawned on him. "You mean…?"

"Yep. One thing you need to remember, Nowhere, is that the destination may be a pretty sight, but the journey getting there—the people and places you meet—those are unforgettable."

The Scout extended a hand, grabbing Noman's and depositing their collective emeralds—the ones from the auction—into his hand.

"The badge book may have burned, but there's no way anyone can burn those memories from my head." Marble tapped his blond locks meaningfully. "Just try and remember that next time you go all artifact crazy."

Noman wiped his eyes with his sleeve again. He wasn't crying. Shut up. "Yeah…yeah, I don't think that'll burn from my head either."

Marble smiled. "I'm glad."

"Hate to interrupt this beautiful moment, but can we all get out of here?" Righty griped from beside a weeping Bethany. "I haven't had fresh air in I can't even remember how long."

Noman and Marble nodded along and the group made their way through Maplefrost's bunker, winding their way through until they reached the Testificate holding room.

"The way was right through…here…" Noman paused, looking at the cages surrounding them. All the Testificates kept imprisoned. "Hey, Marble?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you going to do after we get out of here?"

Marble shrugged. "What I do best. Getting badges. Meeting people. Making friends…and enemies if I feel like it. I'll probably head to the Dover Plains' Scout Den to properly recruit these three." He pointed to the Slime-girls. "They seem pretty eager to join, no matter what the one-armed one says."

"There's two one-armed ones." Noman clarified. "As for me, I'll probably pick up another artifact trail. At least I won't have to waste my time in Exter for the Yanhua Gong." At Marble's dubious glance, Noman made sure to add, "Don't worry. I won't let the artifacts get to me again."

Marble nodded with a smile. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

"Well…not quite." Noman drew out the words with an uncharacteristically mischievous smile. "See, you need to re-earn all those badges, right?"

"…yeah?"

"Like, say, the Prison-Break Badge?"

"Yeah."

"And…you could say…with all these cells and cages," Noman gestured around the room to the miserable Testificates locked away, "that this place qualifies as a prison."

Marble's eyes lit up. "I'm listening."

"I'm normally against this sort of thing," the Billionth turned to the three Slime-girls who had caught on fairly quickly if their eager smirks were any indication. "But we can't very well stand by and let these Testificates get abused, right?"

"No, you wouldn't be much of a Billionth if you let innocent Testificates down." Marble agreed, rubbing his hands together deviously.

"So…just this once…for this one badge to start you off…"

"Fuck, yeah!" Marble whooped enthusiastically, already racing off to break open cages.

Noman smiled with a content sigh. "I'm not even going to say it…" He mumbled before following his comrades.

His friends.

* * *

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate { **Severe Shield** }, 1 Diamond Sword [ _Sharpness I_ ], 1 Bow [ _Infinity_ ], 1 Wooden Axe, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Stone Bricks, 7 Gravel, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottles, 11 Steaks, 7 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Blue_ ], 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 9 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 14 Rotten Flesh

[EXP: 1]

* * *

 **AN: Thus ends the Noman Arc. Again, I don't regret it.**

 **More importantly, I think I just wrote something deep and meaningful. And this is supposed to be an Adventure/Humor Story! HA! Take _that_ , genres!**

 **So, yeah, if you haven't already figured it out, the main point of this Arc was to show how Noman's obsession with the artifacts is bad, and that he shouldn't lose himself trying to get them...less he turn into Ciro.**

 **The similarities between badges and artifacts are closer than you think. Not sure if that was subtle. Was that subtle? Or too subtle? Not subtle enough? The Scouts' objective made a good contrast with Noman's mission in my opinion.**

 **And Marble was the loyal Scout with the heart of gold. I'm gonna miss him. Though I've missed Cobb probably as much as the rest of you. So, as promised, we'll return to his adventures with a brand new Arc. Hope you're ready...**

 **Also, there's one last thing in the Omake. Surprisingly it has relevance to the plot, but it didn't fit with the ending I wrote.**

 **See you all next week! (^_^)**

* * *

Omake: All for Naught

"What do you mean the Testificates have escaped!?"

Lord Maplefrost held the collar of his guard with balled up fists. His whole auction party had been one disaster after another. First the Endward Cult strikes, and now his collection of Testificates was in jeopardy.

"Apologies, sir." The guard spoke up, doing his best not to react to the Lord's anger. He was the one paying them after all. "The guards reported that all the cages have been busted open."

"Even the Slimy cage!?"

" _Especially_ the Slimy cage."

"Ngah!" The Lord threw the guard onto the floor and turned his back on him to face his roaring fireplace. "If anyone finds out the secret to my emeralds…I'll be ruined! Take as many men as you need and FIND. THOSE. TESTIFICATES!"

"The guards are already searching." The guard assured with a bow. "If the culprits are still in the bunker or on your property…we'll find them."

"You better." Maplefrost growled, heading to his brewing stand to make himself a drink. He needed one after all the day's misfortune. The only good piece of news was the bundle he had made selling the auction items. Most of it would have to go to repairing the dining room and bunker…he desperately wished he sold that leather helmet to those two guests.

Three-hundred emeralds would have covered the damages quite nicely. Especially given how the helmet was—

*SMASH*

"What the—MMPH!" The guard Maplefrost had just spoken to was grabbed by the mouth and, before he could shout in protest, was slammed into the wall twice before a sword finished him off.

Maplefrost dropped the drink he was making, all color draining from his face as a man in a red trench coat brushed past the fallen guard's gear to stand before him. Maplefrost vaguely remembered him as the same man who lost the bid on the Voda Shlem.

The man looked mad. Furious, in fact. His heterochromatic eyes were burning with a cold hatred and his clothes were blackened with soot, as if he had fought his way through lava. And as Maplefrost's eyes slid to the sword in the attacker's hands, and with all the guards searching the grounds for the Testificate thieves, he desperately wished the man's anger was not directed at himself.

"Out with it, Maplefrost." The man, Ciro_Che, demanded. "Where's the Voda Shlem?"

Maplefrost, if possible, turned even paler at the disgruntled attacker's question. "The Voda Shlem…is in a safe and undisclosed location—and is no longer for sale…"

"Liar!" Ciro growled, taking a menacing step forward and fishing a light blue leather cap from his backpack. "This was all that was down there! And it's nothing but a _fake_!" At those words, he violently chucked the cap into the fireplace where it burned to nothing. "Now where's the real one!? I know you have it!"

"I-I-AGH!" Ciro had fisted a handful of Maplefrost's shirt and lifted him above the ground, slamming him into a wall. "Wait! I-I don't have it!"

"Don't bullshit me, Maplefrost!" Ciro slammed the stuttering Lord into the wall again. "I _saw_ you demonstrate its power during the auction! You have the artifact, so _where is it_!"

"No-no-I…I…" Maplefrost's eyes were wide with terror. "I made it up!"

Ciro's hand loosened a bit from Maplefrost's shirt, causing the Lord to fall in a crumpled heap upon the floor. He shrunk in upon himself and massaged his sore chest, still looking at Ciro fearfully.

"...Care to explain that, again?" It was the sudden calmness of his voice that made Maplefrost all the more worried.

"Well…I…the Voda Shlem's legend is very well-known amongst the Families and Dover Plains…everything from the color to the name…to the item's power…and…and it's been missing for _so_ long—"

"You faked the artifact?" Ciro questioned, his eyes showing a glimmer of clarity. "I see...Anything to earn your Family more emeralds. It must have been the easiest scam you ever had—dye a cap light blue, change its name, and sell it for three-hundred emeralds." Ciro narrowed his eyes. "And I bet those volunteers you called to the stage to test its power…were some of your guards in disguise. Did you bribe them to move slowly while attacking you?"

"Please…let me go…I'm sorry…it was just for the emeralds, I swear!"

"No wonder the helmet didn't have the right particles…and why that fraud couldn't activate it. A fake using a fake!"

Maplefrost had no idea what Ciro was talking about, but he noticed how the man's sword was held tighter than ever. "Please…I didn't mean to waste your time…just put away the sword and let's talk like civil—"

"In that case," Ciro kicked at the Lord, positioning his blade over his chest, "You're not worth anything to me!"

"NO! Please!" Maplefrost begged. "I'll pay you what the Voda Shlem was worth— _Double_ its worth!"

Ciro glared at the man coldly. "What do I need emeralds for? I only needed the wealth to purchase the Voda Shlem. But now that I know it was a fake…" The sword raised itself even higher.

"NO!" Maplefrost shielded his face. "I'm too rich to die!"

And with a sharp stab, Lord Maplefrost breathed his last.

"What a waste of my time…" Ciro growled, returning his sword to his belt and creeping out of Maplefrost's room, making sure to close the door behind him.

The only thing Ciro had gained was the assurance that his theory regarding what Notch had done with the Severe Shield had been correct. It was in the _Billionth's_ possession. A fake so stupid as to throw away an artifact of unimaginable power…only for the artifact to turn out a fake.

 _Now I have competition finding these artifacts…but that's fine._

 _He's an amateur anyway. Even with the strongest artifact he still couldn't win._

 _So let him collect as many as he wants._

 _Because when I find him again, they'll all be mine…_

 _And he'll be dead._

* * *

 **AN: RIP Maple - oh wait. The guy was spawning Testificates and keeping them imprisoned underground as his own personal emerald supply.**

 **And he was willing to pass off a dyed leather helmet as an all-powerful and expensive artifact.**

 **So...yeah. No RIP for him.**


	52. Camaraderie

**AN: Another Chapter. But this one gets back to Cobb! Yay! I'm also going back to talking first-person since it's Cobb again. Not that third-person wasn't enjoyable to write. They both have their pros and cons.**

 **Before we start, however, I'd like to do that thing that I only occassionally do because I can't do it every Chapter: Answering Reviews!**

 _ **-Responses-**_

 **Void of Shining Darkness** **: Glad you enjoyed the Chapter. Though I probably should have waited another Chapter before having Marble reappear. I feel like I resolve arguments too quickly, not giving them enough time to make a lasting impact. Still, I'm happy you enjoyed it.**

 **AxeHelix : ...Not gonna answer _that_. Rated T for a reason.**

 **Laner : If it's Cobb you want, then it's Cobb you get! I actually completely forgot about Noman's _Skinny_ nickname. I also noticed that their were similarities between Carys' and Ciro's fights. Lava. Underground. Though Cobb won when Floyd tossed Carys in lava while Noman won by throwing the helmet into the lava. Each victory had its own moral behind it too, so that was the difference I was going for. Maybe I'm just a sucker for lava fight scenes.**

 **The Ravenclawed Demigod : Well, Cobb has returned. And this Arc is gonna be...well...I can't really spoil it.**

 **Toddem Mach : It's not like Marble cares about emeralds anyway. Noman needs them more than the Scout will.**

 **AwesomeCoolGuy5 : *offers a box of tissues***

 **DISPD : I think I've already established that Command Blocks are a thing in this world. They're just incredibly rare. Potato Tech only has one and they've filled all the commands they've discovered into that Command Block Codex of theirs.**

 **Guest : Great name by the way. Yeah, Noman really should have realized what the Infinity Enchantment did when he looked up the Yanhua Gong in his artifact book. But he didn't because he was worried about Ciro at the time. maybe later I'll finally write him discovering Infinity. Maybe in an Omake.**

 **Puzzle: If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make the auto-jump function optional.

Oh, wait...they already have that as a thing?

...uh.

Beta: AxeHelix (Void was busy)

* * *

Chapter 52

 **Camaraderie**

[Cobb]

With the envoy mission to Daymonte behind us, we began our long ride back to Ringwood to deliver the news to His Eminence. Apparently, Wynn's message to construct a railway between Ringwood and Daymonte was a big deal.

However, our group had gained a new traveling companion in the form of a tinted-glasses-wearing redstone engineer/badass archer/socially awkward nerd named Lenzington. Or Lenz for short.

The engineer, in all his wisdom and redstone expertise, neglected to bring emeralds or consider how he would keep up with a group of horses (and one amazing donkey) on foot.

I tried asking Wynn to pay for him, but as she so eloquently put it:

"No."

Which meant _I_ had to shell out the emeralds for his steed. The only difficult decision was whether I should buy him an expensive, top-quality horse…or one of the cheap, slow donkeys I was forced to ride.

Naturally, I chose the more spiteful—ah… _magnanimous_ route.

"While I appreciate the steed Cobb—Oof!—ert," Lenz tried to speak atop the bumpy ride that was his donkey, Reginald, "I cannot believe the stables were out of—Ow!—horses."

"Oh, they were out alright." I lied easily. "Apparently there was a horse-kidnapper on the loose."

Lenz huffed after a particularly jaunting bump. "Well, I hope they locate the criminal that stole those horses! It is bad enough the Kingdom's bridges have been bombed, but now Grand Theft Equine? When will the madness end?"

I kept myself from laughing and just nodded along. Lenz really had no experience with socializing. He barely understood sarcasm and seemed to believe anything I said. Also he thought I was an experienced Crafter.

So he didn't really know me at all.

But he was also an amazing archer with the ability to hit objects from far away. He would surely impress the guards if he showed off that skill.

Only…he didn't.

Whenever Mobs attacked, he was content to running up a tree or cowering behind a boulder while the rest of us fought. It irritated the guards and made them wonder why Lenz was brought in the first place. Subsequently, Lenz didn't make many friends with the guards, Bitters being especially bitter to him.

After a particularly cold encounter with a group of guards during dinner, a dejected Lenz walked off to eat his carrots alone besides a tree. The sight was oddly familiar with how Cara had eaten by herself all those days ago—

 _Wait a second…that_ is _the same tree!_ My arms fell incredulously to my side as I glared at the tree. _You're just a tree of sadness, aren't you?_

The tree of sadness wisely remained silent.

Brain: _Coward._

"Don't let those guards get to you, Lenz." I comforted as I walked over to him. "They just don't know you very well is all."

Lenz let out a long sigh. "Yes, I know. I am no stranger to the distance between barbarians and intellectuals." He said it as if it wasn't an insult. "I take small comfort in knowing that you share this isolation too."

"Actually they kind of love me." I admitted unashamed. To prove my point, I turned and waved at the guards, smiling as they almost all returned the wave.

"We love you, Cobb!"

"See?" I turned back to the dejected engineer, who for some reason looked even more dejected. "Aside from Captain Wynn and Bitters, they all respect me because I've proved my usefulness."

"And…how exactly can I prove _my_ usefulness?"

"Hmm." I pondered aloud. "Would you be willing to jog into a gaggle of Creepers?" A slow and deliberate headshake was my response. "Okay, how about killing a wanted criminal with an unlikely tool?" Another headshake, no. "Well, then I'm out of ideas."

Brain: _Wrong! I have an idea._

Heart: _Does it involve arson, blackmailing, or chickens? Or all three at once?_

Brain: _…You know me too well._

Liver: _I have an idea._

Brain: _Did you guys hear something? Sounds kind of whiny._

Liver: _*SOB*_

Stomach: _Cobb, I'm hungry. Figure out how to eat that cake in your Inventory, already._

 _Stomach, we have baked potatoes, pumpkin pies, cookies, and rotten flesh._

Stomach: _And?_

 _And…you're absolutely right! None of them can compare to cake! I must unlock its secrets!_

Heart: _Cake as a meal is bad for me. The sugar rush will have you jumping off the walls!_

Bladder: _We're in a forest, so…jumping off the trees?_

"Cobbert, why are you staring off into space?" Lenz broke me out of my thoughts. "And why are you struggling with that cake?"

I looked down into my hands to see that same delicious cake before quickly stuffing it into my Inventory. As I did so, my hand brushed ' _Advanced Mob-Slaying_ '.

"Hey, there's an idea!" Lenz looked at me questioningly as I withdrew the book. "It was the knowledge on Creepers that gave me the extra edge to earn seven-ninths of this group's respect. Maybe if you learn the weaknesses of some of the more advanced Mobs and show the group your knowledge, they'll accept you."

Lenz scratched his grey hair sheepishly. "I am not so sure…Mobs have always been difficult for me to face."

"Lenz, you're an archer." I stressed with an eye-roll. "That means you don't have to face them up close. You could literally snipe them. Or build a robot to face them, or something."

I meant the last bit as a joke, but it immediately caused a smile to form on Lenz's face. "Brilliant! Why did I not think of that? Though," he looked through his backpack, "I do not think I packed enough redstone technology to craft a robot. Perhaps something simpler?"

"Well, if it isn't the misfits." The green hair of Bitters shuffled into view, his face arranged into an arrogant sneer. "All by themselves with no friends. I pity you."

I hastily hid ' _Advanced Mob-Slaying_ ' behind my back. "I pity the stick still shoved up your ass." I shot back, taking satisfaction with how Bitters' face heated up from the memory of Veronica's taunt. "What do you want, Bitters?"

The guard narrowed his eyes. "I'm here to warn you. You may have won over all the other guards with your idiocy and luck, but I see what you really are: A Newb." He pointed directly at Lenz. "Why just look at the rubbish you brought along. Only a Newb would bring a redstone nerd into the dangerous wilderness. He cowers at the weakest of Mobs!"

"So what? Lenz has other strengths."

"My name is Lenzington."

"Quiet, Lenz. I'm defending you, here." I fixed Bitters with an irritated glare. "Is this just about how you messed up at the Stonewall Inn?"

"No!" Bitters spat bitterly. "I _know_ you weren't in that room, no matter what the Captain says. And one day, I'll catch you red-handed and prove to my fellow guards that you are and always will be a waste of space." With that, Bitters turned and marched back to the group of guards, who all looked a bit disappointed that I didn't come over too.

 _What an asshole._

Heart: _He's probably just upset at how popular you are with the others. And in such a short span of time—_

Brain: _Or he has a serious stick up his ass. And it's up to Cobb to pull it out of there…or wave the guard around like an oversized stick-puppet_

Heart: _That sounds like the plot to one of your dumb fanfics._

Bladder: _…I'd read it._

"Finished!" Lenz proclaimed, causing me to turn and watch him standing over a Crafting Table. In his hands was a newly made dispenser.

"Okay." I poked the mechanical block. "What are you going to do with that?"

Lenz tossed me the device and folded his arms, looking particularly pleased with himself. "Why, to fight Mobs with, of course! It might not be a robot, but it is the next best thing...even though there is no next best thing compared to a robot." He withdrew some redstone from his belt and began trailing it around in a circle with some of those redstone repeaters in between and a lever hooked up to one side. "All I need to do is set up a clock circuit to blah-blah blah-blah blah—"

"For the sake of staying on the same page, why don't you explain it in a layman's terms?" Honestly, it was like my brain simplified all his redstone-tech talk to 'blahs' and 'drivels'.

Brain: _Your welcome._

"Oh!...right…I forgot, neanderthal brain…" My eye twitched in response. "Well, think of a clock circuit as a loop." Lenz flicked the lever on, but then quickly back off, causing the dust to light up going round and round. "Each time the glowing dust loops, it outputs a signal, which in turn can power any number of redstone related technologies." He snatched the dispenser from my hand and placed it a block away from the flashing loop. "Each loop is a pulse, and the loop can indefinitely hold a pulse until it is broken." He connected the dispenser to the loop via a bit of redstone, causing a repeated clicking sound to emanate from the dispenser.

"So…if you fill the dispenser with arrows you'll have a turret?" I guessed. I had seen something similar at the redstone fair, though I didn't pay attention to the specifics.

"Precisely." Lenz smiled, happy that I had caught on. "And when Mobs try to do me harm, my turret will punch them full of holes."

I frowned at that explanation and kicked at the dispenser, noticing how it wasn't budging. "How exactly are you taking this with you, though?"

"What?"

"I mean it doesn't move." I clarified walking around the contraption. "You'd have to wait for the Mobs to come to you."

Lenz' eyebrows knit into a scowl. He apparently took offense when anyone criticized his work. "Do not be ridiculous. The range on this machination can take out Mobs from a great distance away."

"Lenz, I've already _seen_ you take shots from a great distance away." I folded my arms. "Besides, we're trying to think up ways to show off your skills to the guards. I doubt this thing will get an arrow as far as you."

Lenz huffed. "Oh, do you!?" He took out an arrow and walked up to the dispenser. "Well, we will soon find out!"

He loaded the arrow into the dispenser and immediately it was shot out at an astonishing speed. The guards huddled together eating dinner flung themselves out of the way, scattering like leaves from a gust of wind.

Lenz smiled proudly.

At least until the arrow hit something.

In a surprising show of accuracy, the arrow, which pelted right towards where the groups' steeds were tied, snapped the knot of a lead and struck the rear of the now untied horse. It let out a sharp whinny of pain before rearing back and galloping off into the forest, hitting trees and leaves in its frightened dash.

The racket it made drew the eyes of every Crafter in the vicinity. The guards were all pale-faced, except for Bitters who smiled gleefully. For a second, I had no idea why.

Then I realized that the horse Lenz had shot was a pristine white. Meaning it belonged to…

"Lenz," I began calmly. "We need to go."

"What? Why?"

"We need to find a rock or tree to hide under before she gets back!" I whispered urgently. The engineer had no idea whose horse that was, or how she'd react when she found out her personal horse ran off into the woods, or how she'd punish those responsible for scaring her horse away.

Namely, Lenz and I. Though for the sake of self-preservation, I would have happily thrown Lenz under the ivory-haired bus.

"I…I do not think I underst—"

"You want to live, don't you!?" I shouted while shaking the engineer. "Then we got to hide!"

Suddenly, a cold aura cut through the air, dropping the temperature below freezing. I could feel something scary watching…it was a feeling I was familiar with.

"Who," a cold voice sounded out, causing all the guards to stiffen, "is responsible for scaring off my horse?"

I turned to see the ivory-haired Captain emerge from her expertly-constructed shelter. Her eyes swept across the group of guards and the two of us on the outskirts, confident that she could discover the culprit with a simple observation.

"They did, Captain Wynn!" Bitters eagerly pointed us out, almost jumping in his haste.

The Captain's eyes followed Bitters to us before her amber eyes became shrouded behind her ivory locks. Though judging by how her hand unconsciously slid over to her rapier, she was far from willing to forgive us.

"Cobbert, I t-think I understand now." Lenz stammered in terror as he cowered behind me, Wynn's angry aura too much for him to bear. "She is _exactly_ as scary as you described."

" _Cobb…_ " Wynn's voice, almost a low growl, demanded my full attention as she lifted her head and fixed me with hardened amber eyes. "After the two of you locate my horse, I think it best for the three of us to have a little sparring session." I gulped as Wynn withdrew her rapier with a sharp flourish.

"Um…" I backed away nervously while Lenz stubbornly gripped my hoodie as if I were some human shield. "I'm kind of tired…"

"Don't worry," Wynn smiled cruelly as she advanced. "It'll just be a friendly, simple slaugh—bout of swordsmanship."

"My sword is…at the cleaner's…"

"Use your stone sword then."

"Also at the cleaner's."

"Since when?"

"Since now."

"I'm sure you'll manage."

"I'm sure I won't!"

I grabbed Lenz' hand and flipped him over my shoulder towards Wynn; a feeble attempt at a distraction. As I turned to sprint away, I heard Lenz' distressed yell behind me, followed by the swish of an iron rapier, the sharp sound of metal smacking flesh, and fast footsteps closing in.

I almost made it to the trees before a hand snagged my hoodie, yanking back with a sharp, whiplash-inducing tug. My arms still flailed and failed to move forward, even as Wynn slowly dragged me back towards where her horse fled.

"First, we find my steed. Then we can spar." The Captain spoke, looking pleased at how easily she caught me.

As I dragged my heels into the grass, I spotted Lenz lying face down, his head already sporting a swollen bump. "He threw me…" He muffled weakly into the grass as I was dragged past him.

 _No!_ I thought frantically as I kept moving my arms to escape. Still, nothing could break Wynn's vice-like grip on my hoodie. _She'll wipe the floor with me in a fight!_

Bladder: _Help! She's gonna stab me!_

Brain: _Quick, Cobb! You need to gnaw off your own head to escape!_

Heart: _How is that supposed to help all of us escape?_

Brain: _To hell with all of_ you _! If it means saving my own skin, I'd happily separate!_

 _Are we forgetting the part where if my Head falls off, I DIE!?_

Brain: _Don't be selfish, Cobb._

I struggled desperately to extricate myself from Wynn's grasp, but nothing was working. My hoodie was starting to dig into my neck just enough to make breathing uncomfortable.

 _Agh! If only…If only I could take off this hoodie!_

Suddenly, I tumbled forward, no longer drawn by Wynn's grip. I was so surprised that I couldn't stop myself from falling into the grass. I scrambled away before finally realizing what had happened.

Wynn hadn't let go of my hoodie.

But…I wasn't wearing a hoodie anymore.

Whatever was left of the hoodie had vanished into glimmers of light at the end of Wynn's hand. The Captain looked between the fading hoodie and myself—my torso left only with my blue undershirt—before walking towards me again.

"What…what happened to my hoodie?" I questioned as I touched arms now missing a familiar fabric. I had worn that hoodie throughout Minecraftia. Now that it was off, I felt…exposed.

Though somehow my backpack was still on as well as my dyed leather tunic. How the hell did that work?

"Right. I keep forgetting you don't know much about Minecraftia." Wynn noticed my surprise and stood over me with her rapier, thankfully, sheathed. "Crafters can take off articles of their own clothing at will. You just need to envision taking the particular article off."

"Okay…but how do I get it back? That was my favorite hoodie!"

"It was your _only_ hoodie." Wynn reminded with an eye-roll. "Just envision putting it—Oh. There, you got it already."

The hoodie had returned just as quickly as it had gone, materializing as glimmers of light along my arms and torso before solidifying into my trademark black and white hoodie. "Wow. So that's how Crafters take showers!"

Wynn wrinkled her nose. "Don't tell me you've skipped showering because you couldn't figure that out."

I rubbed my head awkwardly. "No…I just kind of stood under the water…with my clothes on."

Wynn let out a soft chuckle, the guards behind her showing amusement with far less subtlety. Bitters was frowning at how quickly the atmosphere had changed. Which reminded me…

"Well, I suppose I should find your horse and focus the rest of the day mastering this new clothing trick. No real time for anything else—"

I stopped when Wynn gripped my shoulder and smiled evilly at me. "You're not getting out of sparring."

* * *

Finding Wynn's horse was simple enough. Even though it was nighttime, the horse was pure white, clashing drastically with the green foliage.

The real problem was sparring with the Captain.

To prevent our armor from getting damaged, we had wisely taken it off. We had been sparring in a wide clearing, non-stop, for what seemed like an hour. Yet while I was gasping for air, Wynn didn't even look to be breaking a sweat.

"How…how come I'm…the only one…gasping…" I choked out as I tried to regain breath.

"Probably because I'm deflecting your strikes with the minimum amount of effort. Take notes, all of you!" Wynn called out to the handful of guards watching from the sidelines. "When it comes to fights that drag on, the winner is usually whoever can conserve the most energy."

Bitters raised his hand, reveling in my suffering. "But Captain, doesn't that only apply to opponents of _equal_ skill?"

 _I fucking hate that guy…_

"You're not wrong, Bitters." Wynn nodded. "However, this is just a simple spar. Very different from a real fight. For one, a real opponent wouldn't be holding back."

 _She doesn't have to be so honest about how much she's holding back…_

I swallowed a mouthful of cookies to replenish my Hunger and slowly got to my feet. My stone sword was held tightly in my right hand. Meanwhile, Wynn stood across from me, her rapier held at the ready, watching my every move.

Oh, and Lenz was there too. The Captain had given him a sword, but he could barely swing the thing, let alone land a hit. It took thirty seconds for her to trounce him before he collapsed onto the ground. After trying to prod him into action with her rapier, Wynn had given up to focus her attention on me.

I frowned as I tried to think of a way to hit her. She was fast, liked to leap and twirl over her opponents, and her rapier stung wherever it struck.

Only one thing to do.

"CHARGE!" I shouted as I sprinted at the ivory-haired Captain. She widened her stance a bit in preparation. I started with a wide swing, only for her to twist out of the way, the momentum adding to her swipe. She struck at my leg, rapping it sharply to throw off my balance before she brought her knee up to slam into my chin. My teeth cracked together loudly.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…" I backpedaled while clutching my jaw, barely avoiding one of her kicks. A moment later she was in pursuit, pushing me further back with a series of simple jabs. I brought up my stone sword to hastily deflect them, but each time I did, it threw my sword arm further and further away from my center.

When my arm was thrown out as far as it could go, Wynn's amber eyes flashed with triumph. She twirled and seamlessly transitioned from jabs to a diagonal slash aimed at my torso.

It was going to land painfully if I didn't block or dodge.

Brain: _Swap swords!_

Thinking fast, my right hand let go of the stone sword while my left hand flew to my belt to withdraw my gold sword. I unsheathed it just in time to intercept the Captain's strike, our blades clanging together loudly.

"Oooooh!" The watching guards whistled in appreciation at my move. Even Wynn's eyebrows raised in surprise at my quick-thinking. And Bitters looked aggravated at the attention I was getting. It was great!

I pushed back against her rapier, causing her to spin slightly off balance. She wasn't in a position to block and I pressed my advantage by jumping in the air to perform a Critical Hit. Combined with the gold sword's Sharpness enchantment, it was sure to do plenty of damage.

However, just as the blade was inches from hitting her, she slid beneath my jump, the white stars of Crit Aura trailing harmlessly above her. She got to her feet behind me and lashed out with a sharp kick to the side. I was sent flying through the air, hitting the ground and bouncing once before skidding to a stop.

Brain: _Damn. Thought you had her there._

Using my sword as a crutch, I slowly got to my feet. Once again I was out of breath, but I was satisfied to see the Captain wipe her forehead free of sweat. It was causing her ivory hair to cling to her forehead.

After the short breather was over, Wynn readied her rapier and dashed towards me.

Only for an arrow to pierce her in the arm, courtesy of Lenz. The engineer had finally recovered enough to launch an attack.

Only, attacking Wynn with a bow when we were practicing swordsmanship probably wasn't the best idea. The thought seemed to dawn on Lenz, too, because he started to look scared.

Wynn turned all her attention to Lenz as she dashed towards him instead. The engineer gave a startled gasp before raising his loaded bow towards the Captain. However, his hands were shaking so badly that it was throwing off his aim.

Meanwhile, Wynn just kept charging forward, not even bothered by the arrow staring her in the face. Her rapier was held back, ready to strike.

"Lenz, take the shot!" I called out to goad him into firing. But the engineer couldn't do it. He flinched in fear, closing his eyes, as Wynn drew close enough to strike.

However, at the last second, Wynn stopped her rapier. It hovered over Lenz who still had his eyes screwed shut.

After waiting several seconds for the expected attack, Lenz finally opened his eyes and fell back at the sight of Wynn's rapier hovering over his head.

"Don't ever flinch." Wynn advised, dropping the rapier to her side. "You're an archer. In a fight, you keep your eyes open to the end."

Lenz nodded numbly before the Captain turned away.

"Shoot at me again and next time, I won't stop short." She called over her shoulder, earning another numb nod from the engineer.

I watched Lenz closely as he collapsed against a tree, staring at his bow sadly.

 _I don't get it. I thought he just had a phobia of Mobs, but it looks like he's afraid of fighting in general._

Heart: _I don't think that's it. He wouldn't have shot the arrow if he was afraid to fight._

Stomach: _And we saw what he looked like when he shot out that billboard. He was in his element!_

 _So…then he's afraid of close-combat?_

Heart: _Well, he is an archer. And an engineer. He probably never needed to get up close to fight, if he had to at all. Maybe agreeing to bring him along was a bad idea…_

 _We don't know that. Maybe he—_

Brain: _Duck._

"YEOW!" A rapier struck my shoulder, causing me to tumble backwards into a tree.

"Let that be a lesson to you all." Wynn called to her guards. "Never space out."

"Or, at the very least," Bitters added. "Don't look spaced out with your mouth hanging open and eyes glazed." That earned a couple of laughs from the other guards and made Bitters grin gleefully.

 _I'll show you spaced out, you little—_

Brain: _Duck._

I didn't even think as I obeyed Brain's command. To my confusion, however, I ducked right into Wynn's ferocious kick, sending me skidding across the ground.

 _Brain! I ducked and got hit!_

Brain: _Oh, yeah. Sorry, I sometimes get duck and jump mixed up._

"Alright, that's it!" I shouted as I sheathed my golden sword, earning the attention of Wynn and all the guards. "Time for my secret weapon!" I reached into my backpack, slowly and deliberately, as I—

"It's not the fishing rod again, is it?"

"Wha—?" I stopped myself, the fishing rod already halfway out of my backpack. "How'd you know?"

"Because it's what you _always_ use." Wynn sighed, more out of exasperation than exhaustion. "But fine. I've beaten it before, I'll do it again."

As I readied my fishing rod, I saw a dull green movement out of the corner of my eye. It looked like I…

…

 _Oh, yeah! Night time!_

 _That gives me an idea!_

As Wynn began to speed towards me, I whipped out my fishing rod, not to snag or bobber the Captain, but to grapple something from the corner of my vision.

*UHNN*

" **Mob Flail!** " I called out as my hook snagged the Zombie from the tree line and flung it towards the approaching Captain. Her eyes widened in surprise at my attack and even the guards gasped in shock at my innovative new technique, which was effectively throwing something at someone.

However, my excitement dulled as Wynn simply cut the Zombie aside; a depressing anti-climax to my newest technique.

With nothing left to stop her, she flipped overhead, grabbing a handful of my hoodie, and used the momentum to fling me over her shoulder and into a tree.

The last thing I remember was my head hitting something hard before I blacked out.

* * *

"It was an excellent fight." Lenz offered the next day as our donkeys trotted to keep up.

He filled me in on how, after I bashed my head into a tree, Wynn ordered her guards to carry me and my dropped gear back to my shelter. Bitters had volunteered to carry me, but after _accidentally_ dropping my on my head, twice, one of the other guards, Liam, carried me instead.

That was little comfort for my aching head.

Wynn even had something to say on the battle. As we trekked across the wide basin—once filled with a gaggle of Creepers, it was now empty save for a smattering of gunpowder and craters—she hung back on her steed to talk to me.

"You had a few good moments in that fight, Cobb," she admitted, "But you blew it with that fishing rod."

I sighed out loud as I held the tool in my hands. "I just…I really thought that Mob Flail would work."

Wynn shook her head, her ivory hair swaying gently. "Your…um…inventive technique didn't work because a Zombie isn't going to scare an experienced Captain. I've dealt with criminals who can think and react and lash out. Crafters who are dangerous and devious. Compared to that, a Zombie isn't much of a threat."

"So…Mob Flail is a bust?"

"Other than a distraction, I don't see it becoming much of a threat." Wynn advised. "But when you switched your sword in the midst of battle— _that's_ something you should be practicing. Your swordsmanship."

I slowly nodded to her words, not really feeling like abandoning my fishing rod skills. They had saved me before; giving a splash of surprise to my style of fighting that unbalanced my opponents.

"As for you Lenzing—huh?" Wynn looked around for the missing engineer, spotting him stooped over a pile of gunpowder. He appeared to be piling it into his backpack with a content smile. Wynn went over to advise him on his archery while I just stared at my fishing rod, deep in thought.

 _There's got to be some way I can make this work…_

* * *

We were making such good time through the forest—not encountering a single Griefer along the way— that Wynn speculated we could make it to the village of Halstatt before midnight and rest there. I shivered at the thought of meeting the Iron Golem Leslie again, but anything was better than roughing it in the woods. Especially since I had to share my shelter with Lenz.

He replaced the torches I placed inside with lit redstone lamps, saying it was, 'More intellectually stimulating.'

Whatever the fuck that means.

Anyway, with the full moon illuminated our way, we had no trouble finding the wide open clearing where Halstatt was located. There was the quarry, a gigantic hole in the ground, where Crafters could mine out resources. There were Halstatt's cobblestone walls, standing as sturdy as ever with a gaping hole in front. There was the—

 _…_ _Gaping hole?_

"Oh, Comparators!" Lenz shouted in fear, apparently seeing something the rest of us couldn't. "Mobs are attacking that village!"

The group of guards looked at each other anxiously before turning to Wynn. After a moment she nodded, signaling her guards to help defend the village. Then we were off.

Lenz and I trailing behind on our donkeys.

As we got closer, I could finally see what Lenz had seen with his incredible eyesight. A handful of Crafters and the Iron Golem Leslie were fighting off an onslaught of Mobs. Mainly Zombies and Spiders with a few Creepers sprinkled around. It was probably the Creepers that blew open the wall, though I noticed there were no red-capped guards amongst those fighting.

Whatever trouble the Crafters were having fighting off the Mobs was quickly resolved upon Wynn's arrival. She easily jabbed and swiped at the brainless Zombies, taking out seven in less than a minute. The other guards got to work, too. Thinning the Mobs numbers with swords and bows and, to my delight, a fishing rod.

It was Solara who whipped her fishing rod through the air, snagging Zombies and crudely recreating my Mob Flail technique to fling them at each other and gather them all in one area. I withdrew my fishing rod and did the same. Liam and Noah worked together to finish the gathered Zombies off.

Meanwhile, Lenz, positioned a good distance away, worked up enough courage to shoot at the Spiders scaling Halstatt's wall. He only took five or six shots, but each one met its mark.

Spencer and Hollie dealt with the Creepers by using their swords to block their explosions. While it was effective and mitigating damage to themselves, it didn't really help protect the wall.

"If you'd kindly stop destroying our wall, I'd appreciate it!" One of the fighting Crafters shouted. I recognized her as Cosmic, the girl who had defended me from Leslie's wrath last time I was in Halstatt, by her periwinkle pigtails. A large male Crafter fought beside her.

"LESLIE SMASH!"

Aaaand there was Leslie. Smashing Mobs.

With our combined efforts, we managed to defeat the Mobs. The large Crafter beside Cosmic already started patching up the wall while Cosmic just slumped to her knees in exhaustion.

Wynn walked up to her, glancing around at the unguarded walls. "How could a Mob attack like this have happened?" She demanded. "Why weren't there any archers on the wall? Or guards on patrol?"

Cosmic just shook her head sadly. "There are no more guards. They…they're all gone."

"Gone?" I questioned, cutting into their conversation with Lenz right beside me. "What do you mean gone? Did they…you know…die?"

Cosmic shook her head again, her eyes looking determinedly at the ground.

"They ran away."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Axe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 50 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Stick, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 14 Pumpkin Pies, 24 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 10 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 8 Emeralds, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 12]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Carrots, 29 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: Thus begins the Halstatt Arc.**

 **Cosmic, if any of you would remember, was an OC I introduced back in Chapter 29, along with the village Halstatt. You know what that means? It means I planned this Arc ahead of time from waaaaaaaay back then. Inner J.K. Rowling with that continuity.**

 **Anyway, you'll see more of Cosmic.**

 **The sparring scene between Wynn and Cobb...as well as the return of Cobb's internal organs. It really is so much fun writing for them. I felt pretty good about how I wrote that fight scene.**

 **Bitters is still bitter. What else is new. But the other guards like Cobb enough...just not Lenz.**

 **The Omake below is...well...like the title describes. It's mainly just a reminder since you haven't seen these characters for...two months? Meh, about 11 Chapters.**

 **As always, leave a Fav, Follow, OC, Review, PM, EMP, RPG, ASAP, LOL, RSVP -** **I'm rambling...**

* * *

Omake: Looming Threat

Alec_Bishop yawned loudly as he strode through the ransacked and smoldering village of Enns. While his army of Griefers were content with destroying property and claiming the lives of the village's inhabitants, Alec passed the time admiring what a lovely night it was.

The village's protection was laughable in the face of Alec's army. Their walls may as well have been made of paper for all the good they did against the bombers' explosives. Recruiting them had been a smart move indeed.

As for the guards protecting Enns, most of them were overwhelmed by his forces while the rest simply fled on horseback and Swiftness Potion. He didn't even get the chance to show off his power—or test out his latest trophy.

"Such a shame." Alec spoke to himself as he held up his trophy: Captain Thistle's Sharpness I enchanted diamond blade. "Hope I can find a time to use this."

As he passed a house, he watched several Griefers pull a man and a woman from it. After throwing them into the street, the Griefers lifted their mismatch of weapons and proceeded to beat the two to death. Alec vaguely wondered if the two were a couple before moving on.

"Alec, sir!" Two Griefers popped up before him, holding a struggling Testificate in between. "Where should the Testificates be kept?"

Alec combed his jet black hair with a hand before pointing down the street. "We're burying them back there. So get to it."

"But…but when will we get the chance to sell them?" At those words, the Testificate struggled even more.

Alec sighed. "After we raid the other villages, we'll come back to dig them up—not like they need food, right? Then we'll either sell them to Jolin or ransom them off to Daymonte. That enough of an explanation?" The two Griefers nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me…"

The Testificate let out a desperate wail, but Alec simply walked on, admiring the beauty of the full moon.

All around him, houses were being burned, Crafters slain, Testificates taken, resources plundered. Daymonte only had themselves to blame for the destruction facing their surrounding villages. Alec had offered them a chance to prevent such tragedy. All he demanded was the Command Block Codex, yet instead they replied with that joke of a Captain and his feeble collection of guards.

But, let it be known that Alec_Bishop was not one to give up easily. He'd ask King Rotjes for the Codex again. Only first, just to show he meant business, he'd lay waste to Daymonte's surrounding villages. Schwartz, Innsbruck, Enns, Halstatt, and all the rest. Then Rotjes would have no choice but to comply.

An explosion ripped apart the house to the right of Alec, causing him to cover his ears in pain. "OW! LeShui!"

"It wasn't me!" A cry echoed as LeShui poked his head from a nearby alley. "It was Burke."

"Give it a rest." Burke, the Destroyer, brushed past LeShui looking particularly irritated. "Hey, Alec. How much longer is this 'campaign' of yours going to last?"

"Why, Burke, it sounds as if you're eager to be rid of me." Alec commented with a laugh, though the veiled insinuation was still there. Burke shivered a bit, but kept his cool.

"It's just that, between your Griefer army, this explosion-happy psycho—"

"I have a name, you know." LeShui frowned.

"—and your…uh… _unique_ powers," Burke's eyes darted to the dark vertical lines over Alec's eyes, "I can't find any opportunity to do what I do best! Hell, destroying that wall was all the action I got today!" His poison-green Mohawk practically bristling in anxiousness.

"Well, I would have had you two amassing more TNT for my army…if somebody hadn't blown the warehouse AND the supply to Kingdom Come!" Alec pointed an accusatory finger at the bowl-cut bomber. "Hint hint, LeShui!"

"I'm telling you it was Burke's fault…and that duo of lesbian Captains." LeShui defended with folded arms.

"Yeah, right. You're always saying Burke's to blame. Why you refuse to take blame for—?"

"Actually, to be fair," Burke admitted sheepishly, "I _did_ sort of blow the place up. It would've been confiscated anyway…just as soon as the Golden Parakeet called her guards in."

Alec blinked in surprise while LeShui wore a smug grin. "Oh. Well then…first time for everything." Alec cleared his throat as he addressed the two bombers. "Look, you two. I extended my offer to join my army because, while the two of you aren't Griefers, you specialize in demolition and destruction; both of which I need. Not to mention, you're smarter and more skilled than the foot soldiers I command.

"So trust me when I tell you, our business with each other will be concluded once the Command Block Codex is within my possession. With that knowledge…the unlimited powers of the Command Block at my— _our_ disposal will make us invincible!" Alec slung an arm over LeShui and Burke's shoulders, pulling them closer in a show of camaraderie. "But remember, we can't accomplish anything on our own. I need you as much as you need me. Got it?"

"Got it." LeShui nodded easily.

"…yeah, I got it." Burke added with a growl.

"Good." Alec pushed off the two, getting some distance. "But before we claim that Codex, we need to finish attacking Daymonte's villages and force Rotjes to acquiesce.

"So there we have it, we're gonna attack Innsbruck, we're gonna attack Halstatt, we're gonna attack Schwartz—or we could attack Schwartz first, then Innsbruck, and then Halstatt—or Halstatt, Schwartz, Innsbruck—whatever!" Alec walked away, brandishing his sword menacingly. "So long as all of Daymonte's villages are reduced to ash, I'll be satisfied."

* * *

 **AN: I think you can all guess where this is going.**


	53. Halstatt

**AN: Congrats to AwesomeCoolGuy5 for guessing last week's riddle correctly. The answer: If a farmer puts all his haystacks in one field, they all become one haystack. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Now, straight to the chapter.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add chocolate cake.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 53

 **Halstatt**

[Cobb]

"They…ran away?"

I had to repeat those words, both out loud and in my head, to fully comprehend what Cosmic was telling me.

"Er…What exactly were they running away from?" Lenz questioned hesitantly, afraid to hear what had caused Halstatt's guards to drop everything and flee. "It is their job to—"

"Yes, what happened here?" Wynn interrupted, taking a step closer to Cosmic.

Cosmic opened her mouth to answer, but the large Crafter that fought beside her chose that moment to return. "Perhaps it'd be best if you heard the story from a firsthand witness. Someone who was there to see it all. I can take you to him, if you want." The large Crafter pulled Cosmic aside and whispered something into her ear. At first, Cosmic looked taken aback by whatever the Crafter had suggested. But after sharing a look, she relented and left.

"Actually," Wynn spoke with a sense of authority, "first, I'd like to reserve lodgings for my men. They're all in need of rest."

"I…well…" The large Crafter looked aside. "They can stay in the Inn—that's where the witness is staying—but I'm afraid they can only stay for the night. They'll have to leave in the morning." It sounded like the Crafter was being hasty with his offer, but if Wynn noticed anything she didn't say.

"That's fine." Wynn signaled her guards to follow and together we entered the village.

I couldn't believe I was standing in the same Halstatt of only a few days ago. Back then, the streets had been bustling with Crafters and Testificates alike. Performing trades, running errands, retrieving water from the village well, and chatting amicably amongst themselves.

But now, it was little more than a ghost town. There were no Crafters. No Testificates. It was so empty, I half expected a tumbleweed to blow across the street.

"Where is everyone?" Solara questioned from beside me. "I mean, I get that the Testificates are inside—it's night and Mobs attack them at this time—but there should still be some Crafters up."

"Perhaps they fled just as the guards had." Lenz supplied. Even with the tinted glasses covering his eyes, I could tell he was frightened. Some of the guards looked the same, the village's ominous atmosphere getting to them.

I couldn't understand why Wynn suggested we stay the night with things looking so suspicious. And if _I_ could pick up that something was wrong, the Captain should have felt the same.

After the large Crafter had led us to a quaint Inn, he directed us to our rooms. "Each of your guards can take a room. Really." He held up a hand to dismiss Wynn's protests. "We have more than enough space." He chuckled sadly.

The other guards shuffled about nervously before opting to share rooms two apiece, both to be considerate to the Inn's space…and for safety. They couldn't deny something was wrong with Halstatt.

As for Wynn, she was led to a separate room by the large Crafter, Lenz and I tagging along. We couldn't help our curiosity and the Captain didn't seem to mind.

"Billy." The large Crafter knocked on the door sharply. "Billy, open up. These Crafters would like to ask you some questions about…about what you saw."

Slowly, the door opened to reveal a Crafter with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin. He wore a white jacket with blue edges, a grey Creeper shirt, black jeans, and a dark blue scarf. His belt and was brown like his hair, but his backpack was light blue. And over his head was the name: Billy_Emerald5.

"Is that right?" He asked, looking at the three of us calmly.

"Yes. We want to know why this village is abandoned." Wynn questioned sharply. "No guards. No Crafters aside from that pitiful defense at the wall. No protection. It's just asking to get attacked by Griefers."

Billy clenched his fists tightly. "That's…exactly the problem." He let out a sigh before ushering us in. The large Crafter chose that moment to leave.

Billy sat down on his bed while the rest of us looked for chairs around the room. There was only one, so naturally, Wynn sat in it, leaving no room for either of us to argue.

 _I hate standing in place._

"Well to start," Billy began, scratching his chin in thought, "It was two days ago. My friends and I were traveling through Blitz Peak to get to the village of Bregenz…when all of a sudden we hear a bunch of bows going off at once. That constant twang assaulted our ears and drew our attention to the base of the mountain.

"And there…we saw what could only be described as an army of Griefers. Looked to be at least a thousand of them—"

"Impossible." Wynn stated immediately, cutting off Billy's story. "Griefers only travel in packs of twenty or thirty—they're too chaotic and disorganized to stay together otherwise. _Sometimes_ they can grow up to fifty in size…but a thousand? They'd never have enough resources to stay in check."

"Well, I'm telling you, I saw them with my own two eyes." Billy shot back, his blue eyes hardened. "They took out a group of Crafters…guards actually, since they had the red caps. And one of them…" He shivered involuntarily. "One of them seemed to be leading them…commanding them somehow…the Griefers were all chanting his name…Alec_Bishop…"

"Alec?" Wynn's eyes widened slightly. "You're sure that was the name?"

Billy nodded while I just turned to the ivory-haired Captain. "You know him?"

"I know _of_ him." Wynn clarified with folded arms. "He was brought up in conversation between some _very_ dangerous criminals." She turned back to Billy. "Did you see any other Crafters getting a lot of attention? Maybe one with a poison green mohawk…or one with a blond bowl-cut?"

"Yeah…yeah! One of them had a blond bowl-cut!" I couldn't understand who either of them were talking about, but I remained quiet. "He set off some explosives, I think…then he shouted something like it wasn't his fault…?"

"That's LeShui, without a doubt." Wynn frowned to herself. "Which means he and Burke are working for this Alec character…and we didn't spot any Griefers on our journey back, so they could be amassed together…But why are they following Alec? What do they stand to gain?" She asked the question to herself but my own mind was busy processing what was going on.

"LeShui?" Lenz spoke up for the first time since entering that room. "I remember that name…he was a living legend at the Redstone College. Nobody could wire redstone faster than him! Why he…he cannot be collaborating with Griefers, surely."

Wynn turned to look at the college student. "Lenz, whatever you think of LeShui, I'm telling you he's a criminal and a killer." Lenz recoiled at the bluntness the Captain used. "He's a serial bomber. The same one behind all those bridge bombings in Daymonte. The same one who freed Burke, 'the Destroyer', from prison. I've seen him kill people."

Lenz looked stricken by the news of a respected redstone colleague using his abilities for evil. He clutched his head while I just offered an awkward pat.

Billy cleared his throat to continue. "We didn't know why those Griefers were listening to Alec, but we didn't want to stick around to find out. We fled the scene, making our way to Bregenz, and warning everyone we met about the Griefer army. Of course," Billy turned to glare at the Captain, "they were all as skeptical as you, dismissing our warnings as tall tales and going about their day.

"Then, the Griefers attacked."

Billy began to clutch himself and shiver, as if remembering something terrible. "They…they descended upon us. The guards tried to fight them off…but…they took any Testificates they could get their grubby hands on…they plundered and slaughtered…explosions were going off throughout the village…we tried to fight them off…we tried…but…" He screwed his eyes shut. "I was the only one who got away."

As lost as I was on the whole Alec, LeShui, Burke information, what Billy said about being the only one that got away resonated deep within. Realizing what the Griefers must have done to his friends, I clenched my fists in frustration.

"To lose your friends like that…" I spoke up, looking Billy in the eye. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like…I'm sorry for your loss…"

It was the only thing I felt comfortable enough to say without making him feel worse. I secretly hoped I'd never have to go through what he went through; living only to know that your friends are dead.

Luckily, it seemed my consoling words did the trick as Billy wiped some tears from his eyes and gave me a grateful nod before continuing his story.

"After that…after that I ran to the next village, hoping I could warn them. The village of Enns…they took my story a little more seriously…especially since they could see the smoke rising from Bregenz." He wiped at his nose with his scarf. "They were planning on beefing their defenses to prepare for the attack…but upon seeing the hundreds of Griefers emerge from the trees, the guards bolted. A few Crafters had the sense to do the same. And, although I'm ashamed to admit it, I went with them…thinking it best to warn the other villages of this threat.

"Next was Innsbruck—they all fled immediately…though the Testificates were left to fend for themselves—"

"They left the Testificates behind!?" What were these guys thinking? After hearing how the Testificates were getting taken by the Griefers for who knows what, they decided to leave them? How could they be so cold?

Billy shook his head. "I understand why you're angry…but there was no avoiding it. The Testificates wouldn't have lasted outside the village, not with the threat of Mobs hanging over their heads. Leaving them behind was the best option. The Griefers will rough them up a bit, but they'll keep them alive to make a profit." Billy's face turned grim. "It's the Crafters left behind that need to worry."

Wynn ticked off her fingers. "Bregenz. Enns. Innsbruck. Sounds like they're sweeping all of Daymonte's villages. Which means their next target will be…"

"Here." I finished, finally understanding the lack of guards and Crafters. It was as Cosmic had said. They all ran away after hearing Billy's or some other witness' account of the Griefer army. The devastation in its wake.

"How long until they get here?" I couldn't fathom how Wynn could ask that so calmly. Billy's story may as well have been a weather forecast with how little Wynn seemed to care. "Tomorrow night? Or…"

"At their pace…the day after tomorrow…possibly at night."

It was no wonder the Inn had so many available rooms. Or why the large Crafter only permitted us to stay the night. In two days the Griefer army would reach Halstatt, and the way it sounded there was nothing anyone could do to stop them.

"Well…we should alert Daymonte!" Lenz shouted suddenly, looking to Wynn. "If their villages are threatened, then the Kingdom needs to send every guard they have to quell this army."

Wynn shook her head. "Even if a message was delivered as soon as Bregenz was attacked, mobilizing that many guards to intercept the Griefers would be impossible. Plus, the Griefers are probably well-versed in the region's terrain. The guards would never catch up in time."

Billy nodded grimly. "I'm afraid you're correct. None of the villages have seemed to make a dent in their forces…and they all just keep fleeing…Griefers are weak on their own, but in a group this big, it would be insane to challenge them."

I wanted to ask why Billy was still in Halstatt, then, instead of fleeing to warn the next village, however my question died on my lips when I saw Wynn rise from her seat. "Thank you for telling us this, Billy. We won't take up any more of your time."

Wynn gave a slight bow before leaving the room. Lenz and I just glanced at each other and Billy, not really sure whether we should follow Wynn out or keep Billy company.

"Soooo…" I began while awkwardly scratching my head. "You wouldn't happen to know how to eat a cake, would y—"

" _Ahem!_ " Wynn cleared her throat very loudly, causing Lenz to startle slightly before following Wynn's departure.

"…As I was saying," I turned back to Billy. "There's this delectable cake in my Inventory—"

"Cobb, get out of the room."

"…We'll talk later." I offered instead as I hurried towards the door, joining Lenz and an annoyed Wynn in the hallway.

"I cannot believe it." Lenz muttered to himself before looking up at us. "How could the guards just flee? Is it not their job to protect the weak? They should be here, laying their lives on the line."

"If they fled, then they had no pride to begin with." Wynn muttered angrily. She looked appalled by the mere thought of fleeing guards. "They signed up for this, and they have a responsibility to Halstatt and to Daymonte. Even if it meant their deaths, they should have stayed until the end."

"What about the Testificates?" I asked, feeling bad for the defenseless creatures with blimps for noses. "Is Halstatt really going to leave them to the Griefers?"

"No. Billy is right." Wynn explained. "The Testificates are neutral anyway, so the Griefers will have no reason to kill them. They might get sold or ransomed to unsavory sorts, but at least they'll live through it." Wynn looked to each of us. "The two of you should get some rest. If we leave first thing tomorrow, we'll have a wide enough berth to avoid those Griefers. And if we travel through the Caerbannog Valley the Griefers won't follow—"

"Isn't there anything we can do?" I asked hopefully. "I mean, I don't know these Testificates very much, but these Griefers sound like a bunch of assholes, Alec included. What type of guy goes around attacking villages?"

Wynn shook her head. "This is one of Daymonte's problems and we lack the jurisdiction to intervene. Even if we could stop the army, involving ourselves will just be asking for trouble. It's tough," she added, seeing the expression on my face, "But we have to accept that this isn't our problem."

I nodded slowly, repeating those words in my head. They made sense. We were just a group of guards gathered for an envoy mission to another Kingdom. We weren't ordered to defend Halstatt or to offer them help should they need it. We weren't equipped to handle a Griefer army. It was out of our hands.

 _And yet…why do I feel bad about this?_

"By now, half the guards are probably asleep," Wynn mumbled to herself, stifling a small yawn. "And I can barely stay awake. I'll tell them about the situation in the morning." She turned to find her own room, leaving Lenz and I in the hallway.

"What do you think about this?" I addressed the engineer, wanting to hear his opinion.

Lenz frowned. "I…I am not quite sure. The first and only time I ventured through the badlands between the Kingdoms, I was always taught that the strong are obligated to protect the weak. Those that fight protect those that cannot. But…" He adjusted his glasses. "This whole Griefer army business has turned everything on its head. Now the strong are fleeing and the weak are left unprotected…"

"And?" I urged, seeing the engineer struggle with his answer.

"Well," Lenz looked uncertain as he answered. "If the Halstatt guards—who we assume are the strong ones in this situation—are fleeing, we must subsequently assume that they have now become the weak, expecting someone stronger to rush to their defense. Meanwhile, the Testificates—the weak ones—remain in need." He shook his head. "No matter how I look at it, this situation confuses me. The strong _should_ protect the weak."

"Somehow, I think there's more to it than that." I offered. "I don't think the Ringwood guards protect citizens because they're strong and the citizens are weak."

"Well then, what _is_ the reason?" Lenz had his notebook out, ready to take notes. "Why else would guards protect people if it was not their job, otherwise? And why are Halstatt's guards fleeing then?"

"I…I don't know." I shrugged, wondering why Lenz saw me as the final word on the motives of Ringwood's guards. "I'm sure they have their own reasons why—look, nevermind that. We're getting off topic."

Lenz sadly put away hit notebook. "Well, regarding the information we have on the situation—and if it were me, hypothetically—I would flee Halstatt with the other weak ones. In Minecraftia, you can be weak or you can be stupid, but you cannot be both. Fleeing a defenseless and doomed village is a no-brainer…though I find it odd how the guards came to this conclusion when they are supposed to be strong and stupid."

"…yeah. That's what I think too...except for the stupid guard thing." I admitted. It was the truth. Fleeing a village about to be destroyed by Griefers made sense. And yet, I still had that bad feeling in my gut. Maybe it was just hunger or something.

Stomach: _Feed meeeeee!_

"Well then, we should probably get our rest." Lenz turned to find a room. "Since they offered us separate rooms, I think it best we do that."

Hey, if he wanted that, then I wasn't going to complain. I could finally sleep with torches again instead of those ridiculous night lights.

* * *

[Lenz]

Locating a room was simple enough. They were all empty after all. And after placing a few redstone lamps, the room became a proper home.

One we would have to leave first thing in the morning.

The urgency behind that decision was obvious enough. If we stayed, the Griefers would eradicate us. Beat us to death with any weapon they fancied in their destructive haste. Shovels, pickaxes, axes, sticks. So moronic that they could not properly arm themselves. Take into consideration weapon strength and durability.

They were the stupid ones.

But they survived Minecraftia by sticking together. That and targeting weaker ones.

Like me.

Oh, yes. I had my fair share of close encounters with Griefers during that first journey to Daymonte. All those years ago. They were relentless and belligerent, attacking us at every turn. Like wolves at the scent of blood. Day or night mattered little to them when their prey was in sight.

Of course, the group I traveled with was more than willing to fight back. Whether they won of lost mattered little—it was their job to fight, after all—so long as I managed to escape.

That was how it was. The strong ones fought. The weak ones fled.

That was how I survived to Daymonte.

But this whole situation with the Griefer army wove doubt into my mind.

What business did the guards, the strong ones, have fleeing a village in need? It was their job to stay and fight, giving the weaker ones ample time to escape.

And LeShui. LeShui! The redstone wiring legend! All the teachers at the college gushed about his talent. He was an engineer like me who prided himself on his redstone skills. And although he was weak, his intellect more than made up for it. Like me.

So then why had he freed Burke and bombed those bridges? Why was he associating with those barbaric Griefers? Not that I was one to talk, hanging around with Ringwood's guards and Cobbert. But they were not nearly as bad as Griefers.

Cobbert was a friend.

And the guards…well…they were cold to me. But I did not care! Compared to what my original group had treated me with, frosty indifference was a pleasant change.

' _What you got there, Lenny? You keeping food from us? Hand it over!_ '

' _Feh! What good are you if you can't even get us food? Can't even swing a sword…why don't you just beat it!_ '

' _Lenny! I saw you run away! Thought you could flee from us? Get back with the others and stay there!_ '

I gripped the covers of my bed and collected them around my chest. As bad as those neanderthals had been, I was alive because of them. They were the strong, stupid ones, who could not see that I took advantage of their strength. That _all_ the weak ones that survived took advantage of their strength.

That was how the weak survived. By using the strong. By relying on their intellect; the only thing they could fall back on.

That is why a Crafter could be weak or stupid, but not both.

Because a weak _and_ stupid Crafter would find themselves destroyed.

As for Cobbert…

…

He was a special case.

He was not particularly strong. And he was most certainly an idiot.

Yet, it was thanks to him that I managed to escape the End. He borrowed knowledge from Herobrine and that book. Vital knowledge that saved both of our lives.

Everything about Cobbert suggested that he should have died a long time ago. Was it Herobrine's books that were imbuing him with the knowledge to survive? Or was it something else entirely?

I suddenly realized how little I knew of the Crafter, aside from his number of one billion…and his reputation with a fishing rod.

I stared at the ceiling of my room, the thoughts rattling inside my head.

 _Maybe…he can show me what enables him to survive._

* * *

[Cobb]

"Hmmm…Maybe if I…no, that doesn't work. UGH!" I flung the unyielding cake across the room where it hit the opposite wall and slid to the ground. "I'm never going to figure this out!"

I fell back onto my bed, fuming at how the delectable treat continued to evade my grasp. How easy would it have been to ask Billy? Just a quick question on how to eat cake.

Though in hindsight, a question like that would have been tactless given the whole Griefer army situation.

Our group had only ever encountered small packs of the chaotic Crafters. But an army? Why and how were they even sticking together? From what Wynn explained, Griefers only ever lived to make life miserable for other Crafters. Was that why they were sticking together? To make life miserable for more people?

I didn't see the appeal.

And who was this Alec_Bishop that could so effortlessly control so many Griefers? Was he some kind of…King Griefer? Why else would thousands follow him?

 _Though…I suppose if he was offering cake—NO! Must not be tempted!_

And why was he even targeting Daymonte's villages in the first place? What was so important that he needed to sweep through them all like a demonic broom of destruction?

 _And WHY do I still have this weird feeling in my gut, even_ after _eating!?_

I rolled over and over in my bed, trying to find the right position to sleep in. A bed was a luxury I couldn't figure out how to craft, leading to many sleepless nights in my makeshift shelters. I was positive it required wood and wool…but how was I supposed to know how to arrange them on a crafting table?

Why couldn't items of comfort be as simple as rock plus stick?

"Ugh…" I groaned as I rolled off my bed. "Can't sleep like this…" I was wondering if I should have been blaming the bed or whatever upsetting feeling I was feeling.

Either way, I wasn't going to get any sleep.

 _Maybe a walk will tire me out._

Brain: _I'd suggest having Lenz bore you to sleep with an explanation on redstone…but I'm not a masochist so ignore what I just suggested._

Heart: _If only_ all _of us could ignore your suggestions._

Brain: _Shut up, Liver._

Liver: _Wha—? I didn't even—_

 _Can't you guys ever get along?_

Brain: _Hey, I'm trying to extend the olive branch here, but Liver keeps putting me down with his sarcastic comments and foul language._

Liver: _B-but I didn't—_

Brain: _See? He just said 'butt', and we all know how close 'butt' is to 'ass'. Pretty soon he'll be spouting 'fucks' and 'shits'. We have to stop this madness now! Preferably by killing Liver._

Lungs: * _Sigh_ *

While my organs argued, I slipped out of my room and turned towards where the front door was, intending for a peaceful walk.

What I didn't intend was watching Billy disappear around the corner, the edges of his dark blue scarf trailing behind him in his haste.

 _…Where is he going in such a hurry?_

I looked up and down the halls before stealthily following the Crafter. He couldn't be fleeing the village. Not when he mentioned that the Griefers would take two days to reach Halstatt. It would have made more sense to rest for the night and flee in the morning. That was what Wynn had suggested we do.

I followed the Crafter outside the Inn, and down one of the empty streets. I kept myself a good distance away, but not far enough to lose him. It was a good thing the village was empty. One Crafter stalking another would have drawn too much attention.

Finally, Billy stopped at a large wooden building, a village hall of sorts located right by the well. While he went inside, I skirted around the building's corner, taking a seat beneath a window. I peered inside to see what Billy was up to.

Only, it wasn't just Billy.

Cosmic was there too, along with that large Crafter that led us to the Inn, and a Testificate named Oswald, who I vaguely remembered was the Village Leader. Several other Crafters were there too, but I didn't recognize them outside of knowing they helped defend the wall earlier.

They were probably the only Crafters left in the entire village. All together in some sort of meeting.

"Billy, glad you could make it." Cosmic smiled to the man, offering him a spot between herself and the large Crafter. Billy nodded and took his place. "Have you changed your mind about what you're going to do?"

"No." Billy spoke without an ounce of doubt. "There are more than enough fleeing Crafters to pass the warning. I'm staying."

"Now hold on, Billy." The large Crafter interjected. "I can see that you're frustrated over what the Griefers did to your friends. It's making you make rash decisions. Perhaps if you sleep on it, clear your head a bit—"

"No." Billy repeated, withdrawing a diamond sword from his backpack. "I've made up my mind. When those Griefers show up, I'm giving them a taste of 'Mr. Burns'," he raised his sword a little higher, "and all the strength I can muster will be spent stopping those monsters."

"It won't do you any good." The Village Leader, Oswald, advised the brave-sounding man. "The night those Griefers get here will bear witness to a tumultuous thunderstorm. The downpour will make your Fire Aspect Sword useless."

"That…that doesn't change a thing!" Billy shouted defiantly. "I'm facing those Griefers. And I'm going to stop them!"

"Be reasonable, Billy!" The large Crafter argued. "You'd be facing a thousand enemies! What hope would you have alone?"

"He won't be alone." A voice spoke up, and Cobb was surprised to see that it was Cosmic. "I'm staying too."

"Wha…Cosmic?" The large Crafter looked taken aback. "You can't be serious about taking them on."

"Sorry, bro." Despite her apology, Cosmic smiled. "Halstatt's my home. And the Testificates here are like my family. Abandoning 'em just isn't possible."

"But…but what about what we talked about?" He hissed desperately. "You have that special pickaxe of yours…and the Silk Touch! If you could just mine up enough diamond and gold ores to make a peace offering, then maybe the Griefers will spare our village."

Cosmic just shook her head. "Bargaining with those wild dogs will never work. They'll take our peace offering and burn down the village just for fun. The only way to save the Testificates is to fight 'em off."

"But…but…"

Billy took a step toward the large Crafter. "There comes a time when you've run too far for too long. Now, it's time for us to fight!"

"We all feel the same way." One of the other Crafters spoke up. "We're not letting those Griefers take this village as easily as the others."

"Guards or no guards, we'll give them a run for their money!"

"Yeah!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These Crafters were willing to stay? To risk their lives for Testificates—no, it was more than that. They were risking their lives for their village. Their home.

They were standing their ground.

Cosmic smiled at the watching Crafters before turning back to the large Crafter. Her 'bro.' "Sorry, bro. We've all made up our mind. But don't think that means we're forcing you to stay. In fact…first thing tomorrow morning, I want you to take a horse and ride somewhere safe. Ringwood ought to be far enough—"

"Ringwood?" As if a light had gone on in the large Crafter's head, he suddenly turned to the watching Crafters. "Those guards that arrived today were from Ringwood. If they helped evacuate the Testificates, we could get them all out in time!"

I gulped nervously over hearing those words. How would the villagers react?

"No. We can't take advantage of 'em like that. This is Daymonte's problem, not Ringwood's." Cosmic argued with a sigh. "Besides, you know as well as I that the Testificates would never survive outside Halstatt. Even with escorts…even with Leslie…the Mobs would get 'em. They're just that relentless."

"Well…then… _then_ …" The large Crafter looked frustrated and stared at the floor with clenched fists. "If…if you're not leaving your family, then neither am I! I'll stay too!"

Cosmic blinked in surprise before attempting to place a hand on the large Crafter's shoulder. "Really, bro. It's okay if you want to run—"

"And why would I run!?" The large Crafter shouted indignantly. "Without me, none of you would last a second! We'll beat those demons back, and we'll do it together!" He tried to give off a confident grin, but even I could tell how forced it was. And how his hand shook in terror.

Cosmic stared at her 'bro' for a long time. I was certain she'd comment about his obvious fear, but instead she gave a beaming smile. "You're right, bro! Those Griefers don't stand a chance!" She grabbed his arm and lifted it high above everyone's heads. "Let's hear it for Halstatt: The toughest of Daymonte's villages!"

"Yeah!"

As they cheered together, a placed a hand over my mouth in horror. They knew perfectly well what they were getting into. They knew exactly what awaited them if they stayed to fight. They knew all of this, but put on brave faces for each other. To keep up spirits before the inevitable truth hit them.

They were all going to die.

And they weren't even going to ask Wynn or her guards for help.

Again, that terrible feeling twisted inside my gut.

And as I listened to Halstatt's remaining citizens give cheers of fake confidence, each one causing another wrench of pain, I suddenly realized what that feeling was.

Guilt.

Brain: _Well, shit._

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Axe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 50 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Stick, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 14 Pumpkin Pies, 24 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 10 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 8 Emeralds, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 12]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Carrots, 29 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: 'Well shit' indeed. Cobb doesn't feel too happy with what's about to happen to Halstatt.**

 **So there was some perspective for both Lenz and Cobb. Not a lot of humor this chapter, mainly because it's setting up the Arc's dilemma. Those Griefers are coming.**

 **Special thanks to AwesomeCoolGuy5 for the OC: Billy_Emerald5. It's purely coincidence that his ****OC premiered in the same** **chapter I acknowledged him for winning a Victory Cookie. I hope I did the character well.**

 **No Omake this week. Sowwy.**

 **Hope you're all enjoying the last weeks of summer...unless you live in a different hemisphere.**


	54. Duty

**AN: It's been a while since I did a count. 26,000 Views. 74 Favs. 69 Follows. 475 Reviews.**

 **That's awesome.**

 **Also, just throwing this out there, I got a review from an anonymous reviewer named Eladar. He wanted me to contact him when the story concluded, but I think he put down a url or something. Fanfiction does not like urls or something, which is why it didn't show up. To get around this, a url needs to be typed with spaces instead of dots. Then it should work. (Though, Eladar, I'd prefer to have the url in a PM rather than an anonymous review.)**

 **Summer Vacation is nearly over. I remember it like it was still happening. Ah, sweet memories~!**

 **Puzzle: At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add an Internal Council of Organs.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 54

 **Duty**

[Lenz]

I cracked an eye open, taking in the familiar yellow tint my glasses provided. Judging by the clock on the wall, it was a little past dawn. Waking up early was one of the many positive habits drilled into me from attending the Redstone College. After all, I could not get to those early morning comparator classes if I slept in.

Since I already had my Inventory packed, I left my room and hurried to Cobbert's to wake him up. Not even an imminent Griefer Attack could rouse him from his heavy slumber.

I knocked once, then twice, but got no response. I could not even peer through the openings since the door was made out of dark oak. When I finally decided to abandon proper door etiquette in favor of barging in, I discovered that Cobbert was nowhere to be seen. His room's chest was empty so he had everything with him, including his armor, but he must have already left.

 _He got up before me? I suppose the Griefer attack worried him more than he let on._

Just as I was about to leave, however, I noticed something knock into the lone window from outside. It looked like the bobber of a fishing rod.

I rushed over to the window and saw the same bobber flung into the air from within a small garden owned by the Inn. "Cobbert?" I called out, knowing the adventurer's talent with a fishing tool. The bobber continued to be flung into the air, but my call received no response.

 _Does he always get up this early to practice?_ I pondered as I promptly left the room and searched for an alternative exit to the garden. Not that I did not understand the need to practice to refine one's skills—it had taken months to learn archery—but I usually practiced at night before bed.

Whatever he was doing, we did not have time to waste. We had to leave as soon as possible to put as much distance between us and those barbaric Griefers. The further, the better. And since Cobbert was the only Crafter who would bother to protect me (as per our agreement), I could not lose him in between Daymonte and Ringwood.

When I finally managed to get to the gardens, it was to discover that the Crafter practicing with a fishing rod was not Cobbert.

But a Ringwood guard.

A female guard, though her name escaped me. The guards had never really bothered to introduce themselves when I first joined their group. The Captain, Wynn_Whispers, had briefly mentioned I would be tagging along, but aside from that, they largely seemed to ignore me.

Which was acceptable. They did not _need_ to know who I was.

With that in mind, I turned to leave, only to bump into someone.

"Watch it!" A guard with green hair growled, slamming his shoulder into mine as he passed. I winced as I massaged where he hit me, but muttered an apology.

 _That_ guard I remembered. Bitters. Easy to remember since he always seemed bitter about something.

"Yeah, you should be sorry." He smirked arrogantly before gasping at the female guard with the fishing rod. "Wha—Solara! What are you doing with that thing!?"

"Uh…practicing?" Solara replied with mild annoyance before resuming. The bobber whipped through the air, changing directions at a moment's notice with just a flick of her wrist.

"You _know_ how the Captain feels about that tool!" Bitters hissed, stomping up to the guard and trying to take her fishing rod.

"What, are you going to tattle on me again?" Solara shot back, keeping the tool high above Bitters' reach. "Besides, I think I'm really getting the hang of this."

"It's not about getting the 'hang of it'. You should be practicing archery or swordsmanship. Not fishing!" Bitters turned to glare at me, even as I tried to leave quietly. "Cobb and that new guy…they think they can last with their useless skills…before you know it, we'll be learning redstone engineering!"

"Redstone is not a useless skill." I could not help but reply. Leave it to barbarians like them not to realize the importance of redstone. It was the very essence of Daymonte, powering elevators, lights, rails, airships, monorails, clocks, and anything else the engineering mind could conceive.

Bitters doubled his glare and turned to completely face me. "Redstone is a luxury that Crafters can only partake in when they have the time and security to do so. In Kingdoms protected by guards, Crafters are more than welcome to piss away their time tinkering with redstone. But out here," he gestured around, indicating all the surroundings, "there's no time for it."

He was not wrong. Advancements in the world of redstone engineering were only possible within the safety of the Kingdoms' walls. A safety that was further bolstered by the protective guards.

But that was their job: To use their strength to protect.

"I hate to agree with Bitters," a third guard spoke up from the side, "But he's right, this engineer guy shouldn't be out here. He's too weak to even hold a sword."

Bitters sneered, bolstered by his support. "Thank you, Liam. What that newb, Cobb, sees in bringing someone like him along is beyond me. Though if I had to guess, he'd make a decent human shield—"

"Bitters, give it a rest." Solara lightly smacked Bitters on the head. "You're just jealous that Cobb is getting more of Wynn's attention than you."

 _Was that what that was? Attention?_ I wondered as I recalled the spar they had. _That looked more like the Captain taking her anger out on Cobbert._

"Jealous? _Jealous_!? HA!" Bitters let out an unnatural laugh. "What could I possibly have to be jealous of? That I can't whip a fishing rod around? That it was him and not me that figured out how to cross that basin full of Creepers? That a newb like Cobb couldn't tell the difference between diamonds and lapis lazuli!?"

"Hmmm…All of the above." Solara replied cheekily. "And I'm fine with it. It's a nice change of pace where someone besides you, the Captain's pet, is soaking up her attention. Besides, Cobb is _incredibly_ experienced. He took out Car—"

"Carys_Angel! Yes, yes! I heard it!" Bitters waved off angrily. "But that doesn't mean a thing! He's a newb! A NEWB, I tell you! Why doesn't anyone believe me!?"

Solara rolled her eyes. "If you're talking about all those times he did newb-ish acts—angering those wolves, building cutouts for shelters, and mining andesite—we all laughed at first, but I think he just did that on purpose. You know, to look more approachable. If he looked too experienced, we'd all probably think he was too intimidating. After all, nobody that defeated _the_ Carys_Angel could be that much of a newb, right?"

While the guard named Liam nodded in concession and Bitters folded his arms in defiance, I was still focused on that last bit of information.

 _Carys_Angel?_

The _Carys_Angel?_

 _Cobbert defeated her in battle?_

That was news to me. Carys_Angel was infamous, even in Daymonte. The stories about her, slaying Crafters without a second thought, making her foes freeze in terror with just a glance of her crimson eyes…riding into battle on a pig.

That last one had to be made up.

Solara put her fishing rod away and glared at both Bitters and the guard named Liam. "Just because Cobb looks and acts like a newb, doesn't mean he isn't strong. How did he put it, again? 'More than anything, I want to show Minecraftia that experience isn't everything. That anyone, regardless of number, can have their own piece of knowledge to impart to others. That everyone is valuable enough to survive in this world.'"

"What, did you memorize it word for word?" Liam chuckled.

"Of course." Solara puffed out her chest proudly. "I bet that's why Cobb brought Lenzington along. He probably sees something in him—some valuable piece of knowledge or skill—that nobody else can."

Was that why Cobbert brought me? Probably not. After all, _I_ was the one who asked him if I could come.

 _But could he really see something in me? How would he be able to tell?_

 _And if he could, all he would see is a survivor._

"Lenzington, you have your own skills that make you strong, right?"

"…You are wrong."

Solara's face fell a bit. "Wha—huh?"

"I repeat, you are wrong." I could see the confusion on her face as well as the curiosity on the other two guards' faces. "I am not, nor have I ever been, strong. And I will _never_ be strong.

"The strong, like yourselves, are unconditionally obligated to protect the weak. To throw away your lives for the sake of others. Why would I ever want to be anything like that? I happen to enjoy living.

"I am one of the weak, because that it all I am capable of. One who flees in the face of danger. One who relies on intellect rather than the brute strength you lot are accustomed to." I stated it evenly, trying to convey the message to their neanderthal brains, even as their irritated frowns deepened. "And that is fine with me."

And with that, I promptly left the gardens and the three taciturn guards behind to resume my search for Cobbert.

The only Crafter who I trusted to protect me on my travels.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Phew. I think we got all the iron we could from this tunnel."

Perched beside a chunk of coal ore, I watched as Cosmic and the large Crafter exited a tunnel, their belts laden with iron ore. Halstatt's quarry had several tunnels at the bottom, with ladders along the side to climb up.

I stifled a yawn to remain undiscovered and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. If I was tired, the two mining Crafters were probably exhausted, having spent the whole night mining supplies for the inevitable war.

But I knew it was no use.

There were only twelve Crafters at last night's meeting, Cosmic, Billy, and the large Crafter included. They were probably the only Crafters left. And Testificates couldn't fight. Or at least not in the way where they could take on a thousand Griefers.

So those twelve Crafters—oh, and Leslie—versus a thousand, plus Burke, LeShui, and Alec.

 _It'll be a massacre._

Brain: _That's not our problem._

Heart: _How can you be so heartless, Brain?_

Brain: _How can you be so brainless, Heart?_

Bladder: _…Good counter._

I couldn't understand why I was feeling so guilty. Even as I watched those two Crafters climb back up those ladders, leaving me to my thoughts, I was still no closer to figuring out why I felt guilty.

Was it because they were trying so hard to do something so futile?

Was it because it was a bad thing happening to good people?

Was it because I was capable of doing something—that Wynn and her guards were capable of doing something—but we all chose not to?

 _UGH! Why can't I get over this!?_ I grabbed fistfuls of my hair in frustration. _I barely know these people! I don't owe them anything! This is just a terrible occurrence!_

 _So…why…why can't I let it go?_

Brain: _Beats me. It's stupid no matter how you look at it._

Heart: _No, it's not stupid. It's compassion, Cobb, and there's no shame in feeling it._

Brain: _Sure, why don't you go compassionize over every single tree that gets cut down to make houses while we all stay in the real world where things actually matter._

I clenched my teeth in frustration. I couldn't figure out any of what I was feeling. I needed someone else to talk to about this. Maybe pick someone's brain—

 _Actually, scratch that. That's a disgusting saying._

Brain: _Yeah, reminds me of ice pick lobotomies. *shudders*_

 _…_ _Where are you even getting this from? I know it can't be Normal Sense because that sounds_ way _too absurd to have ever been a thing._

Stomach: _Yeah, no sane human being would qualify an ice pick to the brain as a proper medical operation._

 _Yes…um…anyway, maybe instead of picking someone else's brain—_

Brain: _Ew…_

 _—_ _I can ask all of you. You're all part of me, right? So you must be as conflicted as I am!_

Brain: _Meh…_

Heart: _Hush, Brain! Ask away, Cobb._

I stood up, leaning against the chunk of coal ore and oddly accepting of this inner council thing I was doing, as I thought up my question.

 _Okay, if you were me—which you are—what would you do in this situation and why?_

Brain: _This feels like an essay question…_

Heart: _If you won't answer then I'll start. If it were me, I'd stay and help Halstatt in any way I can. This village let us stay the night, offered us their quarry's limited resources, and is full of good people._

Brain: _The same people that abandoned this place._

Heart: _You can hardly blame them for wanting to live! Maybe if the Halstatt guards, the people the villagers look to for safety, hadn't up and left, then they would have stayed to fight._

 _So…your final vote?_

Heart: _I vote to stay. Because it's the right thing to do._

Brain: _Well, thankfully, we're not all one big magnanimous charity._

 _You think we should leave?_

Brain: _No, shit. We should be sprinting out of here. An army of a thousand is coming and all we got as an advantage is a thirty-two ton Leslie. If we stay, we'll lose. But that's not even the biggest issue! We have no reason to stay! These people are strangers. Strangers that have chosen to stay for their own reasons. We owe Daymonte nothing. We want to live. I vote for leaving, plain and simple._

Bladder: _I agree with Brain on this. I do feel bad for them, and I_ want _to help, but there's a point when you can't help everybody. This is that point. We need to help ourselves, first. I vote to leave._

Brain: _Finally, someone who uses common sense. Anyone on stupid pills want to disagree?_

Liver: _I disagree._

Brain: _Liver…why am I not surprised? Always against me._

Liver: _I'm not doing this out of spite, Brain. I feel pity for these people, knowing that they're refusing to back down from their deaths. There's a courage in that which I admire; The little guy, standing up to the big, bad bully._

Brain: _Well, the big, bad bully in this situation is gonna shove Halstatt into a locker, lift that locker off the ground, dunk its head into a toilet, spank its ass with a paddle, and psychologically torture it into killing itself. Then pee on the dead body for good measure._

 _…_ _That's dark._

Brain: _Blame Normal Sense._

Liver: _T-that only makes me want to stay more! I don't want that to happen to anyone! I won't allow it! I vote to stay!_

Brain: _Ugh, we're tied. Stomach, help me out here._

Stomach: _…_

Brain: _Stomach? You're being oddly silent. As silent as Lungs in fact…who I only now realize hasn't been talking._

Stomach: _…I like food._

Heart: _…_

Liver: _…_

Brain: _Really? Never would have guessed._

Bladder: _You should pay more attention, Brain._

Brain: _…You_ are _on stupid pills._

Bladder: _They're too addictive! *nom nom*_

Stomach: _I like food. To eat food, we must not be dead. If we stay, we'll die—_

Heart: _You don't know that. Maybe…maybe we can win…_

Stomach: _We are more likely to die if we stay in Halstatt, than if we leave. Right?_

Heart: _…Yes._

Stomach: _We have no idea what awaits us when—well…we do know what'll happen. Billy told us as much. But we have no idea if we'll be able to escape. Staying could very well mean our deaths._

 _And?_

Stomach: _If we die, I'll never be able to enjoy food again._

Heart: _Oh for the love of—is food all you think about!?_

Stomach: _Of course it is! In case you haven't noticed, I'm the_ fucking stomach _! But it's not just about the food! We'd be risking our entire life on this village if we stayed! All our future happiness. All our future wealth. All our future experiences! Gone! And for what? The off-chance that we_ might _win? At least the villagers are fighting for their village, their Testificates, and their home. Us? We're fighting because we feel bad! That's it! Too much risk, not enough reward. I vote we leave._

Bladder: _Well said._

Brain: _Unless my counting's wrong, that's three votes for leaving, two votes for staying. We only need one more vote._

Heart: _…Lungs?_

Brain: _Don't listen to them, Lungs. Just speak your mind. Tune everyone else out. In fact, tune me out. Lungs? Lungs, you hear me? Lungs? Good, it's working._

 _You guys are gonna have to translate since…wait a second. No matter what Lungs says, it's up to the interpreter to decide!_

Brain: _Shit! He used his brain! Damn me!_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Uh…Lungs says we should leave._

Heart: _No he doesn't! He wants us to—_

Brain: _He also told me to tell you not to listen to Heart or Liver because Heart's been popping stupid pills like Tic Tacs and Liver is a certifiable monkey._

Liver: _Hey!_

Brain: _Shut up and have a banana._

 _Brain, you're not being fair here. Translate Lungs honestly._

Lungs: _*Sigh* *Sigh*_

Heart: _Lungs says—_

Brain: _No! Don't listen, Cobb! Heart is the liar! Can't you see I'm doing what's best for our survival!?_

Liver: _I think—_

Brain: _Nobody asked you, monkey-boy!_

Lungs: _ENOUGH!_

All my organs gasped in unison, along with myself.

 _Did…did Lungs just…_

Brain: _Holy crap!_

Stomach: _I don't believe this!_

Heart: _Lungs! You…you can talk!?_

Lungs: _Of course I can talk, you idiots! The rest of you can talk so why wouldn't I?_

Brain: _I dunno. You just never did. You always spoke in Sigh Language._

Lungs: _Only because you all had no trouble translating…until now that is. Now, we are faced with a difficult choice, one that is tearing us apart. We must agree unanimously in order for Cobb to pass this situation with no doubts. He cannot waver._

Stomach: _So…what do you vote?_

Lungs: _I vote…we stay._

Stomach: _What!?_

Brain: _Of all the times to say something and you choose something stupid like that!_

Lungs: _I vote we should stay. And you should all agree, because of what I am about to say._

Brain: _Well, what is it? What's sooooo important that—_

Bladder: _Oh, I get it! He said_ Sigh _Language instead of_ Sign _Language. I get the joke now!_

Brain: _…_

Bladder: _…_

Brain: _…What's sooooo important that it'll change our minds and have us defend Halstatt?_

Lungs: _Because to do otherwise would go against Cobb's core belief._

Brain: _…what?_

Lungs: _Cobb. Do you remember what you said to Wynn on the day you crossed the Creeper herd? I know Brain does. 'More than anything…'_

Brain: _…Ugh. 'More than anything, I want to show Minecraftia that experience isn't everything. That anyone, regardless of number, can have their own piece of knowledge to impart to others. That everyone is valuable enough to survive in this world.'_

 _Wow…I really said all of that?_

Lungs: _Indeed you did. And it's the last part which I find most interesting. 'That everyone is valuable enough to survive in this world.'_

Brain: _So what?_

Lungs: _So, the reason Cobb is feeling guilty is because his brain is telling him to go against his own beliefs. The Griefers intend to run into that village and kill everyone, for no reason other than they can. Like they've been doing to who knows how many other villages. How can Cobb possible stand by his words when he's about to abandon a village to the mercy of a Griefer army._

Brain: _That's not the same! Cobb only meant he wants to prove that the inexperienced can overcome anything!_

Lungs: _Then isn't this the perfect chance? For his inexperience to overcome this? To counter an army using only his inexperience would be a monumental achievement for him._

Brain: _If he lives to brag about it! This is nuts!_

Lungs: _He's going to stay, because deep down, he_ wants _to stay. He_ wants _to protect this village. He_ wants _to prove to everyone that the inexperienced are a force to be reckoned with. That they have a power that nobody can stop._

 _…_ _Yeah._ Lungs' words were resonating in my soul, almost leeching that guilty feeling away.

Brain: _Cobb! Don't get sucked in to this craziness. Lungs must be taking stupid pills if he thinks this is a good idea!_

Stomach: _Actually…I think Lungs is right._

Brain: _Stomach! You too?_

Stomach: _The Griefers aren't going to stop. Like Wynn said, they're the epitome of chaos, trying to assault those that don't even want to fight. Cobb's dream would look like garbage if we were to back away from this._

Heart: _And he would always regret it if we left._

Liver: _H-he'd never forgive himself._

Stomach: _If leaving Halstatt to die puts Cobb's dream at risk, then we do have something to fight those Griefers for._

Bladder: _I guess we're all taking stupid pills, then._

Brain: _Wha…bu…ugggggh…_

Heart: _Sorry, Brain. If you want, you're free to leave._

Brain: _What is that, a joke? You're stupid. You're all stupid._

Lungs: _Forgive me, Brain. But I had to say my piece._

Brain: _I hate you._

 _So…we're really doing this, then?_ I still felt terrified, but that guilty sensation was no longer twisting in my gut. _We're really staying?_

Lungs: _Only if Brain says so. We need to be unanimous after all._

Brain: _I hate all of you. Especially Liver._

Liver: _Darn. I thought I'd get moved up to second-to-most-despised._

 _…_ _So?_

Brain: _I hate you all, but I guess I'm stuck with you. If we're going to do this, we may as well do it right. With my superior wits._

Heart: _And my compassion_

Liver: _And my c-courage._

Bladder: _I'm just here for the pills—I mean, uh, my unpredictability._

Stomach: _And my strength._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

"Okay then." I spoke aloud. Alone, but not feeling alone. Feeling all of my being, united under a common goal. No confliction or turmoil.

I knew what I needed to do.

"I'm gonna face an army of Griefers!"

I immediately fell to my knees.

"Oh God, I'm gonna face an army of Griefers."

Brain: _D'oh! Now you look weak and flimsy like a flaccid dick! And after our big motivational moment, too!_

Stomach: _Not cool, Cobb._

Heart: _I'm embarrassed_ for _you._

Liver: _Very wimpy._

Bladder: _Boo, you suck!_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Bladder: _Ha! Good one, Lungs._

 _Okay, baby steps. Baby. Steps._ I shakily stood myself up and looked around. _First things first…can't fight Griefers in a quarry._

* * *

"Cobbert! There you are." Lenz ran up to me before resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "I have…been looking…everywhere for you! Literally everywhere."

"Really?" I questioned with a bit of humor. "Did you check the quarry?"

He took a long pause, punctuated by his haggard breaths. "…Literally almost everywhere. What business did you have at the quarry?"

I chuckled sheepishly, wondering how I was going to tell him. "I was there for some…self-reflection. Heh heh."

"That chuckle was quite awkward." Lenz slapped his head in realization. "Comparators, I forgot! The Captain said to get to the front gates soon! And that was a few minutes ago, so soon is right about…NOW!"

My eyes lit up, even as Lenz tried to push my resisting form. "She's at the front gates?"

"Yes! They all are! So if you do not wish to be left behind—whoa!" I grabbed Lenz's hand and proceeded to rush towards the front gates, desperately hoping I knew what I was doing.

As we hurried through Halstatt's streets, I spotted Cosmic cooking iron and the large Crafter making it into armor. The sight alone was enough to embolden my decision.

This _was_ the right thing.

When we finally reached the front gates, Lenz collapsed from the amount of running he had to do. The guy really needed to work on his cardio.

Just as the engineer had said, Wynn and all the guards were gathered. They were all just mounting their steeds. "Cobb, there you are." Wynn spoke up, turning her horse to face him. "Where have you been? Not angering that Iron Golem again, I hope."

"No, Captain. I…" I paused as I looked into her amber eyes. I didn't really have a plan for what to say. So I opted to start out cautiously.

"I think we should help defend Halstatt."

And then I botched it up with a blunt statement.

The effect was immediate. Half of the guards turned their attention to my absurd declaration. Bitters sneered, muttering something about 'hogging attention' before mounting his horse. Lenz, still collapsed on the ground, propped himself up by his elbows to fix me with a befuddled look.

But Wynn just let out a chuckle. "Alright, Cobb. Save the humor for when we're clear of this place. Now come on."

The way she made my statement roll off her seemed to calm some of the guards, who laughed it off as another of my jokes. A few were skeptical, including Lenz, who didn't see any humor in my statement.

"I'm serious, Captain." I spoke louder, wiping the smiles from the guards' faces. Wynn's expression became sterner, her amber eyes abandoning any attempt at humor.

"And why do you think we should stay and defend this village?" She asked evenly. Behind me I could hear Lenz getting to his feet. I really wished I had talked with him about this prior to addressing Wynn.

But, hindsight, what can you do?

"The remaining villagers aren't running." I explained. "They intend to stay and fight off the Griefers…or at least attempt to."

Wynn remained silent, her amber eyes locked with mine. If she was surprised by the information, she didn't show it. In fact, her expression was completely neutral. Was she considering—?

"And?" She finally spoke, surprising me. Was she expecting something more? What more did I need to say to spell it out for her?

"And…they're going to try and fight off a thousand Griefers!" I exclaimed, looking to the guards for any sign of compassion. Surely Wynn must have explained to them about the Griefer attack. "If we don't help them, they'll die. Steamrolled by those Griefers, just like all the other—"

"That," Wynn interrupted with a raised hand, "is not our concern."

"…What?"

"Whether the villagers stay or leave matters little. Halstatt is still one of Daymonte's villages and we're still Ringwood's guards." She spoke it very formally, as if reading off a set of laws. "We lack the jurisdiction to intervene."

"But…but the Griefers—"

"Are Daymonte's problem, not ours." Wynn finished for me. "They only have themselves to blame. They allowed this Griefer threat to grow unchecked. From a simple campfire to a blazing wildfire. It's their mess and I'm not risking my guards to clean it up."

A few of the guards behind her nodded their assent. They, after all, had nothing riding on Halstatt's survival or the lives of a few villagers. If it was a Ringwood village it would have been a different story. But since it was Daymonte…

"But…" I turned to look at Lenz, seeing the same hesitance the other guards shared. "But…Daymonte is Ringwood's ally—You just got done proposing a railway to unite your Kingdom with theirs and yet—!"

"Don't act like you know the relationships between Kingdoms." Wynn snapped. "If a similar problem was facing Ringwood, Daymonte wouldn't bat an eye. So why would I take the risk in defending a small village?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but one look at Wynn's expression and I knew it was pointless. The other guards were looking between us, obviously listening more to their Captain than the surprising newb they'd only known for…ten or twelve days? I had lost track.

Wynn wasn't going to budge. She was a Captain of Ringwood and only a Captain of Ringwood. She valued her guards' lives far too much to gamble them away in a battle of a thousand Griefers. And for what? Nothing.

Was that what being a guard was about? Protecting your own first and everyone else never?

"It's tough, Cobb, but we have to accept that this isn't our problem."

I clenched my fists and stared hard at the ground. How was I supposed to accept it? That bad people just did what they wanted and could get away with it. Cultists. Griefers. It was all the same. Maybe if someone just took a moment to stand up to them…

"Fine, Captain…" I muttered, my eyes still locked on the ground. "You shouldn't risk the lives of your men."

Wynn let out the smallest sigh. Exasperation or relief. I couldn't tell. "I'm glad you understand, Cobb. Once we're clear of this village you'll feel a lot better about—"

"Which is why," I cut her off, lifting my head to watch her widening eyes, "I'll stay behind."

The guards shared quizzical looks at the unwavering tone in my statement. Bitters' eyes lit up in what I only assumed could be happiness after hearing I was staying behind to face certain death. Lenz's eyes were obscured by his tinted glasses, but judging by his mouth hanging open, I could tell he wasn't too pleased by my announcement.

"…Excuse me?" Wynn recovered the fastest, probably because she was used to my stupidity.

"If this isn't your problem, then that's fine." I clarified, feeling oddly lighter. Maybe it was because I no longer had to worry about them dying in the fight if they weren't there. Killing others with my stupidity sounded way worse than killing just myself with it. "But I can't leave these villagers to face this alone. I wouldn't be able to live with it."

"You…" Wynn narrowed her eyes. "You're seriously considering saving a village that has nothing to do with you? Do you even know the names of all the villagers?"

"I know some..." I protested meekly. "Leslie, Cosmic, Billy, Oswald…that one guy…"

"Cobb, this is a new level of stupidity, even for you." Wynn dragged a hand over her face. "Just stop this already and let's get going."

"I'm sorry, Captain." And surprisingly, I really meant it. "But I'm staying here. If I let this village fall to those Griefers, it would be a spit in the face to my dream."

"Enough!" Wynn suddenly shouted, throwing herself off her horse and stomping up to face me. "His Eminence decided that your punishment would be to accompany us and follow my command! So I am _ordering_ you to drop this senseless heroism of yours and leave this village to its fate! Do I make myself clear!?"

I was shocked at how forceful she was being. Her amber eyes were narrowed in anger, but there was more to it than that. It didn't feel like real anger.

I felt cornered though, since I had given my word to accompany them. And just like dealing with TheAvoided, I didn't break my word easily. My eyes were darting left and right, trying to think of a way to stay in Halstatt and keep my promise to Wynn. The corners of her lips were already tilting up, confident that she had me beat.

But then I remembered. "I won't be breaking my word. I was only supposed to accompany you for the duration of my sentence or for the distance to Daymonte. Both ended days ago. So I'm no longer required to stay with you."

Wynn bit her lip in frustration. Her amber eyes wavered, remembering His Eminence's exact words and knowing that I was right. Not a second later, she had her next attempt ready. "Well that's fine and all, but let's not forget that you owe Ringwood a debt. You still need to pay off that emerald with interest. And until you do, you _must_ stay with us."

Immediately, my hands flew to my belt to withdraw all eight of my emeralds. "This ought to be enough to cover that. And if not, there are more resources in Ace's chest. Lapis, iron ore, gold ore, coal. Take your pick."

Reluctantly, Wynn reached out to accept the emeralds. She counted each one and grinded her teeth at how I had squirmed out of her latest trap. "Yes…it is more than enough to cover your debt…"

"Then I wish you the best of luck, Captain Wynn." I nodded respectfully, turning around to walk back to the gates. Lenz had his glasses raised, his magenta eyes fixed on my interaction with Wynn.

"S-stop!" I heard the distinctive rasp of iron followed by a few startled gasps. Lenz's eyes widened at whatever had happened and I whirled around to see Wynn's Rapier drawn.

It wasn't aimed at me, though. In fact, it was held at her side, almost as if she had done it on impulse and was now regretting her action. I couldn't help but wonder if she intended to _threaten_ me to follow. She tilted her head to look at the guards watching behind. Judging by their reactions, the same thought had crossed their minds.

"That is…I…" Wynn shuffled in place before awkwardly returning the blade to her belt. Whatever she had wanted to do in that moment, it looked like she hadn't planned it through very well.

That wasn't like her.

"…Captain?" One of the guards raised their hand toward the Captain who was trembling slightly.

"If you stay here…" Wynn spoke low, her ivory hair obscuring her eyes. "You will die. Do you understand that? Those Griefers will tear you apart."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that by myself." I commented sarcastically. Wynn didn't laugh. "I don't know how I'll stop them, but I'll think of something. I'm sure of it." I patted the items at my belt and offered a small smile.

The smile was more for her sake than mine. It was clear that the Captain was doing her damnedest to keep me from dying. A small part of me felt guilty to have thwarted her every attempt at forcing me to follow, but a greater part was telling me it was for the best.

 _And who knows. Anything can happen. Maybe I'll beat them easy._

Brain: _And maybe Carys_Angel will come back from the dead._

 _Hardy-har-har._

"…Very well, Cobb." Wynn spoke up, her hair still obscuring her eyes. "You can stay if you want."

"Thank you, Capt—"

"But first," when she finally lifted her head, her expression was stone cold, "I'll need to take back all those items I granted you."

I raised a brow at her latest demand. "What do you mean?"

She looked at me neutrally, without a hint of emotion. "You know what I mean. The iron pick I gave you to mine resources, those pieces of iron armor, the donkey…even that gold sword of yours."

"I earned that sword!" I argued back, anger rising in me. "You have no right to—"

"You enchanted that blade at my home. With lapis _I_ generously provided. And those items were meant to be given to a fellow comrade. Someone worthy of being called a Ringwood guard." She gazed at me coldly. "If you would rather defend Daymonte than stay with Ringwood, then return those items."

She held out her hand expectantly, waiting for me to move. Her other hand was at her Rapier again, daring me to disagree and give her an excuse to knock me out. I matched her frosty gaze with a burning glare.

Then, slowly, I withdrew my Sharpness Golden Sword. Back when she had allowed me to enchant it, she had wanted to make me stronger. To give me a better chance at fighting those Griefers. Now she was demanding it back when I needed it most.

I handed her the sword which she slid into her backpack.

Next was the iron pickaxe. It wasn't the original one she offered me to mine resources. It was a replacement. But she didn't know that. And I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of making me protest.

I gave her the pick without a word.

Then the iron armor. More specifically the iron leggings and the iron boots. She gave me those as thanks for staying out of trouble in Daymonte. Even though I had done the complete opposite, what with getting sent to another dimension and all. I hadn't even worn them long, but she wanted them back nevertheless.

I reluctantly handed them over, feeling lighter and unprotected without them.

"Well?" She inquired with folded arms, looking me up and down. "Still feel like taking on those Griefers without your armor and weapons?"

Anger surged through me at her words. But not because of all the weapons she took or the cutting remark.

It was because of something I remembered Wynn saying.

' _Being a leader necessitates difficult choices. It's your responsibility to make such decisions._ Especially _if it means being hated. The choices I make might earn resentment, but if they keep my guards alive, I'd much rather hear their hate than not hear them at all._ '

I had asked her if that extended to me too.

' _You're wearing our colors aren't you?_ '

That was it. This was just another way to force me to go with them. Strip me of my items in a last ditch attempt to weaken both my supplies and my resolve.

'Especially _if it means being hated._ '

"You won't last with your pitiful gear, Cobb." Wynn commented loud enough for me to hear over the angry buzzing in my head. "And that fishing rod won't do you any good against a thousand Griefers."

' _The choices I make might earn resentment, but if they keep my guards alive, I'd much rather hear their hate than not hear them at all._ '

"Will you still stubbornly cling to this doomed village? Or have you finally seen reason?"

' _You're wearing our colors aren't you?_ '

I lifted my arms and wrenched my green dyed leather tunic off my chest. "Here. Can't forget about this." I flung the tunic, the symbol of my camaraderie with Ringwood, into the ground where it skid to rest at Wynn's boots. The guards let out a collective gasp, the true value of the green dyed leather quite familiar to them. "I guess it wasn't my color after all."

Wynn's eyes were focused on the leather tunic, knowing how symbolic the dyed leather was, before she slowly raised her head. And there looked to be real pain in her eyes. "Don't do this, Cobb. Don't make me the bad guy, here."

"Nobody's _making_ you do anything!" I shot back. "You have your duties and I have mine. They're just different is all."

"That's not…you don't…" Wynn was struggling to find the right words, her neutral expression breaking. "It's more complicated than you're making it!"

I shook my head sadly. "It seems pretty simple to me."

For a while, the two of us just stared at each other, neither one of us wanting to back down.

After several tense moments, which were only magnified by the silence of the onlookers, Wynn stooped down to pick up the tunic and patted the dirt off of it. "Fine. It's clear this village has finally found its idiot."

She spoke it so coldly before turning to mount her steed. My only consolation was that I knew she didn't mean it. She didn't want me to die. Not really. Hadn't she done everything in her power to try and get me out of it?

"Let's…go!" She caught her voice, keeping it strong as she called the guards to mount their steeds and ride. She ordered one of the guards to take my donkey, Ace, in addition to their own steed. I saw that the other guards were sad at how our exchange had gone. Aside from Bitters, who was humming merrily despite the general mood, they all seemed depressed that I wouldn't be returning with them to Ringwood.

As they rode further and further to the tree line, I felt a presence stand beside me.

"You should probably go with them." I informed the engineer. "Things are going to be ugly."

Lenz shook his head. "Ah, if only it were that easy. The Captain has already made it clear that her guards would not protect me. And I could not survive out there on my own."

"…You know you could have lied and said you'd rather fight with me to the end."

"Forgive me, I am not familiar with this situation. In fact, every cell of my body is screaming at me to run as far and as fast as I can. To put as much distance between those Griefers as possible."

I turned to look at the engineer. "So what's telling you not to?"

He shook his head. "I do not know. Perhaps it is because there is no point. Perhaps because staying here, as absurd as it sounds, is my best chance at survival. After all, you must have some rudimentary plan to combat this Griefer army."

"…If by rudimentary you mean nonexistent…then yes."

"…You know you could have lied and said you had the perfect plan."

"Yeah…sorry…"

Lenz let out a sigh. "Well, since I do not have any other choice, I suppose I will have to _pretend_ to be one of the strong. At least until that Griefer army appears, in which case, I will dig a pit and proceed to hide myself in it."

"That means a lot, Lenz, thanks." I rolled my eyes. "I'll be sure to give you a shout if I ever need you to make an elaborate redstone machine…or…trap…"

I trailed off as I gazed towards the tree line. The guards and Wynn had all just vanished into it, obscured by the trees. I thought I saw her look back, but I couldn't tell for sure.

But I had something else on my mind. The makings of a plan. A plan that could utilize Lenz's skills.

"Cobbert?"

"Hey, Lenz?" I spoke calmly, even as the idea bloomed further in my mind. "Remember that Stronghold in Daymonte?"

He stared at me dully. "I only spent a good portion of my life obsessing over that ruin's secrets."

 _Hey, he learned sarcasm._

"Remember that one pitfall trap with the retracting floor and the lava?"

"…Yes. Tripwire triggered if I recall. Why?"

I turned to him with a grin on my face. "Think you could make something like that. Only army-sized?"

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Axe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 50 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Stick, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 14 Pumpkin Pies, 20 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin,  1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 9 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 12]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Carrots, 29 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: Hopefully Lenz took Trapmaking 101 at the College. He'll need it to match LeShui's skills.**

 **This Chapter, at least in my opinion, had a good balance of humor and seriousness. The humor from the organ council and the seriousness from...well...you can probably guess. But the whole Chapter went through the reasons _why_ Cobb should stay, whether it was worth the risk to defend Halstatt. And each of the organs, portraying different parts of Cobb's psyche, helped to show his struggle.**

 **And speaking of struggle, that whole scene with Wynn was a little heartbreaking to write. There's no right or wrong, just two people that want different things for different reasons. Completely understandable.**

 **Unfortunately, next week I won't be able to publish a Chapter because of college-related reasons. Therefore the next Chapter will be published...**

 **...**

 **August 31st!**

 **The Omake below was an idea Ari-Dexel13 gave me.**

 **Enjoy the rest of your summer and have a nice - *searches internet* - National Thrift Shop Day? Okay, who wrote this!? No way this is a real thing!**

* * *

Omake: One is All You Need

"Alright, this looks as good a spot as any."

After liberating Maplefrost's Testificates—which was completely legal and not a criminal offense at all—Noman had said his goodbyes to the Scout Marble and the newly Scouted Righty, Bethany, and Legoless.

Although, after saying goodbye, the Billionth was stricken when he realized the amount of emeralds the Scout had left him. Not that it was insubstantial. On the contrary, it was more money than Noman knew what to do with. Over three-hundred emeralds! That was triple what Notch had left him!

He tried to find Marble to give him back the emeralds, but the Scout and Slime-girls were long gone. Whether leaving him the emeralds was intentional or not, the next leg of Noman's journey was funded with interest.

After getting another horse and some supplies—and avoiding the yellow-capped guards of Dover Plains—Noman traveled South, where he made camp.

While he was still trying to figure out which artifact to go after next, he decided to finally try out the bow he had been carrying.

It wasn't that he thought archery was daunting. He only ever had one arrow to spare, so he never had the chance to practice. But now that he bought a whole stack of arrows, he was ready to try out his bow. Especially after seeing the level of skill Ciro displayed.

The Millionth knew _exactly_ where to aim to optimize damage, even going so far as to shoot his own arrow. He had to have trained rigorously to master that. Although Noman had no idea whether he survived or not, it couldn't hurt to devote more time to archery.

Noman arranged a series of targets from some wooden planks and dirt blocks and took a few steps away. Nodding in satisfaction at his work, Noman withdrew his bow. "Time to see what this Infinity Enchantment does."

He held his bow as Ciro had, and reached at his belt for an arrow. Immediately, one met his grasp and he loaded it, aiming at the center target.

He focused all of his attention on that target, calmed his breathing…and fired!

And missed!

"Well, it was a practice shot…" Noman dismissed. He reached down to his belt for a new arrow, but he must have already done so because there was one already in his hand. "Huh. Must have spaced out."

Again he loaded and fired. Only this time it came up too short.

Noman frowned in dissatisfaction, already aiming his next arrow before realizing he hadn't even reached at his belt for one.

This one sailed way over the target, nearly hitting his horse who whinnied in protest.

"Sorry, Carrot!" Nowhere_Man. Carrot. He wasn't the best at naming things. Not like Marble.

After moving his horse, Noman continued shooting at the center target, his efforts growing worse and worse as his dejectedness grew.

Ten shots. Twenty. Thirty. _Forty_.

Noman was seriously beginning to question whether the Infinity Enchantment purposefully made shots miss. Because after shooting fifty times, the arrows had hit everything _except_ the target. The feathered bits of the arrows comically bunched on anything that's not a target.

"Okay, so I'm terrible at this." He finally admitted, not that there's anyone to judge him.

Just the critical stare of that horse…

"Don't look at me, Carrot." The Billionth mutters in embarrassment, walking over to retrieve the arrows.

Only for them to remain stuck in place.

"Er…" He tugged at the arrows again and again, but they refused to come loose. In fact, it almost felt like he was gripping air between his fingers. "What is this?"

He was fairly certain that arrows could be retrieved after being shot, so long as they didn't hit a Mob or Crafter. So then what was the problem?

Deciding to examine the arrows at his belt, Noman gasped when he saw the untouched stack. All sixty-four arrows were still neatly bunched together.

Noman came to a conclusion. If it wasn't the arrows, it had to be the bow. More specifically, the Infinity Enchantment. Suddenly remembering reading something about Infinity, he checked his artifact book on the Yanhua Gong.

 **[-Infinity Enchantment. Unlimited arrows]**

"Unlimited arrows…" He spoke the words aloud as if not believing them. His bow had an infinite number of shots. Its only limit was the bow's durability, which, since it was never used before, was fairly full.

But suddenly, another revelation crossed Noman's mind, completely overshadowing the first.

"This whole time…I had an Infinite amount of arrows…AND I WAS CONSERVING THEM!?"

Noman was immensely glad nobody was around to hear him. Because he let out one, enraged curse that echoed across the empty field.

"FIDDLESTICKS!"

* * *

 **AN: GASP! Not the 'F' word! Noman, you pottymouth!**


	55. Trap

**AN: This chapter marks 400,000 words. If you've read this entire story...and the Author's Notes...And the Inventory Lists...AND the Omakes...**

 **Then Congrats. You've read 400,000 words.** **In all seriousness though, for those of you that stuck around when this story first started, or picked it up say...twenty or thirty chapters ago...**

 **Thank you.**

 **Really.** **Thank You. It's not exactly Wednesday yet, but you guys can enjoy this as thanks.**

 **Congrats to Lord Mortem for getting last chapter's riddle correctly. The answer: Stars! Enjoy your Cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Warning : _The following Chapter contains graphic redstone nerd-talk. If you are unfamiliar with redstone terminology and how it works, or you are NOT in possession of all fifty volumes of Redstone Engineering, we recommend reading with subtitles so you can better understand._**

 _ **Following aforementioned nerd-talk may induce drowsiness, vacant expressions, and/or replacing anything redstone-related with the word 'blah'.**_

 _ **Reader Discretion is advised.**_

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd demonstrate how to build a Sign Trap.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 55

 **Trap**

[Lenz]

"Cobbert?"

My unintelligent companion startled slightly at my calling. I had caught him staring towards the tree line again. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was not saying anything. Just checking where your mind was wandering." You would think someone determined to defend a village would focus more rather than stare off into nothing. "Need I remind you that we are strapped for time?"

"Yeah…I know." He sighed, looking back into the tree line. "I guess I'm just—"

"Expecting Griefers to come charging in? Because we can leave whenever you want." I hastily offered, hoping he had finally seen reason. "Really, we would easily catch up to Captain Wynn and the—"

"No, I'm staying…it's just…" He glanced back towards the tree line. "I keep thinking Wynn will come back—that I'll see her ivory hair poking through those trees any time now." The wind blowing across the plains ruffled his already-unkempt hair.

"What makes you think that?" As much as I hated to admit it, that Captain's logic was infallible. Ringwood had no reason to risk themselves for Daymonte. If I was one of her guards, I would have happily followed her orders, thankful to escape the doomed Halstatt.

Of course, being a guard would involve being strong. Something that was impossible for someone like me.

"I don't know." Cobbert sighed. "I thought I was one of them. One of those guards. Even with Bitters' constant hate, the camaraderie was there. I thought Wynn finally accepted me…but, I guess I was wrong." Cobbert rubbed his unarmored chest, perhaps missing the comfort of his dyed leather tunic. "She didn't want me to die…but did she think of me as a comrade?"

I could only shrug. Whatever history the two had was unbeknownst to me. Plus, we had bigger things to worry about. This was not like those teen drama novels in which the whole world sat by and waited for you to get over your problems. While Cobbert wallowed in regret, the Griefer army was getting closer and closer. And the only pitiful plan we had to cling to was…well…a pit.

A pitiful pit fall that did not have a snowball's chance in the Nether.

"Guess I'll never know…" Suddenly, Cobbert's eyes lit up in hope. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

He turned to grin at me. "I bet if we stop those Griefers, she'll think differently of me. Even more so if I stop them while using my fishing rod!" At those words, he withdrew his fishing rod and whipped it through the air. "Then, after I apologize for leaving, maybe she'll finally accept me. As a comrade."

I remained silent, not wanting to spoil his optimistic mood with my pessimism. What made him think we could win? Unless he had prior experience in dealing with a thousand enemies at once, Halstatt was doomed.

Was it because he was one of the strong ones? One of the ones who willingly sacrificed themselves to protect the weak? It had to be. There was no other long-term gain for protecting Halstatt.

' _If_ _I let this village fall to those Griefers, it would be a spit in the face to my dream._ '

Dream. What good was that? What _was_ his dream? To die to Griefers? It did not make an iota of sense to me. Nobody would judge nor blame him for wanting to run. So why on earth was he staying?

Whatever the reason, my fate was intertwined with his. I could not change his mind, no matter how hard I tried. And I could never survive the wilderness on my own. Mobs terrified me up-close. And in the night's wilderness, Mobs were _always_ close.

So, I told him I would be strong…or at least pretend to be one of the idiots willing to protect the weak.

"So, Lenz," Cobbert looked to me with a confident smile. "We better get to work on that pitfall, right?"

That was what he was pinning all his hope on. A pitfall…and my redstone engineering skills.

So it was with a heavy heart and a frown that I told him the truth.

It was impossible.

* * *

[Halstatt]

Two Crafters were busily working beside a furnace and crafting table. Beside them sat several armor stands, two of them equipped with a full set of iron armor. A Testificate hobbled over to them.

"How goes the armor? Was there enough for eleven full sets?" The Village Leader, Oswald, walked up and glanced at their work. It looked promising, and he even allowed some hope to shine through his eyes…

Only for it to die an ugly death from the somber expression on the Crafters' faces.

"The tunnel didn't have nearly enough iron." The larger Crafter, Lucas, mumbled in disappointment. "We don't even have enough for five sets of armor."

"Maybe we should forget about armor then." The dark brown hair of Billy_Emerald5 came into view. "If we put all our ingots into golems instead, we might—"

"NO!" The Iron Golem, Leslie, roared from out of nowhere, stomping up to tower over the cautious Billy. "LESLIE IS ONLY IRON GOLEM FOR HALSTATT! LESLIE SMASH PUNY GRIEFERS LIKE BUGS!"

"Of course, Leslie. Of course." Cosmic, the Crafter working beside Lucas, cooed. With all her patting and consoling words, she looked to be comforting a child rather than a thirty-two ton golem of destruction. "No Iron Golem can replace you." Inexplicably, Cosmic's words calmed the golem from dangerous to sullen in a matter of seconds. "There. Better?"

Leslie nodded his head.

"Good. Now…who wants to smash puny Mobs?" Cosmic began rubbing Leslie's metallic belly. "Who wants to prove how strong he is?"

Leslie looked abashed as he squirmed away from Cosmic's belly-rubs. "…ME!"

"That's right! Now who's a good Leslie?" Cosmic redoubled her belly-rubs, staggering the Iron Golem onto his back from the sheer enjoyment. "Who's a good Leslie?"

"I AM!" Leslie laughed.

The other onlookers watched with a mixture of bemusement and awkwardness as Cosmic continued to fawn over the Iron Golem.

"…Anyway," Billy began after seeing Leslie was no longer hostile. "We need more iron if we're to stand a chance against those Griefers."

"We're looking through the mines." Lucas replied wearily. "But there's nothing on the surface. We need to dig new tunnels just to get at the better ores. We don't have that kind of time."

"Not to worry, fellows." Oswald interjected. "In dire times such as these, there is only one thing we can turn to."

"Weapons?"

"Luck?"

"A fire-breathing dragon?" Everyone slowly turned to Cosmic, befuddled at her odd choice. "What? It could happen."

"Er…no." Oswald cleared his throat before adopting a hushed whisper. "Many years ago, in times of struggle, our village turned to faith for protection. We prayed to the Gods of Minecraftia to protect us. And we survived."

Oswald proceeded to face the wide open sky, hands pressed together in prayer. "Gods of Minecraftia. Our village is in peril. I beseech you; send us a force formidable enough to vanquish our belligerent foes."

"What, I'm not good enough?" Billy complained.

"Shhh! Let him finish." Lucas whispered, his hands also clasped in prayer.

"I know we are asking for nothing short of a miracle…but that is exactly what we need. A miracle." Oswald screwed his eyes shut. "Please, Gods of Minecraftia! Send us a warrior that can save us!"

"This is a waste of time!" Billy exclaimed. "You think an answer to our problems is just gonna walk into our village—"

"What do you mean it won't work!?"

The villagers of Halstatt all turned to the source of the new voice. Two Crafters, one with shaggy brown hair and the other with tousled gray hair, walked down the street. The gray-haired one looked to be deep in thought while the brown-haired one kept talking to him, making wild and animated gestures.

"…Our prayers have been answered!" Oswald shouted out, thanking the Minecraftia Gods with all his renewed faith. The other villagers looked at the two new Crafters with varying degrees of recognition.

"Those were the Crafters with that white-haired woman." Billy commented. "The ones who asked for my story."

"I remember giving them a room—wait," Lucas paused. "If they were traveling with Captain Wynn…"

"Oh! That's Cobb!" Cosmic chimed happily. "He tried to swindle a Testificate before Leslie got through with him. But after I cleared up the misunderstanding, him and Leslie became the bestest of friends. Right, Leslie?"

At that, Leslie growled, showing obvious dislike to the brown-haired Cobb.

" _Leslie_." Cosmic spoke sharply, ending her belly-rubs. "Be nice or no more belly-rubs."

Leslie looked outraged, but nevertheless settled down just before Cobb and Lenz arrived.

"Um…hey there…" Cobb began awkwardly, glancing between the villagers and Lenz. "Ugh, this is awkward. I'm here to help with the Griefer army."

"Oh! Our prayers have been answered indeed!" Oswald exclaimed feverishly, causing Cobb to slowly back away from the Testificate.

"Whaaaaaat?" Cosmic questioned exaggeratedly as she tried to hide the iron armor on the armor stands. She used Leslie to block most of it from sight. "We're not fighting the Griefer army. And we're certainly not making armor to fight them. These are just…um…" She trailed off, searching for the right words before they finally came to her. "New clothes! Yep! New clothes made of iron! Not for combat at all! Hee hee!"

The laugh was so forced it made Cobb cringe.

 _Did she really think that'd fool me?_ He thought to himself. _Sure I'm stupid, but I'm not a fucking moron._

"We're obviously fleeing, so you should too. In fact you better go right now!" She shooed the two away as if they were flies. "No reason to stay and fight because that's not what we're doing at all!"

"…So then you weren't mining iron in the quarry for armor?"

"Wha—psh—heh—psh—wha—No…" Cosmic sputtered, trying to look nonchalant.

"And last night, you _weren't_ discussing how you'd stay and fight?"

"Wha—psh—heh—psh—wha…Okay, yes." Cosmic finally admitted. "We're staying to fight. But we have a reason to! This is our village. _You_ don't need to stay here, though. You should be running away."

"Well, if you must insist. Come along, Cobbert—"

"Lenz, really?" Cobb grabbed the engineer before he could slink away. "Don't run away when we have a plan."

"I already told you, it will not work!" Lenz argued back. "We should flee while we have the chance."

"Not until we—"

"Wait!" Lucas ran up, his eyes looking hopeful. "This is just what we need to turn the tides! With a Captain commanding us, Halstatt will surely repel those fiendish Griefers!" As Lucas let out a confident laugh, Cobb and Lenz shared a look.

"Er…I'm not a Captain." Cobb bothered to comment.

"Eh?" Lucas whirled around, fixing Cobb with a questioning look. "I know _you_ 're not a Captain. I was referring to Wynn_Whispers, the Captain accompanying you two. She obviously gave the order for her and her guards to stay. That's why you're still here…right?" Lucas glanced between them, his hair slightly frazzled from all the stress of an imminent Griefer army.

"Yeah…funny story actually…not ha-ha funny…" Cobb spoke evasively. "Wynn…couldn't stay."

Like a punctured balloon, Lucas deflated; the weight of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. "But…but her guards will stay and help us…yeah?"

"Yeah—No." Cobb stated bluntly. "But don't worry! Because we're here to—hey where are you going?"

Lucas abandoned listening to Cobb in favor of curling into a fetal position on the ground and muttering despondently to himself. "A glimmer of hope…wrenched away…no Captain…no guards…just two nobodies…"

With Lucas' absence, Oswald stepped up to take his place and proceeded to bow lowly. "Oh, powerful men of miracles! I thank you for coming to Halstatt's aid! The Gods must have sent us Crafters of a caliber greater than Notch himself!"

Lenz blinked. "Excuse me?"

Oswald ignored the comment as he shook both Cobb and Lenz's hands "You two must have immeasurable talents at your disposal. Please, if you would, tell us all about them."

"Oh…well…I got this thing." Cobb withdrew his fishing rod and waved it around.

"I am a redstone engineer of moderate skill." Lenz announced modestly.

The smile fell from Oswald's face a bit. "Um…if you don't mind me asking, what numbers are you two?"

"Well, I'm one billion and Lenz here is…what was it again?"

"Seven-hundred-forty-five-million-nine-hundred-twenty-three-thousand-four-hundred-and-twelve." Lenz spoke clearly. "And my name is Lenzington. Not Lenz."

"It's easier to say." Cobb replied before turning back to Oswald. "Anyway—hey where'd he—Again!?"

Oswald was curled up beside Lucas in a fetal position, mumbling depressing comments of his own. "Ten digits…I pray for a miracle…this is a sick joke, Minecraftia Gods…why couldn't a rock have been sent instead…"

"We're trying to help, alright!" Cobb shouted, stomping his foot in anger. "Can you at least _wait_ to hear our plan before collapsing into depressing fetal positions!?"

"So…" Cosmic walked up, looking Cobb directly in the eye. "You're really staying to help Halstatt? Even knowing the risk? Why?"

Cobb offered a smile. "Because I'm fighting for the inexperienced. The little guys. Against those Griefers that want to shit all over everything. And when you hear the plan Lenz and I concocted, you'll feel—Lenz! Get out of there!"

"It is simply a precaution." Lenz was already digging a hole to bury himself for when the Griefers arrived.

"Lenz! Please!" Cobb rushed up to pull him out of the hole. "I need your help for the redstone trap! You can't just hide away! You're the only one who knows what redstone does!"

"Actually," Cosmic raised her hand jovially, "I know quite a bit about redstone. I'm a technician that fixes Halstatt's lights after all."

Cobb paused to look at Cosmic before continuing to yank Lenz out of the hole. "You're the _only_ one who knows what redstone does!"

"Um…excuse me…but I just said—"

"If someone else knew as much about redstone, I would gladly ask them for help!" Cobb continued. "But since you're the _only_ one, we're sunk without you! So get out of the hole!"

"DON'T IGNORE COSMIC, PUNY CORN-COBB!" Leslie roared, trying to swat the Crafter with his mighty arms. Cobb nimbly ducked before hiding amongst the armor stands. "COSMIC IS A CHARMING LADY WHO GIVES CHARMING BELLY-RUBS!"

"Ack! Call him off! Call him off!"

"No! Bad Leslie! Cobb is a friend! He's helping us!"

Billy deadpanned, taking in the entire scene. Cosmic chasing Leslie chasing Cobb. Lenz digging what was effectively his own grave. Oswald and Lucas curled in fetal positions and looking despondent.

"This does not instill confidence."

* * *

[Lenz]

"A…pitfall? That's your big plan?"

Cobbert nodded eagerly while I just frowned in annoyance. I had already told him it was impossible to make such a thing.

Not because of a lack of skills. I was experienced enough in redstone to create a plethora of innovative machinations. But for what Cobbert had in mind…

"I mean, why not?" Cobbert continued, talking to the other villagers and Leslie, who were all gathered around. "We make a big pit, fill it with lava, cover it with some of that retractable redstone doohickery and boom!—Redstone trap!"

"As an avid redstone engineer," I raised my hand, "I am appalled that you just used the words 'redstone doohickery' to refer to the type of redstone I work with."

"Is…is that even possible?" Lucas questioned, stealing a glance to his fellows. "I mean, a redstone pitfall does sound promising."

"It's not impossible." Cosmic adjusted her glasses in thought. "But as I'm sure Lenz has already realized, it can't be done with what we have."

"Is Lenzington so hard for you all to remem—?"

"Is a pitfall trap that difficult?" Cobbert questioned. "I mean, we saw a bunch of them underground."

I shook my head. "There are two major problems for why we cannot construct such a trap.

"First, the pitfall traps worked underground because we were constrained to narrow hallways and passages. Limited floor space makes pitfalls easier, both to conceal the interior redstone and to ensnare the unsuspecting victim.

"The second problem is resources." I rummaged through my backpack. "Larger pitfalls, while more complicated, can be constructed. However, they require hundreds of sticky pistons and slime blocks. I only have…three. And they are not even sticky pistons."

"Well, there goes that idea." Billy crossed his arms and leaned against a light post. "Back to the drawing board."

"…Maybe not." Lucas offered tentatively. "Perhaps we're on the right track. A trap that can tip the odds in our favor. It might be better to focus our time on that rather than waste it on the little iron we have to work with."

Cosmic hummed in thought, staring at me of all people.

"What?" I questioned.

"Nothing." Cosmic waved off. "Just wondering why you don't use contractions when you talk."

"I…er…"

"Oh, yeah. I have noticed that." Cobbert commented with mild interest.

"It is nothing you should concern yourself with!" I protested, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"See, he said 'it is' instead of 'it's'."

"Could we please focus on more pressing matters?" Thankfully, Billy brought our attention back to defending Halstatt. "We're severely outnumbered. Even with these two, that only brings us up to fourteen able fighters and Leslie. The rest are Testificates. Oswald, what are the rest of the villagers up to?"

"They're searching the empty homes for anything useful. Food. Armor. Weapons. Arrows. Anything that can help." The Village Leader walked up to the Iron Golem. "Leslie, when the day of the attack occurs, can I trust you to keep the other Testificates safe?"

"LESLIE WOULD MUCH RATHER FIGHT BESIDE PUNY HUMANS AND COSMIC TO REPEL GRIEFERS!" Honestly, I felt a little intimidated by the creature called 'Leslie'. Iron golems were incredibly dangerous when angered.

"Why should he protect the Testificates?" Lucas patted Leslie on the back. "Leslie is our best weapon against those Griefers! Iron golems are capable of killing a Crafter in a single hit. He should be on the _front_ lines."

Cosmic shook her head. "No, Leslie is too big a target. Billy says these Griefers have bows. Even Leslie can't tank them all."

"BUT COSMIC—!"

"No buts, Leslie!" Cosmic pouted with hands on her hips. "The Testificates need you for protection. Not just from the Griefers. Without you, the Mobs'll tear 'em apart."

"…OKAY…" Leslie conceded loudly. How on earth a woman like that could have domesticated an Iron Golem was beyond me.

"So…back to trap talks." Cosmic rubbed her hands together deviously. "Instead of a pitfall, how about some mines? I have some TNT lying around and enough redstone for miles."

I perked up immediately. Finally, someone who could engage in redstone discussions. "An interesting proposal. Perhaps even a TNT cannon? How much TNT do you have?"

"Not nearly enough for a cannon." The periwinkle-haired woman tapped her lower lip in thought. "But Griefers aren't stupid enough to fall for pressure plates...they're a common staple of traps. Tripwire is out too. The terrain doesn't work with it."

"Indeed. Not to mention the risk of having the mines go off prematurely if a wandering Mob were to wander across."

"Unless, of course, I set up redstone to the mines, and detonate 'em remotely from a safe location, _far_ behind Halstatt's walls!"

"Redstone _and_ a good distance away from the charging enemy?" I smiled. "Sounds perfect."

It was amazing. An oasis of redstone salvation in a dessert of ignorance. Cosmic and I were able to bounce ideas off of each other, back and forth, thinking of the best method to trap the Griefers. I could tell by one look at Cobbert and the other villagers that they had no inkling as to what we were talking about.

This was what the world outside Daymonte offered. Redstone engineers who knew what they were doing. Sure, Daymonte was arguably the redstone capital of Minecraftia, but the Kingdom was not the only hub of redstone knowledge.

"Okay, so we have mines." Billy bothered to mention. "But we need something more to handle these Griefers. Not to mention, we have no idea what Alec_Bishop and his two bomber buddies have in store. If the guy can command an army of one thousand, then he's no pushover."

"…I still think we need a pitfall trap. Or at least a giant fighting robot." Cobbert mentioned again. He seemed so fixated on the idea. The pitfall one, that is. Was it because it almost killed him? "A pitfall is the simplest thing I can think of. A giant hole with a retractable top."

"Explained like that, it _does_ sound simple. Only it is not." I stated clearly. "We do not have the necessary pistons for it."

"Plus, we'd have to dig a pit and everything." Cosmic chimed in. "But we're on the right track. Maybe a rapid fire arrow turret?"

"Or we could grab a couple of flint and steels and torch the battlefield."

"I already told you all," Oswald spoke up. "The Griefers will arrive tomorrow night. That night will bear witness to a tumultuous thunderstorm. Fire won't do a thing in that rain."

Cobbert looked at the Testificate quizzically. "How can you tell it's going to rain? Are you some kind of weatherologist?"

"Meteorologist."

"Do they study meteors? I don't think so."

"The clouds tell the tale." The Village Leader answered sagely, tilting his head up to watch the clouds float by. "It's quite subtle, but for a Testificate that's been around for as long as I have, the signs are there, just waiting to be read."

…

 _…_ _Signs?_

I raised my glasses, even while Cobbert continued his ridiculous argument about what meteorologists should study.

 _Signs…_

By Comparators, that was the answer!

 _"_ _SIGNS!"_

I did not realize I had shouted it until I saw the shocked faces of those around me.

"Um…Signs?"

"Comparators, it is so simple!" I cried out, my mind already racing with the possibilities. There was a way to make Cobbert's pitfall plan work. And the best part was that it could be done with what little resources we had.

I was already whirling around, taking in every inch of the distant treeline. _Yes…Yes, by Jeb this could work!_

"Lenz? You're looking crazy-eyed." Cobbert patted me on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I am better than okay!" I grabbed Cobbert by his shoulders and shook them slightly, so jubilant I was in my natural element. "Your pitfall plan! I thought up a way to make it work!"

"Really?" He looked excited that his plan could be utilized. "How?"

I paused for dramatic effect, waiting to spring my ingenious epiphany.

"DayCarts' Law of Signs!"

There was a moment of silence in which six heads—Cosmic's included—tilted in confusion.

"Lenz…we don't know what that is."

"Really? Are you quite sure?" Lenz looked puzzled. "I mean, it is one of the lesser laws of redstone, but I thought its application to gravity dependent traps would make it more widely known—"

"Why don't you just explain it, then. In a way we can understand." Cobb tacked on when he saw I was prepared to give an in-depth teaching of the helpful law.

"…Very well." Immediately, I lowered my tinted goggles over my eyes and took a deep breath.

This was my element.

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Okay, Cobb. He's about to give a dull redstone lecture, but you_ need _to pay attention. Halstatt's survival could depend on it!_

"Well," Lenz addressed the watching Crafters, Testificate, and golem. "Although we are strapped for time, I believe it would be best to indulge in a little historical background of DayCarts' Law of Signs."

 _Must…resist…tuning out words…for blahs…_

Lenz cleared his throat. "In the year 373, Daymonte's 48th annual Redstone Fair was the setting of a new invention intended to revolutionize vertical travel throughout the Kingdom and replace the elevators so many Crafters relied upon.

"The Crafter who devised the design, Allen_Lenel, assured that he found a cost effective means of enabling Crafters to reach otherwise unattainable heights. And he did so, with nothing but water …and signs."

Lenz snapped his fingers and held his hand out to me. "What?"

Lenz groaned before snapping his fingers again. "Water and signs? Please?"

"…Oh!" I quickly shuffled through my Inventory before withdrawing a sign and a water bucket. _How long has this sign been in there?_ I briefly wondered before passing them to the engineer. He accepted them with a polite nod before arranging them along a house.

"Lenel's design was incredibly simple." Lenz continued. "It involved the peculiar properties of signs and the inherent ability of all Crafters to swim up falling water like salmon up a waterfall." The engineer placed the sign down, not sparing a second to write anything, before pouring water over it.

I expected the sign to wash away. Only instead, I was puzzled when I saw the water hovering over the space the sign had filled, before flowing all over the place. Though the water continued to pool onto the ground, there was an air bubble taking up the same space as the sign. It was almost like the sign was a block instead of a flat piece of wood to write stuff on.

"Lenel's elevator involved several dozen water sources, each one separated by a sign, just like the one before you." He gestured to sign, getting the attention of everyone. Myself included. "Crafters would be able to swim up the water sources—as illogical as it sounds—while also replenishing their breaths with the sign space in between. Additionally, Crafters could jump down through the water-sign checkered space, all fall damage reduced whenever they passed through water.

"However, Lenel's design, while earning interest at the fair, was ultimately rejected by Potato Tech due to a lack of redstone, and because the slime block elevators were easier for Crafters to operate."

"So then where does DayCarts' Law of Signs come in?" Cosmic questioned, showing she was listening.

Lenz smiled at the question. "One of the watchers at that particular fair, Rain_DayCarts, found a better usage for Lenel's design. One that included redstone and the newly uncovered properties of signs."

"Which are…?"

"Signs can hold up gravity dependent blocks!" Lenz exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Water is affected by gravity! It flows _down_. Yet the sign was able to hold it up."

"So what?" Billy questioned. "We're trying to make a pitfall here, so what does water and signs have to do with it?"

Lenz let out a loud groan. "Forget about the water! It is the _signs_ that matter the most. DayCarts realized that the signs' ability to hold up gravity dependent blocks was its greatest asset. Blocks like gravel, sand, anvils. All of them can be held up by signs! What is more, signs can be placed upon other signs in a grid like pattern."

Lenz withdrew some gravel from his backpack as well as a piston. Then he proceeded to snap his fingers for more signs. I handed him my last one and made a new set of three from some planks and a stick.

While Lenz worked furiously on whatever he was working on, I looked upon the flowing water, wondering if I'd ever get my water bucket back.

"Here." Lenz stepped aside, revealing his latest creation: a piston with a lever attached to it. He flicked the lever to activate the piston, causing it to jut out. Then he placed a sign of all things on the part of the piston that was jutting out. "This is a crude representation of DayCarts' revolutionary machination. The same one he displayed at the 49th annual Redstone Fair.

"When DayCarts realized that signs could hold up gravity dependent blocks, he devised a way to harness that peculiar quality in the form of a devious trap." Lenz placed a piece of gravel above the sign he placed on the piston. Just like with the water, the gravel was held up. It almost looked to be hovering by magic, when really it was resting on the sign.

Then, Lenz placed another sign. Only this time he placed it on the first sign. There was a gap of space in between and it looked like the second sign was merely floating in the air. It looked like it was attached to nothing.

"By God…what sorcery is this?" Oswald marveled, waving his hand in the space between the two signs.

"It is better than sorcery." Lenz beamed proudly. "It is redstone engineering."

Again, Lenz placed sign upon sign upon sign. Each one jutting out a block further. Then he placed gravel atop each one, making what appeared to be a floating horizontal line of gravel.

"As you can see, the gravel is suspended off the ground by nothing more than these signs. Each sign can support one block of gravel and each sign can attach to another sign. But DayCarts had more to show." Lenz walked up to the piston holding the first sign and placed his hand upon the lever. "Another attribute of signs: When attached, they act like dominoes. One must only topple the first sign…" At those words, Lenz pulled the lever, retracting the piston and breaking that first sign. Immediately, all the other signs were destroyed. And with nothing more holding the gravel, the blocks were at the mercy of gravity once again, falling to the ground.

"…It all falls down." I finally realized in a hushed whisper. "So then…if we dig a large pit…and place a bunch of signs with gravel on top to cover it…" My eyes zeroed in on the piston and the lever. It was the simplest of traps. Activated by a simple flick of the switch. "We just lure the Griefers over it and—"

"They all fall down!" Cosmic shouted cheerfully. "My God, that's brilliant, Lenzington!"

"Indeed." Lenz puffed out his chest proudly. "DayCarts' Law of Signs is quite brilliant."

I couldn't believe that such a thing was possible. Clearly, having Lenz accompany me was the best possibly decision I could have made. "So, we don't need a hundred sticky pistons."

"We only need one." Lenz nodded before pausing for consideration. "Well, that and a large supply of redstone, signs, and gravel. And a pit."

"Leave the redstone to me." Cosmic grinned. "I have enough stored to run for miles. I'll assume you'll need repeaters to extend the redstone pulse, no?"

"You read my mind." Lenz smiled before engaging in nerd-talk with his fellow redstone expert.

"So that's our plan?" Lucas questioned. "A sign-suspended gravel pitfall? That will be enough to take out a thousand Griefers?" He looked skeptical.

"It will be if we make the pit big enough." I commented, earning a chuckle from Billy. "Unless you have a better idea, why not?"

"I'll tell you why not." Lucas shot back. "Where are we going to find a supply of signs?"

"Hmm. I don't know. Why don't we ask the literal _thousands_ of trees making up the forest surrounding Halstatt?"

That got a bigger laugh from Billy and the other Crafters. Lucas' cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

Brain: _Sick burn, Cobb. I'm so proud._

"Well…that's fine for the signs, but what about gravel?"

At this, Oswald spoke up. "Halstatt's streets are paved with gravel. While the Testificates' feet might miss the gravel's soft feel, you are more than welcome to use it to protect Halstatt."

Perfect. Gravel and signs. Now all we needed was a—

"Pit!" Cosmic slapped her head in realization. "We have to dig a pit ASAP if we want it big enough to trap a thousand Griefers!"

Oswald shook his head before pointing to the quarry outside the village. "That quarry is as good a pit as any. Some minor renovations to smoothen the sides and seal off the mining tunnels and it should be good enough for your trap."

I looked at the Village Leader with newfound respect. He may have been a defenseless Testificate, but he had just given us everything we needed to make the trap work.

"That…might actually work." Lucas conceded, rubbing his chin in thought. "But the quarry's not deep enough. Even if the Griefers fall in, the fall won't kill them. We'd have to fill it with lava…"

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind. "No we don't. If we finish the trap by tonight and have it covered with gravel, it'll be completely dark inside, right?" The other Crafters nodded slowly, trying to catch on to what I was hinting at. "And what spawns in darkness?"

Billy got it first. "Mobs! That's it!"

I nodded. "If we finish the trap by tonight, come the night of the battle it'll be filled with Mobs. Zombies, Skeletons, Spiders, Stickm—Endermen, Creepers, Witches, you name it."

"Comparators, you are right!" Lenz clapped his hands in eagerness. "When the trap activates, that army of Griefers will have their hands full with an army of Mobs. Trapped in an inescapable pit."

"Okay, I take back what I said about you two." Lucas apologized. "You are _way_ less useless than I first thought you were."

Lenz and I smiled at first before the underlying meaning of those words hit us. Followed by extreme dejected pouting.

Lucas was already talking with Oswald, however. "Go around the village and spread the word. Get half of the remaining Crafters to collect gravel from the roads and the other half to grab as much wood they can get their hands on."

"Er—"

"And no that's not an innuendo! Now go!"

Oswald took off into the village, his Testificate legs moving as fast as they could.

"We better get to work too, Lenz." Cosmic pumped her fist enthusiastically and adjusted her glasses. "We'll swing by my place for the redstone then hurry to the quarry."

"Indeed." Lenz nodded eagerly while also adjusting his eyewear. "And you should not rule out your TNT minefield strategy. Who is to say we cannot use both?"

"I like the way you think." Cosmic winked, dragging Lenz along by his arm. The engineer tossed me my bucket of water back, but kept the signs. He probably needed as many as we could make.

"LESLIE WILL ACCOMPANY PUNY HUMAN AND COSMIC!" Leslie roared, quickly following the two redstone experts.

"So I guess we'll go get some wood, then?" I asked Billy and Lucas.

"No innuendo?" They questioned together.

"No innuendo."

They nodded their agreement, whipping out axes and hurrying to the forest. I followed with my stone axe held at the ready.

 _Okay, we have a plan._

 _Those Griefers will show up tomorrow night. And it's_ —I checked my clock— _nearly noon._

 _We can do this…_

 _We can_ actually _do this…_

 _And we can do it without Wynn._

 _And while we're working…I should probably learn what an innuendo is before the other two realize I had no idea what they were talking about._

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Axe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 44 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 14 Pumpkin Pies, 20 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin,  1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 9 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 12]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 3 Pistons, 8 Gravel, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Signs, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Carrots, 29 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: Can Cobb, Lenz, and the people of Ringwood stand a chance against the Griefer Army?**

 **This chapter...I have mixed feelings about how I wrote it. For several reasons.**

 **First, after how emotionally packed _last_ chapter was, this one seems kind of underwhelming. That's the downside of writing an awesome chapter: It heightens expectations for the next one.**

 **Second, it focuses on the trap that'll be used against the Griefers. How resourceful it is, and how smart Lenz is for thinking it up. It's boring to read (and I don't blame you if redstone isn't your thing), but the final concept is interesting if you see it in action. Void told me it was understandable so I'm trusting my Beta on that.**

 **I've actually made a Gravel-Sign Trap back when I played 'The Walls' on a Hypixel Server. Obviously, it was smaller, but it still worked. Try making it yourself in Singleplayer, I'm sure there's a Youtube guide to it or something.**

 **I don't think it's a bad chapter. It's necessary set-up.**

 **Also... Eladar. If you're reading this, your review didn't work again. I thought it would keep the URL but it didn't. I'm out of ideas unless you want to make a Fanfiction Account and send it as a PM instead.**

 **The Omake below is of a character we haven't seen in a while. There's no need to guess who it is, since you just need to scroll down a bit more to figure it out.**

 **See you all next week. Leave a Fav, Follow, Review, PM, OC...or...um...nope. That's everything. And best of luck for all of you starting school soon.**

* * *

Omake: More Infinity, Please

It was night.

Carys was sat atop a snow bank when the airship finally arrived. Baltic and Perry must have had little trouble finding her, what with the large circle of torches she had set across the snow.

The airship, dubbed the Asmodeus, was truly incredible. Built from the finest dark oak wood planks with massive black wool sails, it could easily travel under the cover of night. It was large enough to accommodate private bedrooms, a bomb bay for dropping TNT, arrow turrets along the sides, a kitchen, training room, brewing station, and several other luxuries.

The ship's bridge used state of the art command blocks to control the direction the ship flew…or at least, that's what Carys thought. She would never admit it, but she was never any good with redstone. But it mattered little to her. After all, if it didn't involve combat, it was of no use to her.

But hands down the best thing about having an airship was its _speed_. Horses could take up to ten days to travel between Kingdoms, but an airship could do it in a third of the time.

And then there was cost. Even small airships sold for astronomically high prices. And the Asmodeus was grade A from the start. A thousand emeralds wouldn't have been enough.

So, when Zeppil, the Kingdom famous for its airships, offered the Asmodeus to the Paragons as thanks for decimating the Endward Cult's Southern Division…

Well, who was she to say no?

Carys watched as the airship touched down, musing to herself what she would do during the trip back to base. It would take about three days.

Sparring with Perry was an option, though he wouldn't be able to entertain her for all three days. And Baltic couldn't fight because he was the only one who had any idea on how to fly the thing.

Carys was seriously considering making use of the ship's brewing station to stock up on potions when she remembered the Snow Prints stored in her backpack.

"Hmmm…" She hummed to herself as she took out one of the prints, looking at it as if it were a speck of disgusting trash beneath her feet. She withdrew a spare piece of paper and pressed the Snow Print into it to make a copy. Once that was done, she deposited the newly made copy and withdrew another Snow Print from her backpack.

"Carys, Ma'am," Perry was the first to exit the ship as he kneeled before her. "It is good to see you again."

"Did you meet any trouble getting here?" The question was posed to the blue-haired Crafter beside Perry.

"No trouble." Baltic smiled warmly. Honestly, she had no idea how he could smile like that, especially when standing in freezing temperatures.

Suddenly, Carys saw Baltic's eyes widen in surprise. She glanced behind her, expecting his response to be due to an approaching Mob or enemy. But there was only a circle of torches behind her.

The subject of his surprise hit her just as he opened his mouth. "Where's Mr. Piggles?"

Carys clenched her fists, trying to stem the anger that was coursing through her. Only anger and nothing else. But Baltic and Perry weren't the intended targets of her anger.

Oh no. She had to keep it bottled up until she met him again. That accursed Crafter who dared to devour her beloved steed in front of her. Once they met, she would unleash all of her fury in the cruelest way possible. She'd make him regret ever setting eyes upon her wittle angel.

"He's dead." Carys finally spoke, referring both to her beloved steed and the fate of the one that earned her ire. Baltic and Perry's eyes widened at her announcement, Baltic more for how cold she sounded.

It couldn't be helped though. Mr. Piggles was dead and gone. Nothing could bring him back.

Nothing.

"Dead?" Perry questioned as if it didn't make sense. "But, how did—" Baltic nudged Perry in the shoulder to stop him, immediately catching the bloodlust Carys was exuding at being questioned so. She didn't need a reminder of how useless she had been when her beloved steed was burned alive. She didn't want to be reminded of her mistakes.

And she was doing her best to hold it in, but if Perry continued his question, she would have killed him.

Perry's pupils dilated in fear, apparently realizing how close he had been to death. He quickly trailed off into mumbles before staring at the ground, avoiding Carys' burning gaze.

"I'm sorry, Carys." Baltic took over to spare the terrified Crafter beside him. Carys directed her crimson eyes to him, looking for any sign of deception. "I…I know how much Mr. Piggles meant to you. I can't even imagine what you must be going thro—"

"I'm not going through anything." Carys cut him off harshly, even as Baltic looked upon her sadly. She hated that. She didn't want his pity. She had come out of far worse than this. She was fine.

Absolutely fine.

"There's no shame in anguish, Carys." Baltic continued. Clearly he wasn't seeing the signs that he should shut up. Her fist was wrapped tightly around her sword's hilt and her crimson eyes were burning in anger. "If you ever need to talk to someone—"

"I _don't_." She spoke softly, a sharp contrast to her tense demeanor. The finality of her tone ended Baltic's latest attempt with a forlorn sigh. "I don't need to talk about it, because I already know what I'm going to do about it. Speaking of which…"

Carys tossed the two Snow Prints of King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd to the nervous Perry. "Since Baltic's flying, I need you to make copies of these Prints. I expect a hundred copies each by the time we return to base." She felt a stir of amusement at the shocked gasp Perry couldn't help but release. "Is that a problem?"

"…No Ma'am, it would be an honor." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but she could tell it was forced.

 _Good._ She thought to herself. _Next time he won't ask stupid questions._

"I'll be in my quarters in the meantime. Do not disturb me until we land." She walked past the two and onto the Asmodeus, intending to get straight to her private bedroom. She could feel Baltic's forlorn stare on her back and resisted the urge to lash out.

Baltic couldn't help but feel pity. He was too nice. Too unwilling to do the dirty jobs. But he was smart. Not to mention a good pilot and excellent with potions. So she allowed him to stay with the Paragons

And more than that, he was…

…

When she finally got to her private bedroom, she slammed the door shut before walking over to her bedside chest. She withdrew some basic items.

Sticks. Leather.

Then she walked to her crafting table and arranged the materials into two item frames.

The first one, she placed over her bed. That was where she put the beautiful depiction of her beloved steed, Mr. Piggles.

 _Now, he'll always watch over me._ Carys concluded, ignoring the pain she was feeling in her chest.

No. She wasn't torn up about this. She was strong. She was feared. She wouldn't let this stop her.

She _never_ let loss stop her.

But she did need something to occupy her time. Something to keep her busy. To distract her. To take out all her anger upon.

She smiled to herself as she placed the second item frame against the wall opposite her bed.

The same wall that held the Heads of her more challenging enemies.

There was GardenWalker, the previous Executive of the now extinct Southern Division.

Amalgum13, a troublesome Captain who had interfered with her investigation of possible cultists.

Shawn_Staffield, a former Paragon who nearly sold her out to the Endward Cult before her blade silenced the rat for good.

Vn6wyliteu, a Jibberman, who had lashed out against her for no logical reason. Then again, Jibbermen didn't operate on logic.

All of them were mounted on her wall, the faces of those that crossed her.

And as she put the Snow Print of her latest enemy upon the item frame on that wall, she smiled to herself. The artist had done an amazing job in capturing Cobb's face. So unassuming. So naïve. So stupid.

With the Snow Print set up, she walked back to her chest and withdrew some special Exter exclusive weapons she had pilfered off one of her enemies; A dozen daggers. She set them aside and pulled out her Infinity and Flame enchanted bow, aiming an arrow at the likenesses face. Right between the eyes.

For the next three days, Carys spent her time shooting Cobb's face. She took breaks when she needed to eat, but over and over she assaulted the framed Snow Print, her Infinity Enchantment giving her endless arrows.

She switched to throwing daggers only when her Infinity Bow broke.

* * *

 **AN: Who needs psychiatric help for emotional distress when you can always repeatedly shoot arrows at a picture of someone you hate.**


	56. Wisp

**AN: I hope none of you were reading this Chapter for a riddle, since I couldn't think of one. Sorry this is late, but it's longer than usual.**

 **Short Author's Notes are short because I just want to get to the chapter.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add flashbacks.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 56

 **Wisp**

A lone woman trudged around the smoldering remains of her village.

Her home.

Her neighbors.

Her friends.

The cafe where she occasionally enjoyed the sugary delight of a cookie.

The marketplace where she haggled with the best of them.

The training grounds, where the guards that defended her village practically lived.

All of these places that had become staples of her everyday life were now ruined.

She wished they were burned past the point of recognition. Then she'd be spared all the grief.

But no. The Griefers left just enough. Just enough to be recognized as a village. Even more so for a woman that lived there.

The Griefers killed all the guards. Then they went after the citizens and Testificates. Some were carted off for slavery, but most were slain in the streets.

The woman had been lucky. Staying hidden in the village well, she waited until the Griefers left.

Though a part of her wished she hadn't.

She couldn't keep the tears from trailing down her face. Why had the Griefers killed so many? Why did they have to spread chaos and devastation in their wake? For what purpose was it all for?

These were the questions that furiously stormed within her mind.

"Hello! Can anyone hear me?"

The woman flinched as she jerked her head to the side. She looked scared, as if expecting the Griefers to have returned. Without wasting any time, she scurried behind the charred foundations of a house and kept herself deathly silent.

"Your Eminence, please don't go off too far!" Another voice shouted worriedly. "You shouldn't be out here after a Griefer attack like this!"

"I think I'm exactly where I need to be." A firm voice responded, this one much closer to the hidden woman. "You'd rather have me stuck in a palace after such a tragedy?"

"Your benevolence is admirable Your Eminence, but your presence isn't—"

"Instead of arguing with your King, why not make yourself useful and search for survivors."

"But—"

"YOU HEARD THE KING!" A much louder voice blared. "ALL OF YOU NANCIES BETTER CUT THE CHATTER AND SPREAD OUT! BRING ANY SURVIVORS BACK HERE! DOUBLE TIME! REMEMBER, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS…BUT I SPEAK LOUDER THAN ACTIONS!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Several voices sounded at once.

There were apparently more than three people. Some kind of search party. But the woman had no idea if they were good or bad.

And she wasn't about to find out either.

She tried to sneak away while staying undercover, but while passing a smoldering ruin, her clothes caught fire. She couldn't help but yelp in pain as she tried to put the flames out.

"I THINK MY DELICATE EARS HEARD SOMETHING!"

The woman began to panic, even as the flames engulfing her died out. She tried to round the corner of the house before the loud voice could get to her, but she found herself colliding into something before falling on that same something.

"Your Eminence!"

The woman rubbed her injured nose before noticing she was lying atop somebody.

"Hello." He waved awkwardly while keeping his hands anywhere except on the woman. The woman, quickly realizing her close proximity, jumped back before banging her head on the remnants of a fence.

While she clutched her head painfully, the man picked himself up and lowered to a crouch besides the woman. "You're one of the survivors of this village, aren't you?" The woman just blinked fearfully, keeping herself backed against the fence. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened."

"Your Eminence!" Several Crafters wearing green leather helmets rushed to the man's side, fussing over whether he was hurt or not and shooting the woman dubious looks.

From their leather caps, the woman realized they were guards from Ringwood, just like the ones who gave their lives defending the village.

"Would you quit fussing over me!? I'm not a child!" The man groaned while dusting himself off. "And quit giving her those looks. Can't you see she's gone through enough?"

The man's name was WorkingMann, and he had eyes for nobody but the scared woman huddled to herself.

He held out a hand to the woman. "What's your name, miss?"

The woman stared at the hand cautiously before wiping the tear trails from her eyes.

"Wynn." She replied with a sniffle. "Wynn_Whispers."

* * *

"Your Eminence! What are you thinking!?" Somebody shouted in a voice that would have put Iron_Lung to shame. "You can't just offer one of the Northern District's houses to a mere commoner!"

WorkingMann scowled. "She's just lost her entire village. Don't you think she deserves a roof over her head?"

"Then…set her up at an Inn or something! The Northern District is reserved for political figures and the wealthy. It isn't some orphanage for—"

With surprising speed, WorkingMann clamped a hand over the arguing man's mouth. "Wynn is in the next room. I'd appreciate it if you'd show the slightest amount of tact and **keep your voice down** while discussing her situation."

Wynn, who was peeking through the door to the next room, quickly backed away and returned to her seat, immediately opening a book to a random page to make it look like she was deeply invested in reading.

A few minutes later, WorkingMann and his advisor exited the room. WorkingMann, the current King of Ringwood, looked pleased with himself, as if he just won an argument.

His advisor looked like he had just lost one.

"Well, it's been decided." Mann smiled brightly as he held a book out to Wynn. "Here is your official citizenship information. We've also managed to secure a house for you in the Northern District along with a personal housekeeper—"

"I don't want it."

Wynn had folded her arms in stubborn refusal while the two men before blinked in surprise. She didn't need any special treatment just because of supposed trauma. She was fine. And she certainly wouldn't accept some lavish mansion.

She wasn't like the heroes that gave their lives for her village. If anyone deserved what she was getting, it should have been them.

King Mann coughed into his fist before continuing. "Wynn, please understand. You shouldn't think of this as some kind of award. We just think that, given everything you've gone through, a house equipped with everything you could possibly need would be for the best. Plus, having a housekeeper take care of you—"

"I'd rather stay at an Inn or something similar." Wynn responded, closing her arms a little tighter. "And I don't need a babysitter."

"You sound like me." Mann chuckled lightly. "Wanting to do things on your own without others babying you or breathing down your neck." He shot a subtle glare towards his advisor who shuffled awkwardly. "But this is only temporary. Only until you feel ready to venture out into Minecraftia again."

Wynn had her head turned away, but she snuck a glance at WorkingMann. If what she heard was right, he was the King of Ringwood. Didn't he have better things to do than handle the matters of a stray Crafter? Why was he being so generous?

Suddenly, Mann thrust the citizenship book into Wynn's hands, startling the ivory-haired woman. "Just take it, for goodness sake!" He laughed with a warm smile. "Don't you know you should never look a gift horse in the mouth?"

Wynn looked at the book in her hands before turning away again. "I suppose…just until I'm ready to go back into Minecraftia again…"

Mann smiled. "Thank you, Wynn. That puts my mind at ease."

* * *

[Wynn]

"Captain?"

"Hnn?" I replied dazedly. Looking up, I saw Spencer watching me carefully. He probably addressed me several times before I finally noticed. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"…I was asking if we should set up camp here or continue a few more miles." The sun was just setting, making it harder to see. And all the other guards were watching me, awaiting my recommendation.

"Oh…right…yes." I replied lamely, my mind too cloudy to focus. Ever since I left Cobb in Halstatt, I'd been having distracting thoughts. Most of them flashbacks of all things.

Perhaps it was the similarities between Halstatt and the village I lived in. Both were relatively small, filled with kind people…

And both met their end at the hands of Griefers—or at least one of them had.

The other would join the list shortly.

"You heard the Captain! We're camping her for the night." Bitters called out, taking charge. I didn't know why, but I gratefully accepted it since the guards weren't watching me anymore. I didn't feel too proud of my demeanor.

Most of the guards wordlessly accepted the order, already beginning to unpack their shelter materials. A few were hesitant at first, hearing the order from Bitters instead of me. But it wasn't long until they started building their shelters too.

Realizing I was dawdling with my own shelter, I withdrew the blocks from my backpack.

' _But my one-walled shelters are good enough. After all, they kept me alive throughout the week. And I can't get this stupid fourth wall to connect properly._ '

I frowned as a particularly annoying memory of Cobb crossed my mind. One in which he desperately tried to build a shelter to meet my standards. Even doing his best, he wasn't able to make a proper roof—

"Captain? Are you sleeping under the stars tonight?"

Again I was startled as I failed to pick up on the guard a few blocks away. I must have been lost in thought for a while since the other guards already had their shelters built. And there I was, staring at a plank of wood in my hand like an idiot.

"Uh…yes." I tried to cover up my distracted state, placing the plank of wood down to sit upon. "Nothing like sleeping under the stars."

"Indeed." Noah added, walking over to join our conversation. "We better enjoy the stars tonight, seeing as how that Village Leader warned us of a thunderstorm tomorrow night."

Right. The thunderstorm. The same one that Cobb—and the people of Halstatt—would be fighting those Griefers through.

 _Though knowing Cobb, he'd probably run after seeing exactly what he was facing. And if not him, then the people of Halstatt would definitely flee at the sight of an army. Then Cobb would have no reason to defend that village._

"He'll be fine." My eyes widened when I realized I had said that out loud, drawing the attention of Spencer and Noah.

They blinked at me curiously, wondering if they heard me right.

"Uh—I mean…We'll be fined!" I hastily made up. "We'll be fined if…if we take too long getting back to Ringwood. Yes." It sounded clumsy, but surprisingly it brought a smile to the guards' faces.

"It's alright, Captain." Spencer gave a reassuring pat. "We know how you feel about Cobb."

"…Excuse me?"

"Royal Whispers." Noah whispered knowingly as if it were some earth-shattering secret before he and Spencer returned to the other guards.

I was left in utter confusion. _Royal Whispers?_ I rolled the word around in my head before ultimately deciding it wasn't worth my time.

More importantly, I realized as I sat upon the plank, I was stuck without a shelter. After mentioning sleeping under the stars, I couldn't very well build a shelter now. That would make me look like an idiot.

So instead I lay back on a single plank of wood, my back bending to fit the bulky shape. Unlike an idiot.

…

 _…Being unlike an idiot is uncomfortable._

 _No wonder Cobb acts like an idiot._

As I lay my head back, I spotted the stable where the steeds were kept. Nine horses…and one jackass. The latter of which was staring at me.

Staring at me with its judgmental eyes. I wasn't the master who had rode it for several days. I was just the woman who abandoned him.

My eyes narrowed. "What are you looking at?" The jackass, Ace (as Cobb affectionately named it), blinked at me. "Stop looking at me like that."

The jackass just blinked again, letting out a loud— *Hee-haw* —before nibbling on some grass.

My eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing." I got up from my plank and turned to regard the animal. "You're trying to make me feel guilty over leaving Cobb. But it won't work." If any of the guards were within earshot, they'd no doubt think I had gone crazy. But they didn't know the eyes of a judgmental jackass.

The jackass looked up to blink at me again.

"Cobb made his choice." I defended, responding to the silent stare. "He wanted to stay behind. But I can't risk the lives of my men. His Eminence entrusted me with this mission and their lives."

The jackass blinked again.

"You can blink all you want." I folded my arms. "It's not going to work."

The jackass blinked again.

"…"

The jackass blinked again.

"Hollie! Micah!" I called out. Not ten seconds later and the two guards were standing before me, awaiting my command. "I'm worried Mobs might attack the steeds tonight. You should build a three block high wall around the stable."

"What?" Micah questioned. "But Captain, there's already a fence surrounding them. They're safe enough from—"

"That's an order." I stressed, wanting them to just cover the sight of that blasted jackass. "Three block high wall. Now."

"…Yes, Captain." The two guards sighed wearily before getting to work. I turned around so I wouldn't have to face the jackass as it was blocked from view.

Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Not quite…

* * *

"M-miss Whispers!" A girl with a black ponytail stammered as she prepared dinner. "P-p-please don't lash out like that. If you break something, then I'll have to fix it—not that I'm saying I wouldn't want to fix it!" She hastily rectified. "I mean to say, why wouldn't I want to fix it, being your devoted Housekeeper. Th-though I'd rather be doing more constructive chores around the house—no, wait, th-that came out wrong! What I meant to say was—"

"It's not you, Erin." Wynn apologized with a sigh. She had just smashed her fist into a wall after reading something from Ringwood's latest newsbook.

 **[Griefers Strike Again: Terrell Village in Tatters!]**

The same band of Griefers that attacked her village were still attacking. Though the reports concluded that their numbers were dwindling, they were still wrecking havoc through guerilla tactics. Attacking from cover and then retreating when things got too dangerous. Terrell was one of Ringwood's outlying villages.

But what frustrated Wynn the most was how powerless Ringwood was to stop them. It was only ten or twenty Griefers max. Yet for all the trouble Ringwood was having, it may as well have been a hundred. And why weren't any of the other Kingdoms helping Ringwood in their time of need?

Why weren't they intervening?

"I can't stand this." Wynn grinded her teeth together, remembering the sight of her destroyed village…the sounds of the Griefers as they laughed and stole and _killed_.

"D-don't worry, ma'am." Erin consoled. "I'm s-sure Captain Iron_Lung is working his hardest to find those Griefers."

"…Not enough." Wynn mumbled before rising from her chair and marching to a chest. She rummaged around before withdrawing an iron sword. "I'm going to practice in the back again."

"But…but dinner is almost ready!" Erin called out before Wynn exited the mansion she didn't deserve, slamming the door shut behind her.

In the backyard, she walked up to an armor stand she had set up—a training dummy complete with a set of armor—and began striking it. Repeatedly.

If one of her hands got tired, she switched to the other. She tried to mix in moves she saw guards pull off. As she grew more daring, she even tried to flip over the training dummy's head…only to fall on her butt.

"…Got to work on that." She mumbled before getting up again.

* * *

"ALRIGHT, NANCIES!" Captain Iron_Lung bellowed as he looked over the new set of trainees. "YOU'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO FIGHT FOR RINGWOOD." The trainees all stiffened. "WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, THIS WON'T BE A STROLL IN THE PARK! MY TRAINING WILL BE MERCILESS!"

King Mann watched from aside. His advisors had told him he should be approving new village charters.

But he just had to come see the new trainees. Or rather, one in particular.

Wynn stood straighter at King Mann's gaze, fully armored in iron, and a sword at her belt as well as a few different colored potions. She had been training for this for months. She was ready for whatever training the Captain had for her.

"SO, AS A TASTER OF MY SKILLS," Iron_Lung continued, "TODAY'S SCREENING PROCESS FOR NEW RECRUITS…WILL BE A ONE-ON-ONE FIGHT WITH YOURS TRULY!"

Most of the trainees blanched at Iron_Lung's suggestion. Trainees fighting off against a Captain? It'd be incredibly one-sided. How were they expected to win against someone with so much experience?

"SO…WHO'S UP FIRST!?" Iron_Lung twirled his iron sword with a cocky grin. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEAT ME! JUST SHOW OFF YOUR SKILLS!"

None of the trainees stepped forward, thinking it foolish to challenge the Captain when he was freshest and raring to go. It would be better to wait a few matches, when exhaustion would ultimately sink in.

That's what every trainee had planned.

Well…all but one.

"Can we use anything?" Wynn questioned as she stepped up to face the Captain.

The trainees muttered to themselves over the ivory-haired challenger while Iron_Lung just grinned. "I LIKE YOUR SPIRIT, LITTLE MISS! SURE, USE ANYTHING YOU LIKE!"

Wynn nodded before withdrawing her iron sword. If the Captain said she could use anything, she'd be sure to take advantage.

"ATTACK WHENEVER YOU'RE READY!" Iron_Lung took a defensive stance as he shouted.

A silence settled over the training grounds as the two opponents sized each other up. Iron_Lung had no idea about Wynn's fighting style, while Wynn had her own well-thought out stratagem for victory. She knew she didn't have to go for a win, but nothing showed off skills more than a trainee defeating a Captain.

Ready to begin, Wynn rushed forth, her iron sword trailing behind her. Iron_Lung put all his weight into his sword, holding it defensively to meet Wynn's attack.

Only for Wynn to toss one of her splash potions at her feet. With unnatural nimbleness, she flipped over Iron_Lungs' head and delivered three quick strikes to his defenseless back before the Captain knew what hit him.

The watching trainees made several awestruck sounds at the woman's acrobatics.

"WHAT THE—" Iron_Lung stumbled onto his hands and knees, assessing the damage done, while Wynn backpedaled to a safe distance. "AWFULLY SPRINGY, AREN'T YOU!?"

Wynn gave a noncommittal hum while Iron_Lung recovered. She had some time before the Potion of Leaping wore off. She just needed to keep Iron_Lung on his toes.

"WELL, NOW IT'S MY TURN!" Iron_Lung stormed forward, his sword poised to strike. Wynn swung her sword towards the Captain's neck, only to stop and prioritize the boot about to make contact with her gut. She dove aside, lashing out with her sword in the hopes of landing a hit.

Instead, her sword passed harmlessly through the air as Iron_Lung had already leapt back. He was back a second later, delivering slash after slash upon the ivory-haired trainee. She tried to deflect them as best she could, but Iron_lung undoubtedly had more strength behind his attacks.

Just when he jumped to deliver a devastating Critical Hit, Wynn tossed an electric blue Potion of Swiftness at her feet and rushed away. The sword smashed loudly into the ground, making Wynn pale at what would have happened to her had she not dodged.

But she got over it fast upon seeing an opportunity. Iron_Lung had put all his strength into his series of attacks. Now he was panting and vulnerable.

Wynn darted forward, rolling beneath his feeble swing before delivering a devastating upward slash from his groin all the way up to his shoulder.

Iron_Lung was lifted off the ground for a mere moment, before crashing back down into the earth. The next instant, Wynn planted a boot on the Captain's chest and held the tip of her sword at his throat.

"Yield."

Iron_Lung watched the sword carefully before sneaking a glance to check his Health Meter. With a defeated sigh, he let go of his blade, admitting defeat.

That caused an uproar amongst the trainees.

"No way!

"Iron_Lung…lost!?"

"To a girl?"

Wynn twitched before turning her attention to the crowd of trainees. "Whoever just said that, please step forward." Her hand gripped her iron sword tightly, her amber eyes promising pain. " _Now_."

Properly terrified, the crowd pushed the sexist Crafter forward. Seeing the look in Wynn's eyes, the Crafter fled in the opposite direction, tripping once and scrambling back to his feet, before finally leaving the area.

Wynn looked pleased at that reaction and promptly sheathed her sword. She then extended a hand to help the Captain up.

"HA HA HA HA HA!"

Only to cringe as her eardrums were blown out.

"YOU'RE TOUGHER THAN YOU LOOK!" Iron_Lung complimented...loudly. "NOT GONNA LIE, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA WIN THAT EASY! NOW I LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT! HA HA HA HA!"

He was taking his loss surprisingly well. Still, Wynn was relieved that he wasn't the type of guy who would hold a grudge over a loss.

"THAT WAS A POTION OF LEAPING YOU USED, YEAH!?" I nodded in response. "THEN A SWIFTNESS POTION…VERY TRICKY!"

The Captain turned towards the other trainees. "SINCE I'M TUCKERED OUT FROM THAT FIRST FIGHT, WE'LL CONTINUE THE SCREENING PROCESS TOMORROW! AND THIS TIME, I'LL THINK UP AN OBSTACLE COURSE INSTEAD OF FACING EACH OF YOU MANO-A-MANO!" The trainees breathed a collective sigh of relief. "THOUGH, FAIR WARNING, AFTER THAT LAST FIGHT, MY EXPECTATIONS ARE WAAAAAAAAY UP HERE!" He raised his hand as high as it could go, causing a few trainees to gulp nervously. "NOW…ALL OF YOU ARE DISMISSED!"

As the trainees walked back to their homes, Iron_Lung turned to the ivory-haired trainee. "AS FOR YOU, WYNN_WHISPERS," he fished around his backpack before withdrawing a green-dyed leather helmet. "HERE!"

He lightly tossed it to Wynn who, after catching it, could only examine it questioningly. "Er…what's this for?"

"FOR OFFICIALLY JOINING THE RINGWOOD GUARDS!" Iron_Lung smiled warmly.

"Congratulations, Wynn." The newly made guard quickly turned to accept King Mann's praise. "Looks like all your practicing paid off."

"Thank you, Mann!" Wynn beamed happily. "It was really the potions that gave me the advan—"She suddenly stopped herself. Realizing how she was talking with the King of Ringwood she blushed and quickly bowed to rectify her slip-up. "T-thank you, Your Eminence."

King Mann let out a weary sigh. "Wynn, please. You don't have to call me that and act all formal."

"Forgive me, Your Eminence," Wynn apologized, looking at the ground and not the King's eyes. "But I am afraid I cannot drop honorifics."

"WISH YOU COULD HAVE BEEN AS POLITE WHEN YOU WERE BEATING THE PISS OUTTA ME!" The Captain commented, before tapping his head. "MAKE SURE TO WEAR THAT LEATHER CAP TO TRAINING TOMORROW! AND DON'T EVER LET ME CATCH YOU WITHOUT IT!"

"Er…why is that?" Wynn questioned with a raised brow. "Wouldn't an iron helmet offer better protection?"

Iron_Lung gasped as if outraged. "WHAT AM I HEARING RIGHT NOW!? LISTEN, LITTLE MISS!" He poked her in the forehead. "IT'S NOT FOR PROTECTION! THAT GREEN-DYED CAP IS A SYMBOL! IT'S GIVEN TO EVERY GUARD—NOT JUST TO DENOTE KINGDOM LOYALTIES—BUT TO CONNECT ALL OF US TOGETHER! NOT TO BE SCHMALTZY, BUT WEARING IT MEANS YOU'RE A PART OF RINGWOOD'S FAMILY! IT SHOWS THAT, WHEN THINGS ARE TOUGHEST, YOU STICK WITH YOUR FELLOW GUARD, READY TO TACKLE ANYTHING! READY TO FIGHT TOGETHER! READY TO DIE TOGETHER! THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO WEAR OUR COLORS!"

Wynn felt oddly moved as she gazed upon the simple leather cap. For something so small to have so much meaning…

She quickly took off her iron helmet and carefully placed the leather cap upon her head. It was strange. She knew it didn't have any enchantments, but she already felt stronger wearing it. Like there was a hidden fire burning within.

"THERE!" Iron_Lung patted Wynn roughly on the back while King Mann just chuckled at the interaction. "NOW YOU'RE LOOKING LIKE A RINGWOOD GUARD!"

* * *

[Wynn]

 _Why am I having these flashbacks now?_

Unconsciously, I brought my hand up to my dyed leather cap as I remembered that day. The day I became a Ringwood guard. The day I learned the true value of the dyed leather.

Without realizing it, I had already taken out Cobb's dyed tunic. I gazed at it while idly tracing along the seams.

' _I guess it wasn't my color after all._ '

That was for sure. Cobb was no Ringwood guard. He wouldn't have tossed aside the dyed leather so easily if he knew what it meant: The brotherhood of the Ringwood guards.

He obviously felt none of that camaraderie. Especially if he was willing to throw his life away for a random village.

"It sure is quiet, tonight." I overheard Solara speaking. They were all gathered around a campfire eating steak.

"So?" Bitters questioned uncaringly. "It's always this quiet. What's your point?"

"No…I mean…" Solara hesitated. "Usually Cobb would be doing something disruptive and crazy right about now."

I watched as Bitters narrowed his eyes, even as the other guards chimed in.

"Yeah," Spencer chuckled with a mouthful of steak. "Remember that time he mistook lapis for diamonds? He looked so excited about it too."

"Or that time he angered a pack of wolves and had to sleep on a nerd-pole." Hollie added with a laugh.

"Or what about when he was getting tossed around by that Valley Beast?" Daniel commented. "At the time, I was worried he'd die…but thinking back it was really, really funny."

"Yes, yes." Bitters dismissed, not liking where the conversation was going. "That Newb was an endless source of entertainment. A clown brought along to lift our spirits."

"Hey, that's not what we're saying." Spencer spoke with a hint of anger. "I don't care if he was a Newb. Cobb was a good guy. And he helped us out whenever we needed it."

"Then why did he abandon us?" Bitters posed aloud, addressing the entire group. "That Newb was the one who broke off ties to us, in case any of you have forgotten. It was he who tossed aside the green-dyed leather—the very symbol of Ringwood—right in front of us. You all saw it."

The other guards quieted down, looking away somberly. It looked like they wanted to argue, but couldn't find anything to say.

Suddenly, Bitters turned to face me. "You did the right thing, Captain." He comforted. "That Newb was going to drag us all down. It's good that you left him there to di—because of your responsibilities." He hastily added.

Right. My responsibilities. That's what all the guards' lives were to me. My responsibility. To protect and make sure they got home safe.

But, then…wasn't Cobb my responsibility too?

His Eminence had ordered him to accompany me. To make the journey easier…but only at my urging. I was the one who convinced His Eminence to bring him along. If not for me, Cobb wouldn't have ever heard of Halstatt. Instead he would have been safe in a prison cell…far away from any Griefer army.

But it wasn't just that. He was genuinely my responsibility. How many times had I told him which items do what and for what reason? How many times had I offered him advice or given him tools to prolong his life? I let him stay in my home for God's sake!

But I had done all I could. I had tried to convince him to leave, but he was as stubborn as his jackass. Well, if he wanted to stay then fine. Soon enough he'd see just what he was facing and he'd realize how stupid he'd been.

Then he would run away.

"…It still doesn't feel right." Hollie spoke up, catching my attention again. "We're just leaving him there—"

"You all talk about him like he was one of us!" Bitters snapped. "He threw away the tunic! He threw away our camaraderie."

"Well, we didn't really give him a reason to appreciate it." Liam interjected with a growl. "He looked at us for aid and we abandoned him. So he abandoned us."

" _He_ abandoned _us_ first. Not the other way around." Bitters sneered. "Him and that nerd he was stringing along were bad news from the start. Good riddance, if you ask me."

"Well nobody asked you." Liam shot back, shutting Bitters up.

…Abandoned?

Had I…abandoned Cobb?

No. No, he—he must have known I was doing everything in my power to help him! It wouldn't have looked like…

…

What were my last words to him?

' _It's clear this village has finally found its idiot._ '

My eyes widened in realization. With parting words like that—spoken as cold as ice—what would he think I thought of him? Would he have known I considered him a comrade?

…Would he think I despised him?

…

No. No, of course not!

He knew! He knew that I didn't want him to die! He knew that I regarded him as I would have any of my guards! He knew I didn't hate him!

…

…He had to have known.

* * *

A burglar hurried down a street, waving his sword madly to easily part onlookers. He didn't bother looking back, certain that he was still being doggedly pursued.

He quickly turned a corner and then slid down an alley, pressing himself into the shadows. He kept his panting breaths as quiet as possible, hoping his latest maneuver managed to evade his pursuer.

After a few moments of watching the streets from his hiding spot, noting the unaware Crafters that passed by, the burglar began to relax. It seemed like he had slipped away.

 _Seemed_ like.

The burglar was unprepared for the weight that impacted his back from above and sent his face into the dirt. The force standing atop his back promptly leapt aside, sword at the ready.

"You're under arrest for burglary." The ivory haired guard announced. Her amber eyes were glaring disdainfully upon the criminal before her. As if he was little more than a piece of filth on the road.

"H-hang on a second!" The burglar was on his hands, scrambling back until he hit the wall. "I-I-I didn't mean to. I-I was just…my wife and I are in debt! We needed these emeralds! More than those greedy assholes deserve—"

"I'm not here to listen to your sob stories." Wynn spoke coldly as she held her blade up to the burglar's face. "You broke into a home and stole what wasn't yours. You broke the law, so you'll be joining all the other criminal filth in jail."

"Please, have mercy on—" The rest of his plea was drowned out as Wynn rendered him unconscious with a sharp blow to the head.

After signaling her fellow guards with a firework and dragging the criminal to Ringwood's prison, Wynn made to return to her home feeling proud of her latest arrest.

"Wynn!" A familiar voice called out to her, and Wynn turned to see King Mann in all his eminence.

"Your Eminence." Wynn bowed respectfully, for she had nothing but respect for the man who first brought her to Ringwood. "A pleasure to see you out of your fortress. Come to observe the criminal filth that no longer plague Ringwood?"

"Actually," King Mann nodded to one of the interrogation rooms, "I'd like to speak with you in private. Nothing serious!" He hastily assured after seeing Wynn's apprehensive expression. "Just something I'd like to clear up."

"Of course, Your Eminence." Wynn easily acquiesced, following the King into the interrogation room. She wondered if he was about to congratulate her on her latest arrest.

"Wynn," His Eminence began after taking a seat. "I've…heard that you've made over a hundred arrests over the course of a few months."

"That's right." Wynn nodded happily. "Those criminals can't escape my watchful eyes."

"Yes…right…" King Mann rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "And you've been doing an amazing job, Wynn, nobody can deny that…It's just…" The King let out a tired sigh. "I just want to know if you're doing this for the right reason."

"…The right reason, Your Eminence?" Wynn was genuinely confused. What more reason did she need other than ridding the streets of criminals?

Criminals who would instill fear and instability in Ringwood.

Criminals who needed to be reminded of the rules and laws and to follow them explicitly.

Criminals who, if left unchecked, could end up like the type of Crafters that would burn a village down just for kicks.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Your Eminence."

"Really?" King Mann questioned shrewdly. "So then, you weren't aware that the guard with the most arrests is slated to become the next Captain, should one of the previous Captains be deemed 'unfit for service'."

"…No. That's news to me." Wynn whistled innocently.

"I see." King Mann stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And I suppose you're not doing this out of some obligation you feel to serve beside me as one of my Captains. Nothing like that, correct?"

"…No not at all. Have you noticed how clean these interrogation rooms are?"

"And," King Mann continued on, even as Wynn admired the interrogation room's ceilings, "Are you imprisoning any minor thugs that fall under your definition of 'criminal' simply to make more arrests in a shorter amount of time?"

"…No comment."

King Mann let out another sigh. "Wynn, I thought you wanted to be a guard to protect Ringwood, not to ascend to the rank of Captain. Why are you so fixated on the position?"

Wynn looked at the ground, her eyes darting as she struggled to find an answer. "I owe you a great debt for giving me something to cling to…after I lost everything." Wynn turned her blade over in her small hands. "True, I wish to serve by your side…but that's not all.

"Criminals keep popping up all over the Kingdom, and I feel it's because the guards are not as strict as they can be. They are far too lenient, permitting horrible acts to occur without any desire to intervene.

"And I can't stand that." She suddenly tightened the hold on her sword. "It's _because_ I wish to protect Ringwood that I stay tough. I enforce the laws so stringently so Crafters know: Crime doesn't pay."

Having said her piece, Wynn watched as King Mann reflected on their conversation. His face took on an expression of deep contemplation.

"…I believe you, Wynn." King Mann nodded. "Before, I wasn't quite sure whether your actions were done out of an ambition to become a Captain or a genuine desire to protect Ringwood." He gave a kind smile. "I'm glad to see it was the latter."

He rummaged in his backpack for a bit before withdrawing a thin metal weapon. The sight of it confused Wynn, as she never saw anything like it before.

"This is an iron rapier." He explained, holding it out for Wynn to examine. "By that awestruck look on your face, I take it this is new for you." Wynn nodded numbly, still focused on the elegant weapon. "I probably shouldn't be showing favoritism like this…but there were enough emeralds in the budget…Or at least I wrote the records to say there's enough emeralds in the budget…"

"Your Eminence…" Wynn looked up in alarm. "Did you…did you fabricate budgetary records!"

"SHHH!" King Mann silenced while glancing left and right. "You want those advisers to hear you? And I didn't fabricate anything. I just…stretched the truth."

"By how much?"

"I maaaay have added a zero or two to the amount of emeralds we have in the treasury."

"Oh God…Your Eminence…no…" Wynn looked like she was about to faint.

"Relax. This was an investment. After all," he grinned, "the new Captain will need a weapon like this."

Wynn perked up at those words. "There's a new Captain? Who?"

"You, Wynn."

"…M-me?"

King Mann brought up Wynn's hand to hold the rapier. The smooth feel of polished metal felt familiar in Wynn's grip.

"I know you feel indebted to me, Wynn. And while I'd very much wish to make you forget about that debt and move on, I know I won't be able to change your mind." He looked the newly appointed Captain in the eye. "So if you truly wish to protect Ringwood, then I will gratefully accept your skills."

Wynn suddenly felt a drop of water land on her hand. The same hand holding her new rapier. It took a second for her to realize that it was a tear.

She was crying. Actually crying. For the first time in…she didn't even remember how long.

King Mann's face switched to apologetic in an instant. "Whoa! Hang on! Don't cry! Was the rapier too much? I knew it was too much to take in at once! How stupid of me!" He rapped a fist against his skull, but Wynn stopped him before enveloping him in a hug. "W-Wynn?"

"Forgive me, Your Eminence…" Wynn muffled into his shirt. "I know…this isn't exactly proper etiquette for thanking a King…But…but…"

The King's expression softened as he placed a hand atop Wynn's head. "I understand." Nothing more needed to be explained as the new Captain continued her hug. "I'm just glad you like the rapier this much."

There was a short pause. "Your Eminence?" Wynn mumbled into his shirt again. "What would you have done if I refused the rapier?"

King Mann's face paled. "Well…this isn't the type of gift you can return…If you didn't take it, I suppose it would have been the second most wasteful purchase I made."

"What was the first?"

"Three words. Solid gold bathroom."

Wynn laughed at the sheer absurdity of it, King Mann joining in with his own chuckles. So much had happened in the span of a few minutes. New weapon. Promotion to Captain.

But most importantly, King Mann had finally accepted Wynn to serve by his side.

And Wynn would serve him loyally.

* * *

"Hey, watch out. Here comes Captain Wynn."

"Ugh. The woman with a stick up her ass. Joy."

"Careful. If she hears you, she might imprison you for 'Contempt of Captain'."

"What? She can't do that…can she?"

"Best not to test her. She looks pretty angry."

Wynn marched through the crowd of Crafters, making her way up the plateau, past the barracks, and into the King's fortress. Sitting atop the throne, was His Eminence.

"Ah, Wynn." King Mann smiled wearily. "How good to see you. How was your latest mission to Daymonte?"

"Why are you stepping down as King?"

Wynn wasted no time getting to the point. She had heard the rumors and thought little of them, until Iron_Lung verified them to be true. And seeing how the smile fell from King Mann's face, she knew it was serious.

"Wynn…I—"

"I thought we agreed that I'd serve by your side." Wynn continued, her amber eyes narrowing in betrayal. "To help this Kingdom prosper. So why are you abandoning me now?"

"No, I'm not abandoning you, Wynn! It's not—"

"Then why!?" Wynn shouted, abandoning any attempt at properly addressing the King. "You're the best King Ringwood's ever had! Better than Notch! So why?"

At the latest question, King Mann sunk into his throne. "I'm tired, Wynn." In that moment, he looked a hundred years older. "I've served as King for so long…longer than most Kings have been allowed. And…I'm sorry to say it, but I'm ending my reign."

"But…" Wynn clenched her fists in frustration. "You can't! If you go…how will I ever repay you for what you've done?"

"You already have, Wynn." King Mann assured. "A thousand times over. I cannot express how grateful I am to you. You were always there, supporting my decisions…lessening my burden…it's thanks to you I've lasted this long, as is. But…" The King looked away. "I'm…just not as spry as I used to be. Not in age, I mean. The stress of being King is just…too much for one man to handle."

"Then we'll handle it together." Wynn begged. "Please…there's no point in being a Captain if I can't serve beside you."

The King chuckled sadly. "Listen to yourself. Are you the same Captain that swore to protect Ringwood?"

Wynn faltered at those words, looking away. She had meant them…but…without His Eminence…

"Did you know," King Mann began with a reminiscent gleam in his eyes, "the first King of Ringwood, Notch, had two Captains. One of them was Iron_Lung. And when Notch stepped down as King, the Captain passed to his heir.

"And then that heir passed the title and Captain to his heir, who then passed it on to the next heir, so on and so forth until they reached me." King Mann smiled. "They all were willing to pass along the title, confident that Ringwood would survive. No…confident isn't the right word. Rather, they had absolutely no doubt in their mind that Ringwood would thrive.

"They entrusted the Kingdom to their heirs…but also to their Captains." King Mann smiled. "Which is why, I'm not worried for Ringwood's safety. I have faith in my heir…but more importantly, I have faith in you, Wynn. You, my most trusted Captain."

Wynn had a dejected expression on her face as her amber eyes watered. "But…" she sniffled. "But I don't want to serve an heir. I want to serve beside you."

"I'm sorry Wynn." King Mann spoke, his voice heavy with sadness. "I know I'm being selfish, but—"

"No…" She sobbed. "You— *sniff* —you could never be selfish. You're too good."

King Mann smiled warmly as he picked himself off of the throne. Even an action involving such little effort was tiring for him. He dragged his feet forward to stand in front of his trusted Captain.

"Wynn…I know you've repaid your debt to me…so I must ask this be a favor. You don't have to agree—"

"I'll do it." She sniffled. "Whatever it is. I'll do it."

"…The new heir I picked. His name is MilesPerMinute." The very mention of his replacement made Wynn tense up. "He's…admittedly not the brightest, but he has a genuine goodness that's hard to find anywhere else. I know he'll act in Ringwood's best interests…but just in case, can you please watch out for him? Serve by his side as you have mine?"

Wynn hesitated, thinking of the responsibilities she'd have to face as the new King's Captain. She would have to watch out for him, make sure he makes the right choices, advise him if necessary. And that was without counting her own responsibilities as Captain.

Why couldn't Iron_Lung help with it!?

Though…if what His Eminence said was true, Iron_Lung has been helping with it. If he was Notch's Captain…he must have watched over every single heir since that day.

All the Kings of the past trusted him. Just like King Mann was trusting Wynn.

"I will do my best…Your Former Eminence."

* * *

[Wynn]

My eyes were starting to mist from the latest flashback. I remembered how devastated I was after hearing the news. Not because of there being a New King, but because, for a second, I feared that King Mann was abandoning me. That he didn't want me by his side anymore.

In truth, he relied on me more than he let on, and sought to ease the next heir's job by passing me along. With all that faith on my shoulders…I was the best Captain I could be. King Miles was no King Mann, but I remained loyal to Mann's wishes.

But that just brought me back to how I thought Cobb must be feeling. He had asked me for help, but I refused. And then I had taken his gear.

 _I suppose in his eyes, I was abandoning him._

But that hadn't shaken his resolve. He had insisted on protecting Halstatt. With sticks if he had to.

It was pointless, though. He didn't have a chance. I was almost glad I didn't have to see his face full of despair when he realized how hopeless it was.

"…Y'know what would be cool?" Micah asked, earning everyone's attention. "If Cobb someone managed to stop that army."

Spencer chuckled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Bitters scoffed as if someone had told him diamonds grow on trees.

"It'll certainly boost his reputation." Noah mused, thinking it over. "Defeating Carys_Angel AND an army of Griefers? The only thing that would make it better would be if he did it with his fishing rod."

That earned a laugh from all the guards and I couldn't stifle the giggle in time. It almost made me want to believe it was possible.

Micah wasn't done, however. "But seriously, though. He has a chance to win, right?" She looked around at the guards who were considering it. "I mean, he doesn't do anything in the traditional sense—"

"And he employs strange tactics—"

"But he's full of surprises." Micah reasoned. "He might just be able to pull it off."

"I'd sure want to see that." Solara commented, taking a bite out of her steak.

"What do you think, Captain?"

I looked up to see the expectant stares of the guards. "What do I think?"

They all nodded, prompting her to stand up.

"I think he doesn't have a chance."

A few of the guards flinched in shock at how bluntly I put it. They glanced at each other questioningly.

"You all seem to think Cobb is some experienced warrior." I continued, wanting them to understand the reality of the situation. "That he had the skills to defeat enemies a thousand times stronger than himself. That he might somehow be experienced enough to handle the current situation.

"Well he isn't." I walked up to the campfire to stare down upon them all. "He's a Newb. His victory over Carys wasn't even his. A friend of his pulled her into lava." I knew this was breaking what he had told His Eminence, but I didn't care. Best to have everything out in the open and set everyone straight. "He committed several crimes the first day he set foot in Ringwood. He lied to get out of jail time; he joined this envoy mission to get out of jail time. And he made mistake after mistake because he is a Billionth-numbered Newb."

After my long tirade, I gazed at the guards' expressions as I caught my breath. Most of them looked everything from shocked, to confused, to bewildered. Solara looked like her role model was just revealed to be a criminal, which for all intents and purposes was true.

Meanwhile, Bitters looked beside himself with glee. "See!?" He shouted to nobody in particular. "I told you he was just a talentless Newb! But this is even better! A _criminal_! My God, and we let that scum sleep in our camp!"

I slowly turned away, expecting the fallout from my revelation to be enough to silence them about Cobb for good. No more reminders. He made his choice, and I made mine.

"…Even so," a guard chimed in, and I was surprised to hear it was Micah. "He was a criminal…but he helped us anyway."

"Wha—so what?" Bitters sneered. "That doesn't change anything. He broke the law! The Captain just said—"

"If he was a criminal," Micah reasoned, "And he was forced on this mission…he didn't have to help us. He would have been blameless if he did nothing. But he…he _fought_ to prove to us that he could cross that basin full of Creepers."

I remembered how desperately Cobb wanted to prove himself. How much he wanted to help.

"And the Valley Beast…sure he didn't know what it was capable of, but he volunteered to take care of it." Micah continued, looking for reassurance from the other guards. "And even now, he's willing to lay his life on the line to protect a village full of innocent Testificates. Does that sound like something a criminal would do?"

"Maybe…" Daniel contemplated, "maybe he was trying to make amends. Like to atone for his crimes."

"Hold up!" Spencer suddenly shouted. "Are you saying, he didn't really kill Carys_Angel—that Cobb is just a Newb—and yet out of a group of battle-hardened guards, he's the only one willing to fight a hopeless battle!?"

A few guards looked embarrassed at that speculation and looked away in shame.

"He's not going to fight." I promised.

"How do you know, Captain?" Solara asked, looking at me expectantly.

"Because…because I know, alright?" I defended weakly. "Look, Cobb—Cobb is…once he sees that army him and the rest of the Crafters in Halstatt will run away. He's not stupid enough to die fighting."

"Are you sure about that?" Solara pressed, causing me to falter. "Because it looked to me like he was determined to fight to the end."

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out. The culmination of all my doubt centered on that one point. Cobb was determined. And deep down…I think I already knew he'd stay and fight…even if he was facing ten thousand.

"…Fuck this." Spencer groaned as he walked up to the stable now surrounded by a wall.

"And where are you off too?" Bitters questioned sharply, to which Spencer glanced at him coolly.

"I'm going back to help that Newb." The guards jerked their heads up in surprise and my eyes widened.

"Spencer." Bitters threatened lowly. "Captain Wynn has ordered us to leave Halstatt to its fate. Think carefully before you—"

"I don't need to think about this one bit!" Spencer shouted, pointing to all the guards. "If you lot are fine with letting an inexperienced Newb fight a battle while you all run away, then have fun with your future husbands and wives. Because frankly, I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing a Newb was about to fight a battle he can't win!"

"Spencer…" I tried to reach out to the guard, but someone brushed past my shoulder.

"Wait, Spencer. I'm coming too."

"Solara!" Bitter exclaimed, equally shocked. "Have you lost your mind!? Going back to help a criminal?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Criminal or not, what Cobb is doing is right. He's not letting his crimes dictate who he is. He's trying to help. And I'd feel pretty lousy knowing he'd die without anyone helping him."

Then Micah stood up. "Yeah. Cobb's a good guy. He's not criminal scum in the least. Not like those Griefers he's facing."

"Don't forget about me." Liam growled out, fixing his sword to his belt. "Can't let Cobb and that nerd have all the glory, right?"

"LIAM!" Bitters looked positively outraged at the swell of support the Newb was getting. I was equally in shock. They were all willing to lay their lives on the line for Cobb. Even after hearing the truth about him. "Liam, you can _not_ be considering going back! It's a death sentence."

"If Cobb and Lenzington are fighting, so will I."

"You barely even know Cobb, or that nerd! Why, that nerd has no sword skills! That nerd has no combat capabilities! That nerd—"

"That nerd _admitted_ to being weak!" Liam shouted gazing upon the guards still undecided. "We're guards! We've sworn an oath to protect people from villainous scum. Yet Lenzington is the only one who stayed behind to help take on an army of Griefers! What's that say about the rest of us!?"

A silence permeated the air as the remaining guards, except Bitters, looked even more ashamed. I felt a stir of warmth in my chest at how much Cobb meant to my guards.

Daniel coughed to clear his throat. "Liam's right. Ringwood's fallen guards and Captains would turn over in their graves if they knew a nerd had more courage than all of us combined. It'd be an insult, really."

"Damn right it'd be!" Spencer agreed. "And I'd hate myself a little too if we didn't at least try to help fight those Griefers off. Cobb's one of us!"

"Yeah!"

The other guards all voiced their support, except for Bitters who was vehemently trying to dissuade everyone. "This is madness! Captain, do something! Your guards are rebelling against your orders!"

At once I stood up to my full height, commanding the attention of all the guards. They looked like they were ready to get back to Halstatt, even if they had to drag themselves there.

This was what it came down to. My loyalty to my Kingdom, or my camaraderie with my men—my comrades.

My responsibilities to my men or my responsibilities to my King. Whichever one hurt Ringwood the least to fulfill would ultimately be my choice.

"I can't allow this." I spoke with absolution in my tone. "I can't allow my men to risk their lives in a fight that Ringwood should have no part in."

Immediately, a couple of groans and arguments began to arise. Bitters smirked triumphantly.

But a few of them—the smarter ones—waited for me to finish.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Ugh…" I groaned, wiping sweat off my forehead. "Soooo many trees…not enough durability." At those words, my axe broke.

Lenz and Cosmic were already hard at work making the trap. They first built a sort of scaffolding so they could build the signs across the quarry. They'd put the gravel on later and wire it up when it was done. But they needed a lot of signs. A looooooot of signs to cover that quarry. We needed more Crafters chopping down trees if we wanted to finish in time.

I shook the soreness from my hand, even as the Village Leader arrived.

"You know, if you need a new axe, I can give you a diamond one." The Village Leader offered, kindly holding it out to me.

"Wow, diamond gear? Thanks I—" He retracted his hand as soon as I reached for the tool.

"That'll be twelve emeralds."

"Are you fucking serious?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry." The Village Leader apologized. "Testificates aren't permitted to haggle. One price only."

"Well, I don't have any emeralds." I mumbled sadly. "I had to give them all away."

"Oh, well in that case, I could give you some emeralds to trade with me."

"Wow, thanks. That'd be—" I was already reaching for the emeralds before stopping myself. "What's the price?"

"No price." The Testificate promised, causing me to look hesitantly between his face and the emeralds. Eventually I shrugged and reached for the emeralds…

Only for them to be snatched away. "That'll be three diamonds."

"For fuck's sake!"

"I'm sorry! Again! It's the deal at work, I can't—"

"GRIEFERS!" A chilling scream called out, snapping my attention back to the village. It was night time, but I could just make out the horses riding in. They were all clad in armor and looked ready for battle.

 _No! The trap isn't done yet!_ I internally cursed as the Village Leader hurried away. _I thought we had until tomorrow before the Griefers showed up!_

Brain: _Just when I thought we might win, the Griefers show up fashionably early. What a couple of pricks!_

I sprinted towards the Griefers, Billy and Lucas beside me, as we prepared for an epic battle.

Only…why were there less than ten enemies instead of a thousand?

A flash of ivory hair caught my eye and I immediately dropped my sword in shock. "Wynn?"

"That's _Captain_ Wynn." She corrected as she rode her horse towards us. "I hope you haven't forgotten how to address me in my absence."

I was so happy I didn't care how snobby she was being. "You…you came back…"

"Only because this lot were coming back regardless." She gestured to her guards even as they dismounted their horses and assessed the situation from a calm Billy and a flabbergasted Lucas. "I couldn't very well let them die."

"…Oh. I see." I mumbled dejectedly as I stared at the ground. _So she hadn't come back for me. She came back for her men. I guess that makes sense…_

Suddenly, something soft hit me in the face before landing in my hand. It was my dyed tunic.

"I couldn't let you die either. Even if you say otherwise, you're one of us." Wynn looked away in embarrassment, her arms folded tight. "So…you better put that on…if you want, I mean. You don't have to if you don't—"

"Well," I hummed happily, holding up the tunic. "It does match my eyes." I laughed as I saw the Captain's composed face begin to break into a smile. She couldn't hide the relief in her eyes as I put on the tunic, the leather fitting around me comfortably.

"Your jackass has the rest of your gear." Wynn pointed to my trusty steed Ace. "It was weighing me down anyway."

"Thanks, Captain. I really owe you one." I nodded as I returned my gear to my Inventory. "Honestly though, I can't believe all the guards agreed to come back and help."

"Well…" Wynn glanced aside. "Not _all_ the guards. Bitters decided to get to Ringwood on his own."

"You mean…he left?"

"I believe his exact words were, 'You're all fucking nuts, and you, Wynn, will be demoted for this.' Can't say I blame him." She shrugged.

"Wait…demoted?" I questioned fearfully. "Is that bad?"

"It's a problem for later." She dismissed. "Right now we need to focus on the Griefer army showing up tomorrow night. I take it since you're so calm that you have some kind of plan?"

"You could say that…" I answered evasively, straying a look towards the half-finished trap.

"Then we'll help in any way we can. So what do you need? Miners? Someone to fortify defenses? Archers posted on the walls?"

"I need you guys to make signs."

"Right…what?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can explain."

Wynn looked perplexed, but, upon seeing my determined expression, allowed me time to explain.

"Well, see…there was this guy named DayCarts…and he…did something with signs—no wait, it was that other guy that did the sign thing—but anyway, DayCarts…he…he put gravel on top of signs…and then…um…something about gravity…then he hooked up redstone things to it…we only needed one piston…and a lot of redstone terminology I couldn't understand—BUT it makes a super-ultra-mega-big trap that—pitfall trap—that we can use to stop those Griefers!"

"…"

"…It made a lot more sense in my head."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 64 Oak Wood, 64 Oak Wood, 44 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 10 Pumpkin Pies, 19 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 9 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 12]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 55 Signs, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 12 Carrots, 29 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: Backstory. 'Nuff Said.**

 **Hopefully, I wrote this with enough emotion. Let me know what you think.**

 **This Chapter switched between first person for the characters and third person for the flashbacks. I hope it wasn't too confusing to follow.**

 **I've put off the Griefer Army long enough. Next Chapter, they'll finally arrive.**

 **Halstatt vs Griefers. It's going down.**

* * *

Omake: One of Us

Solara smiled as she saw Wynn walk up to Cobb. The two had forgiven each other, just not with actual words. They were both stubborn enough that'd they'd acknowledge each other's apology without either of them having to say anything. Kind of like an unspoken agreement to forget about it.

Remembering what Wynn had said back at the camp, it's obvious how guilty she felt about leaving Cobb.

* * *

"I can't allow this." Wynn spoke with absolution in her tone. "I can't allow my men to risk their lives in a fight that Ringwood should have no part in."

Immediately, a couple of groans and arguments began to arise. Bitters smirked triumphantly.

"Which is why," she continued, already forming a smile. "To minimize risks, I will come with you, and lead you all to victory."

The guards couldn't believe the reversal in the Captain's orders. From strict to supportive in a second.

"WHAT!? Bitters screeched, whirling on the Captain. "Captain! What are you saying!? This goes against our orders!"

"One of my orders is to ensure you all get back safely." Wynn reasoned, already fixing her rapier to her belt. "And as much as I hate to admit it...that includes Cobb too. He's just as much a comrade as any of us. Not to mention I'd rather not have to knock out all my guards just to keep them from going to Halstatt." The guards chuckled awkwardly at how little doubt Wynn had in her tone. She honestly could have knocked them all out if she wanted to. "If any of you don't want to do this, you're free to return to Ringwood. I won't stop you."

Nobody but Bitters moved. And he was only backing away in horror. "You...You're all fucking nuts, and you, Wynn," he pointed a finger at the Captain. "You'll be demoted for this. Mark my words."

"Already marked." Wynn called back indifferently. "If you're not coming, take your horse now. Just remember that together...we might be able to pull out of this."

"Oh, I'm pulling out of this, alright!" Bitters growled, mounting his horse. " _Far_ out of this." And with a spur, he took off into the woods, not even bothering to dismantle his shelter.

Wynn let out a sigh. "Well, I'm sure _that_ won't cause problems later."

* * *

 **AN: Dawwww. She does care!**


	57. The Battle of Halstatt

**AN: 29,000 Views. 82 Favs. 77 Alerts. 534 Reviews.**

 **I'll be proud if I can reach 100 Favs. Probably won't happen, but it'll be something to look forward to.**

 **With a Chapter Title like this, you know things are about to get intense.**

 **Puzzle: Who makes it, but has no need for it. Who buys it, but has no use for it. Who uses it but can neither see nor feel it. What is it?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd give torches the property to illuminate dark areas when held in your hand.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 57

 **Battle of Halstatt**

[Lenz]

 _This is it. The last day of my life._

Those were the first thoughts that crossed my mind as I stood atop Halstatt's wall, staring out onto the empty field below. My only consolation was that I had been able to build the largest trap I had ever attempted in my final moments in Minecraftia.

The pitfall had been finished last night, the quarry completely covered in gravel, looking as flat as the surrounding plain. And while a large patch of gravel on a grassy plain stuck out like a misplaced repeater in a trail of redstone, the others had assured that, come nightfall, the Griefers would not notice a thing.

It was only thanks to the return of the Ringwood Captain and her guards that the trap was completed at all. Their assistance in acquiring signs and gravel was crucial to meeting our time window. Even now, Mobs were spawning within the trap.

The piston and redstone were properly set, leading all the way to the wall, where it would be triggered when the Griefers were in position. Cosmic had even wired up a few mines to a building far behind the walls. A young Testificate was assisting her in setting them off via pressure plates. When enough Griefers were close enough to a mine, she would alert the Testificate who would step on the proper pressure plate and set them off.

How I wished _I_ was the one assisting her. To be as far as possible from the actual fighting.

But, as fate would have it, Captain Wynn assigned me to the wall. Not only to activate the gravel trap, but to utilize my archery skills to pick off advancing Griefers and defend the wall.

And standing alongside me was…

"It's so quiet, huh?" The guard named Solara spoke beside me. She had a bow at her belt, and, like me, was watching across the plain below. "Guess we'll see your archery skills in action."

"Hm." I grunted noncommittally. Needless to say, I was not overjoyed with my placement. I had already helped build the game changing trap, so why did I have to do more? Why could I not hide with the Testificates, being protected by the strong-armed Leslie?

Instead I was serving as defense beside Solara, her archery skills apparently more useful than her sword skills. Solara off all people, the very guard I had explained my weaknesses to. The very guard I had denied my worth to. The awkward silence between us was undoubtedly a result of that.

But at least I was not with the others. Cobb and Captain Wynn, along with the other Halstatt inhabitants and Ringwood guards were the offense, positioned in trenches near the trap and ready to spring as soon as it was activated.

Captain Wynn had really filled into the role of our general. Not only did she come up with our offensive and defensive formations, but she designated a strategic evacuation spot for Halstatt's Testificates, far away from the trap where most of the combat would take place.

And when someone wondered how we would maneuver the Griefer army into our trap, Cobb and Cosmic had thought something up involving fireworks and ores. Whether it worked or not would decide the battle.

As time passed, and the sun began to set, I began to grow anxious. Questions of doubt began to assault my mind.

 _Am I just waiting for death?_

 _What if the trap malfunctions?_

 _What if Cobb's plan to lure them over to it doesn't work?_

 _What if LeShui brings a redstone contraption of his own that far exceeds my capabilities?_

 _What if—?_

"Hey. You're starting to hyperventilate."

Solara's voice snapped me from my thoughts, but did little to alleviate my anxiety.

"Hey, check it out." Solara nodded up to the sky, and I looked to see a torrential downpour begin to form. It rained down, soaking us to the bone and making things generally more miserable. I wiped the water off my glasses before ultimately switching to my goggles.

The Village Leader had been correct in his forecast. Lightning crashed across the sky, making the wall tremble from the resounding thunder. Water came down by the buckets with no sign of letting up. The Griefers would have just as much trouble braving these elements as our own combatants.

I should have been happy. The cloudy sky and the night…they would definitely mask the gravel from the Griefers' sight. And yet my legs were shaking. I had to clutch the walls' ramparts just to support myself. The rain was drenching my tousled grey hair, causing it to stick to my forehead.

"I…I should not be up here…" I finally spoke, addressing the only person that was there.

"Hmm?" Solara, who had been watching me the whole time, walked up to stand beside me.

"I am a weakling. I am not meant to be up here, shooting an invading army. I-I should be cowering in safety along with those Testificates or else fleeing in abject terror!"

"Then do it."

"…Excuse me?"

Solara smiled as she gazed at the stormy night sky. "We have a Captain back home. He's loud and tough, but he has this saying, 'Actions speak louder than words, but I speak louder than actions'." She turned to me, chuckling at my confusion. "In short he's saying that talk is cheap."

"…That is fine and all, but I fail to see—"

"If proving to us that you're a weakling is so important, then just run away right now. Oh, and add some high-pitched whining for good measure." She leaned against the side of the rampart with a knowing look. "I won't stop you. And neither will anyone else. Then we'll know for sure that you were right: You're a weakling."

I could not believe what I was hearing. Yet it was reaching my ears clearly over the rainfall and thunder. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, I'm serious." She smiled. "Because the way I see it, you're all talk with your whole 'weakling' spiel. At the end of the day, no matter what you've said, you're standing up here with your bow drawn," she inclined her head toward the bow I had unconsciously armed myself with, "ready to fight like the rest of us. Saying you're a weakling is like saying I'm a weakling."

"But you are not!" I shouted. I had thought I had made my weaknesses obvious to her. I had even gone out of my way to explain it to her and Liam and that Bitters fellow. Why was it so difficult to hammer into her thick skull!? " _I_ am the weakling! _I_ am the one ill-suited to combat! _I_ am the nerd! The waste of space! I-I-I am so scared right now I am shaking!"

"We're all a little scared." Solara did not even flinch at my outbursts. She was dismissing everything I said, so certain that my weakling talk reflected nothing on me. "And anybody that says otherwise is also all talk."

" _You_ are not supposed to get scared!" I pointed an accusatory finger at Solara. "You are supposed to be strong! To face this without fear! To protect the weak because you know it is what you are _supposed_ to do!"

Solara raised a brow at my latest exclamation. " _Supposed to_? You think we're ready to fight because it's all we're meant for?"

"Why else would you be risking your life here!?" Was it not common sense? Everybody had a role, and this was theirs.

Solara held a hand to her mouth to stifle something, a soft rumble of giggles, before it became full-blown laughter. Laughter! Was she insane!? Did she not know what we were about to face!?

"Oh, man. You…" She clutched the ramparts for support as she fought for breath. "You really are a sheltered engineer, aren't you?"

"I have lived a solitary life; I am not ashamed to admit it." I frowned indignantly, certain she was making fun of me.

"No…no it's not that…" She wiped some tears from her eyes as she let out her final giggles. "I mean…your whole way of thinking…about roles and what Crafters are supposed to do…it's no wonder the rest of the guards can't talk to you. We have completely different principles."

Her words caught me by surprise. I always thought that guards believed in laying their lives on the line to protect the weak. It was what they were meant for, wasn't it?

"Tell you what," Solara offered with a smile. "If we live to survive this Griefer attack, I'm sure you'll understand why we guards do this for a living."

I frowned. "I would much rather know now, before we all die."

"Your confidence is contagious." Solara turned her attention back to the field. "By the way, _that_ was sarcasm."

"I know." I lied. Though she was one to talk about instilling confidence and boosting morale, considering what she spoke.

 _If_ we live to survive…

* * *

[Outside Halstatt]

"Bloody perfect." Burke groaned as he shielded his head from the rain. "Would it kill the universe to give us clear weather on the day of an invasion?"

Alec rode up beside the grumbling bomber. "You're telling me. Halstatt won't burn in this weather."

"Oh well." LeShui shrugged after riding up beside the other two. "I guess we'll just have to settle for beautifying the village with our TNT."

"…As pleasant as that sounds," Burke admitted, "we shouldn't use up all our TNT like that. We still have a few more villages to hit."

"Well, we'd have more TNT if SOMEONE didn't spam it all over the place."

"How many times can I say 'my bad'!?"

As Alec was about to respond, a couple of Griefers caught up to them. "Alec, sir. How much farther is Halstatt? The others are getting restless."

Alec frowned, turning to the Griefers. "Well tell them to open their eyes. Since Halstatt is right past these trees." He pointed forward, and sure enough, the walled city of Halstatt lay before them all.

Slowly, Alec, Burke, and LeShui emerged from the tree line onto the wide plain. Then the countless Griefers behind them began to seep from the underbrush. The sight of Halstatt was like a tantalizing hunk of meat dangled before the Griefers. Already they were withdrawing their weapons. Stone axes, iron swords, shovels, blunt objects, chunks of cobblestone. Anything they could get their hands on to use as a weapon, and in many cases, whatever weapon would cause the most agony for their victim.

"There it is." Alec spoke aloud, commanding the attention of all the Griefers. Already, the man was hoping there were still some Crafters left. The last village had been evacuated, making for a very boring invasion. It was clear the Griefers behind him thought the same, their bloodthirstiness and desire to cause grief making them excited. He wasn't sure he'd be able to restrain them any longer.

"Well, guys," he raised his hand in the air, ready to command his thousand Griefer army to tear the village apart…

Only for a high pitched whistle to interrupt him.

A bright light, unrelated to the flashes of lightning across the stormy sky, shot up into the sky before exploding.

 _A firework?_ Alec thought to himself, as the Griefers watched the trail of light. A second one soon went off, followed by a third. They were coming from somewhere off to the side, illuminating a chunk of blocks beneath it.

"That looks like…ores?" Burke questioned as he narrowed his eyes towards the chunk of blocks.

One of the Griefers suddenly gasped, seeing the chunks of ore illuminated clearly beneath a flash of lightning. "It has a blue glow to it! It's diamond ore!"

That caused an uproar amongst the Griefers. They strained to get to the frontlines, narrowing their eyes to make out the ore just piled in the middle of the plain.

"Diamond ore!?" One of the Griefers gave an excited squeal.

"And tons of it!"

"And it's just waiting for us to mine it!"

Burke rubbed his chin in thought. "You think it's some kind of offering? Those villagers want their home spared so badly, they left us chunks of diamond ore?"

LeShui frowned in thought. "Mining up ore like that would require a Silk Touch Enchantment though. And why do that when they could just as easily leave blocks of diamonds for us? It doesn't make sense."

Alec, however, smirked. "How _generous_ of them. Well, if they want to give us diamonds, who are we to refuse!?" The Griefers whooped appreciatively at that, but Alec took it one step further. "However, if they think that'll be enough to pacify our wrath, they have another thing coming! Am I right, boys!?"

The Griefers all shouted their support before they made a beeline to the diamond ore, Alec riding his horse beside them.

 _I don't_ want _to do this._ Alec reasoned to himself, all while wearing a malicious smirk. _But someone has to pay for Daymonte's withholding of_ my _Command Block! And if a few villages are reduced to rubble in the process…_

 _Oh well._

All the Griefers, in their haste to get to the diamond ore before anyone mined it, were attracted slightly to the left and away from Halstatt. It was practically a stampede as Griefers with iron pickaxes counted themselves lucky.

As soon as the first Griefers reached the pile of ores, they began excavating for precious materials. Diamonds were the strongest material for armor and weapons. Not to mention, they had a snazzy shade of blue that gleamed in the sunlight.

And with all the diamonds available in the center of the plain, the Griefers were—

"Hey!" One of the Griefers shouted angrily, catching Alec's attention. "This isn't diamond at all!"

 _...What?_

"Goddamnit!" Another Griefer complained, gripping the mined resource in his hand. "This is just stupid LAPIS!" He chucked the mineral onto the ground before stamping on it.

Grinding it into the gravel.

"We've been tricked!" Another Griefer shouted in rage. "Halstatt did this! That village will pay for their insolence! Getting our hopes up like that…"

"Weren't we _already_ going to make them pay?" Another Griefer questioned aloud. "I mean, it's not like anything's changed."

"Shut up, Ted."

"Um…Alec, sir?" One of the Griefers called out from the pile of ores. "There's something you should see!"

"What is it?" Alec walked up to the Griefer, following his line of sight to spot a lone sign. The black-haired man narrowed his eyes to read.

'Hope you like Mobs! ; P'

"…The fuck is that supposed to—?"

"Alec!" LeShui shouted from afar. "Get off the gravel! It's a trap!"

"Wha—?"

And then Alec saw it.

It started out on one side; the side closest to Halstatt. The gravel that he only just noticed began to fall.

And as each piece of gravel fell, adjacent gravel fell not a second later. Gravel after gravel, falling one after another in a wave-like motion. The very ground was being swallowed up, heading straight for them.

"Run!" One of the Griefers bothered to mention, even though it was fruitless. The ores were positioned at the center of the large patch of gravel. Alec cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. Even though he had no idea how this gravel avalanche was happening, he should have noticed the patch of gravel in the middle of a plain.

Alec rode his horse as fast as he could, desperately trying to reach the outskirts of the gravel trap. LeShui and Burke were already out of it, as were a couple hundred Griefers, but most of them were too caught up in the possibility of diamond ore to have good positions amongst the trap.

Behind him, Alec heard Griefer after Griefer let out pleading wails; ones that echoed as they were consumed by the collapsing gravel. To where, he had no idea.

All he was thinking was making it to safety. To the plain. To where there was no more falling gravel to swallow him up.

However, all too suddenly, that feeling of weightlessness overcame him, and he was sent plummeting down. A few signs and gravel passed his eyes as well as hundreds of falling Griefers, before he landed with a loud crunch.

All at once, a thick cacophony of confusion and screams assaulted his ears. Something was attacking the Griefers, and it only took him a moment to distinguish the enemies' sounds. The groans of Zombies. The rattle of Skeletons. The hisses of Spiders and Creepers. The cackle of Witches. It sounded like every Mob in existence was present in the pit they had all landed in.

Dazed, Alec tried to make sense of the situation and get to his feet…

Only to lock eyes with an enraged Enderman.

"…Oh."

* * *

[Cobb]

"Holy shit…" One of the guards spoke in a hushed, awestruck tone. The other guards looked the same, no doubt shocked after witnessing what Lenz's redstone was capable of.

They had no idea how the trap was supposed to work (and I only vaguely understood it), but I knew more about what was intended to happen. Which made the shock factor slightly less for me.

It was still pretty damn cool though.

"That nerd…did that?" Liam questioned aloud, marveling at how hundred of Griefers were indisposed at once.

"No time to admire his work." Wynn spoke up, reminding us of what we had to do. "We need to attack while they're confused. Now!"

At those words, we sprung from the trench and charged the dispersed Griefers with swords ready.

A crackle of lighting illuminated the sky, showing our fierce determination.

The Griefers, spotting us in their disarray, charged without any sort of plan. Wynn, her iron rapier whistling through the charged air struck down four of them before they knew what hit them.

The other guards, working in pairs of two, covered each other's backs as they took on their own enemies. That was the advantage we had. The Griefers had quantity, but we had quality. Each guard could probably best two or three Griefers at a time. And with their forces cut by more than half by that trap…

A female Griefer ran up to me, brandishing an iron axe. She swung it crashing down, trying to decapitate me. I quickly rolled to the left before sweeping her legs with my golden blade. She cried out in pain before collapsing onto the ground. I poised my blade above her throat, hoping she'd yield.

What I wasn't hoping for, were two more Griefers to show up. In hindsight, hoping I'd only have to fight one on one battles on a field full of enemies was pretty stupid. Even for me.

I quickly brought my sword up to block one of the new arrivals' attacks. Then, when the other one attacked from the left, I used the same sword switch tactic as in my spar with Wynn, releasing my golden blade in favor of the stone one on my other side.

The movement was so fluid that it surprised the Griefers. Long enough for me to get the jump on them. I elbowed the first in the face before swinging the stone sword against the second. The two Griefers, after recovering from their hits, quickly backpedaled to keep out of reach. However, all they gave me was room for a Knockback Strike.

Like Captain Iron_Lung showed me, I sprinted towards the Griefer, whose eyes widened in fear, before striking with all my might. The enemy was blasted backward where he hit an uninvolved Griefer, both of them collapsing in a tangle of limbs.

I was about to face the second Griefer when my leg was pulled out from under me. The female Griefer I had downed had grabbed my leg…and had taken the gold sword I dropped!

"Thanks for forgetting about me, idiot!" She laughed as she raised my sword. "Now I can return the favor!"

I gnashed my teeth. _These Griefers…they don't even care that I gave them the chance to leave. She doesn't even care that I spared her!_

I kicked out at her, nailing her in the jaw and causing her to release me. While she gripped her mouth in pain, I rolled to my feet and leapt into the air. "CRIT STRIKE!"

The white stars erupted from my blade, tearing into the female Griefer's shoulder and causing her to explode in a bundle of mismatched gear.

I screwed my eyes shut to try and tune it out. The fallen enemy. The dead eyes of her Head. It was all too much—

Brain: _Cobb! Your left!_

I quickly ducked before another Griefer could eviscerate me. I picked up the sword the female Griefer had taken from me, preparing to fight back.

But then someone else beat me to it.

"Hey, Griefer!" Billy_Emerald5 shouted, catching the enemy's attention. "This is for my friends!" The Crafter's diamond sword struck the Griefer, momentarily lighting him on fire before the rain put him out.

Though with another strike, the Griefer was nothing put a pile on the floor.

"Cobb!" Billy shouted, causing me to flinch. "You can't let your guard down around these guys! You want to live, right?"

My eyes strayed to the fallen Griefers on the ground. I didn't feel good about killing them. They were Crafters like me, right?

 _No…no they're not like me._ I shook my head to clear it, my eyes catching sight of Wynn and her guards. _They're trying to kill them…my comrades…my friends!_

I gripped my blade with renewed determination. _If fighting these Griefers means keeping my friends from dying, then I'll fight! I have to!_

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a Griefer trying to sneak up on Billy. I quickly pushed the ally aside before driving my sword into the Griefer's gut, then slicing across, killing him.

"…I'll fight! No more holding back!" I shouted confidently, receiving an appreciative nod from Billy before he left to assist Lucas.

 _I can't keep sparing these guys._ I realized as I clashed blades with another Griefer. _All they want to do is hurt people. If I worry about killing my enemies, I won't be able to worry about my own safety…or the safety of Wynn and Lenz and Cosmic and Billy and all the others!_

"No more Mr. Nice Cobb!" I shouted, startling my opponent. As we disengaged, I returned my sword to my belt before withdrawing my fishing rod. I snagged my opponent by his pant leg before giving a sharp tug, throwing the Griefer on his ass. "You Griefers want to attack innocent villages? Well I won't let you!"

And with a grunt of effort, I swung the Griefer around before chucking him at another enemy. "Human Flail!" The two knocked heads together before seemingly passing out.

"Ha! And Wynn said that move was worthless—Nrg!"

I was interrupted when a powerful force bowled into me from behind. A large Griefer wielding an anvil of all things as a weapon. He lifted his fist, ready to bring the anvil down onto my skull.

Before an arrow nailed him in the eye.

The momentary distraction was all I needed to cleave into the Griefer, forcing him to the ground before a final strike ended him.

I shot an appreciative glance to the wall where I knew either Solara or Lenz had just saved my life.

But considering the shot was accurate enough to hit the Griefer's eye…

 _Thanks, Lenz._

* * *

[Lenz]

 _Alright, deep breaths, Lenzington. Shooting Griefers is just like shooting buttons…_

 _…_ _Save for the fact that hitting a Griefer won't activate any redstone and the buttons would never actively try to kill you._

 _But besides that, pretty much the same thing._

The sporadic lightning flashes across the sky illuminated the battlefield, enabling me to take my shots. Anything wearing green-dyed leather, signifying a Ringwood guard or Cobbert, and red-dyed leather, signifying Halstatt's villagers, were off limits. Everything else needed to be shot.

"Wow, Captain Wynn wasn't kidding." Solara complimented as she paused from her shots to admire mine. "You really know how to shoot. Who taught you?"

"Is right now _really_ the best time to be asking this?" My trap had worked well enough, sealing about two-thirds of the Griefer army to a fate wrought with Mobs. But that still left about three-hundred-thirty-three-and-one-third Griefers to contend with.

And they looked quite furious.

"Right. Sorry." Solara rubbed her head sheepishly. "Not the best time."

As I loosed more shots upon the battlefield, my eyes zeroed in on a Griefer standing over a Crafter with a green-dyed tunic.

 _Cobbert!_

My arrow was sent out, piercing the Griefer in the eye and giving Cobbert the chance to finish him. He flashed a subtle thumbs-up, most likely intended for me, before rushing back into the throes of battle.

"Griefers coming in!" Solara shouted, focusing her fire on several dozen Griefers making a break towards Halstatt. I followed her lead, picking off the enemies before they could get close to our wall. We had to keep the battle on the plain and away from the village. We were not going to let those brutes get to the Testificates.

"Restocking arrows!" Solara called out, running to the back of the wall for a chest stocked with arrows. The villagers had scoured Halstatt for all the ammo they could find, and it was with that that we were fighting. "Here." She tossed a few stacks of arrows at my feet, which zoomed into my Inventory to replenish my shots.

I was honestly surprised with how many shots I could manage in so little time. I was shooting twenty arrows a minute, without getting tired, while my fellow archer, a Ringwood guard, was managing only fourteen shots per minute.

Plus, while all my shots landed upon the Griefers' weak points, Solara's shots only ever hit her targets so as just to cause damage. Never in the same place twice.

Was I honestly a better archer than her?

Was I actually…stronger?

A few Griefers, realizing they were getting shot at, swapped to bows to try and snipe us. However, with the stone ramparts to hide behind, their shots never hit us.

Then, after a bright flash of lightning, I noticed an acid green mohawk amongst the Griefers.

My eyes widened. "Burke is down there!" I recognized him from Daymonte's wanted posters and knew of his reputation with demolitions. I hated to think what he would do if he got close enough to Halstatt's wall.

"Focus on him!" Solara called out, running along the wall to get a better angle both on Burke and on another group of incoming Griefers.

Even as we focused our fire on the bomber, he had gathered a large group of Griefers to make a charge on our wall. Burke stayed at the back, forcing all the Griefers in front of him to take the brunt of our arrows. We could not get a hit on him.

Not to mention, the more we focused on Burke's group, the easier it would be for individual Griefers to slip by. They were all so spread out.

"We need more archers!" Solara called out, winded from how many arrows she was shooting. I was in the same way, frantically shooting them at any Griefer that got within fifty meters of the wall.

Just as my eyes noticed a sneer forming on Burke's face, an explosion ripped open the ground beneath his group's feet, killing several and scattering the rest.

More explosions were triggered ahead of our walls, decimating or else dazing the approaching Griefers.

 _Looks like Cosmic's landmines worked._ I thought, feeling a tad more relaxed. With their advancing force thwarted, there was no longer any rush to pick them off. In their stunned state, our arrows took them out with ease.

Burke took an arrow to the chest before he kept himself low to the ground, avoiding our arrows as best he could. I could see the TNT in his hand and the furious expression on his face that we stopped him in his tracks.

 _Now if only Cobbert and the others could finish off their opponents—_

*BOOM*

My eyes widened at the sound of an explosion before spotting a primed block of TNT screaming towards me. I quickly dropped to the ground, covering my head with my hands, as the TNT flew overhead before exploding upon the back of the wall.

The force behind it was strong enough to blast me over the edge of the ramparts. My hand clung onto the edge, desperately hanging on as I tried to haul myself back to safety.

I looked over my shoulder to verify what had hit me.

There, a great distance away, was a TNT cannon. It was operated using water and several blocks of TNT but was compact enough to be constructed in a matter of minutes. An ideal design for blasting apart walls.

And standing beside it, looking particularly bored, was the redstone protégé, LeShui.

 _So it is true._ I noted sadly, watching LeShui load more TNT into the cannon. _He really is helping them…_

*BOOM*

"Lenzington! Take my hand!" I looked up to see Solara reaching a hand down to help me back onto the wall. Right as another block of TNT was coming at us.

I struggled to grip her hand, my own too sweaty to get a proper grasp, before she finally managed to haul me up.

To say we escaped by the skin of our teeth would be an understatement. The TNT destroyed the ramparts I was hanging onto only a moment ago. If Solara had not helped me up…

*BOOM*

LeShui was not letting up. On instinct, Solara and I sprinted away from our current position, certain the next shot would be aimed at wherever we were standing. Another chunk of the ramparts were destroyed, sending cobblestone debris everywhere.

"Lenz, take out that cannon! And for God's sake, keep moving!" Solara ordered, picking herself up to dodge another volley of TNT. I followed suit, loading an arrow into my bow and aiming far back towards the cannon.

Another flash of lightning illuminated my shot, and I quickly took it. The arrow soared through the air, aimed right at LeShui, but the distance gave him more than enough time to take cover behind his cannon. Then he was pressing buttons to return fire.

*BOOM*

"Comparators!" I cursed as I ran to an undestroyed section of the wall, just as the cannon's recent shot tore apart Halstatt's front gate.

This was a waste of time. There was no point in shooting at LeShui when he could just take cover. Meanwhile, if we tried to take cover, he would simply _destroy_ our cover. And with all the other Griefers to worry about…

I needed to stop the cannon itself. Disable it somehow.

…

Making up my mind, I readied my next shot and aimed carefully. My eyes were good enough to make out the redstone wiring of the cannon. It involved two buttons. The first to ignite a line of TNT to propel the shot, and a second to prime the TNT shot so that it would explode on impact.

The time delay was essential. One little slip-up could have the entire cannon blow up in your face.

 _So LeShui,_ I internally commented with a smirk, _you should not have used wooden buttons to prime your TNT._

And with that thought, I fired my arrow. It sailed across the sky, straight towards the cannon. Only this time, it was not aimed at LeShui.

It was aimed at the button that primed the shot TNT.

With the TNT prematurely primed, LeShui panicked. The water keeping the TNT from destroying the cannon only flowed through the propelling TNT, not the fired TNT.

In other words, his cannon was about to explode.

He ran away before taking cover in one of Cosmic's landmine craters. And when the cannon exploded, it scattered all the unprimed TNT, blasting apart the landscape and any Griefers that were advancing towards the wall.

"Nice one!" Solara congratulated as she stood beside me once more. I could not help but smile at the praise. My engineering skills had come in handy again.

However, my newfound pride quickly diminished when I noticed something.

Two Griefers were moving rather strangely, their legs hanging limply and dragging beneath them as they were pushed forward by something.

And they were within ten blocks of the wall.

Solara noticed it too, quickly taking a shot at the two Griefers. They did not bother to dodge, taking the arrow straight to the chest before continuing as if nothing happened.

I joined in, taking shots at them. But for all we shot into them, they did not once slow down.

That was when I saw that the Griefers' eyes were closed. Their limbs hung numbly at their sides, not even armed with weapons, because they were both unconscious.

Someone was behind them, using their bodies as shields to advance. And the acid-green mohawk that poked over their heads was all I needed to confirm it was Burke.

"No!" I shouted in fear as I concentrated more arrows on them. One of the Griefers had taken enough hits and exploded in a shower of gear. Burke quickly repositioned the remaining body, covering himself from even my precise line of sight.

It was when Burke was within two blocks of the wall when his final shield died. That was when I saw the TNT in his hand.

The next instant, he placed it all around the wall's base before igniting one of the blocks and clearing out.

"Lenz, MOVE!" Solara shouted, grabbing me by my scarf and leaping off the ramparts into Halstatt.

Then there was a loud series of explosions, all of them tearing down the wall from the base to the ramparts. Cobblestone and dirt were ripped asunder, scattering across the plain and spilling into the village.

That, as well as the agonized expression on Solara's face, were the last things I saw before the world blacked out.

* * *

[Cobb]

*KA-BOOM*

The loud explosion that echoed across the plain and caused the ground to tremble drew my eyes away from my downed opponent and towards Halstatt's wall. Or at least to where a wall was standing a moment ago.

Now there was only a gap through which Griefers were pouring into the village. Even more alarming was that they weren't impeded by any archers or arrows. Meaning Lenz and Solara were…were…

I shook my head. _No, they're fine! They've gotta be…_

"This is bad. I figured those bombers would be trouble." Wynn was at my side in an instant, trying to assess the situation and formulate a plan. "Lucas! Can you and the villagers handle those Griefers?" Lucas, after teaming up with another villager to kill a Griefer, offered the Captain a nod. "Then go! We'll handle the Griefers out here!"

At once, Lucas and the villagers hurried towards Halstatt, the more injured ones lagging behind to regenerate their health. Billy was the only one who chose to stay.

I began to realize how difficult a battle we had left to face. Though the Griefers' numbers were down because of the trap, they still outnumbered us. And now we had to divide what little forces we had to defend Halstatt both inside and outside of its wall.

And the Griefers were relentless. You'd think seeing over half of their army falling into a pit would have broken their morale, but they were still fighting with all they had. Why though? What were they fighting so passionately for?

Especially with Alec_Bishop dead. He was supposedly the cause of all this. I had seen the guy ride his horse into the gravel trap and fall into it. There was no way he could still be alive fighting all those Mob. And without their leader, I had hoped that the Griefers would give up or flee.

But they were so united in their goal to cause chaos that they were attacking Halstatt regardless of their fallen leader.

Admirable, maybe.

Annoying, definitely.

I snagged another Griefer with my fishing rod before throwing them into the ground. Wynn came soon after, driving her rapier into the enemy's skull and killing him instantly.

"Would it kill you _not_ to use a fishing rod?" The ivory-haired Captain questioned with an eye-roll.

"What? And abandon the combat style you admire the most?" I countered with a smile while gasping for breath. "Not on your life."

"Hmph." She smiled before downing a Leaping Potion and flipping over a pair of charging Griefers. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she was off. Darting in between the Griefers' strikes and hitting them where it hurt. Four quick slashes and they were reduced to piles of gear.

 _…_ _Okay, now she's just showing off._

Lightning danced across the sky as more Griefers came forward to attack. Any time we killed one, two more would take their place. And any that decided not to fight us were hurrying towards Halstatt.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the guards were also losing steam. We were only just barely hanging in there, working in pairs to repel Griefers.

It would have been worse if we were facing all one thousand of them.

But thankfully, the pitfall was doing most of the work.

After defeating a large wave of Griefers, things finally calmed down. I looked around to see that Wynn, all six of her guards, and Billy had all survived. Though Hollie was unconscious and Liam was limping with a pained grimace.

However, a bunch of the Griefers had slipped past us, attacking the village in earnest. The rain would prevent them from burning anything down and they'd have trouble finding the Testificates, but if they killed the villagers…

"Alright… *huff* we need…we need to get back to the village." Wynn ordered, checking the guards. "Liam, can you still fight?"

"Yeah…you know it!" Liam tried to put up a strong front, but it was clear how much he was hurting. Spencer tossed him a Potion of Regeneration which he gratefully accepted.

"Billy," Wynn called out to the Crafter looking into the massive pitfall. "Are all the Griefers down there dead?"

Billy didn't immediately respond or move, causing Wynn to raise an eyebrow.

"Billy?" I questioned, stepping towards the Crafter.

"…No fucking way…"

The sheer disbelief in Billy's words alarmed Wynn and I, and made us hurry to see what was the matter.

I hadn't really gotten a good look into the pit when the trap was triggered. I was sort of busy fighting for my life against an army of Griefers. So I was surprised to see just how many Mobs had spawned. Hundreds of Zombies, Skeletons, and Spiders were crawling around at the bottom, attacking any Crafter in their sights. Only a few Griefers were left out of the six or seven hundred that had fallen in.

The gear of the dead littered the quarry's floor, similar to how the Caerbannog Valley looked. And even then, I watched as Griefers met their ends, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Mobs.

Except for one.

One Crafter was still fighting, still getting hit, still moving through the mass of Mobs, and _still_ surviving.

And it was when I saw his jet-black hair that I realized it was fucking Alec_Bishop.

"HOW!?" I shouted aloud in frustration, gesturing to the spectacle beneath me. "How in the hell is he still alive!? That doesn't make sense! He's _literally_ facing an army of Mobs single-handedly!"

Liver: _He's certainly persistent._

Heart: _No, wait. Something's not right about this. He shouldn't be able to—_

Brain: _Okay, that's bullshit. Hacks! I call hacks! Somebody report this guy!_

 _Wait…what are hacks? Tell me, Normal Sense!_

"Oh dear God…" Wynn mumbled breathlessly, taking a step back. It sounded so unlike her, so full of horror and fear, that I had to face her just to verify she said it. The expression on her face mirrored her tone.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I posed those questions immediately, wanting to know what was causing her such apprehension. Her pupils were dilated in fear and her hands were shaking. I had never seen her so scared.

I turned back to Alec, still fighting in the quarry, to see what Wynn was so afraid of. Sure, it was scary that the guy could fight so many Mobs without dying, but he had to have his limits, right? He couldn't go on forever.

But then I noticed something off about Alec. Something small. At first I thought it was a trick of the light, caused by the lightning flashing across the sky. Or else I thought it was just the smoke from the fallen Mobs Alec was killing.

But then I realized it wasn't nothing. It was smoke. Wisps of dark smoke emanating from Alec like an aura. It surrounded him in a constant, ceaseless flow, and was never disrupted by the Mobs attacking him. If anything, it looked like the smoke was enveloping him.

Protecting him.

And there was something ominous about that. Mainly because I had never seen it before.

"What the…what the heck is he?"

"…Hacker…"

"A what?" I turned back to Wynn, but she was already rushing towards the village.

"Everyone fall back!" She called out to her remaining guards, and it was the sheer terror in her tone that startled everyone. She was truly afraid of Alec. "Get back to the village! We need to evacuate NOW!"

"What!? Why!?" I began to argue, not seeing how much a threat one guy could be. "We're so close to winning—"

"JUST THIS ONCE, LISTEN TO ME, COBB!" Wynn had _screamed_ that at me, her eyes wide with panic, but _demanding_ that I follow her orders. I flinched in surprise before nodding apprehensively. "We need to get everyone out of Halstatt before Alec gets out of that pit! Now come on—!"

*ZWIP*

She stopped abruptly, catching all the guards' attention. She just stood there, staring at the Crafter who had just escaped the pitfall via an ender pearl off a slain Enderman. Even then, that same black smoke was enveloping his body.

"Before I forget to mention this," Alec muttered darkly, his dark-grey eyes—with black where the whites of his eyes should have been—roving across each and every Crafter opposing him.

"You have no idea how fucked you all are."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 12 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 17 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 7 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 8 Carrots, 47 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 0]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: GASP! What a shocking turn of events!**

 **Or maybe not. Some of you speculated on Alec's smoke powers being something along the lines of a Wither hybrid. But nope! He's a Hacker.**

 **And in case any of you are complaining about the inclusion of a random type of enemy that was never brought up before...**

 **Take a look at Chapter 23. Wynn, while explaining the diferent types of people in Minecraft, _purposefully_ skipped a group in between Griefers and Jibbermen. In other words, Hackers are such an unspeakable evil in Minecraftia that Wynn didn't _want_ to mention them.**

 **Making small mentions in past readings that can be referenced in present readings. I refer to it as J.K. Rowling with it.**

 **And as Chapters go, this was pretty simple to write. There was a Cobb section, a Lenz section, and even a section for the invading army. It was done to show each group's job in defending Halstatt, but also in how resourceful the enemy can be. Alec, Burke, and LeShui aren't dumb villians...okay maybe Alec since he fell for the trap...but they have their own strengths too.**

 **Having bad guys and good guys fight each other, using their strengths to exploit the other's weaknesses, makes for good dramatic fight scenes.**

 **No Omake this week. Oh...and fair warning.**

 **A Hiatus is coming soon.**


	58. Hack

**AN: This Chapter is brought to you in part by sadness.**

 **Congrats to gs gaming who got last week's riddle correct. The answer: Coffin! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Hacker Police.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 58

 **Hack**

[Lenz]

Pain.

That was the first thing I registered with the return of my senses. Pain in my arm.

 _Am I dead?_ I thought to myself as darkness was all that surrounded me. Had I returned to the Void via Burke's explosives?

It was childish to think so, but I always secretly hoped that when I died I would go to Redstone Heaven. A magical place filled with wondrous machinations and redstone that stretched for miles. And Jeb would be there at the pearly front gates, welcoming me with open arms. Maybe he would even ask me to help construct a redstone calculator or computer.

But instead I was only met with darkness. How disappointing.

 _I hate Cobbert._ I thought to myself, internally cursing that brown-haired idiot for getting me killed in a battle for a random village. If I had just hid with the Testificates, I might have lived longer. But instead I just haaaaaad to snipe Griefers at the front wall.

And now I was dead.

*Drip*

"…Mmph?" Something cold dripped onto the back of my neck, while something else muffled my voice. My arm was still in pain, which begged the question…

 _How can I feel pain if I am dead?_

The answer? I was not dead.

I was the exact opposite of dead.

I was… _undead_!

…

…Wait, no. I…I was alive. Yes. That was it.

Alive.

More water dripped onto the back of my neck as I slowly regained the feeling in my arms. I was face down in a pile of dirt with cold rain pelting my back and something pinning my arm to the floor.

As I propped myself up by my elbow, I saw that I was in one of Halstatt's houses. Only it looked like Burke's TNT had blown half of it apart. I must have gotten tossed amongst the wreckage after all those explosions.

Across from me, I saw the guard Solara, unmoving and laid across the ground. Unconscious, but still alive. Her quick thinking in jumping off that wall had spared us both from oblivion.

I turned to see what was pinning my arm so painfully to the ground. An anvil. The heavy object must have fallen through the house's upper floors, breaking its fall on my arm only. No wonder it was in so much pain.

Still, better an arm than my head.

That was what I should have thought. However, at the time all I could think was…

 _AGH! My Arm! It hurts so bad! How will I ever wire redstone again!? Get it off!_

I did not say any of that, however, because I still had the common sense to keep my mouth shut. Especially when I remembered the situation I was in.

Outside the remnants of the house I was pinned in, I heard the shouts of Griefers as they poured into Halstatt. With the walls down and the only two archers incapacitated, there was nothing stopping them.

"No sign of them anywhere, Burke, Sir!" I overheard one Griefer through the crumbling wooden walls. "They must have died in the explosions!"

I heard a loud slap and a grunt of pain. "Bullcrap! Those two archers jumped at the last second! They're around here somewhere, wounded and still sucking air. Now find them before I demonstrate what ten blocks of TNT can do to a Griefer with USELESS INFORMATION!" There was a quick scrambling of feet as the Griefers resumed their search.

 _This is bad._ I surmised quickly, as I pushed the anvil with all my strength. It was not much, but it managed to dislodge the anvil. My Health was still high at eight hearts, but I was not going to stick around when Burke and those Griefers were looking for me. And probably Solara too.

I crept over to one end of the ruined house, using the crumbling wooden walls as cover from the Griefers. My plan was to run out into the streets when nobody was looking. I would find a safe spot, bury myself, and wait until the Griefer army left.

It was cowardly, but it was completely natural for a coward such as myself. I _was_ weak after all. I did all I could. I built the trap. I kept a few Griefers away and dispatched several. Nobody would blame me for running.

I was not supposed to do this.

However, just when I noticed a gap in the invading Griefers, a perfect time to bolt out onto the street…

I remembered Solara.

I turned to the unmoving guard. In her unconscious state, she would be helpless if discovered. She would be killed if I left her.

…

It was not my concern.

It should not have been my concern.

It would not be my concern!

She was a guard! She was fully prepared to die! This was what she was meant for! This was what she was supposed to do!

 _'_ _If we live to survive this Griefer attack, I'm sure you'll understand why we guards do this for a living.'_

Bringing her along would just jeopardize my safety. How could I worry about myself when I had to drag an unconscious body along?

I turned back towards the street, again waiting for a gap in the Griefers after missing the first chance.

 _…_ _She is not my concern._

 _I am weak and she is strong. I am supposed to use her to ensure my own survival. Leaving her here to die—no, that is not what this is! I am surviving! I am keeping myself alive! This is not murder!_

Even if we fought side by side, our arrows hitting the Griefers one after another, it was not done as equals. She should have known I was weak! She should have known I would not have the strength to save us both! She should have known I would save my own skin before hers! She should never have put her faith in someone as weak as me!

…

My eyes strayed to the downed guard.

* * *

[Cosmic]

"Oh no…"

The wall was down. Griefers were streaming into Halstatt. Lenz and Solara were nowhere to be seen.

In short, things were going poorly.

"Tyke!" I called down to the baby Testificate. "Activate TNT three and six!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The baby Testificate waddled over to the wooden pressure plates labeled 'Three' and 'Six' and jumped on them. Moments later, I watched as two landmines detonated on the battlefield. There was always a few seconds of delay for the redstone to reach the concealed TNT, but I had gotten the timing down pretty well.

Still, it wouldn't be enough to stop the flow of Griefers. Not when it was this bad.

"Ma'am! There's only a few more TNT left! What should we do?"

"…We need to stop as many Griefers as possible." I concluded with determination. "Keep activating the TNT when I tell you. Speaking of, activate ten, two, and seven."

"Yes, ma'am—Eek!"

"Tyke?" I called down, wondering what the problem was. Had the baby Testificate tripped or something.

Then I heard an unfamiliar voice.

"So this is where the landmines were being detonated from."

My eyes widened and I quickly jumped down to the lower level, readying my sword.

Tyke was cowering over in the corner. And over by the pressure plates, someone with a blond bow-cut was digging themselves up from the ground. He wore gray leather, but I immediately knew he wasn't a villager of Halstatt.

"Who are…you?" I questioned tentatively, before reading the name above his head. LeShui. He was one of the bombers Wynn had said was working with Alec and the Griefers.

He admired the pressure plates and redstone with childlike wonder. "Gotta say I'm impressed with your redstone wiring. The landmines and especially that gravel trap were pure _genius_!" He lifted himself to his feet and scanned the room to see that I was his only opponent. "But leaving an underground redstone trail straight to you." He tsked chidingly. "Rookie mistake."

His expression darkened as he withdrew a stone sword of his own and pointed it at me.

"But that's not why I'm here. I have a bone to pick with you."

I gulped in fear until LeShui's expression turned into a pout.

"I mean how am I supposed to blame Burke for my explosions if you're making explosions that beat me to the punch!?" He reasoned insanely. "All those Griefers that died by explosions…explosions that weren't mine for once…even though I would've blamed Burke for them anyway. It's not right! I feel cheated!"

I raised an eyebrow at the man. He wasn't making sense, but he sure seemed dangerous.

"What I'm trying to say," he leveled his sword at me, "is that nobody blows people up but me…and then I blame Burke for it."

* * *

[Cobb]

"You have no idea how fucked you all are."

Everyone could only stare at the dark-haired man as he said those words. He didn't even look worried that he was outnumbered.

Wynn had called him something. A Hacker? Not like I knew what that was, but from the reactions on everyone's faces, it must have been something bad. Something that had to do with the dark smoke seeping from him.

"All that time I spent raising an army of Griefers," Alec chuckled without an ounce of humor in his voice. "And now most of them are dead because of a couple of Crafters who didn't know when to lay down and die. Which means my campaign ends at this village full of nobodies. That… _really_ pisses me off."

Alec lifted a diamond blade from his belt and casually strolled toward Wynn, dragging the blade as he went. Yet Wynn just stood there as if paralyzed. Why wasn't she doing anything?

"Raaaah!" A diamond blade slashed through the air, crashing into Alec and sending him skidding to the side. Billy had taken it upon himself to attack the dark-haired man.

"Really." Alec complained as he rubbed the side of his face. He shrugged off the diamond blade to his face as if it were a mere pinch. "You're going to die anyway. The least you could do is hold still and accept it."

"Billy, you can't win!" Wynn finally responded to warn the brash Crafter. "He's a Hacker! We should just—"

"I don't care." Billy spoke with an icy resolve. "You guys go get everyone out of the village. This guy and his Griefer army are the reason my friends are dead. No way am I backing down now."

"That's brave and heroic and all," Alec rolled his eyes as he pointed his sword at Billy, "But, frankly, I've heard that excuse more times than I can count. People always trying to kill me for killing their friends or loved ones or some bullshit. It can be grating on my nerves."

"My sword's gonna be grating your face!" Billy roared, charging the dark-haired man. Alec just grinned as he prepared his blade.

I moved to help Billy, only to feel something pulling me back. "Wha—Hey!"

"Don't even think about facing him, Cobb!" Wynn dragged me along by my hoodie, the other guards running alongside us as we rushed back to Halstatt.

"But…but he's just one guy—!"

"And that one guy is a Hacker!" Wynn argued back as she hurried to put as much distance between us and Alec. "It's no wonder those Griefers were following him. This goes far beyond what we predicted would happen."

"Wynn, let go of my hoodie! I can run for myself, you know!" I tried to make her release me, but she had my hoodie in a vice-like grip. "Seriously, stop! Let me go!"

If it wasn't for my hoodie, I could…

…

 _Oh, right! I can remove articles of clothing!_

I focused my mind on removing my hoodie, and not a second later it faded into glimmers of light. Now free from Wynn's hold, I re-materialized my hoodie and turned to face her.

"What's going on with Alec?" I wanted to know why everyone was so afraid of him. I wanted to know what a Hacker was. What that smoke surrounding him was.

Wynn paused for only a second, staring back at where Alec and Billy were still fighting each other, before jerking her head towards Halstatt. "I'll explain as we run! Now come on!"

"But…but what about Billy?" I looked back to watch Alec deal a strike to Billy's abdomen only to recieve an uppercut in retaliation. "Shouldn't we help?"

Wynn shook her head. "He's made up his mind. And he's stalling Alec so we can get away. Don't let it go to waste."

I was hesitant as I glanced between Wynn and Billy, but eventually I decided to follow the Captain.

"So…what's a Hacker?" I asked as we caught up with the other guards in our sprint back to the village.

I was sure Wynn could outpace me if she wanted to, but she slowed down enough to stay beside and slightly behind me. Almost as if she were worried I'd turn around and go back for Billy.

"Back when I told you about the people of Minecraftia—Griefers, Jibbermen, Crafters—I may have skipped another group." Her eyes looked away as if remembering something awful. "Hackers are…they're basically super-powered Griefers."

"…Super-powered? What do you—?"

"You know that Crafters spawn at the Origin. They come into this world from the Void and venture out into Minecraftia." Wynn looked uncomfortable explaining things to me. "But every so often, a bad Crafter spawns…it's a…a bad egg, so to speak.

"Those Crafters develop an affinity for a dark power—that smoke you witnessed surrounding Alec—that they can shape to their own needs. The smoke seeps from their eyes, changing their sclerae, and surrounds their bodies, empowering them. It enhances their abilities. The small percentages of Crafters that can use that dark smoke are known as 'Hackers'."

My eyes widened at the intake of new information. Super-powered Griefers? Dark powers? Hackers? It was too much to process.

If Alec was super-powered, was that how he survived that pit full of Mobs? Was that how he could enforce obedience out of the Griefers he commanded?

"Well…so he's super-powered? So what? We still outnumbered him!" I tried to reason to Wynn, even as we reached the front gates of Halstatt. The other guards worked to take out remaining Griefers, even though most of them had blown through to cause as much destruction as possible and to find the hidden Testificates. "If we worked together, then I'm sure we could—"

"Concerning Hackers, the general rule of thumb is this." Wynn interrupted, speaking directly to me. Willing me to understand the severity of Alec's powers. "If you see dark smoke, you run and you run fast. And don't look back unless you're sure you got away."

I paled at how serious she sounded. Remembering how she looked when that smoke started seeping from him, she was obviously terrified of Hackers.

"There've been incidents involving Hackers." Wynn continued, taking my silence as a sign of dawning realization. "They turn up occasionally throughout Minecraftia's history, but then fade back into obscurity, only to reappear fifty or sixty years later. One Hacker in particular was responsible for killing a third of a Kingdom's population in under a month. From what witnesses say, he did it on nothing more than a whim."

I could feel my blood freeze in my veins. A third of a Kingdom? I tried to think of all the people I saw on Ringwood's bustling streets or suspended on Daymonte's bridges. And then an unknown Hacker would just show up and kill a third of them off.

"Why…why didn't anyone stop him!?" I shouted in anger. "Why didn't anyone stand up to that Hacker!?"

Wynn just shook her head sadly. "They _did_ stand up to him. That's just how terrifying they can be, and how terrifying Alec can be if he decides to! Hackers have access to skills and abilities that exceed Crafter limitations. All because of that black smoke they possess."

"But then…Billy challenged him…"

"There've been no recorded instances of a Hacker being slain in battle. Billy knows he can't win." Wynn informed sadly. "He was fighting to buy us time…and for his fallen friends."

A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and I could almost sense something leaving me. It was small, but it felt as if someone I knew just left the world for good.

 _Billy…_

Wynn looked out across the plain, narrowing her eyes to spot something I could not. "He's coming."

The Captain turned to what remained of her guards. "Micah. Take Hollie into one of the nearby buildings and wait until she regains consciousness. After that, try and find a chance to escape into the woods. Noah, Daniel. Head towards where the Testificates are hidden—that's probably where the rest of the villagers are rushing to defend—and spread the word that we're facing a Hacker. If that doesn't convince them to leave, nothing will." The two guards nodded before running deeper into the village.

"And us?" I asked the Captain, who again looked out across the plain. I followed her gaze, finally making out the dark-haired form of Alec as he sprinted towards us.

"…Liam and Spencer. You're with me and Cobb. We're going to use ourselves to lure Alec into the village, but away from the Testificates and our escape. No attacking. We're only luring him in. Got it?" The two remaining guards and I nodded our assent before we all hurried deeper into the village.

I was glad we planned ahead in hiding the Testificates, but there was no way we could have planned for whatever Alec was. He had killed Billy so quickly…would it be just as easy for him to kill us?

I shook those thoughts from my head. It wouldn't come to that. We would only be luring him away from the Testificates and villagers…and then…

…

I'd figure that out later.

But if it came down to a fight, I doubted whether I could do much against Alec. From Wynn's reactions, my only impression of Hackers was that they were monsters.

* * *

[Lenz]

 _This is asinine._

I stumbled across the street, my feet tripping on the uneven surface. Ironically, it was my own fault that there were patches of gravel missing from the streets. I had demanded the block to make the trap, after all.

 _I could not feel more foolish doing this. Just what am I thinking?_

My grip on Solara began to slip, and I had to pause in the middle of the street just to shift her into a better dragging position.

You heard right. I was _dragging_ the unconscious guard through a besieged village. All while Griefers let out bloodthirsty howls into the night, hunting for any Crafters they could sink their swords into.

I wiped the rain from my goggles before heaving the guard in between two buildings. I leaned her on a wall while I peered out onto the next street. There were a few Griefers ransacking a particularly large house, hoping for anything valuable. I would have to wait before crossing to the next street.

My plan was to maneuver between the streets and alleys before veering off in a direction away from the center of Halstatt. That was where all the Testificates were gathered, and where the Griefers were certain to gravitate towards.

And somewhere along the planning stages, I decided to carry Solara along with me. Now that I thought about it, was it ever something I decided?

It just sort of happened.

And it was stupid. Why did I bother to worry about her when I should have been more worried about myself. I was surrounded by savage Griefers. _Angry_ savage Griefers. Who smelled bad and would not hesitate to kill me. I should have been putting as much distance between them and me as I could.

Instead I was worrying about someone else.

The Griefers around the corner whooped excitedly, apparently finding something of value, before moving on to another street. I looked both ways, ensuring the coast was clear, before hiking Solara over one shoulder and trudging towards another alley.

Whoever said all girls were feather-light had probably never had to haul one for several blocks. It was not because I had poor muscle-tone. No, it was because Solara was too heavy.

That was the story I was sticking with.

"Solara, wake up!" I hissed into her ear, hoping it would spontaneously awaken her. She remained as motionless as ever. Glancing at her arm, I saw that her hearts were not regenerating. She needed food. But to eat it, she would have to be awake.

 _Why am I doing this? I should just toss this woman into the street. I would get around faster if I was not tethered to this unconscious guard._

I could not carry her forever, and if any Griefers spotted me, I would have to drop her and run. Solara would be at the mercy of the Griefers, but in her unconscious state, she would not feel a thing.

 _I should just drop her now. Indeed. For the sake of survival, it only makes sense to worry about myself and forget about the rest._

I kept trudging through the streets, Solara close to my side.

 _It would be for the best to drop her now. She is a guard, after all. She is prepared to die. I am not._

I stumbled on some wet dirt, falling to the ground with Solara on top of me. I groaned aloud before propping myself up, wiping my face of dirt, and hefting the guard over my shoulder again.

 _…_ _For comparator's sake, why can I not drop this guard!?_

 _I am weak and she is strong! That is how things are_ supposed _to be!_

Solara's foot caught on the edge of a building and I had to struggle to lift her off of it. All the struggling I was subjected to, just to keep this guard alive.

She _should be the one carrying_ me _through this hellish situation! Not the other way around!_

I pressed the both of us against an alley wall, just as a hoard of angry Griefers rushed past. They just missed us.

 _Why are things so different now!?_

 _Why was it not like this before?_

Back when I first traveled to Daymonte, I was always the one holding the group back. The weakest link. Unable to defend myself, always relying on others to survive.

But it was fine! I had told myself it was fine, because there was no other way to do things! Weak people like me relied on strong people like them! People like Cobbert, Solara, Captain Wynn, and all the rest of her guards!

My group had been a bunch of brainless meatheads! That was why they had died and I had lived!

I felt no guilt! There was nothing I could have done to save them! Just like how there was nothing I could do to save Solara! Just like how I was helpless to save the doomed Halstatt!

Because if there was…

"Hey! There's one!"

I froze before turning my head to spot five menacing Griefers at the end of the street. They had spotted us and were already raising their swords. Their faces were full of grim satisfaction, knowing a sure-kill was standing before them.

A sure-kill that was carrying a second sure-kill.

I turned fully around, dragging Solara as I went, and began to sweat in fear.

 _I knew this would happen! This is what I get for worrying about Solara!_

"Finally, something to kill in this blasted village." One of the Griefers growled as he took a menacing step forward. "After that trap you sprung on us, I've got so much pent-up frustration to take out on you."

"…I made it."

"Whuh?" One of the Griefers muttered, prompting me to continue.

"That is right." I spoke aloud, my knees shaking. "I made the pitfall trap. The villagers may have prepared the materials, but it was _my_ idea and _I_ wired it up."

I did not know why I was trying to antagonize them, but it looked to be working. Their eyes narrowed dangerously, and they gripped their weapons tighter. I backed away as I talked, the Griefers slowly advancing all the while.

"I-I was supposed to be the weak one." I continued, my voice trembling. "I was supposed to be the nerd. The weakling. The one nobody could count on." My back hit a wall, the perfect metaphor for my current situation.

"But…but fighting today," I knelt down to lay Solara against the wall before stepping in front of her, "today, for the first time, I became someone people could rely on." My hands shakily grasped for my belt before finding my familiar bow.

"How touching." One of the Griefers sneered. "And I assume you're going to protect that downed woman behind you?"

"You can laugh." And to my surprise, I gave a shaky laugh of my own. "But it is _because_ I am a nerd that I managed to build the trap that killed two-thirds of your army." That angered them even more, and they tensed their muscles, ready to charge us.

Back then, there was nothing I could do to save anyone. Whether I cared about them or not. Because I had been weak and that was how things were supposed to be. How I thought things would always be.

But not anymore.

I was not the same Crafter I was back then.

I studied redstone engineering.

I trained myself in archery.

And slowly…without even realizing it…

The Griefers lunged forward, just as lightning crashed across the sky.

The arrow hit one of them before they even realized. Followed by a second. And a third.

I shifted my aim towards the Griefers closing in, my hands flying to shoot as many arrows as I could. The fact that they had to come at me from a straight street was more to my advantage than theirs.

They had no cover.

My arrows hit knees, legs, necks, eyes. Anything to slow them down or cause as much damage as I could.

 _Is this why you fight, Cobbert? Even knowing you cannot win?_

One of the Griefers died in a shower of gear.

 _Because, like me, you were weak. And thought you would never be able to help anyone._

Another Griefer kept trying to run right at me, but my arrows hit him one after another. He was running into my shots, hastening his own demise.

 _The both of us are just so weak. But you never let that stop you from jumping in to save this village._

After two more Griefers were shot to death, the remaining two realized I was not just some easy kill, anymore.

And they were right. I was not weak anymore.

 _That is why you are strong, Cobbert._ I realized with mental clarity. All my focus was put into my shots. Making sure not a single one missed.

The Griefers tried to evade the shots, but all their effort did nothing in the face of my precision. Remarkably enough, with my back against a wall and my enemies all in front of me, I could defend myself all the easier.

Not just myself though. Solara too.

Finally, the Griefers decided just to rush in, hoping they could reach me before my arrows finished them.

' _Don't ever flinch._ ' I remembered Captain Wynn's words in the midst of all my shooting. ' _You're an archer. In a fight, you keep your eyes open to the end._ '

I did not flinch.

Not when they drew closer.

Not when lightning crashed into a nearby house.

Not even when they were within a sword stroke of hitting me.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" I let out an unnatural guttural cry as I kept my eyes open, pumping them full of arrows until the end.

One of them died just as the other swung a sword into my shoulder. I was unused to the pain and unprepared to take the hit.

I crashed into the ground before skidding across the rain-slicked dirt. Next instant, I felt an agonizing slash rake across my chest as the Griefer tore into me. He was not giving me any time to recover, the pain lacing through my body enough to wipe any other thought from my mind.

And without my thoughts to guide me, I was driven by pure instinct.

I reared back a leg and kicked with all my might, causing something solid to buckle. A loud grunt pierced the air. I kicked out again and again, trying to do as much damage as I could.

Arcs of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating a flash of iron being brought down towards me. I quickly rolled to the side as the blade missed, burying itself into the ground.

Through all that, I still had my bow in a vice-like grip. I brought up my other arm to pull back an arrow just as the Griefer unstuck his blade from the dirt. Three arrows were loosed as the Griefer charged towards me angrily.

The third arrow hit just as the blade reached my neck, causing the Griefer to explode in a shower of gear that scattered across the ground or fell into my Inventory space. A few bits of EXP floated into my arm as well.

I panted tiredly as I looked at the scene before me. Rain continued to pelt my face, cooling the hot-surge of battle and allowing my thoughts to return to me.

I was still tense. My hands were gripping the bow like a life-line and my eyes darted across the street as if expecting more Griefers to show up. When none did, I realized I had a moment to collect myself.

I was still alive.

I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling my erratic heartbeat. I checked my Health…three hearts. Yes. I was still alive.

I allowed myself a weak chuckle, the disbelief clearly evident in the tone. I had stood up to those Griefers…I had defeated them.

No…more importantly than that…

I turned to look at Solara. She was right where I left her, leaning against a wall. She was unconscious but still alive.

She was still alive because of me. I had protected a guard—someone who was meant to protect others. I had protected someone meant to be strong.

…

 _I_ was strong.

I allowed myself a louder chuckle, this one filled with pride, before I picked up Solara and got moving.

* * *

[Cosmic]

*BOOM*

"Agh!" I shielded my face from the dust of the explosion, only for LeShui's sword to slap me away.

Wynn wasn't kidding when she said LeShui was an expert with TNT. He was making use of the very redstone we had used to wire up our traps. The building we were in could barely contain the explosions. Bits of planks and bricks littered the floor and the gaps caused by the explosions was letting the rain in.

"Geez, Burke's really going to town on this building." LeShui stated pointlessly as he placed some TNT on a nearby wall and wired it up a fair distance away. "He's waaaaay too explosion crazy."

I didn't know what he was planning, but I wasn't going to sit by and watch. I lifted my sword and tried to attack the bomber.

However, I was interrupted when an explosion went off right beneath my feet.

 _When did he—!?_

The explosion threw me off balance, sending me staggering towards LeShui, who promptly responded by ducking and flipping me over his shoulder…

Right on the TNT he set up.

I tried to roll off, but the bomber activated the explosive instantly. The force of it threw me across the room where I impacted the wall. Hard.

I was being tossed around like a ragdoll. He wasn't even that good of a sword fighter. But he had planted so much TNT under the floor prior to our battle. He had full control of the battlefield.

"Well, this has been fun." LeShui stated with mild boredom, apparently tired of our 'fight'. "But I have so many other Crafters to beautify via fiery explosion. Soooo…"

He flipped a lever I didn't even see him set up, causing the floor beneath me to explode, opening up a hidden chamber.

One he had filled with TNT.

 _This is bad!_ I tried to pick myself up, but I was too weak to do anything, much less climb out of the pit he had tossed me into.

"Let this be a lesson to you." LeShui reprimanded as he placed a final lever. "Don't ever—huh?"

"Don't hurt Cosmic!" The baby Testificate, Tyke, had run out to beat his fists futilely against LeShui's shins. Testificates couldn't harm Crafters, but that little guy was trying his hardest.

"Tyke, get away from him!" I warned, trying to muster up the strength to climb out of the hole.

"Cosmic is super nice!" Tyke continued, raising his small fists to cutely beat into LeShui's legs. "Leave her alone, you…you…you big meanie!"

"Big meanie!? Those are fighting words!" LeShui shouted angrily, lashing out at Tyke. The baby Testificate gave an audible cry of pain as he was flung into the pit of TNT. I had enough strength to catch the little guy and prevent him further harm. "I'll have you know that I'm _not_ a 'meanie' in the slightest! Burke's the big meanie! He's the one using TNT to kill you! Not me!"

"Cosmic…this guy is crazy." Tyke needlessly mentioned, sniffling slightly at the pain LeShui had caused. I clutched him more tightly to myself, not wanting him to see the explosion that would eventually kill us.

 _…Wait._

 _LeShui caused Tyke pain…!_

"I'm completely blameless in all this!" LeShui raved even louder, pacing back and forth above the TNT pit. He was so lost in his tirade, that he didn't notice the ground trembling slightly. "And, yeah, Burke isn't here right now. But he's responsible for all these bombings! I would _certainly_ never detonate a ton of TNT just to kill a Crafter and a Testificate half-pint!"

"But you would hit a Testificate. Even a baby one." I countered back, feeling relief wash over me as the ground shook louder and louder; A signal of something's approach.

"Yeah, I guess I _would_ hit a baby Testificate." LeShui called down, reaching for the dooming lever. "What's your point?"

"Leslie won't like that."

LeShui raised an eyebrow, just as the loud thumping climaxed. "And who is Leslie supposed to be?"

"THE IRON GOLEM THAT'S ABOUT TO POUND PUNY BOWL-CUT INTO STREET PIZZA!"

LeShui whirled around, his eyes wide with fear. His cry of shock was strangled by a massive metal fist closing around his neck. His body was jerked away from sight, the TNT-igniting lever remaining off.

I cringed as I heard a series of crashes and thuds above, occasionally punctuated by a whimper or shriek of pain. "No! Please! I didn't hurt the baby—IT WAS BURKE!"

"LESLIE SMASH!"

A bunch of gear sprayed out above. Mostly TNT and redstone tech, though there was the occasional piece of food or sword.

LeShui's Head tumbled into the pit before coming to a stop at my feet.

Leslie's head poked into sight above, offering me a hand up. "ARE CHARMING COSMIC AND TINY TYKE ALRIGHT!?"

"Thanks to you, Leslie." I smiled, my eyes shining with gratitude. Being careful not to activate any of the TNT LeShui had left, I climbed out of the pit, Tyke beside me.

"That was amazing, Leslie!" Tyke gushed, his eyes wide with child-like wonder. "We were all like 'oh no!' and that crazy bomber guy was like 'I'm going to kill you, but not before I rant for eleven minutes' and then Cosmic was all like 'look behind you, bitch' and then you showed up all 'LESLIE SMASH' ! It was so cool!"

"YOU ARE MAKING LESLIE BLUSH!" The Iron Golem shouted as he bashfully kicked at some dirt.

"What about the Testificates? You were supposed to protect 'em." I didn't want to sound ungrateful for the help, but the other Testificates were the priority. They were what we were fighting to protect.

Leslie shook his head sadly. "I AM SORRY, CHARMING COSMIC! BUT I COULD NOT STAY HIDDEN WITH THE TESTIFICATES WHILE MY VILLAGE WAS UNDER ATTACK! IF THOSE PUNY GRIEFERS WANT A FIGHT, THEN A FIGHT I SHALL GIVE THEM!"

I sighed in exasperation. I really should have expected this from the big lug. Keeping him cooped up was never going to work.

"Alright, the Griefers are in the village anyway. If you find any, take 'em out. Just…" My eyes softened as I observed the golem. "Just be careful, okay?"

Leslie nodded confidently before marching off down the street. Already, he had spotted several enemies traveling in a group. "PUNY GRIEFERS! CARE TO MEET MY TWO FISTS!? I CALL MY LEFT ONE MR. FISTY, AND THE OTHER ELAINE!"

There was a smattering of panic as the Griefers fled down separate streets. I took the opportunity to carry Tyke to a safer location.

 _LeShui's dead, but this fight is far from over. Hope the others are still okay…_

* * *

[Cobb]

Something was wrong.

The plan was to lure Alec away from where the Testificates were hidden. It was to give the other guards enough time to warn everyone about the presence of a Hacker and to evacuate as best as they could.

But Alec wasn't following.

A soon as he entered Halstatt, he continued forward towards where the other Griefers were running to. He didn't even bother to chase after us, even when we purposefully made ourselves visible.

"Why isn't he following?" Liam cursed under his breath, glancing between Spencer and the Captain. "Is he just not seeing us?"

That couldn't be right. Wynn's hair color, with its sharp contrast with the surroundings, would have instantly drawn attention. And even if we weren't close enough to get attacked, we were visible enough that he should have at least been catching glimpses of us.

"He's purposefully ignoring us." Wynn frowned grimly. "He's probably too sure it's a trap or that we're just trying to distract him."

"Well, we better think of something and fast." I spoke urgently as I watched Alec from an adjacent street. He was leisurely sauntering through the besieged village as if he owned the place. But he still had his sword drawn, the blade dragging across the ground. And that same smoke continued to seep from his very being.

At the rate he was going, whether he realized it or not, he would reach the hidden Testificates and fighting villagers. If he got there, he'd use whatever Hacker powers he had to kill anyone that irked him.

Just like he had Billy.

"Captain?"

Spencer had posed the question, wondering what the next course of action would be. However, as I turned to face her, I saw that her eyes were closed in thought. Her lips were drawn into a thin line and she unconsciously clenched her fists.

Then she opened her eyes, showing a resigned expression. "I'll face him."

I felt something terrifying clutch my chest.

"What…Captain, what are you saying?" Spencer couldn't keep the worry from his face. "If he's a Hacker, then there's no way you can beat him. He'll kill you!"

"I don't plan on beating him." She corrected. I opened my mouth to protest, but she quickly cut me off. "I don't plan on dying either. I'll cross swords with him a few times. Keep his attention while the rest of you help evacuate the others. I should be able to manage that much."

"And if you can't?" I couldn't help but question, worrying for her safety.

"If I can't…" She shook her head, dispelling the thought. "It won't come to that. I'll be fine."

She was lying. Or at least there was some doubt in her words. I could tell by the way her amber eyes wavered slightly. And any sign of doubt was too much of a risk.

"You shouldn't be going alone against that guy." The other two guards nodded in agreement, bolstering me to continue. "It would be easier if we all fight toge—"

"No, Cobb." She spoke sharply, her eyes hardening momentarily before losing their edge. "We need as many able-bodied Crafters to help evacuate. Only one of us should stay behind and I'm the only one strong enough to stall him."

"But…" I hoped the other guards would argue, but they couldn't find fault in the Captain's reasoning. It was really the most sensible option. Anyone with common sense would have seen that.

But screw that! I'd abandon common sense if it meant risking Wynn's life!

"What if something happens?" From Wynn's resigned expression, she was certainly prepared for the worst. But I wasn't! It was because of me that all the guards were in this mess in the first place. How could I be alright with Wynn risking her life in a fight I had roped them all into.

"Cobb, I won't be trying to die. If anything I'll be trying my best to survive. You can be sure of that."

I shook my head. Wynn going against Alec alone sounded like a terrible idea. "Who says _you_ should be the one to distract him? I think we can all agree that _I_ 'm the most distracting and irritating Crafter here!"

Wynn let out an uncharacteristic rumble of laughter. "No arguments there. You're tied with Veronica for most infuriating Crafters I have to deal with." Wynn's eyes remained closed as she tilted her face up. The rain just fell atop her face, running down her neck and dripping onto the ground.

I was a bit cautious of her laugh. That wasn't how Wynn usually acted. Especially in a situation like this.

But still I pressed on. "We should face him together." I wasn't as terrified of facing a Hacker as Wynn undoubtedly was. Hell, I still wasn't sure of what a Hacker was capable of. "If we work together and watch each other's backs, we can make sure both of us get out alive."

Wynn opened her eyes, taking in the stormy sky above us. "It seems like you'll never follow orders. No matter what I do."

She closed her eyes again before taking a deep breath. She held it for a second before letting loose a sigh somewhere between exasperation and determination.

"Alright, we'll stall him together." I felt a swell of relief at Wynn's acceptance. "Just stay close and try not to do anything stupid."

"Well, you know me." I laughed jokingly. "Stupid is my middle name."

"Yeah." The Captain offered a small smile. "I guess I do know you."

Something about those words sounded off, but I couldn't quite place it.

However, I didn't dwell long on it because Wynn was beckoning me over to her. She was reaching into her backpack for something. "If we're going to face a Hacker, there's something you'll definitely need."

Without even thinking, I moved forward.

I had so much trust in Captain Wynn. The woman who initially hated me for committing a crime and fooling her King. The woman who threw barbed insults at me that slowly transformed into slight jabs.

The woman who had helped train me. The woman who had offered advice. The woman who answered my questions about Minecraftia and how the world worked, even when the questions were idiotic.

The woman who had defied her duty to her Kingdom just to help out a stubborn idiot like me. The woman who I considered a friend. The woman who fought beside me, protected me, and made sure I always survived.

The woman…who had just driven a knee into my gut.

I would have gasped in shock if not for the air leaving my lungs. The pain in my gut. My vision already beginning to fade as consciousness slipped away. They were all the same feelings of the first day we met.

Except this time was unforgivable.

' _Being a leader necessitates difficult choices._ Especially _if it means being hated._ '

"…W-Wynn…you…" I clutched at her shoulders weakly, trying to force myself to stop her. To stop her from facing Alec alone. To stop losing my senses. To stop losing consciousness. To stop losing _her_.

The last thing I saw were Wynn's determined amber eyes before it all faded to black.

* * *

[Wynn]

I caught Cobb before he could hit the ground. Even as he lost consciousness he still defiantly tried to stop me. His determination to keep me alive would have been heartwarming in any other situation, but it only felt hollow.

"Captain!" Spencer shouted in outrage, even while Liam remained silent. He at least seemed to understand why I did what I did. "Why did you just—!?"

"Get him out of here." I interrupted, placing Cobb's unconscious form between the two of them. "He's fought more than his fair share tonight. If the past is any indication, he should wake up in a day-and-a-half." I couldn't help but remember the time it took him to regain consciousness after I knocked him out at the Razed Bar.

Spencer still appeared confused, but Liam stepped forward to carry Cobb.

"Make sure to evacuate as many villagers and Testificates as you can AND survive this." I looked Liam dead in the eye. "Keep Cobb as far from this as you can, understand?"

Liam nodded respectfully, though the frown on his face showed that he didn't approve of what I had done. I was fine with that. After all, I didn't feel too happy doing that either. It was one thing stabbing him with my rapier, but this was betraying his trust entirely.

He'd probably never forgive me.

"But…Captain…" Spencer still appeared hesitant, causing me to narrow my eyes at him.

"Get out of here! Both of you! That's an order!"

Spencer flinched, looking torn between staying and leaving, but Liam was gracious enough to pull him along. "Come on, Spencer. We have our orders."

After several more tugs, Spencer finally relented, following Liam and the unconscious Cobb. However, Spencer turned around to offer one last piece of advice.

"You better come back, alright?"

I didn't offer a nod or even a grunt of affirmation, and Spencer didn't wait for one. Soon I was alone, my fist clenching my trusty rapier and my muscles ready to throw all my frustration out on something.

But that wasn't going to keep me alive. I had to be smart. I was stalling, not fighting. And without Cobb to be concerned over, I would be that much more focused. Indeed, keeping him from facing Alec was already an enormous relief.

He was innocent in all this. Just a newbie Crafter wanting to do the right thing. He had already risked himself to fight an army and it was thanks to his and Lenz's efforts that the enemy's forces were cut as much as they were.

Now it was my turn to make an effort.

I took another calming breath before downing a Swiftness Potion and racing off towards where Alec had been.

I made sure my Hunger and Health Meter were full and that I was ready for the fight that was to follow. If I was going to keep his attention, I'd have to strike him a few times or at least appear to be a threat.

Whatever Hacker powers Alec had were still unknown to me. Witnesses of Hacker attacks reported a wide variety of abilities that could only be explained by the enigmatic dark smoke that surrounded them.

Killing in a single hit.

Moving faster than any Swiftness Potion could allow.

Shooting arrows that never miss.

 _Flying_.

The last one was probably out since Alec wouldn't have needed to ender pearl out of the pit if he could otherwise fly, but I didn't know what to expect.

There was a possibility Alec could do all those things…and more.

I shook my head. There was no sense keeping those pessimistic thoughts. If I was to survive, I'd need to stay focused.

I caught up with Alec soon enough. He was still sauntering down the streets at a leisurely pace. Ahead of him were a few Griefers tearing apart a house for the pleasure of destruction alone.

I quickly passed the Hacker, skidding to a stop before him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but seemed to recognize me by my white hair. "Captain, Wynn_Whispers."

"Hacker, Alec_Bishop." I responded in turn, raising my rapier to point steadily towards him.

Alec laughed at that. "You know what I am and you _still_ want to fight me? Don't tell me you're going to follow Billy's footsteps." At those words, he pulled out a Head from his belt and tossed it onto the ground.

It was Billy's.

"He didn't leave much of an impression." Alec's dark-gray eyes, still with black sclera, shined with amusement as he brought a foot down onto Billy's Head and ground it into the dirt. "Kept whining about me causing his friends' death. As if I give a crap about that when he and all the rest of you fucked up my plans."

My rapier didn't waver from his direction as he continued to talk. He seemed relaxed enough, but I wasn't going to start something. The objective was to stall, after all.

"It was supposed to be _so_ simple." Alec stuck his diamond sword into the ground and leaned on it idly. "Amass an army of Griefers. Threaten Daymonte. Get Command Block and Codex. Present it to the others. And regain my rightful place in the Clan again."

He closed his eyes and his face scrunched together. "But then there were complications. I had to go out of my way to pressure Daymonte. And then I _really_ had to go out of my way when you lot decided to fight back instead of simply surrendering your lives."

"Sorry that our survival is an inconvenience to you." I countered, pretending not to notice the group of Griefers creeping up behind me.

"That apology doesn't sound too sincere." Alec frowned before shrugging. "But now that my army is less than half, I'll have to start all over again. Recruit more Griefers, target Daymonte's villages, and finally get that damn Command Block and Codex. But all that time I'll have to spend…" His face darkened. "That _really_ pisses me off."

"Hmph." I snorted before ducking as one of the Griefers behind me decided to strike. With my Swiftness Potion still in effect, my movements were like lightning. A series of precise stabs and strikes that killed the Griefers before they knew what hit them.

It was just me and Alec now.

"Before we start this little tussle of ours," Alec continued, lifting his sword to rest on his shoulder. "I just gotta know, why go through all the trouble for this dinky village?"

 _Because I had to save my guards and Cobb._

"Because it's the right thing to do." I answered immediately.

"Oh, what a beauty-pageant response." Alec rolled his eyes before pointing at my leather cap. "You're from Ringwood. You shouldn't give two shits about what happens to this worthless village when it's Daymonte's problem. You even interfered with our TNT supply back in Daymonte. Hell, _you_ care more about this village than the guards who worked here! I haven't seen a single red-dyed cap!"

I paused as I considered a better answer. "Then I'm doing this…because scum like you needs to understand that you can't get away with attacking the innocent."

"Ugh." Alec cringed, waving an arm over his nose as if smelling something foul. "That's an even _dumber_ beauty-pageant response. It's high time I ground your little air-head into reality." He readied his sword into a sloppy stance before charging forward.

I instantly panicked over what ability he was going to use and dodged a full five seconds before he swung. I didn't want to take any chances.

His swing was sloppy too. No refined technique or anything. There was only raw strength in his attack.

Alec offered a lopsided smirk. " _Somebody_ sure is jumpy. I wonder why?"

He lifted his blade and charged once again. This time, I waited a bit longer before staying clear of his strike. He didn't stop his charge and kept on towards me, the dark smoke making a wispy trail behind him.

I waited until the last second before dodging his swing and rolling under his outstretched arm, delivering a slash to his lower arm. I was surprised that I actually hit him and even more surprised when he let out an agonized yell.

"Agh! My arm! Feels like it was sliced off!" Alec screamed as he clutched his arm to the side. "Is it bleeding!? Oh God, I think it's bleeding!"

I raised an eyebrow at his display, but remained cautious. He could have been acting for all I knew.

After a few seconds, in which I kept my distance, he finally recovered his composure and turned to charge at me again. "Here's a sword with your name on it!"

Again, his movements were sloppy. It was like he had never practiced with a sword in his life. And even though the Hacker smoke still surrounded him, he wasn't exhibiting any unnatural abilities.

If anything, he looked like an amateur instead of the fearsome Hackers I had heard about.

My guard was slightly lowered, but not enough to disregard him completely. He had definitely killed Billy and he wouldn't be able to command so many Griefers if he didn't have any power.

He swung at me wildly, none of his attacks ever hitting me, before I responded with a sharp stab to his neck and an elbow to his sternum. He staggered back, clutching his chest and wincing sharply.

"Oof. Boy, did I feel that one."

Oof? That wasn't the response I had been expecting. Alec's technique may have been terrible, but he certainly had stamina if he could keep shrugging off my attacks like that.

He rushed towards me once again, with still no sign of him employing his Hacker abilities.

I deftly dodged his swings, manging to circle him before stabbing him in the center of the back.

"Ouch! You sure do pack a punch."

I felt a twinge of irritation. Was he mocking me? There was definitely something about his tone that suggested he thought of this fight as one big joke.

I flipped over his latest slash and over his head before lashing out with my rapier. His neck. His shoulder. His chest. I struck at all three before Alec finally managed to catch me with his fist.

It was only a graze, but my eyes widened at the hit he had gotten in on me. It hurt as much as a fist should and I was still alive after taking it. And since his Hacker smoke was still billowing forth, it meant he couldn't kill in one hit.

Regardless, I rolled with the impact, tumbling to my feet and returning to my original stance. A bit of my rain-soaked hair touched my eyes and I quickly flipped it out of sight, not wanting to take my eyes off Alec.

"Ugh. Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bitch." He complimented, though it sounded mocking with the accompanying sneer.

My eyes narrowed in confusion. Something wasn't right. After all that damage I did, he should have been more worried. Just looking at the Health Meter on his arm I could tell—

Wait…

Why was his Health Meter completely full?

"You're slippery." Alec continued with a confident smirk. "But I hit you on that last exchange. I guess you Captains aren't as strong as you think you are."

 _Don't let his taunts get to you._ I warned myself, easing the grip on my weapon. _Focus on the problem. Why isn't his Health going down?_

"Tell you what," Alec returned his blade to his backpack and held out his arms. "Since you need all the handicap you can get, I'll give you a few free shots."

"What?" I took a hesitant step back, not sure what he was planning. It would be harder for him to draw a weapon from his backpack than his belt, and he had nothing at his belt that could kill me.

"Better hurry." Alec wagged a finger chidingly, his face smug and condescending. "I won't give you another chance like this."

I grit my teeth in anger.

 _Have it your way._

The next instant, I darted forward until I was right in front of him. Then I lashed out with as many slashes and stabs as I could get out. I was a whirlwind of metal as I flipped and twisted and twirled around Alec, who just stood there and took it all.

It was after twenty seconds that I finally realized what was happening. I quickly jumped away, panting exhaustively from all the effort.

Throughout all my slashes, I kept a close eye on Alec's Health Meter. And while it definitely took damage anytime I scored a hit, it would instantly regenerate before my next slash could make contact.

All Crafters' Health regenerated, but Alec's regeneration rate was faster…almost instantaneous. It took half a second for him to heal a quarter of his Health.

That had to be his ability. Enhanced regeneration.

Hyper regeneration.

"I think I saw my life flash before my eyes on that last one." Alec mocked. The pain was still there, but it healed so fast it never fazed him. This whole time he was just toying with me.

What did he have to worry about when any hit he took was instantly healed? It was no wonder he survived that pit full of Mobs.

"Has it sunk in yet?" Alec continued, withdrawing his diamond sword once again. "I only have one Hack to work with, but one's all I need. With my regeneration, I'm invincible. Nothing can kill me!"

"One…Hack?" I questioned in between labored breaths.

Alec smirked as he began to move towards me. "Hackers are classified by the amount of enhancements or 'Hacks' they possess. A lowly Level 1 like me only has one, while a Level 2 Hacker has two Hacks, a Level 3 has three, and so on."

I took a shaky step back as I tried to catch my breath. My barrage of attacks had drained my Hunger Meter. I reached into my belt to withdraw a steak, but was soon beset by Alec's wild attacks. They were telegraphed so obviously that I should have had no problem dodging them, but my speed was cut in half by my Hunger.

His sword caught me in the side, sending me skidding towards an alley. The sword was enchanted, too, shaving off a good portion of my Health.

"I can't lose in a battle of endurance!" Alec continued to boast as he charged me. I brought up my rapier to push him back, but doing so cost me more effort than it should have. Alec was laughing the whole time. "Any Crafter that thought they could stubbornly stand their ground against me has become reacquainted with oblivion!"

Alec was back, not even a bit winded, as he brought his sword crashing down. I dove to the side, but not fast enough as his blade caught my ankle, eliciting a sharp wince.

"The Griefers respect the power of a Hacker! The power to shrug off any amount of strikes with a full Health Meter and a wide grin!"

Alec stood over me, lifting his blade to drive into my neck. I twisted out of the way as it came crashing down and swept at the Hacker's feet. He fell like a sack of bricks and I took the opportunity to stab him in the neck, even though I knew it was pointless.

All my attacks were doing nothing to him while steadily draining myself of stamina. And any attack he delivered, however small, slowly added up to lower my Health Meter.

This was a fight I couldn't win.

 _Good thing Cobb isn't here to see this._ I thought while Alec's blade came slicing towards me.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 12 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 3 Baked Potatoes, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 17 Cookies, 1 Cake, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 7 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 4 Carrots, 23 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 3]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: Two-consecutive cliff-hangers? Dramatic!**

 **This Chapter...just so powerful. I love it.**

 **Also, since the professors at my college all decided to spring a metric crap-ton of homework on me all at once, I'm gonna have to skip next week's usual publish date.**

 **Either I free up my time or I get an F. No two ways about it. I literally have to right up twenty page papers and I'm all like, 'I've written a 400,000 word story'.**

 **But seriously, I need to take off next week.**

 _ **[Chapter 59 will be published October 5th.]**_

 **It'll give you plenty of time to talk about what happened this Chapter.**

 **Also, believe it or not, somebody made 'My Craft' fanart. Yeah. Don't believe me? I have a link in my profile at the bottom of the page. Check it out!**


	59. Unforgivable

**AN: It's funny how people think that me skipping a publishing date for one week accounts for the hiatus I warned you all about. Yeah right. When I take a hiatus, I make sure it's a considerable and reasonable length.**

 **That being said, Chapter 62 will be the last Chapter before the hiatus. Just so you all know.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add a different type of cake.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 59

 **Unforgivable**

[Cobb]

 _Urgh…my stomach…_

Stomach: _So much pain…knees were never meant to be buried into stomachs…_

 _What's…going on…why does everything feel so…heavy?_

Brain: _Hey! Wake up idiot! You wanted to be the one to save Halstatt, right? Well you can't do that all unconscious and crap! So get up and kick ass!_

 _What? What happened? The last thing I remember was…_

A knee to the stomach. Loss of senses. Determined amber eyes.

 _Oh no…_

Heart: _Move, Cobb! Wynn's going to_ DIE _if you don't do something!_

Slowly, as if waking up from a dream, my senses began to return. Countless raindrops pelted my skin and drenched my clothes. There was a dull ache in my gut and the feeling of movement, even though I wasn't the one moving. Was someone carrying me?

Then my hearing returned, just in time to catch a clap of thunder, followed by bits of a conversation.

"…should go back. She's facing off against a Hacker."

"If we go back to help her, who'll be here to help the Testificates? The villagers?" A closer voice spoke with resigned determination. "Besides, the Captain gave us orders to get him out of here." I was jostled a bit as whoever carried me got a better hold. "So that's what we're going to do."

"Like…hell..."

"Um…Spencer, was that you?"

"Was what me?"

"Like hell…I'm letting that…white-haired…dumbass…die!"

Finally regaining movement in my limbs, I flailed my arms and legs and rolled out of Liam's grip. I landed awkwardly on the ground, but I didn't let that stop me from getting back up.

Spencer looked taken aback at my recovery. "Cobb! How are you up so quickly? The Captain said—"

"Screw what the Captain says!" I shouted dazedly as I whirled my head around. It was still night-time and there was still a violent thunderstorm raging overhead. And we were still on the streets of Halstatt, though it was a different part than where I had last seen Wynn.

 _I'm not too late…I got to find her before Alec does…_

I looked at the surrounding streets, trying to think of where Wynn and Alec could be. Deciding to go with blind luck and hope for the best, I picked a random street to run down before a hand stopped me.

"Cobb, don't." It was Liam, looking determined to stop me. Didn't he want Wynn to live? Why was he trying to stop me? Why was Wynn so stupid as to try and fight Alec alone!? "The Captain gave us orders to—"

"What type of guards are you to follow orders that risk your Captain!?" I shouted as I tried to push past him. "She could die!"

Liam grabbed a fistful of my hoodie and brought me up to his face. "Listen!" He growled lowly. "Wynn is distracting Alec to buy us the time to escape! She doesn't want to risk anyone's life but her own! Everything she's done, including knocking you out, was done for our safety! And you're just going to ignore all that and go running back in there, half-cocked, without some sort of plan!?"

"You're damn right I am!" My emerald eyes hardened and my hands flew to my belt to withdraw my fishing rod.

At the sight of it, Liam stiffened, releasing his hold on me and taking a few steps back. His hands were held up in a calming gesture. "Whoa…take it easy, Cobb. Just…just put down the fishing rod—"

I didn't catch the end of his sentence as I hooked onto his clothes and flung him towards Spencer, causing the two guards to hit the ground in a tangle of limbs.

As they struggled to their feet, I took the opportunity to run down the street. I heard them shout some words to try and stop me, but I was already gone.

 _I can't believe she knocked me out! Honestly, you think you know someone and then they bury a knee into your gut!_

Stomach: _So…much…pain…_

Brain: _Though to be fair, it's not the_ most _painful thing she's done to us? Right, Bladder?_

Bladder: _The ball stabbings were bad, yes._

I took a left down a street, hoping I knew where I was going. As I did, I passed a hand over my stomach.

 _But it's weird. Last time she kneed me in the gut, I was out for a day and a half. Why'd I wake up so much sooner this time?_

Brain: _I don't know. Lazy writing?_

 _…_ _What?_

Brain: _What?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Heart: _Of course! Lungs is right…as usual. Cobb wasn't wearing a leather tunic last time. It must have cushioned the blow._

 _Really?_ I rubbed the spot where Wynn had struck, beneath my tunic. It felt sore, but it was a dull soreness. Not nearly as bad as last time. _So…it's thanks to the green-dyed tunic—the very symbol of Ringwood's guards—that I recovered early?_

Brain: _Wow. That's kind of haiku-ic._

Heart: _Poetic, you mean._

Brain: _…Haiku-ic._

 _Guys, focus! Everything in this village looks the same!_ I stopped in the middle of a crossroads, alternating my gaze between three different directions. _Now…if I was an evil, super-powered, Hacker…where would I be?_

Bladder: _Probably killing Wynn._

 _Not HELPING!_

Liver: _Well…if_ I _was evil and super-powered…I would raise an army of blood cells and antibodies within Cobb's body. Then, I'd command them all to swarm Heart, the very center of the body…and I'd use its blood pumping to spread my blood cell army to the furthest corners of the body, taking over everything in their path._

Brain: _…_

Heart: _…_

Liver: _After Heart, Lungs would fall next. Then Stomach. Bladder. And finally…that bastard Brain._

Brain: _Um…_

Liver: _But I wouldn't finish him off easily. Oh no. After all the tormenting I've had to endure from that cynical asshole, I'd make his face twist in agony and anguish until he BEGGED for the sweet, merciful, embrace of death!_

Brain: _…Liver you're scaring me._

Liver: _And then_ I _'ll be the ruler of Cobb and all his organs! I'll plunge this body into a thousand years of darkness! Nobody will ever shrug off my life-sustaining functions and call me 'chopped liver' ever again! MWAHAHA!_

Brain: …

 _…_ _Okay, I'm just gonna go right this time._

My organs decided to quiet down after that. And for good reason too. Liver had issues.

Liver: _I do not!_

As I rounded a corner, I had to quickly duck when a pickaxe came hurtling towards me. I had unluckily stumbled upon a pack of Griefers.

"Nice duck, loser." One of the Griefers taunted as he raised his pick. "Let's see you do that again."

I withdrew my gold sword and rolled aside to dodge the Griefer's latest attack. Then I brought my sword up in a heavy slash. I shouted over his yelp of pain.

"Where's Alec!?"

One of the Griefers snorted before withdrawing an iron sword. "How would we know where our all-powerful General is? Though, I can only guess he's mincing your little allies into paste!"

My face scrunched up in anger as I leapt into the air and brought my sword crashing down in a powerful Critical Hit. The Griefer smashed into a house and slid down unconscious.

"Y-You don't scare us!" Another Griefer raised her weapon, a stone axe, as she charged me. I may have been more afraid if not for her slight stutter. I blocked her axe swing before tackling her into the ground.

"What are you even fighting for!?" I shouted in anger as I punched the Griefer square in the jaw. "What is all this destruction for!?"

I gestured to the smashed-in and exploded houses. The broken outer cobblestone wall in the distance. The empty streets where villagers and Testificates should have been contentedly going about their day. The pack of Mobs that were slowly emerging from an alley. The dented street signs—

 _Wait. Mobs?_

My internal question was answered as an arrow pierced my shoulder, throwing me off the Griefer. A skeletal archer was the culprit. It looked like Griefers weren't the only ones invading Halstatt. With the wall down and everything in so much chaos, Mobs must have stumbled inside.

The good news was that the Mobs were impartial. They didn't choose which Crafters to attack. They attacked everyone equally, and the Griefers were no exception.

That was also the bad news, since I was a Crafter in their sights.

"No! Go for them!" I tried to egg them on towards the Griefers. "They're assholes attacking this village."

The Mobs just looked at each other, maybe exchanging a questioning gaze, before resuming their march towards both the Griefers and I.

"Okay, then." I swapped my sword out for my fishing rod. "Time for my Mob Flail!"

I whipped the fishing rod through the air before snagging a Skeleton by its ribcage. I pulled back and swung the Mob into two more of its brethren. The Skeletons, however, were quick to recover. The fishing rod didn't do much damage to them after all.

"Crap. Bobber! Bobber!" I began to fling my fishing rod's bobber at the Mobs, knocking them slightly back. However, unlike with Crafters, bobbering didn't annoy Mobs. They were slightly inconvenienced at best. They didn't have the emotional capacity to rage at my annoying tactics. "Maybe Wynn was right about this move being useless. Bobber! Bobber! Back you Skeletons! Back I say!"

I backed into an ally before taking off. I couldn't waste time when Wynn was in danger of getting killed by Alec.

 _Now if only I could find her…and tell her off for kneeing me in the gut and trying to face that guy on her own! Doing reckless things is my thing!_

 _Come on, Wynn. Please don't be dead._

* * *

[Wynn]

*huff* *huff*

"You know, I'm _trying_ to be the bigger person here by killing you quickly." That accursed Hacker strolled forward with his diamond blade dragging against the dirt. "But you just keep dodging. Isn't it getting kind of old? Wouldn't you just want the pain to end?"

"I'm…not…"

"Not what?" He held a hand to his ear mockingly. "Could you speak up? Can't hear you over your haggard breath."

I grit my teeth as I got back to my feet. My Hunger Meter was so low that I couldn't run or regenerate Health. The only thing keeping me alive was my last Potion of Swiftness. Its effects allowed me to keep my distance from Alec.

I could have used it to escape, but that would have gone against what I had intended to do from the beginning. Stalling.

By now, Liam, Spencer, and the others would have gotten the message to the villagers and started evacuation.

But I needed to stall him as long as I could. Griefers my men could handle. But not Hackers.

Seeing me get back to my feet, Alec let out a weary sigh. "Well if you want to prolong your suffering—I'm not usually into that, but for you I'll make an exception." He raised his diamond blade and ran towards me.

"Ngh!" My footing was unstable but I kept my eyes open, waiting for the right moment to strike. The second Alec's sword nearly cleaved my head off, I ducked and twisted under his outstretched arm. His attack rolled over me harmlessly as I gripped my rapier and jammed it into his neck.

It lacked any and all elegance, but at my level of exhaustion, it was all I could do without crumbling. It was effective at sending Alec crashing into the rain-soaked dirt, even if the damage was instantly healed.

Seeing an opportunity to eat some food uninterrupted, my hands flew to my backpack where I withdrew some steak. I went in for a big, hearty bite, expecting my Hunger Meter to refill—

Only for my vision to jar as something solid struck me in the head, knocking the steak from my grasp.

Now I was the one crashing into the rain-soaked dirt. I skid a few meters away before propping myself up to see who had hit me.

"Well, if it isn't the second half of the lesbian Captain duo." The voice of Burke announced as he brandished a stone sword. "Never thought I'd see _you_ here. But if it means I can pay you back for exposing our TNT warehouse, I'm not complaining."

"Hey! Back off, Burke!" Alec got to his feet and dusted himself off before storming up to the bomber, dark smoke still seeping from his body. "She's _my_ kill."

"Pfft. Says the Hacker eating dirt." Burke countered, his acid green Mohawk quivering with contempt. "How is someone like you having so much trouble killing a regular Crafter?"

"She's a flighty one, alright!?" Alec shouted back. "She's still caused _me_ a shit-ton of trouble, so she's _mine_!"

 _Great. Now there are_ two _enemies I have to worry about._

Wynn used their bickering to her advantage as she shakily got back to her feet. She reached into her backpack, but found no other food. Those steaks that were now lying on the rain-soaked dirt were all she had left.

"Okay, how about this." Burke suggested instead. "We kill her together since we shouldn't waste any more time. Deal?"

"…I guess." Alec reluctantly agreed before readying his blade once more. Burke did the same, shuffling to the left to surround me better.

I had to stick my rapier into the ground just to support myself. I kept racking my brain for any way to stall them without getting killed, only to consistently come up with nothing.

Burke was the first to spring forward, white stars shimmering off his stone blade in a Critical Strike. I half dodged, half stumbled out of the way only for him to follow-up with a backhanded strike. I managed to block it with my rapier, but the force sent me stumbling backwards.

Right into Alec as he tried to stab me.

"Rgh!" I dove aside, even as the blade skimmed off my arm and a bit of Health. My only retaliation was a weak push that barely staggered the Hacker.

Alec's next slash was incoming, and I panted as I tried to dodge…only for my movements to become more sluggish.

My Potion of Swiftness had run out.

The slash hit and I heard a sharp snap as something buckled. The arm holding my rapier was at a strange angle and before I could question it, I was sent skidding into the ground by the Hacker's strike.

Then the pain hit me.

It was a sharp jarring pain that told me my left arm and a few ribs were now broken. Any pressure I put on them was met with screaming protest and agonizing pain.

I completely forgot that I was still in a fight. And it was the explosion of Burke's TNT that reminded me just where I was.

The explosion rocketed me across the street and smack into a wall before I crumpled to the ground. Broken and defeated.

"You're welcome." I heard someone speak nearby, though it sounded distant and muffled from the explosion.

There was a scoff. "Oh, sure, your TNT was _totally_ necessary. I broke her arm!"

"Only after I distracted her." I glanced at my arm. One Heart left. "Just take a page out of LeShui's book and give me credit for a job well done. Speaking of, where is that bomber?"

"Probably blowing stuff up." Alec walked up and nudged my face with his boot. "Sheesh, this is almost pathetic."

"You know…I change my mind." Burke walked up closer and knelt down beside my broken arm. "I'm fine with you killing her so long as I get that cool rapier of hers." He reached down and grabbed the weapon by the blade.

"Works for me." I heard Alec let out a breath as the dark smoke enveloping him slowly vanished. He tapped his foot impatiently. "Well, take the damn rapier already so I can finish her."

"I'm…trying…" Burke struggled to extricate the rapier from my grasp. He tried and failed to pry my fingers off the treasured weapon. "I thought you said you broke her arm."

He had. But even in the haze of pain I was feeling, even with my arm broken, I refused to give it up.

"Get…your filthy…hands…off…" I propped myself up by my right arm, even though every other sense in my body was screaming in protest to just let it all end.

Alec stared down coldly at me. His eyes were back to normal. His had shut off his Hacker powers. This was my only chance to stop him.

"This…rapier…was given to me…by…by…" I fought to pull back my arm from Burke's grasp, but the pain was too much. "I…won't…let…you…take it…from me!"

"This isn't almost pathetic anymore." Alec lifted his foot and pressed it against my forehead. "This _is_ pathetic."

He ground my head into the wall while Burke pulled at the rapier, removing it from my broken grasp. My empty and numb hand fell to my side, defeated.

"Well, Captain Wynn," Alec removed his foot from my forehead and replaced it with a diamond sword held at my neck. "It's time I relieve you of duty. But don't worry. I'll make sure your guards join you shortly.

My amber eyes glared furiously at the hated man with all the defiance I could muster. Even as he reared his diamond blade back to deliver the final blow, I was determined to stare him down.

To face my death head-on.

"CAST!"

A fishing hook soared through the air and attached to Alec's T-shirt, causing my eyes to lose their defiance and widen slightly.

 _…_ _Cobb?_

"…The hell was—?"

Alec was suddenly whisked away as something pulled him back. Burke whirled in response, raising my rapier.

"Crafter Flail!" Alec was swung around before being sent crashing into the bomber. The two rolled to a stop at one of the other houses, but I was paying more attention to the Crafter running in to pick me up.

He was panting heavily, probably from running all around Halstatt trying to find me, and he had somehow willing himself conscious after being knocked out.

But it was definitely Cobb. Who else would be wielding a fishing rod of all things to battle? He picked me up and turned to face the recovering Alec and Burke.

"Reinforcements, huh?" Alec growled as dark smoke began to seep from him once again. "What makes you think you'll fare any better than your Captain?"

"One, she's not my Captain. She's my friend." Cobb spoke without any doubt. "And two…is that Carys_Angel behind you?"

I was almost embarrassed that that actually caused Alec and Burke to turn around in surprise. Cobb used the bluff to his advantage as he quickly turned around and sprinted down an alley with me secured in his grasp.

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Works every time._ I thought smugly as I turned down a second alley and hid inside an empty house. Outside I heard Alec and the green-mohawk guy shout in confusion as they tried to find where we fled.

"We should be safe. For a little while, at least." I set Wynn down and glanced at her Health and Hunger Meters. They were pretty low. I rummaged in my backpack before withdrawing the last of my baked potatoes and offering them to the Captain.

Wynn just weakly pushed them away with her right arm. Her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle and remained motionless at her side. "What…what are you doing here? _How_ are you even here?"

"If you mean how I'm not unconscious after getting kneed in the gut by a _certain Captain_ , it's because of this green tunic that that very same _certain Captain_ gave to me." I remarked, possibly holding a little bit of a grudge. "When I heard the explosion and went to check it out, I saw you with that guy's blade against your neck. And I came here to save you from getting killed. So unless you want to starve to death I suggest you eat something." I tried to give her the potatoes again, but she pushed them aside.

"Why…?" She narrowed her eyes. "Why can't you just follow orders for once?" She tried to get to her feet, but judging by her wince of pain, I could tell how injured she was. "I told you to evacuate the Testificates!"

I blinked in confusion. "You can't be serious!?" I hissed, not wanting to let Alec or Burke hear us. "If I had done that, you'd have been dead!"

"I'm the Captain of this group!" Wynn argued back. "It's my job to risk my life so that they don't have to! So that _you_ don't have to!"

"Well you have other jobs too! Jobs you can't do if you're dead!" I shot back, surprising the ivory-haired Captain. "Who's going to tell me how Minecraftia works if you're dead? Who's going to hold the threat of castration over my head if you're dead? Who's going to be there to doubt the effectiveness of my fishing rod if you're dead? Who am I supposed to impress with the superiority of the fishing rod if you're dead!? Who am I supposed to show how strong I've become if you're dead!?"

She had no idea how terrified I was when I first stumbled upon the scene. For a second, I had thought Wynn was gone. If she had died trying to defend Halstatt—a decision I practically forced her and her guards into—I'd never forgive myself.

Some tears were threatening to make an appearance, but I kept my voice firm. "So don't say your only job is to die for us! Because you're more than just that! You're my friend."

Her amber eyes softened before a small smile graced her features. I returned the gesture and once more shoved the food into her hand. Only this time, she gratefully accepted it.

After all the running I did to find her, I needed to refill on food too. My immediate thought was cookies until I remembered the unsolvable delicacy in my Inventory.

"So, Wynn?" I began. I expected her to make me stress her title of 'Captain' like she usually did, but she remained silent. "Do you, by chance, know how to eat this cake?" I held up the entire thing and tried to cram it into my mouth. Not only didn't it work, but it made Wynn let out a hysterical laugh.

It must have been such a relief for her to laugh like that.

"You…haha…you're not supposed to eat it like _that_." She spoke in between giggles and bites of baked potato. "You have to set it down first and then eat it slice by slice."

"…" I quickly placed it on the house floor and watched as it materialized as a square meter of icing-frosted cake, sprinkled with some red things. "…Oooooh." I stretched the word and blinked at the cake before kneeling down to hastily gobble it up. "OM NOM NOM NOM. Sho gwood."

Stomach: _So good, indeed. The sugary flavor is so powerful it makes me want to expl—!_

*BOOM*

A loud explosion unassociated with the tumultuous lightning storm assaulted our ears. I ran over to the window and glanced out to see one of the nearby houses reduced to a smoking crater. That green-mohawk guy was already rigging up more TNT by another house. It looked like they figured out we were hiding in one of the houses.

Meaning it was only a matter of time until they found us.

"Okay, Wynn." I turned to face her and noticed how her Hunger was ticking back up. She had polished off the potatoes and was taking some of my—!

Stomach: _My cake! Cobb! Swat her hands away! Break her other arm! She can't have it! It's mine!_

 _Stomach, calm down! She's hungry and near-death!_

Stomach: _She's gonna be closer to near-death if she doesn't back the fuck away from_ my _cake! Brain! Take control of basic motor functions and get her away from my cake!_

Brain: _Wha—I can't do that! We're all just figments of Cobb's crazy mind anyway!_

"Cobb. What's going on out there?" Wynn asked in between bites of cake. "And why is your eye twitching?"

Stomach: _CAKE!_

"No reason." I replied evasively as I covered my twitching eye. "A-anyway, they're trying to flush us out by blowing up houses. You wait here and heal up while I go distract them."

I turned towards the door, but Wynn's voice stopped me. "You can't fight them, Cobb. It's two on one. And one of them is a Hacker."

"I'm just going to distract them. Like what you did…only…minus the nearly dying part."

"I'm serious!" Another explosion from outside told us that they had destroyed another house. "Alec's too strong."

"Look, I understand he's a Hacker and that's bad, but—"

"I saw his ability in action." Wynn stressed as she nursed her ribs with her right arm. "I watched his Health Meter. He has some kind of super regeneration. Any attack I landed on him—any dent to his Health—was instantly healed."

My eyes widened. "Super regeneration? That's a thing?"

"For Hackers it is." Wynn tried to get to her feet like it was no big deal, but I could tell the amount of effort it was taking her. And the amount of pain. "Alec is unkillable. As long as he has that Hack active, we'll never be able to land a finishing blow."

I tapped my chin in thought before a sudden realization came to me.

"We could," I offered a devious smirk, "If our _first_ strike is the finishing blow."

Wynn's expression morphed into confusion just as another explosion sounded from outside. "What do you mean?"

"Any hit you landed still hit, right?" I continued, wanting to verify my assumption. "It definitely did damage, but it just healed instantly. Right?"

She nodded in response before her eyes widened, catching my meaning.

"So then, if we land a hit that does ten Hearts of damage, Alec won't have anything to regenerate. He'll be as dead as Carys_Angel!"

"I really wish you'd stop gloating about that."

"Not gonna."

"But, Cobb," another explosion, this one closer, rocked the house. "To do ten Hearts of damage…not even a Potion of Strength and Sharpness Enchanted Diamond Blade combination could do that. There's fall damage, but even Lenz' pitfall wasn't high enough. And we'll never lure Alec up to the mountains to drop him."

"Then we'll just have to find something that can do just as much damage." I racked my brain for anything that we could use. "Something big…something strong…something capable of doing ten Hearts of damage in one earth-quaking…smash."

 _'LESLIE SMASH!'_

"I think it's time I introduce Alec to Leslie."

* * *

 _Time to do what I do best._ I thought as I crept down an alley and focused on the two enemies.

"Okay. Now blow up that house."

"But we already checked that one. They're not in there."

"I know." Alec nodded in agreement. "It's just fun watching these houses explode. It's catharsis for all the shit I've had to endure tonight. Now get to it!"

"Yes sir." Mohawk guy droned before setting up more TNT.

"Hold it right there!" I shouted as I sprung from my hiding spot and pointed dramatically at them. My eyes spotted Wynn's rapier hanging off mohawk guy's belt. "Return Wynn's rapier…mohawk guy!"

"Mohawk guy!?" Mohawk guy bristled in anger. "I have a name you know!"

"Nobody cares!" I called back blatantly, internally smiling at the anger bubbling up in the guy. "You're both bad guys, that's all I need."

"I'm an infamous criminal from Daymonte for crying out loud!" Mohawk guy stomped his foot angrily. "No, not even that! You literally can't take the _two_ seconds to read the name above my head!?"

"I don't have time to read, mohawk guy."

"BURKE! My name is Burke! How would you like it if I called you…if I called you…fishing rod guy!"

"I wouldn't mind, actually." I countered, tapping the fishing rod at my belt. "My fervent admirers call me the fishing rod champion."

"Well, look who finally decided to come out." Alec's dark-gray eyes gleamed in malicious amusement. The mohawk guy moved to arm himself, but Alec pointed at him. "Burke. I thought I asked you to blow up that house. I still need the catharsis."

"But...fishing rod guy—"

"Is no threat to me." Alec finished. "I'll handle him."

Mohawk guy grumbled, his mohawk drooping in disappointment before he relented. "Fine. But when I find that Captain, she's mine."

"Don't hold your breath." Alec turned to face me. "This won't take five minutes."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Oho! Think you can succeed where your Captain failed? Why don't you just tell us where she's hiding and I'll make your suffering quick."

"You're a real ass, aren't you?" He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, proving I was the ultimate distraction ever.

Now that I was facing him, I was able to notice more of his features. That same Hacker smoke was seeping from his body and he had black sclera around his eyes. But he also had two black marks, resembling lines, each stretching over an eye.

It seemed remarkably similar to the marks over Floyd's eyes.

"I trounced your Captain without breaking a sweat." Alec spoke, regaining my attention. "What makes you think you'll do any better? You're just another guard."

I frowned. "I thought I already told you, she's not my Captain. I'm not her guard. I'm just wearing this tunic because it's a symbol of Ringwood's camaraderie. That…and it matches my eyes."

Alec let out a harsh laugh. "Camaraderie? What idiot would ally themselves against a Hacker?"

I hiked a thumb up to my face. "This idiot."

"Hmph." Alec scoffed as mohawk guy detonated another batch of TNT and destroyed another house. If they were hoping they could keep guessing Wynn's location, they wouldn't find her. "Maybe it's not that you're stupid…just inexperienced. What number are you?"

"One billion! And proud of it!" He was making it really easy to stall for time.

Alec let out another bark of harsh laughter. "That explains everything! No wonder you're standing before me without a care in the world! All heroic and shit! Woefully oblivious to how things are in Minecraftia!"

"What are you saying?"

Alec shook his head as if scolding a child. "I'm saying you're a little late, boy! All the so-called 'heroes' of Minecraftia died long ago! In Notch's heyday, heroes sprung up wherever the innocent were threatened, stopping guys like me from doing things like this!"

At his words, another house exploded and lightning flashed across the sky.

"But heroes are a dying breed! Hackers. Griefers. The Endward Cult. And any other villainous schmucks in between. Heroes wore themselves out trying to stop them all! Until eventually they realized that selfless heroism gets nobody nowhere! All it does it get you killed! Just like it'll do to you, now."

"You still don't get it do you?" I countered. "I'm not trying to get anywhere! But I _am_ trying to stop assholes like you from attacking peaceful villages like this! But even more than that, you beat up my friend! And I'm not letting that go unpunished!"

"Then prepare to face oblivion." Alec raised his diamond sword and began to charge towards me. His dark-grey eyes shone with smug confidence. There was absolutely no doubt in his minds that he'd be protected by his Hacker powers.

His expression morphed into confusion when a bobber nailed him in the face, stopping his momentum and sending him back a bit.

"Wha—did…did you just hit me in the face with a hook?"

"You bet I did!" I whipped my fishing rod back towards me and brandished the tool dramatically. "I may only be fifty percent as strong as the Captain, but I'm a thousand percent more annoying!"

"You really think a measly fishing hook can stop a Hack—Ow!" Another bobber to the face cut him off, sending him back again.

"Bobber." I taunted.

Alec rubbed his face. "Why you little—Ow!"

"Bobber. Bobber. Bobber." I repeatedly flung the bobber at him, disrupting his attempts to get closer.

"Ow!—stop it—Ow!—knock it off—Ow!—That's not even doing any damage!—Ow!—It's really annoying!—OW!"

"Yeah, I bet it is!" I taunted as I advanced. "Bet you don't like it! Bet you want me to stop, right? Okay, I guess I'll stop—NO, I think I'll just keep bobbering you! Hahahaha!"

Alec raised his sword and tried to ward off my bobbering attempts, but to little effect. "I'm confused and annoyed all at the same time!—OW!—Use a sword or something sensible!—OW!"

It was hard to believe, but I was actually pushing a Hacker back with a fishing rod.

 _Take that Wynn! And all the others who doubted the power of the fishing rod! This thing can handle any—_

*SNAP*

Time seemed to slow down as the string connecting the bobber to the rod snapped. The tool crumbled in my hands, its durability all but run out, as the bobber flew into the air as a result of my last swing. Both Alec and I watched the bobber's trajectory with wide eyes before it clattered across the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

We were both staring at the spot where the bobber had vanished and when we both looked up at the same time, I saw the grim satisfaction on Alec's face.

"Uh…you wouldn't mind giving me a second to make a new one, would y—Ahh!"

I ducked as Alec closed the distance and swung his diamond sword. I was expecting a follow-up, but Alec didn't look to be too skilled with a sword. That dark smoke was still seeping off of him though, meaning any counter attack was pointless.

"Not so tough without a fishing rod, are you!?" Alec mocked maliciously as he lashed out with a series of wild slashes.

"L-look, if you could just wait a moment—Whoa!—for me to arrange some sticks and string—AGH!" His sword cut my arm and I quickly withdrew my gold sword to block his latest attack. Our blades grinded against each other, scattering sparks across the ground.

"So you _can_ use a sword!" Alec laughed as the dark smoke continued to swirl around him. "And here I was expecting you to fight with a carrot!"

I inhaled sharply. "Oh, yeah, well—*Cough* *Cough*—UGH!" I coughed as I accidentally inhaled some of Alec's Hacker smoke. "Ugh, it got in my mouth! *Cough* *Cough* Eugh! It tastes like Spider eyes and rotten flesh!"

"That's right—wait, how do you know what those taste like?"

"Never mind how I know!" I pushed back against his blade, not particularly enjoying breathing in his Hacker smoke. "*Cough* Why couldn't it be cake flavored or something!?"

Alec returned, intent on stabbing my neck, but I deflected the strike with the flat of my blade before delivering a bold punch to his face. His head jarred to the side and I took the opportunity to run to the next street. Alec followed behind me.

"Running away?" Alec taunted. "What happened to not letting me go unpunished?"

But I didn't let that get to me. I was buying time for Wynn to find Leslie and bring him back to take care of Alec. For good.

Running out onto the next street, I spotted a few Zombies and Skeletons fighting some Griefers by the village's well.

I would have used my Mob Flail to snag a Zombie and fling it, but that was kind of hard to do without a fishing rod. I set my crafting table down to make one only for a Skeleton to stop me with an arrow.

The next second, I was forced to duck around my crafting table when Alec's diamond blade came crashing down, sticking into the table where my head had been.

I positioned myself on the other end of the table while Alec unstuck his blade. He reached over the table with a quick jab, barely nicking my tunic. I countered with a jab of my own, hitting him square in the chest and sending him away from the table, even if it didn't cause any lasting damage.

 _I need a fishing rod._ I thought frantically as I reached into my backpack and dumped some string onto the table.

I needed to work fast.

I hastily arranged the string, before realizing I had planks instead of sticks. But before I could make them, Alec returned and swept across the table's surface with a slash. I ducked to dodge it but not without it clearing off my string.

"Hey!" I complained as I withdrew more string. Alec tried to run around the table to get at me, but I ran around it just the same. And when he stopped to go the other way, I did the same to ensure we were always opposite each other.

"Rrgh!" Fed up with chasing me around the table, Alec jumped onto it and drove his blade towards my skull. I raised my sword and blocked the arm holding his sword, stopping his strike in its tracks and locking his arm in place. Then I tumbled backward, bringing Alec with me, as I flipped him overhead and into the dirt.

I got back to my feet and crafted planks into sticks before putting them with the string to make a new fishing rod. "YES!"

I quickly snagged a nearby Zombie and flung it at a recovered and charging Alec. "Mob Flail!" I called out, just as the Zombie crashed into the Hacker.

While Alec struggled with the Zombie, I couldn't help but think how terrible a sword-fighter he was. He was actually worse at it than I was. Almost as if he neglected sword-fighting in favor of his Hacker ability.

My pondering was cut short as a stone blade crashed into my side. I skid across the rain-soaked dirt before looking up to see the mohawk guy, Burke.

The other Griefers surrounding us finally finished fighting their Mobs before approaching my downed form. I gulped as I looked at them all. What chance did I have against seven Griefers, Burke, and Alec?

Just as one of the Griefers raised their sword to attack, there was a thunderous tremor completely unrelated to the thunderstorm raging above. A glint of silver at the end of the street caught my eye and caused a smile to form.

"Griefers." I pointed at the Iron Golem behind them all. "Meet Leslie."

"LESLIE SMASH!"

At those thunderous words, Leslie lumbered up to the Griefers and swept his arms into them like two heavy anchors. Whichever Griefers didn't immediately die in a shower of gear were flung into adjacent streets.

 _Wynn did it!_ I internally cheered as I got to my feet and avoided Leslie's titanic arm swings. _She found Leslie!_

"WHO'S THE GOLEM!?" Leslie roared as he smashed a Griefer into the ground, killing him instantly. "SURPRISE! IT'S MEEEEEEE!"

Burke fell back, pulling out Wynn's rapier as if it would protect him from the golem, but I focused more of my attention on Alec as he finally recovered from the Zombie I threw at him.

"Leslie!" I shouted, pointing him towards Alec. "That guy said you were puny!"

"WHAT!?" Leslie roared, lumbering angrily towards the Hacker. "NOBODY CALLS LESLIE PUNY!"

"What? No I didn't!" Alec cried out, and I noticed the hint of worry in his tone. It seemed he realized his Hacker regeneration wouldn't do shit against an Iron Golem's one-hit-kill strikes. "Uh…uh…Burke! A little help would be nice! Get over here and blow this lumbering hunk of iron to bits!"

"Oh…yeah…I'm on it!" Burke rummaged into his backpack and withdrew some TNT…

Only for an ivory-haired blur to leap onto him from an adjacent rooftop.

"What the—!?"

"Your fight's with me!" Wynn shouted, kneeing Burke in the face before lashing out with a kick that dented his mohawk. "Now give me back my rapier, scum!"

"Burke! What are you waiting for!?" Alec called out, missing how Burke was sent scrambling backwards into an alley, Wynn doggedly in pursuit. "Burke! Where—I need help, here!"

I watched as Alec was in full retreat, dodging Leslie's devastating arm swings. I had felt one first-hand, and knew what they were capable of. If Leslie put enough force into it, then just one swing would end that Hacker.

"Gah!" Alec clumsily rolled aside, not used to dodging. Why would he be when he had no problem taking hits so long as they were instantly healed? Alec's eyes glanced around before lighting up at the sight of something. "I refuse to lose to a couple of idiots like you!"

Brain: _Says the guy running away._

Brain was right. Alec was in full retreat, running to take cover behind the Halstatt well. Leslie lumbered up to it, trying to reach his large metal arms around to grab the Hacker. I was about to use my fishing rod to pull him out when I noticed Alec break the top of the well with his sword, exposing it.

 _What's he up to? Is he trying to hide down the well?_

Alec kept his distance away from Leslie as the two rounded the exposed well. Finally, Leslie decided to climb straight across to get at the Hacker—

"Shit!" I realized as I hurried towards them. "Leslie! Stop!"

However, Leslie wasn't listening, instead focusing all of his anger on Alec. The Hacker kept dangerously close to the golem, trying to bait him further across the well.

Because he was trying to get the golem to fall into it.

"Leslie STOP!" I called out desperately.

"LESLIE SMASH!" The golem roared as he lunged forward to smack Alec into oblivion.

But Alec was able to barely dodge, a triumphant sneer adorning his face as Leslie fell down the well and sank like a rock.

"LESLIE…SINKING!" The golem called out fearfully as his head dipped beneath the surface, leaving nothing but a few bubbles.

"No! Leslie!" I called out as I ran up to the well in a fruitless attempt to pull him up.

Alec wouldn't have any of it as he got between me and the well, diamond sword raised and grim satisfaction on his face once again.

"Nice try. Now if you could just keel over and die, that'd be great."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 17 Cookies, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings, Iron Boots, 1 Furnace, 7 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 29 Redstone, 7 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 4 Carrots, 23 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 3]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: Cobb to the rescue!...or not.**

 **So close and yet so far.**

 **This chapter...actually had a bit of humor in it. Mainly with Cobb vs Alec. Though there was also dramatic bits with Wynn.**

 **No Omake. Though I do have one planned that's pretty good.**

 **As always, leave a fav, follow, review, OC, or whatever.**

 **Also, believe it or not, somebody made 'My Craft' fanart. Yeah. Don't believe me? I have a link in my profile at the bottom of the page. Check it out!**

 **And check out the other link if you want to see what a map of Cobb's Minecraftia looks like. It helps keep track of where everything is.**


	60. King take Bishop

**AN: Well it's time for Chapter 60. And you know what that means!**

 **That's right! It means I'm barely gonna publish this on-time!**

 **Who needs sleep, right? (T_T)**

 **This is debatably the best Chapter I have written. Maybe. I dunno. It's debatable.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did...I'd switch the combat system back to normal! Seriously! It's really awkward fighting Mobs when you have to wait everytime you slash. Yeah, you got shields, but dual wielding doesn't even allow you to swing with two weapons at once! And I know that the options for controls are a bit limited when using a mouse and left and right click, but it could be a _little_ better! Personally, I prefer the old combat! You could just spam attack things without having to worry about waiting after each strike! AGHH!

*inhales calming breath*

Sorry. Had to be said.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 60

 **King take Bishop**

[Lenz]

"This storm is only getting worse." I spoke as several lightning bolts struck in quick succession, crashing into a multitude of houses. Then I remembered my companion's current state. "Right. Still unconscious. So I am just talking to myself."

Solara barely stirred in response.

"Why do I even bother?"

I was still carrying the downed guard through the besieged village. Occasionally coming across Griefers or Mobs that spawned in all the chaos…but never fellow allies.

Cobbert. Captain Wynn. Cosmic. Leslie. Ringwood guards. Halstatt villagers.

I had not met any of them along my route. Whether they were still alive or a pile of gear strewn across the dirt, I had no idea.

 _For all I know…they could all be…_

…

No.

Whatever Cobbert's faults, he was a survivor. Had he not proven as much surviving all those traps I tried to kill him with?

 _…_ _Probably should apologize to him for that._

And the title of Captain was not bestowed upon just anybody. Wynn was undoubtedly skilled.

Surely, the two of them could handle the Griefers. Especially since I reduced their numbers so drastically.

Dragging Solara around a corner, I heard the sound of a familiar Mob.

*GHAIYA*

 _Comparators! An Enderman!_ I cursed as I backtracked into cover, averting my eyes at the same time. Arrows could not hit Endermen and I had no skill with a sword, even if I was carrying one.

Just as I was about to double back, I remembered the strategy Cobb and I discovered in the End. I searched through my Inventory before finding the pumpkin.

Donning the fruit, I was easily able to pass the slender Mob who was picking at the remnants of a lightning struck house. Since Solara's eyes were closed and my own vision covered by the pumpkin, the Endermen ignored us.

"Hey! There's one of 'em!"

Unfortunately, the pumpkin did not have the same effect on the Griefers who suddenly showed up.

"Repeaters!" I cursed as I quickly turned back the way I came, dragging Solara with me. I needed both my hands free to shoot.

Behind me, I heard the rapid footfalls of six or seven Griefers as they approached. Their sounds of excitement over the prospect of slaying a Crafter spurred me to hobble away faster. I could practically feel their bloodlust.

Just as I was about to attempt to block their initial attack, I spotted a slender black arm clothesline the nearest Griefer.

*GHAIYA*

One of them must have caught the Enderman's eye. Because the Mob looked livid.

I did not need a second to know how lucky I was as the Enderman attacked the group of Griefers, buying me enough time to hobble away.

I rested Solara against a house and aimed my bow towards the Griefers. However, the pumpkin obstructing my vision was making it harder to aim.

The Enderman teleported around the houses and street, keeping the attention of three of the Griefers, while the rest refocused on me. As they charged, I ultimately decided to risk angering the Enderman and take off the pumpkin so I could actually fight.

Taking a deep breath and feeling that same icy composure take hold, I easily riddled them with arrows. No flinching or hesitation. I killed four of them in the time it took the other three to slay the Enderman. Seeing their fellow Griefers dead, the rest of them angrily charged.

Only for two green-capped Crafters to intercept and dispatch them.

 _Finally some allies._ I sighed in relief. By their green-dyed leather caps, they were definitely Ringwood guards. I could not tell which ones (mainly because I never bothered to remember their names) but after they finished the last of those Griefers, they approached me.

"Was Cobb here?" One of them asked. I wanted to say his name was Spencer, but I was only eighty percent certain. A quick glance above their heads verified their names. Spencer and Liam.

"No. It is only me and Solara." I gestured to the downed guard resting against a house.

"Wait…" Spencer tilted his head. "Then…then who took out these Griefers?" He gestured to the piles of gear strewn about.

At first, I was confused by his bewilderment. Then I realized what my image to the guards was. In their eyes, I was still a nerd. So much so that they did not even consider I had defeated the enemies.

"It was me." I puffed out my chest defiantly, hoping to look more impressive.

Spencer looked skeptical, but Liam had a thoughtful expression on his face. "You carried Solara all the way here." He spoke it as a statement instead of a question. "And you took out some Griefers too. Impressive."

"Oh…uh…yes, well," I reddened at the praise and rubbed my head sheepishly before a sudden thought came to me. "You asked if Cobbert was here? Are you looking for him?"

"Oh, crap! Liam we gotta find him!" Spencer was about to rush off, only for Liam to stop him. "Hey! What gives!? If we don't find Cobb, Alec'll kill him! And then Wynn will kill us for letting him die!"

"Wait—what—hold on! What is going on?" I tried to keep calm, but a twinge of urgency could be heard in my tone.

"Alec, the leader of the Griefer army, is a Hacker." Liam spoke, informing and frightening me at the same time. Hackers were classified as unstoppable Crafters by their powerful abilities and enigmatic dark smoke.

In the past, I had read an old Daymonte article describing how a Hacker razed Ohm Tower, the source of Daymonte's daylight sensors, to the ground. Despite the amount of guards that tried to stop that Hacker…they were unsuccessful. The Hacker's own boredom was what drove him away where hundreds of guards failed.

 _But what does searching for Cobbert have to do with…_

…

"Oh, Comparators. He is off fighting against Alec, correct?"

"N-no. That's not it at all." Spencer stammered before folding his arms. "Captain Wynn stayed behind to distract Alec and ordered us to get Cobb to safety."

"And did you?" Spencer avoided my tinted gaze. " _Did you?_ "

"Well…we were…but then he woke up, and—and—he sort of…ran away…yeah."

"Presumably back towards Alec and the Captain." Liam added unhelpfully.

" _But!_ " Spencer raised his finger dramatically. "In our defense…he had a fishing rod."

I grabbed tufts of my dark-gray hair, threatening to tear it out. "Honestly, you guards are...are…BAH! Do I have to do _everything_!?" I stomped over to the downed Solara, grumbling about impetuous fishing rod wielding Crafters and guards who had _one_ job. I dragged Solara back to Spencer and Liam and deposited her in their hands. "Here! Watch out for her until she wakes up. _I_ will find Cobbert."

"Don't be stupid!" Spencer grabbed my arm, halting me. "The Captain and Cobb are fighting a Hacker! If they can't stop him, then you sure as hell won't stand a chance! You'll only get in the way."

"Even so," I wrenched my arm free as I turned to them. "If I have the power to do something, then I should be someone whom others can rely on and do it." And with that, I hurried in search of Cobbert or the Captain.

As rain pelted my face and lightning arced overhead, I remembered Cobbert's words when we agreed to travel together.

' _If we're going to be traveling together, we do it as equals. And maybe friends if either of us can stand each other longer than a minute._ '

Friends.

If it meant saving my first real friend, I would use any skill at my possession to meet this Hacker threat head-on.

* * *

[Wynn]

I rolled aside as an explosion obstructed my sight, the heat of it washing across my face.

Burke wasn't called the 'Destroyer' for nothing. He was setting TNT everywhere and blasting apart the streets and houses. All in an effort to keep me away.

"You must really want this rapier back!" Burke taunted as he placed several more blocks of TNT down. "Can't say I blame you. Without it, I bet you're nothing special. Certainly not worth your status as a Captain."

My eyes narrowed as I fished in my backpack for anything useful. One Potion of Leaping left.

 _Better make it count._

I drank the potion and felt its effects take hold.

"That's right!" Burke laughed as if suddenly realizing something. "You haven't been using any other sword. I bet all you brought was this rapier!" He waved my prized weapon tauntingly. "You must have been so confident that you'd never lose your prized weapon!"

Another series of explosions shook the street. Just how much TNT did he have?

I took shelter before speaking aloud. "You're right. That rapier is my prized weapon. But not for the reasons you might think."

I climbed over the ruined structures of a house and concealed myself, watching as Burke glanced around the street.

"Where did you run off too?" He growled as he whipped his head this way and that.

"That rapier was given to me by the previous King of Ringwood, a man I respect and would give my life for." My voice echoed across the crater-riddled street, making it impossible for Burke to pinpoint it. As he turned away, I dashed across the roof and used my potion-enhanced jumping ability to clear a gap between two houses.

"Am I supposed to care about your sentimental story?" He sneered, though I could see his hands shaking as he once more failed to notice me dashing across a nearby roof.

"No." My voice rang-out, devoid of any sympathy for this bomber. "It's not. But it is why I'll be taking it back from you. _After_ I beat you to a bloody pulp for laying your scum-crusted, criminal hands on it."

"HA!" He shouted with a forced laugh, his head whipping back and forth to try and find me. "Like I'm afraid of you! There's no way you've fully recovered from your beating earlier!"

I crept to the edge of the nearest roof, keeping my footfalls silent so as not to tip him off. I crouched low, my amber eyes locked on his quivering form, as he backed towards me.

"Without this weapon, you're nothing!"

I sprung forward.

The bomber whirled around just in time to receive a drop kick to the chest. I flipped back to land on my feet before surging forward again.

Burke tried to set down some TNT, but I grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back. I gave it a sharp twist, eliciting a wince and a yelp of pain before the TNT fell from his broken wrist.

"That's for stealing my rapier."

I released his hand just as he pulled out his stone sword and tried to impale me. I jumped and twisted over his jab, using the momentum to deliver a heel kick to his jaw.

"That's for blowing me up!"

He staggered back before lashing out with his sword. I dropped to the ground and swept at his legs, unbalancing him. Then I shot back up, throwing an elbow into his face before kicking his stone sword aside.

"That's for attacking this village!"

Burke stumbled, his back hitting a house wall. "I'll…kill you!" In a last ditch effort, he withdrew my rapier and jabbed forward with primal ferocity.

My eyes widened as the rapier struck, bypassing my armor to deliver a solid dent to my Health. My feet skid across the dirt, refusing to give up ground, while Burke smiled victoriously.

He pulled back to deliver another jab…

But he couldn't.

"What the—" His eyes widened as I gripped the hand holding _my_ rapier. "H-hey! Let go!"

He tried to wrench it away, but my grip wasn't faltering. I raised my head to lock my piercing amber eyes with his, and I watched as his pupils dilated in terror.

Slowly and deliberately, I twisted his hand, displacing the rapier from my chest.

Burke was positively shivering in terror as he watched the tip of the rapier move, his movements too weak to resist.

The rapier was no longer pointing at me. It was twisted to point at Burke.

Or more specifically a lower region of Burke.

"H-hang on a sec—"

"And this," my eyes snapped open in anger, "is for attacking my friend!"

I pushed forward with all my strength, skewering Burke's privates to the wall and eliciting an ear-splitting screech so high, only wolves could hear it.

The pain was so traumatizing that Burke's body went limp, my rapier the only thing holding him up.

I worked my rapier out of the wall, allowing the bomber to collapse, before wiping my prized weapon of all traces of the criminal's filth.

"Burke, the 'Destroyer'." I spoke coldly to the criminal's crumpled form. "As an ally of Daymonte, I hereby place you under arrest for multiple counts of terrorism, bombings, threatening the peace of Daymonte, and collaborating with a Hacker."

I sheathed my rapier and walked away from the Bomber, making a mental note on where to pick him up later.

After I made sure Cobb was okay.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Grah!"

My sword swung through the air, catching Alec by the arm, but did little to keep the Hacker's sword from stabbing me in the gut and twisting around.

"You little—" He lashed out with a kick that sent me bouncing across the dirt. "Just DIE already!"

Alec's eyes and body were still seeping smoke, but his jet black hair was disheveled and sticking to his forehead. His face was an interesting shade of red, somewhere between livid frustration and unbridled rage.

In short, he was really, _really_ , pissed off.

I sputtered out some rain water and tried to lift myself to my feet. I couldn't stop. Not after what he did to Leslie. Not after what he did to Billy and Halstatt and who knows how many other villages. Not after how he beat Wynn nearly to death.

I couldn't let things end like that.

Before I could pick myself all the way up, Alec marched over and kicked my arm out from under me. My face hit the dirt hard. "King_Cobb! You and your _fucking—_ *kick* — _insignificant_ — *kick* — plans have failed miserably!" He poised his sword over my neck. "So just roll over and DIE!"

I swung my leg and managed to sweep him off his feet before managing to crawl away. I ravenously tore at some cookies, desperate to refill my Hunger.

"And yet you just keep going!" Alec shouted with unrivaled fury as he got to his feet and whipped his blade through the air. "Don't you get it!? Without your iron-built lummox," my eyes strayed to the well, "you can't win! I'm _invincible_! And no matter how hard you try, you'll _never_ kill me!"

"…That just means I'm your worst opponent." I wiped some rain out of my eyes and stood tall. "Because no matter how invincible you think you are, I'll _always_ find a way around it." I withdrew my fishing rod and stared the Hacker down. "That's what I do best."

I felt a scrap of satisfaction as Alec_Bishop gnashed his teeth in anger. But aside from that I was pretty exhausted. And while it was fine to _say_ I'd find a way to beat him, it would have been infinitely better if I could actually come up with something.

Leslie was really all I had.

Alec dashed forward and I weakly swung my fishing rod towards him. He threw himself aside in an awkward dodge before regaining his balance and barreling towards me.

I pressed my back against a wall and swapped my fishing rod for my one and only ender pearl. I tossed it lightly and caught it before hurling it past Alec. Just as his sword was about to stab me, the ender pearl landed, instantly teleporting me away.

Getting over the disorienting feeling of changing locations, I latched my fishing rod onto Alec's shirt and pulled him off his feet and into the ground. I took out my sword, intending to strike…

*sssssssSSSSS!*

But upon hearing the Creeper's tell-tale hissing, a spun on the spot and held my sword defensively.

*BOOM*

I blocked the explosion well enough, skittering across the ground and taking little to no damage.

Of course, more Mobs soon poured into our street. Zombies. Skeletons. Creepers. Spiders. All of them out for Crafter blood.

Brain: _As if fighting a Hacker wasn't problem enough, now we got Mobs to worry about. What's next? Lava tornadoes?_

Bladder: _Lavanadoes?_

Brain: _Lavanadoes._

I swung my golden blade, dispatching Zombies and Spiders while keeping my distance from the Creepers. However, the Skeletons were still able to shoot me, chipping away at my Health.

 _It's kind of amazing I haven't died yet._ I internally chuckled as I fell to my knee. There was just so much I could take.

The Skeleton archers were about to take another shot, only for a volley of arrows to obliterate them.

I looked behind to see Lenz sniping from a rooftop position. "Get up, Cobbert! You cannot fall now!"

 _Lenz…he's alive…_ I thought in relief as I struggled back to my feet. My muscles strained in protest, but I ignored the pain.

A few Zombies were attacking Alec, but the attacks may as well have been the angry buzzing of flies for what little damage they caused him. And like flies, he swatted them aside.

Lenz took some shots at the Hacker, testing what effect they would have. Besides pushing him back and angering him further, they didn't do much.

"More pests!" He shouted. "Where's LeShui and Burke when I need them!?"

At those words, a white blur launched herself from above, dropping onto Alec with a devastating strike. She tumbled across the ground before regaining her feet, looking ready for round two.

"Wynn! You're okay!" I exclaimed happily.

"Of course." Wynn flipped her ivory hair aside as she eyed Alec carefully. "As if a two-bit bomber like Burke could defeat me one-on-one."

Hearing that, Alec shook his head in disappointment. Dark smoke was still seeping from his body, a grim reminder of his Hacker powers. "So Burke's been defeated…if you want something done right…" He lashed his blade out, killing a Zombie and a Spider before stomping towards Wynn. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL MYSELF!"

Lightning crashed above and the air surrounding the street felt charged with electricity. It was a feeling I remembered after almost getting struck with lightning so many days ago.

And considering the storm raging above…

Sure enough, several lightning bolts crashed down into the street and surrounding houses. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light as several Mobs were engulfed by the bolts. The house Lenz was positioned on was struck, sending the stunned archer falling to the ground. Wynn and Alec covered their eyes, the lightning barely missing them, as they squared off to face one another.

When the lightning finally ended, spots of light danced across my vision, making it hard to see. My ears were ringing slightly from the close thunder, but I could still make out the sounds of clashing swords as Wynn and Alec undoubtedly fought each other.

I blinked rapidly as I glanced around the street. A Zombie was nearly in my face and I quickly swung my blade to kill it.

And that's when I saw it.

A Creeper with an electric-blue glow.

 _Charged Creeper._ I thought fearfully, taking a half-step away. One of the Creepers must have gotten hit by the lightning. And remembering how devastating an explosion one of them…could…cause…

The gears inside my head began to turn as I looked between the Charged Creeper and the Hacker bashing Wynn back towards the edge of the well.

"Ahahaha!" Alec_Bishop laughed madly, kicking Wynn onto the well's edge. "All that bravado and it's a repeat performance!" He raised his blade to deliver the killing blow. "Any last words!?"

"Hey, Alec!" I shouted, withdrawing my fishing rod and running towards them. "I've got some last words for you!"

I swung my fishing rod back, snagging the Charged Creeper and spun around, pulling with all my might. The Charged Creeper was yanked off its four legs, and was sent hurtling towards the unsuspecting Hacker.

 **"** **Charged Creeper Flail!"**

Alec's eyes widened fearfully as the blue glowing Creeper crashed into him, sending both of them streaking towards a house and away from an awestruck Wynn.

*sssssssSSSSS!*

*KA-BOOM*

The Charged Creeper exploded with the force of several TNT, blasting surges of electricity across the street. Wynn shielded herself from the force of the explosion by rolling behind the well's structure while I was blown onto my back. I grit my teeth as bits of dirt and debris pelted my face.

When I recovered enough to lift myself up, I looked across the street at what was left. The house was reduced to a smoldering crater filled with debris…

And a lone Head.

There was a sharp intake of breath as I crawled towards the carter to get a better look. Wynn was peeking from her cover behind the well and Lenz was limping over after recovering from his fall off the roof.

There was no mistake.

Lying in the crater of that explosion was the Head of the Hacker Alec_Bishop. His gear was scattered about as well. A diamond sword here and a pile of food there.

However, was it the smoke from the explosion…or was his Head smoldering?

Dark smoke began to steadily seep from the Head, pooling against the ground but no longer bound to the Hacker's will.

And then, all too suddenly, the dark smoke began to swirl around the Head. Faster and faster. Until finally leaving the Hacker's empty husk and shooting high up into the sky before streaking off towards some unknown location.

The three of us, Wynn, Lenz, and I, remained silent as we watched that smoke vanish. Alec's Head looked just like any other Crafter's disembodied Head.

I collapsed back onto my rear, letting out a well-deserved sigh of relief. Exhausted was too mild a word for what I was feeling. And yet, after everything, I felt so much lighter.

"…aha…ha…"

I weakly laughed as the impact of what I did finally hit me. Wynn's legs wobbled before she too sunk to her knees. An airy giggle rolled out of her stomach, unfurling into the air as we finally had a moment of reprieve.

Lenz was the only one with a feeling of restlessness. "This is no time to celebrate. Even though Alec's gone, we still have the remains of his Griefers to worry about."

Lenz was right, and there was more to worry about too. Like…

"Leslie…"

"What about him?" Wynn asked questioningly.

I shook my head. "Dead. Alec did it. And Billy…"

"Oh." Wynn glanced down in guilt. "Giving their lives to protect Halstatt…I'm sure neither of them would have wanted it any other way."

"Yeah…I…" I wiped my eyes free of the tears threatening to stream forth. "I just…drowning is such a terrible way to go! Cut off from air. Almost like he was strangled to death."

Wynn nodded sympathetically before doing a double take. "Wait…who drowned?"

"Leslie." I pointed to the well. "Alec tricked him into falling down. He sunk like a sack of bricks."

"Er…Cobb," Wynn spoke awkwardly. "Leslie isn't—"

"I know, Wynn." I interrupted, wiping the tears from my eye. "Leslie isn't suffering anymore. He's with the angels now. All those big-nosed angels in that big Testificate village in the sky."

"No, I mean…ugh." Wynn pulled me to my feet and walked me over to the well. She pointed into it and instead of seeing whatever iron golems drop in death, I spotted Leslie walking at the bottom of the well.

"Wha…I didn't know golems had gills!"

"What!? No!" Wynn dragged a hand across her face. "Iron Golems are just that. Golems. They don't need to breathe air like you and me. And they're so steadily made that they're immune to fall damage."

I blinked in surprise before forming a relieved smile. "Thank goodness. So we just need to find a way to pull him out?"

"That can wait until later." Wynn walked over to the crater where Alec's Head lay and scooped it up. "First, we need to deal with the Griefers. And I think I know how."

* * *

[Halstatt Village Square]

"Keep holding them back!" Lucas shouted to the surrounding villagers and Ringwood guards.

The Griefers were belligerent in trying to break past Halstatt's last line of defense. And even though the guards had come with the warning of a Hacker leading the Griefer army, none of them had gottn a chance to escape before the Griefers showed up.

All of them were hacking away at the blockades set up, trying to get to the Testificates shivering in the cover of houses.

Cosmic had shown up to help, but there were just too many Griefers. Even with all the good Wynn and her people did on reducing their forces, it looked like it was the end.

"Hey, Griefers!"

A loud, if weary, voice rang out across the Village Square, catching the attention of everybody. As Lucas looked at the source, he saw that billionth Crafter, King_Cobb, standing atop a house. Lightning crashed behind him, making him look more imposing to the Griefers below.

"What!?" One of the Griefers shouted while pointing his sword at Cobb. "You want to have a go at all of us!? I'd like to see…you…try…?"

The Griefer's voice grew smaller as Cobb lightly tossed something at their feet. It looked to be a Crafter's Head, but Lucas couldn't quite tell whose.

"Oh my God." One of the Ringwood guards spoke in shock as they looked at the Head. "Th-that's that Hacker's Head!"

"It's what?" Cosmic pushed herself to the front of the defending villagers as she too looked upon the scene.

The Griefers all took shaky steps away from Cobb as he leapt onto the ground below. He stumbled a bit on the landing, but it didn't affect the level of fear he inflicted upon the Griefers.

"Alec's…dead?"

"No! That's impossible. Nothing could kill him!"

"He was supposed to be invincible. He took out a Captain!"

"This isn't happening. This isn't happening."

"If the invincible Alec_Bishop lost…what's that say about the guy that beat him?"

Their murmurings took a renewed sense of fear as Cobb casually walked towards them. They were all so frightened of what this unknown Crafter was capable of; they shirked away, refusing to even meet his eyes.

King_Cobb tried to look composed, walking straight through the deathly silent crowd of Griefers like it was nothing. He actually tripped on some dirt, stumbling a bit before righting himself and shrugging it off as if nothing happened.

The Griefers kept out of his way, allowing him to walk up to the barricades before he turned and fixed all of them with an icy glare.

"Your boss is dead." He spoke softly. There was no need to raise his voice as everyone was listening with rapt attention. "Your strongest fighter is dead and unless you all want a taste of my _awesome power_ ," he thrust his finger out, pointing towards a random group of Griefers who cowered as if they were about to be smitten by some 'awesome power', "I suggest you all leave, and _never_ come back."

The Griefers quaked in terror, glancing at each other in the hopes that someone would challenge the little upstart.

But nobody dared to move.

"I'll give you to the count of three to clear out." He held up his hand with three fingers before lowering one. "One…"

They all ran away before Cobb could get to two. Throwing others behind them in an effort to escape, the Griefers hurried down Halstatt's streets in varying direction. All of them desperate to get away from the fearsome King_Cobb. The slayer of the Hacker, Alec.

"What a bluff." Cosmic laughed with her hand covering her eyes. Tears of joy and elation and of sheer hysterical humor streamed down her face as all the Griefers fled.

The Ringwood guards and a few villagers hopped over their barricades and walked up to Cobb, fearfully at first, as if he was some kind of all-powerful Crafter.

And then he fell to his knees, sweat dampening his brow. "I almost thought they weren't gonna run." He chuckled weakly as his legs refused to work. "If they had attacked, we would've been screwed."

"At this point," Captain Wynn and that Lenz fellow jumped down from a nearby house, the latter having trouble with the landing, "a bluff was all we could manage. And you did it well."

Cobb laughed before several hands encompassed him, pulling him to his feet and carrying him like a champion.

"You did it, Cobb!"

"I can't believe you did that! I would've been too busy shitting bricks to bluff like that!"

"Did you really kill a Hacker? How did you pull that—it was the fishing rod wasn't it?"

Cobb smiled brightly before withdrawing the tool. "You know it!"

* * *

[Lenz]

Waking up the next morning, it was almost absurd to think of everything we endured just last night.

The Griefers fled the village as fast as they could, not caring whether any of their own were left behind and forgetting about causing further harm to Halstatt. The village was in tatters, obviously. Damage caused by invading Griefers, Mobs, explosions, and lightning needed to be repaired. And Leslie, after being taken out of the well, had worked all night to rid Halstatt of its Mob infestation; screaming his patented 'Leslie Smash!' all over.

The Testificates, who had been cramped in the Village Square, were free to wander and return to their homes once Leslie had verified the dangerous Mobs had been dealt with. There were a few Creepers here and there, but the Ringwood guards and villagers managed well enough. The villagers were already hard at work repairing damages.

The villagers agreed to send for Daymonte's aid, hoping that the Kingdom could spare enough guards to repair all the villages Alec's army laid waste to and find the Testificates Billy had reported the Griefers were stockpiling.

Hearing of Cobbert's heroic exploits in facing the dreaded Hacker, the Testificates opted to start what became known as 'The Legend of the Billionth'. Needless to say, Cobbert held a newfound sense of self-respect.

And I suppose that was the same for me.

"Here. Hope this is enough redstone tech for you."

"It is perfect." I smiled at Cosmic before depositing the redstone and repeaters into my backpack. She had even given me a stack of arrows for all the ones I used. "Thank you for all the help, Cosmic."

Cosmic laughed lightly. "I should be the one thanking you. You and Cobb…and even Wynn. All of you fought for this village." Her eyes lit up as if remembering something. "Actually…do you know where Cobb is? I want to give him something."

I thought for a second. "Last I saw of him, he was by the quarry." She nodded in thanks before extending her hand, and I shook it without a second thought. "Take care, Cosmic. I only hope all redstone experts I meet are as charming as yourself."

"Likewise." Cosmic blushed coyly before walking towards the quarry. She offered a wave over her shoulder before turning a corner.

I hummed thoughtfully and turned around.

Only to bump into somebody.

"Ow. Space please." I rubbed my forehead before noticing Solara before me. "Solara! You have recovered, I see."

"Oh…yeah." She nodded absentmindedly before staring at me with a pleased expression.

"Er…is everything okay?"

She considered that question for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. "When I woke up in Liam and Spencer's company, I thought that you had bitten the dust. All I remembered was us getting blasted atop that wall."

Not knowing how to respond, I simply nodded.

"But then Liam told me how you had dropped me off." Solara continued with a knowing smirk. "How you looked bruised and beaten. How you practically _dragged_ me through Halstatt, no doubt encountering droves of Griefers. And yet I, being unconscious throughout all of it, managed to make it to them safe and sound."

"All true." I shrugged, trying to hide how pleased I felt. "And your point?"

Solara remained silent, flashing that same knowing smirk.

My eye twitched slightly "What?" I asked with a bit of annoyance.

Solara shrugged, the action betraying how inordinately pleased she looked. "I'm just glad I was right about you all along."

"About?"

She stepped a bit closer. "That you're just as strong as the rest of us."

I looked aside, a small smile forming at her words. I was strong. Just in different ways. And that was fine.

"So, I'm guessing you've figured out why we guards do this for a living, right?" She asked, reminding me of the talk we had before the battle.

The feeling of being someone others can rely on. Of being reliable enough to be counted on. Of being entrusted to protect those that turn to you for help.

It was a good feeling. One I had never considered or experienced before.

And now that I had…

My smile grew a bit warmer. "I think I have."

"Great!" She slung an arm over my shoulder and half guided, half pushed me down the street. "So now that you get it, I think I should properly introduce you to the rest of the guards. I think you guys will finally have something in common."

"Huh? Wait! Hold on!" I tried dragging my heels into the dirt, but Solara was too strong. "I am not ready for that level of social contact!"

"Well, no better training for it than actually doing it!" Solara smirked as she kept pushing me towards the group of Ringwood guards. "I guarantee that you'll be better at befriending them than Bitters."

"No! Solara! Please!" I begged, but it was only half-heartedly.

Honestly, after everything I went through last night, talking did not sound too bad.

* * *

[Cobb]

Back at the base of the quarry, where I made the initial decision to help protect Halstatt. It seemed only fitting to come back there before saying goodbye to the village. All the gear from the Griefers that fell into the pit was collected by Halstatt's villagers to be sold for emeralds and used to repair the damages.

"Well…we did it, guys."

I spoke it aloud, even though I was talking to my internal organs.

Brain: _Hell yeah, we did! I'd like to say I never doubted you for a minute._

Heart: _Sure you did, Brain._

Brain: _No, really, I did! Why doesn't anyone believe me!?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Well, when you put it like that…_

Liver: _I feel like Karma owes us one. Like…we just earned one redeemable Karma Coupon._

 _Not like we did this for Karma's sake._ I sighed, remembering Alec's defeat and how that dark smoke shot up into the sky. _Wonder where that dark smoke went._

Stomach: _Who cares? Let's not forget the most important thing we pulled from this experience._

 _Right! We finally mastered the Mob Flail! Now, if we fling Creepers at people, it's ten times more devastating—_

Stomach: _Not that! I'm talking about how we learned how to eat cake!_

Heart: That _'s the most important thing you've pulled from this experience!?_

 _No, no. He's got a point._

Stomach: _Ha! *sticks out tongue*_

 _Do Stomach's even have tongues?_

Stomach: _Well how else can I enjoy the taste of food?_

 _…_ _Because you're all a figment of my imagination?_

Stomach: _Harrumph._

"Hello?" I quickly looked up, spotting Cosmic's periwinkle pigtails as she climbed down the quarry. "Cobb, you down here?"

"Yeah, what's up?" I called back as I stood to my feet.

Cosmic walked up to me, panting slightly from the effort of climbing before bowing slightly. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you for saving Halstatt."

"Oh! Well, yeah, no problem." I rubbed my head awkwardly, not exactly sure how to respond. People didn't usually bow to me. "But you don't need to thank me when you guys did just as much—"

"No," She interrupted, fixing her faded pink eyes onto mine. "I'm thanking you because we would have died if not for your selflessness. It was you who decided to stay, bringing Lenzington, and eventually Captain Wynn to help us. Forget Alec. Those Griefers would have steamrolled right through us if not for all of you."

I paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. "Yeah, well…they were a couple of assholes anyway."

Cosmic laughed at that. "No arguments here." She looked me up and down. "Are you really numbered one billion?"

I held a fist to my chest. "Yep. And proud of it." Cosmic looked down for a moment. "Why?"

She shook her head. "I was utterly useless in this battle. All the experience in my arsenal—all the time I spent in Minecraftia—and I couldn't even protect my village. My family." She looked up again. "And yet, you…and Lenz. You were able to do what I couldn't. What nobody could have expected. You made a miracle happen."

"Well, miracle is a strong word. I just wish we could have saved Billy…" I commented before registering what she said. "Um…how experienced are you?"

She rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Well…to give you an idea, my spawn number is one-hundred-and-one."

"One…hundred…and…" I paled at the implications. "But then…that means you spawned right after the First 100!"

"Shh!" She silenced me with her hand. "Not so loud. I don't like bragging about it."

I moved her hand, whispering instead. "But then, you're like, one of the _oldest_ Crafters in Minecraftia."

She nodded. "And despite all that experience under my belt, I was stumped on how to turn the tables on that Griefer army." She fixed me with her faded pink eyes. "But then you and Lenz show up, not only beating back the army, but defeating a Hacker. Even with the gap in our numbers, you could do something I couldn't."

I smirked. "I prefer to think of it as everyone having their own experience to impart. Everyone's got some valuable knowledge, whether they know it or not."

It was my dream to prove that to the world. And after successfully saving Halstatt, it felt like I had taken that first step.

But what to do next?

"That has a nice ring to it." Cosmic smiled before reaching into her backpack for something. "And it's why I feel comfortable giving this to you."

"Oh, no, no. You shouldn't." I tried to dismiss her offer. "I didn't help because I wanted anything in return."

"That so?" Cosmic smirked before lifting her empty hand out of her backpack. "In that case, I think I'll just keep it."

My eyes snapped open as she started to stroll away. "Wait, wait!" She turned to look at me with an expectant smile. "Uh…I mean…I wouldn't mind it if you insisted enough."

"No, no." She waved her hand airily. "If the noble hero wishes to turn away my generous gift, I will respect his wishes." She glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes, looking mischievous, "Unless you'd like to change your mind."

"Um…well…I…" I stared at the ground. "Yes, please."

"You really should say what you mean." Cosmic chuckled before walking up and pressing a tool into my hand.

"It's…a shovel." I remarked flatly and somewhat disappointed as I waved the golden shovel around. "Um…you shouldn't have. Really. You shouldn't have."

"If you don't want it, I'll take it back." She held out her hand but I shook my head vigorously.

"No! No. Really. Thanks. I'll…" I struggled to think of a use. "I'll be sure to use it whenever I'm digging things up."

Cosmic laughed loudly, clutching her sides as if I just told a fantastic joke. "Yep. You're the Billionth alright. You didn't even bother looking at the Enchantment."

 _The Enchantment?_ I turned my attention back to the shovel, which I only then noticed was glowing with the aura of an enchanted tool. "Unbreaking III and…Silk Touch I?" It was an enchantment I'd never heard of before. "So what's it do?"

Cosmic waggled her finger chidingly. "Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. Just keep it a secret from the others. I'm sure you'll thank me for it someday."

"Ah…hmm…well, that's vague enough for me to want to keep." I spoke as I stowed the golden shovel into my backpack.

We both climbed out of the quarry before exchanging warm handshakes. "If you ever pass through Halstatt again, don't be a stranger. You'd probably be a living legend to anyone that heard about Alec."

"I'll keep that in mind." I smirked, half hoping the stories wouldn't be exaggerated…while also not opposed to the idea of them making me sound a thousand times cooler.

Would laser beam eyes be believable?

"Oh, and tell Lenz that if he ever stops by, I wouldn't mind taking some _private_ lessons in redstone." She commented suggestively. And with a wave Cosmic strolled back towards Halstatt, leaving me staring with my mouth hanging open.

 _…_ _Damn, Lenz is good._

After a while, I walked back towards Halstatt's front gates where Wynn, Lenz, and her guards were packing up. Surprisingly, Lenz was the center of attention amongst a group of guards. And he looked like he was enjoying himself, explaining the finer points of redstone traps to the interested crowd.

Meanwhile, Wynn was speaking to Oswald, the Village Leader. "Can I trust that you and your villagers will keep an eye on Burke until Daymonte's guards show up?"

"Of course. After all you've done, we'll make sure he gets the justice he deserves."

"Good. I can imagine a certain blonde will be happy with that." She muttered to herself before bidding the Village Leader goodbye and mounting her horse. "Cobb, I'm not going until you're on your steed."

"Wow. That means a lot that you'd wait for me like—"

"Because otherwise, I'm certain you would go off and challenge _another_ Griefer army and Hacker before I could blink."

"Alright, Captain." I rolled my eyes as I leapt onto Ace. Lenz rode up beside me on his donkey, Reginald.

"So, with no further interruptions," Wynn eyed me sharply, but I could tell it was done jokingly. It was practically a staple of our interactions. "Let's move."

Her horse reared to life and we all followed in her wake, Lenz and I trotting along at a slower donkey-pace.

"Hey, Lenz." I spoke to my companion. "I know I already said it…but thanks for staying." He raised his tinted glasses to look at me. "Without you—"

"Perish the thought, Cobbert." He dismissed and he looked happier than I had seen him throughout the journey. "I think I grew a bit from that little experience. And you know what?" I tilted my head to look at him. "I do not regret it."

I smiled at those words. "Yeah, I'll say. After all, you got a girl interested in you."

"Ah, you mean Solara." Lenz nodded, causing me to do a double take. "Yes, saving her last night seems to have earned her respect. She properly introduced me to the other guards and asked if I could teach her a few things. Only she says she is shy and can only be taught privately and in the comfort of her own home."

I blinked in amazement. "Lenz…I meant Cosmic."

His eyes widened. "Cosmic? What makes you say that?"

"She asked me to tell you that she wouldn't mind redstone lessons next time you visit Halstatt." I leaned towards him. " _Private_ redstone lessons."

"Hmm." He rubbed his chin in thought. "She must be as equally shy as Solara to want private lessons."

I stared at him flatly before returning my attention forward. "Lenz, you are both the luckiest and most oblivious guy I know. And I happen to know myself."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 12 Cookies, 25 Steak, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 1 Furnace, 7 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

 **Inventory (Ace the Ass):** 8 Lapis Lazuli, 34 Iron Ore, 10 Gold Ore, 13 Coal

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 59 Redstone, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Carrot, 32 Steak, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Reginald the Ass):** {Empty}

* * *

 **AN: And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, concludes the Halstatt Arc.**

 **I don't know how he called it, but Laner fucking called it. Charged Creeper Flail to beat Alec. I must be super predictable for him to be able to guess that. Though a lot of you speculated on everything ranging from fall damage to Ender Crystals to Noman just showing up out of the blue to give his Severe Shield to Cobb.**

 **Funny, but impractical given their locations.**

 **Didn't stop me from writing an Omake about it. Non-Canon obviously.**

* * *

Omake: A Little Too Convenient (Not Canon)

"How does it feel, King_Cobb?" Alec taunted with a twirl of his diamond blade. "To come so close to saving the day…only to fall short."

Cobb clutched a stitch in his side, panting heavily. He had exhausted every move, every trick, and every possibility in his fight against Alec. But they were all meaningless before his Hacker ability. It was only a matter of time before the Hacker cornered him.

 _Damnit! DAMNIT!_ Cobb internally cursed. _I've tried everything, but at this point it would take some kind of miraculous artifact of untold power to kill this guy!_

Just then, a black-suited man with dark, tidy hair walked onto the very street Cobb and Alec were fighting upon.

"Not sure how I ended up here…" The man muttered confusedly. Above his head was the name Nowhere_Man. "It's raining and thundering, not to mention there are a bunch of violent Crafters running around…But I don't have to worry about them."

He pulled out a diamond chestplate from his backpack. "Because with this miraculous artifact of untold power, I can one-hit kill anything!"

Cobb blinked at the new arrival in mild surprise before calmly walking over to him.

"Oh, hello good sir." Nowhere_Man nodded politely. "My name is Noman. Might you perhaps tell me where I—"

As soon as Cobb got close enough he socked Noman across the face, knocking the poor man out, and picked up the diamond chestplate he had been boasting about. Alec watched all this with a bemused expression before noticing Cobb put the chestplate on.

"It's over, Alec." Cobb spoke dramatically. "Thanks to this kind soul's selfless artifact donation," Noman twitched on the ground, "I now possess the strength to defeat you."

"Selfless—you punched him in the face!" Alec argued.

"It's not like he was using it anyway." Cobb shrugged before running up to Alec and punching him right in the nose.

The Hacker's super regeneration was no match for the artifact's unbridled power, and Alec exploded into a shower of dark smoke and gear. Dead.

"Holy crap it worked!" Cobb shouted elatedly. "That's awesome! Why wasn't that guy wearing this all the time?" Cobb was about to take it off to return to Noman, but then he paused, thinking it over.

"Hey, No-whatever-your-name-is-man." Cobb began, prodding the downed Crafter with his toe. "Would you mind letting me keep this artifact for a little while longer?"

Noman twitched in response, still out-cold.

"One twitch for yes, two twitches for no."

Twitch. Twitch.

"I'll take that as an 'it's mine now, suckah'!" Cobb shouted giddily as he skipped away. "Hey, Wynn! You'll never guess how I defeated Alec! Wha—NO, it was _not_ an artifact of immeasurable power! It was totally, 100% fishing rod! Obviously!"

* * *

 **AN: It's funny. But impractical.**

 **And because I feel guilty about not Omake-ing for a while, here's another one. This one is in fact Canon. And involves everyone's favorite killer rabbit!**

* * *

Omake: Valley Beast Again

Down below, in a rocky valley absolutely _filled_ with the discarded gear of fallen Crafters, a seemingly cuddly rabbit lolled around, basking in the warmth of the sun.

But this was no mere rabbit. It was the Valley Beast of Caerbannog Valley, possessing the speed and ferocity of a hundred men. And anyone that ever underestimated it usually met a grisly fate at its adorable claws.

Meanwhile, on a rocky alcove overlooking the valley, three heads peeked out.

"…Are you fairly certain _that_ rabbit is the dreaded Valley Beast?" Lenz asked skeptically as he turned to Wynn and Cobb. "It does not look particularly fearsome—"

"Yeah, it doesn't _look_ terrifying." Wynn stressed with a knowing grin. "What do you think, Cobb?" She tilted her head to glance at the fisherman who looked to be reliving a traumatic experience. "Does that rabbit down there look terrifying to you?"

Cobb shivered at the memory of getting swung around by the bloodthirsty rodent. "Lenz. Don't question it." He spoke in a defeated tone. "That rabbit's a force of nature."

Wynn nodded in satisfaction before turning to the rest of her guards. "Anyone care to share some ideas on how we can get around this valley before nightfall?"

"Rock-climbing."

"Ender pearls."

"Wing suits."

Wynn rolled her eyes at Daniel's suggestion. "Daniel, there's no such thing as wing suits. Be realistic, here."

"Even though we took out a Hacker, that Beast is still too tough for us." Cobb complained before rubbing his chin in thought. "Hmmm. We could take that rabbit out…if only we had a Holy Hand Grenade…"

"A what?" Wynn shot a questioning glance at the fisherman.

"Huh? Oh sorry. I'm…not sure why I just suggested that." Cobb scratched his head in confusion. Darn Normal Sense. "But that sounds pretty good! Hey, Lenz. Think you can use your engineering know-how to make a Holy Hand Grenade?"

"Um…No. The college's course material never covered 'Holy Hand Grenades'." Lenz narrowed his eyes as he glanced into the valley. "But I see enough TNT down there for a TNT cannon. I could make that."

Cobb hummed in thought. "Could we at least call it a 'Holy' TNT Cannon...of Antioch?"

"…Sure."

"Yeah! Good enough for me!"

* * *

Several blocks of TNT later, the 'Holy TNT Cannon of Antioch' was finished. Lenz had opted to use cobblestone for the structure, with most of it being supplied by Cobb. The guards chipped in here or there because, like Wynn, they wanted to see if it would work.

"So the flowing water keeps the TNT from blowing us up, right?" Cobb bothered to ask as the engineer finished calibrating the cannon.

Lenz looked pleased that he had understood it. "Why, yes! The TNT that serves as propulsion is inhibited by the flowing water. Thus, the structure of the cannon remains unaffected by the explosion while a block of primed TNT can be launched at an unsuspecting enemy." The engineer spoke in a single breath, taking pride in his redstone engineering knowledge.

Cobb tried to stay awake through all of that.

"Well, everything is set up." Lenz dusted his hands off before flicking the fuse lever. "Conflagration in the opening!"

Wynn looked befuddled from behind her cover. "…Do you mean fire in the hole?"

"That too."

*BOOM*

The primed TNT soared across the valley, its trajectory arcing high before hurtling towards the den of the Valley Beast.

The Beast only had the time to look up at the audacious thing blocking its sunlight, before the projectile impacted.

And exploded.

Everyone shielded their eyes as the smoke from the explosion permeated the den. Bits of rabbit hide and raw rabbit rained from the explosion before settling.

"Yeah!" Cobb and a bunch of guards cheered. "I hope that Valley Beast had jelly in its pockets! Because its toast!" Cobb turned to the engineer. "Lenz, you're like a total badass!"

"I am?" Lenz pointed at himself and tilted his head, sounding hopeful.

A bunch of guards came to clap him on the back. "Gotta admit, that was pretty epic!"

"You've GOT to teach me how to make a cannon, Lenz."

"What else can you make with redstone? Are fighting robots an option? _Please_ tell me fighting robots are an option!"

While the guards swarmed around Lenz, praising the engineer and inflating his ego in the process, Wynn narrowed her eyes looking down into the valley.

"What's up, Wynn?" Cobb followed her gaze to where the Valley Beast's den lay.

And from the den, a little baby rabbit hopped out.

"Wait…is that…?"

"This…might pose a problem." Wynn commented dully as several more baby rabbits came hopping out of the den, disturbed by the recent explosion.

"So…the Valley Beast was a girl." Cobb stated with mild interest.

"No, Cobb." Wynn sighed wearily before turning to the fisherman. "Animals in Minecraftia don't have genders. Any two animals of the same species can mate and have a child. It just means the Valley Beast stumbled across another rabbit."

"Oh." Cobb looked back to the den entrance and paled at how many more baby rabbits showed up. "Well, looks like the Beast stumbled across other rabbits all over the place. And here I thought the phrase 'breed like rabbits' was an exaggeration."

All the other guards stopped congratulating Lenz and joined in looking at the valley below, now positively swarming with snow-white rabbits.

"Captain, you don't think any of those babies inherited their parent's killer genes, do you?"

Wynn gulped slightly, not taking her eyes off the slit-pupiled rodents below. "…I think it'd be best if we avoid this valley."

"Agreed." Everyone spoke in unison.

And it was that day that the Legend of the Valley Beast died…and the Legend of the Valley of a Thousand Fluffy Devils began.

* * *

 **AN: The moral of the story: I liked Monty Python.**


	61. Return to Normalcy

**AN: 604 Reviews. 92 Favs. 89 Follows. 33,600 Views.**

 **And now there's a Shipping War going on.**

 **...**

 **Okay, I'm not as enthused about that. Ships are fine...I guess...but there are other things! Like plot, right? Plot is important. It's not always about the ships, right?**

 **...RIGHT?**

 **Anway, since it's been a while since I responded to reviews (and I just used since in the same sentence twice), I'll respond to a few reviews right now! Not all of them, mind you. But some.**

- _Responses_ -

 **Ari-Dexel13 : At the time, Cobb kinda had to keep the Griefers from killing all of Halstatt, so forgive him for missing a diamond sword. Still, he already has two swords. And a fishing rod. And we all know that the fishing rod is greater than a diamond sword anyway, so I don't see anything wrong with him missing it.**

 **DemonCatLady : I agree. Most epic chapter to date. And I'm glad that people don't hate Lenz anymore. There was a time when that was a thing.**

 **DarkWolf13 : I assume this is DarkWolf133 and you wrote out the review only to realize that you weren't signed in, but then decided you didn't want to retype the review and just decided to send it as is, even with your name all messed up. Anyway, thanks. Spent a bit of time thinking up 'fluffy devils'. Has a nice ring to it.**

 **Guest : Let me just take a moment to say how great I think your name is. Really 10/10. Anyway, Minecraftia is currently in 1.8, but I'm planning on including the stuff from 1.9, 1.10, and 1.11 when there's a lull in the plot. Meaning there's a window with which I can update the world. Whether I should update it slowly or all at once, I haven't decided. Maybe I'll figure it out after the Hiatus.**

 **AxeHelix : Don't lose sleep over ship names. Seriously. Don't. It's not worth it.**

 **Toddem Mach : Hey - No! I just got done saying not to waste time with ship names! Stahp!**

 **yaoifangirl : What!? No! Stahp! The chemistry just isn't there! Besides, they're both heterosexual.**

 **.dawnstar : Finally a normal non-shipping related review. Just for that, you deserve a Cookie! (::) Also, your name doesn't show up whenever I type it.**

 **Khaos : I've never watched Seven Deadly Sins, and I don't know who Guila is. So no. Wynn is not based off Guila. She's actually based of Weiss from RWBY, what with the white hair and rapier and all. Their hairstyles aren't the same though.**

 **SansThePunnist : And we're back to the shippers! GOD! NO! Is this my fault? Am I to blame for this shipping phenomenon? Or is this an age-old phenomenon that strikes any work of fiction?**

 **lolzfufufu : *noms on cookie***

 **The Ravenclawed Demigod : Glad you enjoyed the Chapter so much. So epic and...ugh...I guess Daylight Sensor is canon now. Sure. Whatever. You could call the ship Flying Fladoodlez for all I care. All hail the Charged Creeper Flail indeed.**

 **Laner : No better soundtrack then Eye of the Tiger...except maybe Discrepancies - Not Alone. But that's just preference. Also...why is everyone suddenly talking about ships like it's some big reveal! It's not! And to prove it, I'm gonna reveal the BIGGEST spoiler in 'My Craft' _ever_! *Inhales* C-**

 **Slenderbrine : Not like there's a Shift button to click.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add scepters.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 61

 **Return to Normalcy**

[Lenz]

"OH DEAR COMPARATORS, NOOOO!"

I screamed and bolted upright from my sleep. A few seconds later, Cobbert woke up on the bed beside me, alarmed and waving his fishing rod through the air like a madman

"Whezza Hacker thish time?" He mumbled dazedly before rubbing his eyes of sleep. "Lenz? What are you screaming about?"

I panted as cold sweat dripped down my skin, the shock of my dream wearing off. "Oh, Cobbert. I had the most terrible dream."

"Was it the one where the fishing rod never existed?" The fisherman questioned as he sat beside me.

"Er…no."

"Was it the one where you have to give an oral presentation in the middle of class…only for the presentation to be about the deliciousness of cooked pork chops and the audience being an enraged Carys_Angel? Had that one a few times."

"No! This was something _I_ would be scared of." I massaged the bridge of my nose as I tried to recall it. "I dreamt that we—us and the Ringwood guards—saved the village of Halstatt from an army of Griefers led by a Hacker." I then clutched my sides remembering how vivid the dream got. "But then the cruel irony…when we arrived in Ringwood, neither of us had the emeralds to pay for my citizenship information or lodgings. Wynn let us in, but with no emeralds, we were forced to camp out in the middle of a filthy, primitive, underdeveloped, and redstone starved park. Oh, dear pistons it was an awful dream!"

Cobbert blinked owlishly. "Uh…Lenz? All that stuff really happened."

"…Pardon?"

"Yeah, we got to Ringwood yesterday morning and we split up from Wynn and the others. We're actually camping out in the middle of a park." He gestured to the surroundings which I only just noticed were trees and a small pond. "Floyd showed me this place so I figured it'd be—Lenz, stop drowning yourself in that pond!"

"I do not want to live anymore!" *Glub Glub*

"Seriously, you're scaring the fish!"

No redstone. It was like a nightmare. Only I could not wake up.

Without suitable emeralds or materials, we were stuck to camping in the middle of nowhere. And Cobbert did not even want to ask Wynn for a place to stay, saying that her idea of housing included an outhouse or a couch, the latter if she was feeling generous. Not to mention he did not want to trouble her. Of all the times to not want to trouble her...

"Let the fish be scared! How am I supposed to enjoy the splendor of redstone engineering when I have to worry about Mobs attacking in the middle of the night? I need a solid shelter!"

"I'm working on it, alright!" Cobbert shot back, dragging me from the pond. "Look, tomorrow, we'll go mining outside Ringwood, find some valuable ores, trade them in for emeralds, and find a place to call home. But until then, we'll just have to rough it."

"I do not want to rough it. I would rather soft it. Perhaps even comfortable it." I frowned as I tinkered with some repeaters and redstone, making a simple pulse loop. "You would never betray me, would you my sweet redstone?"

"Lenz, you're starting to freak me out."

I ignored Cobbert as I petted the redstone repeater. "Who ever heard of a mining engineer? I swear I never had to deal with mining when I was at the college."

Cobbert raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you pay for tuition and food and junk?"

"Back in Daymonte, I had a part time job working at an archery range." I explained sullenly. "It covered my expenses…mostly. Plus, they gave me a great discount on arrows. Ugh, I can already feel my redstone skills dulling."

Cobbert just shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe after getting drawn into the Battle of Halstatt, your biggest complaint is not enough redstone."

"What can I say? I am a man of humble needs."

Cobbert rolled his eyes before a creeping ray of sunlight stretched across his face. "Well, looks like it's morning. So much for sleeping to a reasonable hour." He shielded his eyes from the streaks of sunlight streaming through the gaps in the trees. "I'm going to catch us some breakfast."

He slung his fishing rod over a shoulder and trudged to the pond, leaving me to my feeble attempts at redstone distractions.

I sighed as I sadly tinkered with some redstone. "What I would not give to make a machination masterpiece—"

*Rustle Rustle*

I looked up, alert and wary, as I heard the sound of rustling coming from some underbrush. I gasped as I spotted a pair of emerald eyes before they blinked out of sight.

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Wonder when Floyd's getting back._

Those were the thoughts crossing my mind as I calmly fished for something to eat. Sure, I had cookies and steak, but it never hurt to refill food supplies. Plus, I couldn't remember the last time I had fish.

As for Floyd, I hoped my first friend and companion would get back from his super important Silver Intent mission. He said he was going to Nitebane, but the way they made it sound, it was an undesirable Kingdom.

Not that I was worried. Floyd had Cara and that other asshole watching out for him. The odds of anything going wrong were pretty slim.

 _Let me think…we separated in Daymonte about ten or twelve days ago._

 _Don't know why, but it feels like_ way _more time passed by._

"AGHHHHHH!"

I whirled behind, whipping my fishing rod through the air at the latest noise. After fighting Kane's men in the very same park, I was expecting to see them. But instead it was…

"Erin?"

"C-C-Cobb!" The shrill, terrified voice of Erin rang out as she struggled from Lenz's grip. "H-Help! I'm in dire need! Save me!"

"Trying to steal from us!?" Lenz shouted over her, looking equally terrified but also determined as he held her by the ponytails. "I am no longer a weakling! I will…I will be someone others can rely on! And stop you!"

"Ow, my hair!"

"Lenz, stop!" I rushed over and pulled him off of the housekeeper. "Erin's a friend of mine. She'd never try to steal from us."

Lenz tilted his head to look at me. "Oh, really? Then why was she spying on us through the underbrush?"

"I w-wasn't stalk— _spying_!" The housekeeper corrected, overcome by one of her odd blushing fits as she tried and failed to meet my eyes.

 _Honestly, she should go see a doctor about that._

She coughed lightly into her fist to collect herself before withdrawing a bundle of food. "I was j-j-just in the neighborhood, and I th-thought…maybe…you'd want some fresh cooked foods."

She had me as soon as she pulled out the bundle of food. Overflowing from her arms was everything ranging from mutton, steak, rabbit, porkchops, chicken, cookies, bread, and potatoes.

"You got that all yourself?" I asked, touched by how much trouble she went through.

"Y-yes!" She smiled happily, even through her flushed face. "I-I was thinking it'd be a nice way of welcoming you back…maybe with a picnic in the park…" She added, her eyes fantasizing something that neither Lenz nor I could see.

"Well, that is very considerate of you. Sorry for attacking you like that." Lenz walked up to the housekeeper and held his arms out to accept the food, only for Erin to pull it back sharply. "Er…"

"No, no, _I_ 'll set the picnic." She spoke a little forcefully, losing her blush as her eyes met Lenz's tinted glasses. "I assume you're one of Cobb's friends as well. Why don't you go somewhere else and…chop down trees for charcoal? Need some way to cook this food. I'll keep Cobb company in the meantime."

"Ah, no need to worry about that." I interjected as Erin tried to shoo the engineer away. "Wynn let me keep the coal I let my steed carry. We can use that to cook this stuff."

It had been a tear jerking moment saying goodbye to my steed, Ace. But he had a lot going for him, what with being a pack mule for Crafters and all. I'd miss him, but I would cherish the time we spent together.

A furnace and several lumps of coal later, the food was all finished and ready for consumption. Erin had set some white carpet along the ground to act as a picnic blanket and Lenz had built a redstone lamp because…well…picnics need lamps, I guess?

"So how'd you know we were here?" I asked the housekeeper through a mouthful of mutton.

"W-well, when Miss Whispers came back without you, I w-w-was r-really worried. I've heard stories about how ruthless the Griefers outside the Kingdom can get." It didn't surprise me that someone as frail as Erin feared the wastelands outside the Kingdoms. "But then she said you decided to camp for the night…and I thought this park would be the perfect place you'd go."

"You must know me pretty well, then." I commented offhandedly as I took another bite of mutton. Or at least I _thought_ it was offhandedly enough before Erin's face grew several shades darker. It seemed that no matter what I said made her go all red-faced.

"Well…I d-d-don't know you that much…b-but I'd like to—"

"Noooo!" A voice full of despair wailed as a Crafter came barreling out from the bushes. "Royal Whispers is the only shiiip!"

"Wha—Spencer!?" I quickly stood up from the picnic and stared at the prone guard shedding tears. "What are you doing here?"

"Drat. We've been found out." A second guard, Daniel, poked his head out from the bushes, followed by Hollie. "Spencer, why did you go and ruin the mood?"

"Because it isn't fair." He sobbed into the ground. "Cobb was all heroic for Wynn, taking out a Hacker and such. It would be a crime for them NOT to get together! Plus…I'm gonna owe Solara and Micah twenty emeralds if they don't get together!"

"Are you still on about those stupid relationships!?" I shouted in outrage.

"Actually Cobbert," Lenz pulled on my sleeve, "the correct terminology is 'ships'."

"Whatever!" I shoved the engineer away and pointed to the three guards. "I'm getting sick of you guys 'shipping' whatever the hell you feel like! It's not gonna happen."

"Cobbert," Lenz warned from afar. "Do not antagonize the shippers, lest you incur their nonsensical wrath."

"No, no, no. Seriously. It's…it's stupid and crazy and…and doesn't really have to do with anything!" Why was _I_ the only one seeing the stupidity in it? Usually _other_ people had to point out _my_ own stupidity!

"But you and Erin look so adorable together." Hollie chimed in, causing Erin to stutter and fidget in place.

The poor thing was probably embarrassed at such a ridiculous suggestion.

"Okay, look…how exactly do you people determine ships, in the first place?"

"Well," Hollie cleared her throat and steeped forward. "First, we analyze interactions between two people. Their friendships, their pasts, how they act around others and each other. Genders become a factor later on."

"Even if that person isn't attracted to someone of the same gender?" I couldn't help but ask.

Hollie let out a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous, Cobb. Since when do ships ever consider how the people involved in the relationships feel? It's all about what we think."

"That sounds incredibly one-sided."

"Ships in a nutshell." Lenz commented under his breath.

"Anyway, once a ship is decided, the next step is coming up with catchy names." Hollie continued with a gleam in her eyes. I got the feeling that most of the ship names came from her. "Like Royal Whispers, Wyronica—"

"I'm still partial to Wynnica, it just rolls off the tongue better—"

"Shut up, Daniel!" Hollie screeched. "Ship names are FINAL!"

"But that's just stupid!" I shouted over Hollie. "That's like saying, if I walk up to this furnace and kiss it," I walked up to the furnace and gave it a light kiss, burning my tongue in the process, "Then it suddenly deserves a ship!"

Hollie gasped! "Oh. My. Notch. Did you guys just see that!" Hollie was practically jumping in joy. "Cobb kissed the furnace! PopCorn confirmed!"

I dragged a hand across my face.

*CRACK*

I looked up to see Erin as she ruthlessly drove a stone pickaxe into the furnace, breaking it apart. Her green eyes, once so full of innocence, were now the embodiment of a callous hatred towards the simple furnace.

When she noticed everyone watching her, her eyes quickly became innocent again and she stared between the pickaxe and me before slowly lifting it. "Oops, I slipped."

"Um…" I took a step back, and rubbed my arm awkwardly.

"The ship is dead." Hollie intoned sadly. "It was so young..."

Wanting to put an end to this stupid ship conversation I turned back to Hollie. "Just—wait, what are the three of you doing here so early in the morning?" Usually the guards would be sound asleep in the barracks before Captain Iron_Lung's brutal training regime.

Daniel consoled Hollie and poked the sobbing Spencer with a stick before addressing the question. "We were actually looking for you, Cobb."

Spencer looked up from his sobbing. "Yeah, we had no idea where to look, but then we spotted Erin skipping along, carrying a load of food, and speaking aloud about how she was going to have a picnic with you."

Erin stuttered denials, but I was paying more attention to the guards. "So what's up?"

"Wynn is about to be in a mess of trouble and she ordered us not to interfere." Daniel smirked. "But she never said we couldn't ask someone _else_ to interfere."

I frowned at that. "What's the trouble? She did her mission, right? So then what could possibly be wrong?"

* * *

[Wynn]

"Your Eminence." I kneeled before the man, my face neutral. The throne-room as vacant as ever.

"Ah, Captain Wynn. I'm happy to see that you returned from your mission." His Eminence spoke from atop his throne. "Did you get back just this morning?"

I shook my head. "Yesterday. I needed a bit of time to myself before I reported to you. Everyone made it back safely."

"Good. Good. I trust that you delivered my proposal to King Rotjes?"

"Yes, Your Eminence."

"And did he agree to the terms?" His Eminence was on the edge of his seat. "Will this Cross-Kingdom Railway be more than just a dream?"

Again I nodded. "It took a bit of convincing, but Rotjes agreed that the railway would be in the best interests for both Ringwood and Daymonte."

His Eminence let out a sigh of relief. Waiting on the news of another Kingdom approving of the railway must have been quite the burden on him. "Thank you, Captain. I knew you wouldn't fail me."

I nodded numbly at that, hoping for a second that we were done. That there was no bigger issue to discuss. That I wouldn't be forced to admit my own fault to His Eminence.

"But now," His Eminence spoke, gripping his royal blaze rod. "I must express concern over some recent news that met my ears."

The small hope in my chest died a horrible death.

"Y-Yes, Your Eminence?"

The King fixed me with a questioning stare, making me feel several times smaller. "A few days ago, one of the guards assigned under _your_ watch wound up in this very throne-room. He was without a Captain and alone, making me fear that the worse had happened to you and the rest of your guards during your journey back from Daymonte."

I felt a weight drop into my stomach, leaving a dull ache in its wake.

Still, His Eminence continued. "Imagine my surprise, however, when that same guard explained that the reason he arrived in Ringwood alone, is because you, Captain Wynn, decided to risk the lives of your men to stay behind and protect one of Daymonte's villages from a massive Griefer attack, the likes of which we've never seen."

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry to muster anything. Not even a defense for myself.

"I…I—"

"While I'm happy to see that you and all your men somehow survived the ordeal," His eyebrows knit themselves into a scowl, "I must admit that Bitters' news of you deviating from the given mission for the sake of one of Daymonte's villages has left me…concerned."

He gripped the blaze rod tighter and I couldn't bear to meet his concerned eyes. I had betrayed his trust. I had risked the lives of the guards under my responsibility.

" _Please_ , tell me that Bitters' story was wrong." His Eminence spoke, his usually mellow voice taking on a sharp bite of righteous anger. "To risk the lives of your fellow guards—your own brothers in arms—is _inexcusable_."

His words were cutting into me like a knife, making me feel guiltier than I already did. It didn't matter that everything turned out alright or that we all made it back safely.

The fact of the matter was that I _willingly_ chose to gamble my guards' lives away for the sake of another Kingdom. If anything happened to them, it would have been my fault. And _I_ had to make the choice to stay to best ensure their survival.

So the blame for deviating from our mission lay solely on _my_ shoulders.

"…I'm sorry, Your Eminence…" I choked on my words, but kept going. My eyes were shut so I didn't have to see how disappointed he was. "But Bitters is right. I chose to stay behind to protect the village of Halstatt."

There was a silence, as if he was awaiting me to say more. The entire journey back from Halstatt I had tried to think up a way to explain my actions. The guards had suggested I deny Bitters' claims, saying that they would never divulge what happened in Halstatt and jeopardize my position as Captain.

But it wouldn't have worked. A simple trip to Halstatt would only verify that we had been there to protect the village. And that would only drag the other guards down with me. Solara, Micah, Daniel, Liam, Spencer, Hollie, and Noah. They'd all take a bit of blame for trying to keep it a secret.

It was better this way. When only _I_ was to blame.

"Wynn," His Eminence's voice softened, sounding a little bit confused. It was as if he was trying to justify my actions, but couldn't find an answer. The very thought of him trying to absolve me of blame made the guilt hurt all the more. "Is there _anything_ you have to say in your defense? Anything at all?"

I remained silent, just wanting the decision to be over with.

His Eminence released a heavy sigh, full of disappointment and regret. "Then, I'm afraid I have no choice. Wynn_Whispers, for straying from your given mission and risking the lives of your men in the defense of an unassociated village, I hereby strip you of your authority as a Captain—"

"Wait! Hold everything!"

My eyes snapped open as a familiar voice echoed throughout the regal throne-room. I tilted my head and watched as Cobb ( _who else?_ ) barged through the throne-room doors, a few of the palace guards trying to catch him.

"Your Eminence!" Cobb huffed as he ducked beneath a tackling guard before hurrying towards us. "Your Eminence! Wynn didn't do anything wrong! You can't take away her Captainship!"

One of the palace guards dove at Cobb's legs and tripped him up before two more joined in to subdue the fisherman. Even as they dragged him away, he kept trying to shout to His Eminence. "You can't blame her for what happened! It isn't fair!"

"Just a moment!" His Eminence stopped the palace guards with that mere utterance. "What do you mean, she can't be blamed?"

Cobb, still held between three guards, was quick to respond. "I mean, she did everything she was supposed to! She got your mission done and everyone made it back alright! Doesn't that count for anything?"

I couldn't believe how flippant he was being towards His Eminence—actually, his level of flippancy was normal—but to go so far to try to absolve me from blame…

His Eminence stood up from his throne and stamped his royal blaze rod into the floor. "It counts for everything!" He boomed. "True, Captain Wynn was able to deliver my message and secure the Railway project between Ringwood and Daymonte, but she acted beyond her duty. Protecting a village outside her jurisdiction, with no adequate cause, is unacceptable. Had any of our men died, their blood would be on her hands. And had any of our men inflicted harm upon Halstatt or any other property of Daymonte, we may have had a war on our hands!"

"But—but none of that happened!" Cobb protested even louder. "And…and you say she didn't have adequate cause. But she did!"

"Oh?" His Eminence questioned with interest. "Are you saying Captain Wynn's actions were befitting of her mission? That rushing to Halstatt's defense was done with adequate cause?"

"Uh…" Cobb's eyes shifted left and right before settling into a determined expression. "…yeah. Yeah! Definitely!"

His eminence gestured forward. "Then by all means, explain."

Oh, Gods. Was my position as Captain in the hands of _Cobb_!?

 _I'm doomed._

The palace guards slowly released the fisherman and he walked up to His Eminence as calmly as possible. Though judging by how frantic his eyes were darting, I could tell he was desperately trying to think up a way to explain my actions.

As to why…

I wasn't quite sure.

Was it because he felt he owed me for saving his life? Or that it wasn't fair that someone who chose to help when he was in need would then get in trouble for the same reason?

Was it because he respected me enough to know how much I valued being a Captain? Was it because I had warned him of my responsibilities to my Kingdom and knew all along that this would happen if I chose to stay?

Or was it because, like he had once said, we were friends?

Friends. How absurd was that? I had skewered and threatened him so many times. I treated him like a nuisance half the time.

Though when we fought together—against Griefers, Mobs, and Alec—that was all forgotten.

We had saved each other's life, and risked our own to keep the other safe.

We were comrades, sure. But friends?

"Alright, so…" Cobb began, addressing His Eminence. "Well…Captain Wynn was ordered to meet the King of Daymonte—"

"King Rotjes." His Eminence corrected.

"—Right, King Rotjes. She was ordered to meet with him and secure the deal for the Cross-Kingdom Railroad thingy, right? That was her mission?"

Ignoring the fact he referred to one of the largest projects known to Crafter-kind as a 'Railroad thingy', His Eminence nodded. I could practically feel the despair eating away at me. It would have been so much easier if Cobb had stayed away and let me lose my title quickly. Better that than the drawn-out affair I was currently subjected to.

"Alright…then, Wynn didn't do anything wrong…because…" He struggled for an answer. "Because…because saving Halstatt…that was done to secure the deal."

Silence filled the throne-room after Cobb's statement, causing His Eminence to raise an eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Well…"Cobb continued, feeling emboldened by His Eminence's interest. "I'm right to assume that to build that Railroad, you'd need a lot of resources, yeah?" His Eminence nodded. "And you'd also need a lot of Crafters to guard it, right?" Another nod.

 _Where is he going with this?_

"So…then…you gotta ask yourself, why would anyone want to make something like that if it costs so much?"

My eye twitched slightly and I had to resist the urge to scream into the floor. _Oh, God he's making it worse!_

"The cost is steep." His Eminence agreed. "But I had hoped that the accomplishment of such a feat would be incentive enough to sway Rotjes' aid."

"Still though, that's a lot of resources." Cobb pounced on the statement he just made. "So many resources, that Rotjes may have doubted the benefits of a joint-Kingdom project. Perhaps Rotjes was still on the fence about whether or not to aid in the construction of this Railroad."

His Eminence narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"

 _Yeah, Cobb. What are you getting at?_

"Okay, here it is. Rotjes wasn't too keen on the railroad, seeing the tremendous cost and doubting the levels of cooperation your two Kingdoms would share."

His Eminence blinked before regarding me. "Is this true, Wynn?

That was stretching the truth a bit. Rotjes _was_ hesitant about how much resources he'd have to spend, but he never voiced how hesitant he was about cooperation between Kingdoms. It could have been a concern, in the back of his mind. So it wasn't… _entirely_ a lie.

"Yes, that's true."

"So then," His Eminence scratched his beard in thought. "Defending Halstatt…was done to convince Rotjes that our Kingdoms are willing to cooperate. To band together and oppose a common enemy."

My eyes widened. _Was this what Cobb was going for?_

"That's exactly what I was going for."

 _Not very subtle about it._ But apparently His Eminence didn't hear his latest remark.

"If that were the case…then Wynn acted to cement the deal. Thus, her actions in Halstatt were completely warranted." A contemplative smile graced His Eminence's features as he regained confidence in me. "And I suppose Bitters simply fled Halstatt and decided to make up a story about you. The nerve of—"

"Bitters didn't know." I blurted out, gaining His Eminence's full attention once more. "He wasn't aware that Rotjes was undecided. He simply thought I was acting beyond my jurisdiction. Which, given how it appeared, I cannot fault him for."

I looked to Cobb, my eyes telling him not to throw Bitters under the bus. Even if he did try and get me to lose my title, he was acting by the book. And I had given him the option to leave.

Cobb rolled his eyes, as if the idea of defending Bitters was worse than eating rotten flesh, but he gave a subtle nod, showing he wouldn't say anything.

"But then why didn't you explain yourself, Wynn?" His Eminence asked. "If you simply stated you defended Halstatt to sway Rotjes' mind, why not explain that to me? Why, I almost stripped you of your title!"

"Well…" I looked down as I tried to come up with a suitable answer. My eyes found Cobb's again, asking for help, and he didn't hesitate to step forward.

"It's because…she was worried how you'd take it." Cobb stated hesitantly before gaining momentum in his argument. "It wasn't originally part of the mission, but she took the risk anyway, knowing how much the Railroad meant to you and the Kingdom." He turned to face me. "On the surface, it seemed irresponsible and stupid…but it was done with the best of intentions. Because she—because even I can tell how much Wynn truly cares for this Kingdom."

I was struck by how genuine that sounded, given that Cobb was effectively lying. But then, thinking it over, it was all true.

I _did_ care for Ringwood.

I cared for the people.

I cared for the guards entrusted to me.

I cared for His Eminence and all the Kings that would follow.

And deep down…I cared for Cobb too.

So it was with an unrestrained smile that I got up from my kneeling position and moved to stand beside Cobb.

"Well, in that case, it would be absurd of me to even _think_ about stripping you…of your title! Stripping you of your title. *Cough* Yes. So, all things considered, well done, _Captain_ Wynn."

Cobb gave a little jump of joy when His Eminence wasn't looking and I couldn't help but laugh as I gave him a good-natured pat on the shoulder. And to think, the last time we were in that throne-room we were at each other's throats.

"Ah, see!" His Eminence spoke, looking inordinately pleased at our interactions. "I knew you two would become good friends."

* * *

As we exited the palace and walked down the steps of the plateau, I turned to look at Cobb. He was stretching his arms before setting his hands behind his head.

"…Thanks for that."

Cobb gave an affirmative hum, focusing more on the steps instead of my statement.

"…Who told you my position as Captain was in jeopardy?"

He just shrugged. "Hard to say. Not that it matters, right? You get to stay a Captain and everyone's happy." His face darkened. "Everyone except Bitters."

"Don't start anything." I shook my head. "If he's willing to sell out a comrade, then he isn't worth getting angry over."

He raised an eyebrow. "You going to tell your guards that before they beat the snot out of him?"

"…Maybe after a week." I smirked despite myself. No doubt the other guards were having an interesting 'chat' with Bitters about trying to get me in trouble. "But…if you don't mind me asking…why?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why did you rush to my defense? It's not like I would have died if I lost my position."

"Well it means a lot to you, right?" Cobb tilted his head. "I mean, you like your job so much that you'd sacrifice yourself to save your fellow guards. In Daymonte, you were so desperate to get that Railroad deal to work out. And in Halstatt, you looked so conflicted choosing between your responsibilities as Captain and ensuring I didn't die. You love what you do!"

I nodded at that, surprised that Cobb caught all those emotions. Hard to believe he was the same oblivious Crafter who couldn't tell that Erin had a crush on him.

"If someone took away something I cared about," Cobb began as he looked at his hand. "I'd feel like…I don't know…like a piece of my world just broke apart."

He clenched his fist and frowned at it before suddenly remembering something. "Besides, we gotta keep up the act, right?"

"Er…Huh?" He smiled at my confusion.

"Well, His Eminence still thinks we get on like a house on fire." Cobb grinned up at the sky. "Little does he know how 'at each other's throats' we are."

I blinked at those words before catching on. I smiled in a superior manner, trying to act like how the old me would have acted towards Cobb. "Well, of course we're at each other's throats." I gave my ivory hair an elegant flip. "Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could purge that infuriating fishing rod from your fighting repertoire."

"Oh really?" He smirked challengingly, acting like his old self for old time's sake. "Last time I checked, my _repertoire_ killed a Hacker. And what was that you said about there being no recorded instances of that ever happening? Oh, that's right! There were no recorded instances of that. _Ever_. Happening."

"Don't remind me." I folded my arms and frowned, but I couldn't keep from laughing at Cobb's idiotically smug expression. He had his chin stuck out and his upper lip drawn over his mouth, looking pleased with himself.

It really was true. We were friends. And it felt comfortable enough that I didn't even have to try. It was just natural.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

"Well, Cobb." I smiled. "Since we need to keep up the act with His Eminence and appear as friends, I should play my part and…offer you a place to stay." I saw his eyes perk up, my offer more than he was ever hoping for.

"You…you really mean that?"

I nodded. "At least until you get enough emeralds for a place of your own. Until then, you're more than welcome to stay at my mansion. I'm sure Erin will be _more_ than happy to accommodate."

"That's grea—wait a second—"

"No, you don't have to sleep in the outhouse."

"Alright!" He pumped a fist enthusiastically. "Can Lenz stay too?"

"…He gets the outhouse."

"What? Come on. Throw him a bone."

"I only have one spare guestroom. It's either you or him in that outhouse."

"…He'll take the outhouse. I'm sure he won't mind the smell _that_ much."

And with that, Cobb and Lenz became the new guests of my home.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 6 Coal, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 12 Cookies, 25 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 7 Rotten Flesh, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 59 Redstone, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Carrot, 32 Steak, 13 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: RIP Furnace. You never stood a chance against Erin.**

 **Yeah, that whole Cobb argument about ships was a subtle nod to ALL of you shippers out there. I guess it's a sign that you guys generally care about the characters, but...I don't know. Usually there's gotta be some kind of connection before a ship can form.**

 **Because if a ship isn't properly crafted, it hits an iceberg of nonsense and sinks.**

 **...Too soon?**

 **Thankfully, this isn't a romance story. Plus, I write romance as good as a rock can run a marathon: Not very well. But this _is_ an adventure story, so the idea of romance isn't completely outright either.**

 **But enough about that. This Chapter, as the title says, is a return to normalcy. Nothing trying to kill Cobb while he's safely in Ringwood. Boring maybe, but it's the second to last Chapter before my Hiatus, so I'm not gonna start up another Arc. This one is more of a settling Chapter. Calming things down.**

 **But next Chapter...hoo boy...**

 **No Omake. See you Next Week (If I survive my tests and papers).**


	62. Worst Day Ever

**AN: This Chapter is super-duper late. Whoops.**

 **You can see why I need a Hiatus. Which will be starting after this Chapter.**

 **The title of this Chapter pretty much sums it up.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add more Enchantments.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 62

 **Worst Day Ever**

[Cobb]

"So there I was, armed with nothing but my trusty fishing rod and my own indomitable spirit—"

I could practically feel Wynn roll her eyes at that, but my story-telling was keeping Erin at the edge of her seat.

"—And then it hit me: Charged Creeper! And remembering how much Wynn praised my Mob Flail technique—"

"That's libel."

"—I swung that Charged Creeper right into Alec, destroying him in a _shocking_ explosion."

Erin giggled at my pun before Wynn lightly slapped her arm. "Don't encourage him. Puns are the worst type of humor."

"Cobbert," Lenz whined from across the table. "You did not mention my own heroic moments. The pitfall. Carrying a wounded guard through Halstatt…I nearly got struck by lightning!"

"Oh, yeah! Erin, you should have seen it. Lenz built this amazing pitfall trap that took out over six-hundred—"

"Th-that's nice, Cobb." Erin interrupted. "B-but I'd much rather hear about how you rescued Miss Whispers than some redstone contraption." I didn't miss Lenz's disgruntled glare at Erin, nor did I miss Wynn's frown.

"He didn't 'rescue' me." Wynn folded her arms defiantly. "I could have handled them if I needed to, but…er…I opted to let Cobb have a try. Yes."

"You didn't feel the need to let me try when you drove a knee into my stomach." I muttered.

" _What was that?_ "

"Nothing! I'm grateful you're letting me stay here! Please don't hit me!"

"That's what I thought you said."

Talking back and forth over Wynn's dining room table. I couldn't imagine a better way to start the day after a good night's rest. Lenz may have been upset about having to spend the night in an outhouse, but he agreed that he'd much rather be in the safety of Wynn's backyard than that park.

Though he was quite keen to change our money problem, listing off job offers from a newsbook.

"Novice Alchemist…Enchanter…Cat Salesman? Comparators! Where are all the redstone jobs?"

"This isn't Daymonte." Wynn commented, munching on her breakfast. "Here, redstone isn't as common. We have lights and doors, obviously, but we don't innovate like you redstone geniuses."

While Lenz groaned into the table, Wynn turned her attention back to me. "But speaking of jobs, I have some news for you."

I raised a brow. "You found a job for me that quickly?" I asked as I took a large bite of steak.

"You could say that." Wynn flipped her ivory hair before folding her hands over one another. "I think you should join the guards."

My eyes widened at that statement and I swallowed too quickly, choking on my steak. "Koff—gak!"

Erin was behind me in an instant, slipping her arms around and over my stomach and thrusting until the obtrusive piece of food was coughed out.

I massaged my neck and coughed to clear my airway. "Ugh…never tell me news like that when I'm in mid-swallow. Oh, and…thanks Erin."

"N-no problem, Cobb."

"…You can let go of me now."

"Oh! Y-yes, my bad!" Erin quickly leapt aside and released me before quietly sitting down, her face flush with embarrassment.

"So, you really think I should join the guards?" I asked the ivory-haired Captain.

She nodded. "We can always use more guards. The pay is good, it's morally filling, and you should bond well enough with the guards…seeing how they refer to you as the 'Fishing Rod Champion'."

"Oooh. I think I sensed some tension in that title."

"That's probably because I still don't like it." She spoke flatly.

"But come on! It defeated a Hacker!"

"Technically, the Charged Creeper defeated the Hacker." Lenz interjected, recovered enough from his redstone withdrawal to make a jab at me. "Though it is quite hard to believe. Hackers were always considered invincible beings. Yet for you to slay one…"

"I-I-I believe it's because Cobb is s-such a k-kind and caring Crafter that he managed to win." I could always count on Erin to have my back. Whether I'm choking or not.

"Well whatever the reason, I won't downplay that achievement." Wynn admitted. "Anyone that ever tried to fight a Hacker has ended up dead. We should all count ourselves lucky to still be alive." Wynn turned back to me, her face suddenly serious. "And you shouldn't boast about Alec's death."

My brow creased in confusion. "Why? He's gone." I could still remember his severed Head…and that smoke trail that shot up into the sky.

Wynn shook her head. "Alec was just one Hacker. There are still others, some maybe even more powerful than him."

"And?"

Wynn sighed as if whatever she was explaining was obvious. "Hackers have powers beyond mere Crafters. Think about Alec's powers. He could have rampaged in a Kingdom, killing God knows how many, and nobody would be able to kill him without realizing his one-hit kill weakness. Now just imagine what the _other_ Hackers can do. A scope of powers at their disposal. Whatever they want, they get. And nobody dares fight them.

"Now imagine they hear about one of their fellow Hackers getting killed by a simple Crafter. They start to think that Crafter's tough, then they want to see _how_ tough, and then they show up at your doorstep and kill you before you can say 'Charged Creeper Flail'."

My eyes widened as I processed all that. Yeah, it probably wasn't a good idea to brag. We had barely survived Alec and it wasn't hard to imagine that all-powerful Hackers would be so bored out of their minds they'd have nothing better to do than challenge a Crafter that killed one of them. Maybe they even had some sort of Hacker organization.

Sort of like Girl Scouts. Only with less estrogen.

 _Wait, what are girl scouts?_

Brain: _Well, they're girls. And their scouts. It's all in the title, really_.

 _I know that, but—wait, no, I_ don't _know that, I—Ngh! Normal Sense is too confusing!_

A new thought crossed my mind. "Okay, so I won't brag about it. But what about the guards that came with us? Did you tell _them_ not to talk about it?"

Wynn smiled proudly, giving her ivory hair a flip. "Of course I did. I think of everything."

"What about those Halstatt Villagers singing songs of Cobbert's heroic feats?" Lenz interjected yet again, causing Wynn's eyes to snap open.

"Er…so what do you say about joining the guards, Cobb?" I was amazed at how she could keep a straight face after such a terrible segue way. Clearly she neglected to consider the Halstatt villagers and how they would be overjoyed to praise me as their savior. Cobb: The Hacker Slayer. The Legend of the Billionth. And whatever else they had come up with.

 _But, seeing as how we had just saved a village from an army of Griefers, I'll overlook her negligence._

"Well, I'm practically a guard already." I replied evasively, not wanting to get Wynn's hopes up, if she even had any.

True, I needed the emeralds. I couldn't live off of Wynn's generosity forever, and asking Lenz to spend more than a week sleeping in an outhouse was just cruel. But being a guard…

I wanted to prove to Crafters that everyone had experience. That no single person is better or stronger, just because they've been around longer. Would becoming a Ringwood guard be the next step in my goal? And if not, then what would be the best next step?

"Take your time thinking it over." Wynn stated as she wiped her face with a piece of paper and stood up. "I've got some Captain business to be getting to anyway. I'll be back later tonight."

As she walked over to the wall to pick up her rapier and armor, I made to follow. "Hold on. You're just…leaving us? In your house? Unsupervised and all?"

Wynn fixed her amber gaze on Lenz and I and smiled. "I trust you two."

I was taken aback by how much faith she had in us. We must have really connected over the past few weeks.

"Because I trust you know what would happen if I get back and find something wrong with this house." Her face darkened and her pleasant smile promised pain if we so much as spilled water on the floor. "Right?"

"…Right."

"Good. Erin's in charge." Wynn swept out the door, pausing at the threshold to make one last utterance. "If you two are staying, you can help her with the chores."

And with that she closed the door, leaving the three of us in silence.

 _Chores?_ I glanced at the housekeeper who quickly looked away as if she had been staring at me. _What kind of chores do we have to do?_

* * *

"Yard work? Really?"

I questioned Erin as we made our way into the backyard. Even though I was grateful that Wynn let us stay in her home, and a few chores were a small price to pay in lieu of rent…

I honestly didn't expect to be doing yard work.

"W-we don't have that much to do." Erin tried to look at the bright side. Being a housekeeper, it was probably better to keep a positive attitude towards chores. "Lenz can handle the inside jobs. All we need to do is…" She pulled out a book from her belt containing a checklist. "Grow a set of birch trees to block the sun streaming through Miss Whispers' bedroom window, expand the pond, and…set up some new training dummies. Easy!"

"How…how is growing whole trees easy?" I scratched my head in confusion. "Is this another Minecraftia thing?"

"O-oh! Yes. I keep forgetting…well…" Erin pulled out some white powder from her backpack and a few light green saplings. "Bone meal, this white powdery stuff, can be used to accelerate plant growth. Sort of like nutrient rich fertilizer."

"Huh. That work for seeds too?"

She nodded. "I-It's quite the useful material, considering it drops from the bones of Skeletons."

She nervously handed me a bit of the powdery substance and I rubbed it between my fingers. For being crushed bones, it was surprisingly fine. "How long did it take to grind up this much bone meal?"

"Er…about a second." Erin chuckled before withdrawing a bone from her backpack and crafting it into bone meal instantly. "S-See?"

"…Ah." I replied, suddenly feeling stupid.

 _Of course!_ I mused sarcastically. _Why would I think grinding bones into something would take any effort when most everything in Minecraftia can be attributed to putting things in a crafting table!?_

With that explained, Erin and I set about plotting the saplings. I found it oddly hilarious watching tiny saplings burst into fully grown trees with just a few sprinkles of bone meal.

Bladder: _Skeletons must take a lot of vitamins to have nutrient-rich bones like these._

Brain: _Maybe they just drink a lot of milk._

After growing the final birch tree, we then started making some armor stands. Sticks and stone slabs, followed by some cheap leather armor to make them more dummy-like.

It was then that Lenz exited the mansion to join us. "Well, I fixed the lights. Turns out there was some leakage from the bathroom that broke some redstone."

"Very good." Erin nodded to the engineer before turning her attention back to the pond. "One job left."

"Did she say how much we need to expand this pond?" If she wanted this done purely to look aesthetically pleasing, then she should have been there to help us. Did she just trust our judgment?

"W-We only need to expand it to be able to fit the same amount of lily pads, but with more space in between." Erin rummaged in a lone chest before withdrawing two wooden shovels.

"Oh, no thanks, Erin." I waved off the wooden tool. "I have my own shovel." I withdrew the golden shovel Cosmic had gifted me, figuring it would be the best time to use it.

"Oh…um…one more thing, Cobb." Erin stopped me before I could dig into the grass covered dirt. "You…you probably don't want your clothes to get dirty so…s-so maybe you should…take your hoodie off?"

I paused to think it over in my head. "I guess dirt would stain pretty easily on my white hoodie." I conceded, causing Erin to look mostly pleased and a tad guilty at the same time. I concentrated my mind on removing my grafted clothes, and in response my hoodie faded into bits of light, leaving my torso covered in just my blue undershirt. "Okay, let's get digging—"

"M-Maybe you should take off your undershirt too." Erin interrupted quickly, her face turning redder by the minute. "Yard work c-can get pretty messy…"

I looked at my shirt, thinking it over, before shrugging. Just as I was about to will it off, a fresh thought came to mind. "Shouldn't you take your clothes off too?"

"Eep! W-w-what?" Erin looked hesitant. "I mean…I don't really think…that is…"

She was stuttering to come up with an excuse, but found herself incapable of speech.

"I do not think clothes in Minecraftia can stain, anyway." Lenz added, staring at Erin suspiciously. "You would think a housekeeper who does yard work would know that."

"Um…er…ah…m-must have slipped my mind! Aha-ha…ha." Erin backed off, driving her shovel into the dirt and determinedly not looking at either of us. With no more interruptions, I began to dig.

It was actually nicer working without my hoodie on. I could feel a faint breeze gently caress my skin, cooling it after all the hard work I did.

My mind couldn't help but stray to fighting those Griefers. Or fighting Mobs. Or fighting Alec.

Just working on maintaining Wynn's mansion was so…so…

Calm.

 _Is this what it's like to have a home? To have one set place to call your own? No camping, no picking your stuff up every night to move on, no desperate life-or-death battles every other day._

…

It was…different.

And something else was different too. I noticed after the tenth bit of dirt my shovel dug up. For some reason, instead of just picking up dirt, there was grass attached to it and the block was fittingly called [GRASS BLOCK].

"Uh…Erin?" I asked slowly, unsure of how to phrase my question.

"Okay, I admit it! I j-j-just wanted to see your chest! I'm sorry!"

"What? No! This isn't about that." I walked over to the blushing housekeeper, holding up the grass block. "I think my shovel's broken. Can I use that wooden one instead?"

"Broken? How could a shovel be…be…beeeeeee...?"

Erin was looking straight at the grass block in my hand like it was some precious jewel, her eyes wide with wonder.

"W-W-Where did you get that?" Erin stuttered, though this time, she didn't have that same blush.

"Yeah, see, that's what I was saying." I scratched my head, looking questioningly at the grass block. "My shovel just digs it up like this instead of just getting dirt."

"What are you talking about-ta-ta-ta-ba-ha-ba-wha?" Lenz, finally taking notice of the grass block, had the same reaction as Erin's. "Cobbert! Where…where did you get a grass block!?"

"From my…shovel?" I took out my golden shovel and looked at it more closely. "It's Enchanted with—"

"Silk Touch…" Erin murmured breathlessly. "Cobb…you…how long have you had this shovel?"

"Well, I just got it. Back at Halstatt, Cosmic gave it to me." I explained, still not understanding their awestruck reactions. "Why? Is it good?"

"Good? _Good?_ It's better than good!" Erin slapped a hand to her forehead. "Cobb, do you have any idea how rare—how valuable—"

"This whole time! You had a shovel like that and you never told me!?" Lenz sounded betrayed.

"Wha—I…I didn't know what it did. I still don't know what it does!" There was a pregnant pause. "So what does it do?"

"Come with me." Erin replied with more force than I ever remembered her using as she dragged me through the mansion. Lenz followed, spouting off questions about how Cosmic could have gotten her hands on such a rare enchantment.

"Hey, Erin! Don't pull! What about enlarging the pond?"

"Later. Right now I need to show you the value of what you're holding. And there's only one place to do that."

"Um…okay? And that is?"

"The Ringwood Market."

* * *

The Ringwood Market was a packed street filled with vendors and buildings offering a number of wares and services. Foods. Potions. Armor. Weapons. Enchantments. It had everything a Crafter could ever need.

And yet, as we stood there waiting for Erin to emerge from a building, I couldn't help but realize it was my first time being there.

"Why have I not known about this place sooner?" You would think it would be the first place I'd go for gear.

"It is a mystery." Lenz hummed in thought. "Just a moment…have you ever had emeralds to spend before?"

"…No."

"Mystery solved." Lenz raised his glasses, peeling the market apart with his eyes; scanning for any signs of something. "But still no redstone! This is ridiculous. This must be a Kingdom of cavemen."

"Just try not to insult people." I warned. "One moment, you're just calmly chatting with somebody…and then before you know it, you get involved in criminal activities and have to go to a far-away Kingdom and—OOF!"

Something solid caught my leg, causing both myself and a random passerby to crash into the ground. Lenz managed to avoid getting caught up in the tumble of limbs, along with another Crafter that must have been companions with the guy that tripped me.

"Oh…ow…my bad. Totally my fault." A man with short brown hair and a red and grey checkered hoodie picked himself off the ground.

"No problem." I winced as I got to my feet. Even though it was an accident, it felt as if the guy had put a lot of force into hitting my leg. I took a full Heart of damage from it.

"I warned you not to run in a crowd." The brown-haired man's companion commented, sparking a one-sided argument between the two. One in which the brown-haired one did all the yelling.

Out of habit, I glanced up at their names. The brown-haired one, Darkened_Wing, wore a red and grey checkered hoodie, blue jeans, grey sneakers, and had dark blue eyes. He seemed like the loud sort, if his yelling was any indication

His companion, Lucky_Luis, had shoulder-length silver hair, and purple eyes. His ears were a bit…pointier than normal. He wore a black baseball cap, black-framed glasses, an orange jacket, a green t-shirt underneath, faded jeans, and black skater shoes. He seemed like the quiet sort, if his silence was any indication.

They were also both wearing iron armor.

"—it's not my fault they were having a sale on chicken." Darkened_Wing folded his arms seriously. "I need me some chicken."

"I'll get you your chicken, _after_ you apologize." Lucky_Luis pointed towards me.

"I said I was sorry." Darkened_Wing frowned. "But since it's for chicken…" He made a laughably exaggerated bow, drawing out each word with a flourish. "I…Ammmmmmm…SoooooooOOOOoooo…" He stopped for a breath of air. "SoooooooOOOOoooooOOOOooooOOO…" He stopped for another breath of air. "SoooooOOOOooooooOoOoOoOo—"

"Alright, I get it!" I snapped, causing Darkened_Wing to grin cheekily. "I mean—sure. It happens. No big deal."

"See, Luis? He's fine." Darkened_Wing gestured to his companion. "I'm Wing by the way. And the quiet guy beside me is Luis. He likes long, awkward silences."

"Hello." Lenz nodded to the two. "My name is Lenzington, and this is my companion, Cobb. He likes fishing rods and talking to himself when he thinks nobody is listening."

Brain: _He's on to us!_

"Cobb?" Wing questioned, showing an immediate interest. "What a unique name. Were you thinking about corn while in the Void?"

"Look who's talking, Darkened_Wing." I countered. "How long did it take for you to come up with 'dark' in a black void?"

"Well since you asked so jerkily…sixteen hours. And my name is nothing to be ashamed of! I happen to like it."

"Why are you two arguing about names?" Lenz interjected, adjusting his glasses.

"Indeed. It's a pointless argument." Luis added, adjusting his glasses in the same way.

We watched them perform identical movements before Wing leaned over. "I think they're multiplying." He whispered.

"It's the nerd-pocalypse." I whispered back.

"Hey!" Lenz and Luis shouted at the same time before pointing at each other. "I am nothing like him! His hair is dark gray/silver and mine is silver/dark gray."

They both paused before turning to each other again, realizing their own similarities.

Wing and I gave a mock clap as if we were watching a mimicry performance.

Luis shook his head, massaging his eyes the same way Wynn usually did whenever I talked to her for too long about fishing rods. "Well, since we're all getting to know each other, how about joining us for lunch?"

"Great idea." Wing grinned before turning back to us. "You have _got_ to try 'The Chicken Bucket's' cooked chicken special. It's sooo good."

"While I do like chicken as much as the next guy—"

"Not if the next guy's me."

"We're actually waiting on a friend. Who, as a matter of fact, has just come out." Erin walked out of the building, signaling to us that it was okay to go inside. "Maybe another time."

"Yeah. Another time." Wing stated as he glanced at Luis. They seemed to exchange some kind of message through their eye contact.

"Maybe we should exchange addresses." Luis suggested hastily. "If you could just tell—"

"Oh. Sorry. What was that?" I had been too busy watching Erin beckon us inside again. It seemed she wanted us to hurry up, going so far as to call out to us.

"I said that we should—"

"Cobbert, we should probably hurry." Lenz walked over towards Erin and I quickly followed, offering a short wave to the two friendly Crafters.

Though for a second it looked like they were disappointed about something. Almost as if a plan of theirs had failed.

Brain: _That's an oddly specific way to describe what their faces look like._

 _Well then how would you describe it?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Bladder: _Lungs said he would describe it as the look of two individuals who specifically knocked into you to start up a natural conversation to try and form connections to learn more about you until they fully gain your trust and proceed to stab you in the back. But that's only guesswork._

 _…_

 _Brain: …Okay now_ that's _oddly specific._

The building we followed Erin into looked to be a dimly lit theater with rows of seats facing a large stage. There were hundreds of people inside, shouting out numbers and raising their hands. Why Erin had dragged us there, I had no idea.

Erin walked up to a couple of burly guards barring a hallway that led to the back. But after the housekeeper spared a few words, the guards stepped aside to let us pass. I glanced at Lenz who just shrugged, similarly as confused as I was as to where Erin was taking us.

But we followed.

Past a few doors, we finally came to one labeled 'Auction House Director'. Erin knocked politely before a voice beckoned us inside.

Opening the door revealed a wide-eyed man with a white, bushy beard. "Hello, fellow Crafters." The man nodded. "I trust you have a good reason to meet me in person. Perhaps an addition to today's Blitz Auction?"

 _Blitz Auction?_ I internally questioned before watching Erin step up to the Auction House Director's desk.

"Y-Yes. We have an addition." She turned her head. "C-Cobb, if you could take out the grass block."

"Oho!" The director straightened in his seat. "A grass block, you say. Quite the addition indeed."

"If we can agree on a price." Erin finished, causing the Director to grimace for a second.

I quickly took out the grass block and showed it to the man. He had the same expression Lenz and Erin had, as if the grass block was something more than dirt with grass slapped on top. "May I?" He held out a hand as if to examine it.

I tilted my head towards Erin who nodded that it was fine.

The Director examined the grass block and rolled it around his hand to get a better feel for it. "Hmm. It's genuine alright. A true grass block. Tell me, where did you get such an item?"

"It was—"

"He has his sources." Erin interrupted, shaking her head to tell me to stop talking. "And should he get a fair deal for the grass block, he may be persuaded to bring _more_ valuable items to this auction house."

"Yeah, I get the idea." The Director grimaced as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "What say you to…a thirty-five percent auctioning fee?"

"Try another number." Erin replied coolly. The way she spoke regarding the grass block sounded like she was a seasoned veteran in haggling.

"…Twenty-five?"

"Eighteen percent, or," Erin stopped the Director before he could protest, "We could go to your rival auction house across the street. I'm sure they would be more than happy to accept eighteen percent "

The Director looked like he had to swallow rotten flesh as he reluctantly shook Erin's hand. "Fine. Eighteen percent. That's more than enough considering the merchandise. Just be sure to come my way if you need any more merchandise sold."

Erin smiled brightly before stepping back from the Director. "M-Mind if we watch how it sells?"

The Director handed the grass block to another Crafter, who promptly hurried away, before gesturing back towards the hallway. "Go right ahead. It should be ready to auction in a few minutes."

 _What's happening right now?_ I questioned as we followed Erin out of the room. From what I had just gleaned, we had given away the grass block to be sold in an auction house. But was it really that valuable a block?

"Why didn't you let me tell him where I got the grass block?" I whispered to Erin, taking the hint to keep it secret but also wanting to know. Come to think of it, Cosmic had said the same thing too.

 _'_ _Just keep it a secret from the others.'_

 _'_ _I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.'_

"C-Cobb is…so close to me…" Erin muttered before snapping out of her daze. "W-Well…it isn't a good thing to mention you have a shovel with… _that_ Enchantment," She whispered under her breath. "It's incredibly r-rare and one of the most sought after Enchantments."

 _Wow. Cosmic gave me something like that?_ I couldn't believe something like that was nestled in my backpack. Maybe it _was_ a good thing I didn't mention I had a Silk Touch shovel. It would just draw a lot of attention…and maybe danger by theft.

We stepped out onto the auction floor and took some seats near the back. "So why is it such a valuable Enchantment? What does it do?"

"The Enchantment we are discussing," Lenz leaned over to explain, "Has the ability to break blocks…without breaking them."

"…You lost me."

Lenz sighed before trying again. "Normally, when you mine something like…say…coal ore for example. Coal ore drops coal, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if mined with a pick containing the same Enchantment as your shovel, you would obtain the coal ore, unbroken, instead of the coal."

"Ooooh. I think I get it now."

So the Silk Touch breaks a block softly without ruining it. That's why the grass stayed on those dirt blocks.

"Mining with Silk Tough tools can obtain blocks that normally would be irretrievable." Lenz continued. "Ice, redstone ore, glass, bookshelves. They can all be obtained with that Enchantment."

"But then…why was that Director guy reacting like that towards the grass block?"

"Y-You'll see." Erin promised, leaning to rest her head on my shoulder.

 _She must be tired._ I internally concluded before the Blitz Auction began before us.

As soon as it started, the auction floor became a madhouse. Seated Crafters shouting over one another and bidding for items presented on stage. At one point, a Crafter just threw emeralds at the auctioneer, shouting, 'Shut up and take my money!' before he was quickly escorted out.

Then came our grass block.

"Thirty emeralds!"

My eyes snapped open, shocked at the first bid.

Thirty emeralds!? That was _three times_ what that mason paid me for those rocks! How could a single block be worth so much?

"Forty emeralds!" Another Crafter shouted out, flailing his hands to get the auctioneer's attention.

I clutched my chest, the bidding prices giving me a mini heart attack of pure shock.

"Forty-five!"

"Fifty!"

"Fifty-one!"

"Pick better increments, asshole! Fifty-five!"

"Fifty-five-and-a-half!"

"Now you're making me angry!"

The numbers jumped back and forth, steadily rising higher and higher. "What…what am I even watching?"

"Grass blocks, which can only be mined with Silk Touch tools, are valuable for terraforming purposes." Erin explained. "If a Crafter has ugly, inhospitable dirt, a grass block can serve as a source of grass. And like wildfire, it spreads to the other dirt blocks."

"Sixty-five!"

"But…" I couldn't take my eyes off of the auction. "But I don't get it! How can grass be such a big deal!?"

"It's for aesthetics, Cobb." Erin patted my shoulder. "And the only people who can afford aesthetically pleasing items…are the filthy, stinking rich."

"Sold for Seventy-five emeralds!" The auctioneer concluded, handing off the grass block to a Crafter currently flipping-off the crowd.

"Th-that was a pretty fair price, considering." Erin smiled at the awestruck expression on my face. "Eighteen percent of it goes to the auction house, though."

That didn't really matter. One of those grass blocks just earned me eighty-two percent of seventy-five emeralds. I wasn't good at complex math like that, but I knew enough to know I earned a lot of emeralds.

And I still had nine more grass blocks…and a shovel that could keep digging them up.

Cosmic's words came back to me.

 _'_ _I'm sure you'll thank me for it someday.'_

"Thank you, Cosmic."

* * *

Even after the minus eighteen percent fee, I came out of that auction with sixty-one emeralds. I had never had so much money in my life. I…I didn't even know what to start doing with it!

So I decided to try splitting it up with Erin and Lenz. At first, Erin dismissed the emeralds, saying how she was always happy to help. But after I grabbed her hands and forced the emeralds into them, looking deep into her emerald eyes to say how I couldn't have done it without her…she suddenly fainted from blush overload.

Thankfully, the same thing didn't happen with Lenz. The engineer happily accepted twenty of the emeralds, and, after I explained to him I had somewhere to check out, he reluctantly agreed to carry Erin back to the mansion.

Lenz lugged Erin onto her shoulder while she muttered something about a cute fisherman in her sleep. "Strangely enough, this is the second time this week I have had to carry around an unconscious woman."

At those words, a passing guard stopped suddenly and gave the engineer a questioning stare.

"N-No, wait. That—that came out wrong!" Lenz tried to rectify. "Stop looking at me like that! I would never drug up women. I would not even know how. I have the social skills of a pebble."

While he kept trying to explain his wording to the guard with decreasingly successful results, I walked on towards the Eastern District, intending to see if Floyd had gotten back from his Nitebane mission.

I had remembered him talking about the Silver Intent and how its headquarters was beneath a farm. Hopefully he'd be back and I could tell him all about my recent adventures.

However, as I passed a certain store, I had to stop myself. A rather showy sign caught my attention, depicting a Crafter looking into a magical book.

'Falcone the Enchanterer: For All Your Enchanting Needs!'

I scratched my chin in thought, glancing between the sign and the street, before ultimately entering the store.

It was dimly lit, save for some redstone lamps that were shining through gaps along the walls. In the center was a stone slab, positioned awkwardly given the orientation of the room.

"I'll be right there!" A voice sounded from the back before a purple robed Crafter with a pointy wizard hat stepped forward. "Ah! A valued customer! How may I help you, sir?"

"Er…hey." I replied awkwardly, not really used to paying for services. "I'm…looking to enchant something."

"Well then, you've come to the right place! Let me just show you what Enchantments we carry." The man, Falcone_Pawnch, stated before he clapped twice. "Erzl! Get out her, now!"

At his command, a Crafter stumbled from the back, carrying a book in his hands. His name was all messed up, 3rZ1lwkn, telling me he was a Jibberman.

He thrust the book out to me, which I promptly began to flip through. I nodded at all the Enchantments they had, the sight of them bolstering my decision to come there. "You have everything I need. Though…the tool I'm enchanting is a special case."

That piqued Falcone's interest. "A special case you say? Do tell."

I pointed to a few pages in the book. "I need this and this…and _maybe_ this. And the item I need enchanted…is _this_!"

The enchanter raised his brow skeptically. "Is this some kind of joke? Why would you want _that_ enchanted?"

"Can you do it or not?"

"Oh, I can do it alright." He assured, folding his arms to size me up. "But do you have the emeralds for it?"

I smiled as I flashed the twenty emeralds I had just earned. "To give you an idea, I just came in to a lot of money. This, right here, is pocket change."

"Hmmm. Now we're talking." Falcone smiled before accepting the item I handed to him. "However…I'll need a few days to enchant this. It'll also cost about…sixty emeralds."

Sixty? That was pretty steep, even with the grass block earnings I could make in the meantime. Time for some haggling.

"Forty emeralds."

He frowned. "Get out."

"Sixty emeralds it is!" We agreed, making me remember I was terrible at haggling.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Falcone smirked as I walked out of the store, disappointed over the price…

But eager for the enchanted item I would get.

* * *

 _Today was a good day._ I thought to myself as I approached Granger's Barn, the headquarters of the Silver Intent.

 _I got a lot of emeralds, found a suitable source of income, made friends with those two random Crafters—what were their names again? Ling and Wuis?—And in a few days I'll have an awesome enchanted weapon._

The only thing that could make it better was for Floyd to be back. We'd share stories about our adventures over a drink or a walk.

I'd tell him how I stumbled upon a secret lab in Daymonte and fell into an alternate dimension of Endermen. How I found Herobrine's book on Advanced Mobs.

I'd be sure to include the part where I met my new friend, Lenz…but maybe exclude the part where he tried to kill me.

And how could I forget the Battle of Halstatt. The lightning storm, the Griefer army, Alec the Hacker, the Charged Creeper Flail.

I smirked. _I bet whatever his mission was, he'll never be able to top the craziness I've been through._

And maybe Soul will be there too. He didn't think I was too strong, but maybe he'll change his mind after hearing my story.

I found myself searching more eagerly for the ladder beneath the hay bales as I contemplated how the conversation could go.

 _Then Floyd will tell me about his adventures in a vague attempt to outdo me. Though…maybe it would be fairer to let him tell me about his adventures first._

 _Yeah, then I'll downplay my own adventures, act like they were no big deal. All in a day's work for King_Cobb._

Finally, I found the ladder and climbed down it two rungs at a time.

 _He'll probably question why everything cool happens to me. Then I'll say how I didn't find it too cool when Alec was beating the crap out of me._

I landed on the ground and turned to take in what the Silver Intent Headquarters looked like.

 _Or when I thought I was lost in the End._

I walked forward, glancing at some bubbling potion stands in the corner. A few sounds from a set of doors caught my attention.

"—there was a Lieutenant. Never seen or heard of her before. She was the one that did it." A gruff voice explained. It was Soul's.

"Well, there's a silver lining in that, at least." A second voice, this one sounding older, spoke.

"Is that what you think of it?" A shaky voice filled with disgust spat. It was Cara's. "A silver lining for the Silver Intent? What kind of acknowledgement is that!?"

They were back!

Back from their mission!

Without a moment of consideration, I pushed past the doors and into a smaller room with a map across the back wall.

Three Crafters whirled to face me. First was Soul, his hand on the axe handle at his belt, before he relaxed upon seeing I wasn't an enemy.

Then there was a silver-haired man, who looked confused as to who I was. He reached for a splash potion, but stopped…

When Cara spoke my name. "C-Cobb. You…you're back." She tried to meet my eyes, but struggled too much before keeping them fixed on the floor.

Yeah. I was back. And so were Cara and Soul.

But…where was Floyd?

I looked around the room, as if the blue-nette was just hiding somewhere. "Where's Floyd?"

Cara turned to look away, unable to face me. And the expression on her face, I realized, was guilt.

"Where's Floyd." I repeated, a little louder and with more urgency.

 _No. He's fine. I'm worrying about nothing._

Nobody was answering me though. They all remained quiet, glancing at each other to try and decide something.

" _Where is Floyd?_ "

 _He has to be fine. He's Floyd. He's probably just out mining or looking for me. He's a good friend like that, always looking out for me, even when I promised him I could take care of myself._

"Cobb." Soul walked up to me, his face as stoic and resolute as stone. "Floyd is—"

 _No._

 _No. No no no!_

 _This isn't right!_

 _This is wrong!_

"Where is Floyd?" My voice was faint and my eyes blurred as tears leaked from them.

Soul's crimson eyes narrowed, but not out of hatred.

"Floyd's dead."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 6 Coal, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 9 Grass Blocks, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 12 Cookies, 24 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 7 Rotten Flesh, 21 Emeralds, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 59 Redstone, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Carrot, 32 Steak, 13 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 20 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **Whelp, enjoy that totally non-cliff hanger ending for the remainder of this Hiatus. Happy Halloween! Mwahahaha!**

 **...**

 **Yeah, I'm a jerk leaving it off like that. Sorry.**

 **I purposefully chose to entitle this Chapter 'Worst Day Ever' because it gives the reader something to dread. You see that title and you think something really bad is going to happen. You keep reading the chapter and see things are actually going great, but that title is still at the back of your mind. That was what I was trying to do. Maybe I succeeded, maybe I didn't.**

 **As for the length of this Hiatus...I've rigged up a dart board with different clips of papers attached. Each one reads out a different month. I'm gonna throw a dart at it, and whichever month I get will be when the story resumes. Because I'm obviously not ending it with this Chapter.**

 **Okay, here goes the dart...**

 **...**

 **The Hiatus will end in...April? No, no, no that's too far away. You viewers would turn into skeletons if you had to wait that long.**

 **So how about...January! Yeah! A two month break and I'll be refreshed and ready for more typing! 'My Craft' will return on a _mysterious_ Wednesday in January. As I've said before the last Hiatus, I need this time to recharge and refresh myself. And while I'm enormously grateful to all the readers who support this story, I need time to relax. I _need_ this. All I ask is that you readers patiently wait.**

 **But if you can't, you can always satisfy yourselves with other My Craft-esque stories. Apparently, some people liked my story so much, they wrote fanfics of my fanfic, which is just a fanfic about Minecraft.**

 **Fanfiception.**

 **Here's a few stories you can occupy your time with if you feel like reading about Minecraft.**

 **Factions by AwakenedKarbon**

 **Of Blocks and Mobs by Crafted Reality**

 **Swords and Spells by SansThePunnist**

 **So...yeah. See you all in two months or so. Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas...if you celebrate any of those. (^_^)**

 **-Your Friendly Neighborhood Corn Cob**

 **P.S. Please don't riot.**


	63. Ten Days Past

**AN: Greetings, all you ' _My Craft_ ' fans! Did you miss me?**

 **Hope you all had a Merry Christmahanakwanzika and enjoyed the minimum two weeks you got off of school. Or maybe more if you had snowstorms and mother nature throwing you a bone.**

 **I for one had an excellent Hiatus, thanks for asking. Nothing like sipping fruity umbrella drinks on a lawn chair in the beautiful winter sun. May have lost a few fingers to frostbite, but, I mean, ring fingers are overated anyway. I type everything chickenscratch.**

 **Also, my flashdrive was stolen after I left it in a computer, forgot about it, and didn't come back for it until a day later. Whoever stole it must be a criminal genius.**

 **So, please allow a moment of silence for my lost flash drive. May it find everlasting peace in that big, USB port in the sky.**

 **...**

 **In other news... I passed 100 Favs and Follows! HOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That's crazy! You guys are so awesome!**

 **And it was during my Hiatus too! Man, I should go on Hiatus more often.**

 **...**

 **Hahaha! I kid, I kid!**

 **...Mostly.**

 **Anyway where was I in the story? I don't think anything plot-significant or cliff-hanger-y happened last Chapter, yeah? Yeah.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add stone jut biomes.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 63

 **Ten Days Past**

" _Where is Floyd?_ "

 _He has to be fine. He's Floyd. He's probably just out mining or looking for me. He's a good friend like that, always looking out for me, even when I promised him I could take care of myself._

"Cobb." Soul walked up to me, his face as stoic and resolute as stone. "Floyd is—"

 _No._

 _No. No no no!_

 _This isn't right!_

 _This is wrong!_

"Where is Floyd?" My voice was faint as my eyes blurred with something wet leaking from them.

Soul's crimson eyes narrowed, but not out of hatred.

"Floyd's dead."

* * *

[Ten Days Ago]

The moon shone high, faintly illuminating the rocky expanse that stretched for miles. Solid shards of stone jutted out of the ground at multiple angles, forming natural cover from the cold winds.

Under one such rocky cover laid three Silver Intent members. Cara and Soul were sound asleep while Floyd was perched on a crafting table turned chair, his head nodding as he struggled to stay awake.

How many days had it been, he wondered, since they separated from Cobb and Wynn. Traveling by boat down the Kawa River had taken little time compared to riding horseback. And there had been a pleasant lack of Griefers when crossing the Restful Meadows.

But when the terrain had changed from grassy meadows to a rocky expanse…that's when things got bad. Packs of Griefers passed by regularly, forcing the Silver Intent trio to keep to the shadows.

And where there were shadows, there were Mobs.

Soul and Cara had managed for the most part…but Floyd was downright useless. Not for lack of trying, however.

Floyd hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since he first joined the Intent. His night terrors reliving the death of his friend or envisioning the deaths of his friends had robbed him of rest. They had gotten so bad that he had remained awake for over a week just to make them stop.

Which led to his current exhaustion as he kept watch for the group. It was actually Soul's turn to keep watch, and Floyd was supposed to wake him up to switch…but he just couldn't find the point in doing so.

His eyelids felt so heavy and he was hunched over, his body lacking the energy to fight back against gravity. He knew he would be fine if he could just get some rest.

But he also knew that with rest came those nightmares. And he couldn't face those again. They were too real. Too vivid. He'd wake up screaming and then Cara would worry about him and Soul would look down on him.

He didn't want that.

He'd figure out a solution on his own.

This was _his_ guilt eating away at him. This was _his_ problem to face. Nobody else's.

"Mmh…" Floyd jerked his head up, hand flying to the sword at his belt, only to relax upon realizing the sound was only Cara talking in her sleep. "N-no officer, I— *yawn* —have no idea how that cult-controlled building caught fire… Must have been the wind…"

Cara turned over in her sleep, subconsciously reaching into her backpack for something. When she started striking her hands together, Floyd was sure that if he hadn't confiscated her flint and steel while she slept, she would have committed sleep arson every night.

As Floyd blinked blearily, his eyelids finding it harder and harder to re-open, he eventually just closed them, listening to the ocean winds whistle across the rocky terrain.

Floyd didn't know how long he kept his eyes closed, just listening to the peaceful winds. But eventually his ears picked up a slight shuffling sound approaching their camp.

His hand made its way to his belt before he slowly opened his eyes, focusing in on the blur of a shape approaching him.

Slicked white hair. Rectangular pince-nez glasses that served like windows to those piercing light blue eyes. The long-sleeve lavender shirt with black sleeves and a pair of cobalt jeans.

It was his dead friend: Silent_Game.

Floyd moaned to himself. "Oh, joy. I fell asleep again." That was the only logical reason for him to be seeing a dead friend. It had caught him by surprise the first four or five times it happened, but now he was ashamed to say he was used to Silent showing up in his dreams.

He was a ghost, whose presence served as a haunting reminder of just how weak he was.

"Well, let's get this over with so I can wake up screaming and continue guarding the camp." Floyd picked himself off the ground (an action made much harder by his exhaustion) as he—

…

 _Why would I be exhausted in my dream?_

No matter how bad his nightmares got, he was never usually tired or exhausted. He was just… _there_. A witness to the horrors his guilty mind could come up with.

But here…here he was still dead tired. And, now that he thought about it, the surroundings weren't blurry and unrecognizable as they usually were within his dreams. They were very clear and detailed. The scratch marks on the ground. The cold wind still whistling across the rocks. The moon hovering overhead.

The sensations were too real for it to be a dream. And Soul and Cara were still snoozing away without a care in the world.

"What…what is this?" Floyd took a step back from the apparition of Silent which was still staring at him with his piercing eyes. "You…no matter how badly I want you to be here…this can't be real!" His voice took on an edge of panic.

This was the second time Floyd had seen Silent, post-death, without it being a dream. But why was he even seeing him in the first place.

Silent stood true to his name, not making a sound and watching the blue-nette grow increasingly more panicked. Those eyes of his weren't dead. They were filled with sorrow and a twinge of resentment.

"Whatever you want, just say it!" Floyd shouted, his voice echoing across the terrain and causing Cara to stir. "I'm sorry! I…I didn't mean to—!"

" _You didn't mean to?_ "

Floyd's words were cut off immediately by the icy tone his deceased friend used. The way it chilled his bones, robbing him of any and all warmth.

" _What part didn't you mean to?_ " Silent questioned as he tilted his head, making the lenses of his glasses opaque again. Floyd didn't know whether he preferred the opaque lenses or the piercing light blue eyes. Both were equally creepy.

"I…I didn't mean to-to…to run away!"

" ** _Liar._** " Silent whispered, causing Floyd to flinch. " _You fully intended to run. Just like you fully intended to abandon Soul to die. You're lucky he survived…or rather,_ " Silent raised his glasses and smirked slightly. _"Is it perhaps you feel_ unlucky _he survived?_ "

"W-what?" Floyd was taken aback at the apparition's latest remark. "What do you mean? I'm relieved Soul is alive!"

" _Is that right? Having a constant reminder of your cowardice hanging around you? Having him throw all those guilty feelings back in your face?_ " Silent continued, his voice carrying with the wind. " _You can't tell me you wouldn't rather have all memories of that day expunged. Think of how much less you'd have to worry about earning Soul's forgiveness. Isn't it too much hassle when you could just as easily wish him dead so you can start anew with Cobb?_ "

"Shut up!" Floyd shouted. "Cobb and Soul are both my friends! And I'm gonna redeem myself! I'm not the same weakling as I was before!"

The apparition of Silent chuckled darkly. " _True. However…you're not as strong as you could be._ "

As Silent spoke this, two dark lines began to form over his light blue eyes—the same lines as Floyd's. He pointed to them meaningfully, even as his sclerae turned black and a dark smoke began to seep from them. The smoke swirled around him, coalescing to encompass his entire being.

Floyd's eyes widened in shock. "What's with that smoke…What are you doing?" He demanded.

Silent shook his head. " _It's not what_ I _'m doing…take a look at yourself._ "

Floyd turned down to look and gasped when he saw his hand cloaked with that same mysterious dark smoke. It felt cold...but also felt impervious to the exhaustion permeating the rest of his body.

" _You didn't have to be a weakling that day._ " Silent stated as he approached Floyd. " _With a power like yours…you could have murdered those two cultists. And I might still be alive._ " A tear slid down Silent's face. " _The pain you must feel over my death…it must be staggering._ "

Floyd took half a step back. "Wait, what power are you… I… I don't understand…Gah!" As quickly as the smoke had enveloped his hand, it was gone. The smoke's absence left a tingling sensation on his arm, and no longer did it feel overflowing with power. Now, the blue-nette was left with a dull ache in his hand, feeling more exhausted than he did before.

Floyd clutched his hand as Silent got even closer, raising his arms as if to embrace him. " _Now…just hold still…and I'll make your pain go away._ "

"I don't…?" Floyd blinked, watching the blurry form of Silent refocus into an approaching Creeper.

*sssssssSSSSS!*

"FLOYD!" Someone screamed.

An arrow quickly sunk into the Creeper's side, throwing it aside just enough to keep its blast from killing the blue-nette.

Floyd stumbled back, not just from the force of the explosion, but by how abruptly the apparition of Silent had melded back into reality. He had imagined that whole thing, but this was definitely no nightmare.

The conversation with Silent's ghost or whatever had distracted Floyd from noticing the pack of Mobs that had stumbled upon their camp. Zombies, Spiders, and Creepers had surrounded the three Silver Intent members and were now closing in.

Cara, who had been awoken by Floyd's shouting, already had her bow drawn and was shooting any Mob in sight. "Soul! Wake up! We need your angst- fueled anger now more than ever!"

"Whu—Geez!" Soul rolled to life as a Spider nearly pounced on him. A second later and his iron axe was buried into the arachnid's face. "God, is a good night's sleep too much to ask for!? How'd all these Mobs get the jump on us?"

"Later!" Cara threw out hastily as she shot a Creeper on Soul's left. "Floyd! Get over here! We need to form a protective circle!"

Floyd blinked in confusion, still registering the current situation. Approaching Mobs. Imminent danger. "Oh…R-right!"

He reached for his iron sword, intending to fight his way to his fellow Silver Intent members, but found his left hand too weak to even grasp his weapon. In fact, it wasn't just weak. It felt almost foreign to him, like he was using a different hand entirely. A numbed and useless hand.

The same hand that was enveloped in smoke before.

"Floyd? Floyd!" Cara called out as several Zombies surrounded the blue-nette. He could do little but push them away with his one functioning hand. Couple that with his exhaustion and the Zombies were having a field day clawing and batting him around.

"Out of the way!" Soul downed his last, precious Strength Potion and came barreling through the approaching Mobs. Again and again his iron axe fell, dispatching Spiders and Zombies, while Cara picked off the Creepers with her bow. In their wake was a trail of gunpowder, string, and rotten flesh from the fallen Mobs.

By the time they reached Floyd, the exhausted Crafter was managing a feeble, curled-up resistance to the onslaught of Zombies. Soul actually dove into the crowd of Zombies, and for a few moments, nothing happened.

But the next instant, flashes of silver violently whipped around inside the crowd of Zombies, thinning their numbers drastically.

Floyd, after using his still-functioning hand to withdraw his sword, helped as much as he could. Though for every Zombie he struggled to kill, Soul had effortlessly slain five.

Together, the three Silver Intent members cleared away the Mobs until, with one final swing of his axe, Soul chopped the last Zombie into hunks of rotten flesh.

Safe for the moment, the three took a few calming breaths, Floyd's being noticeably more labored.

"What. The _hell_. Was _THAT_!"

Soul was the first to assign blame, marching up to the blue-nette with anger flaring in his crimson eyes. "I wake up from a dead sleep only to be greeted, not by a delicious and well-balanced breakfast, but by three-square meals of _Spiders_ to the face, with a side of Creepers and Zombies! What happened!? Wasn't it your shift!?"

Under Soul's accusing glare, Floyd could only look down in shame. "I-I'm sorry, I just…" Floyd flexed his left hand, trying to regain feeling in it. Trying to figure out which parts of Silent's hallucination were real or not. "I must have… passed out. Sorry."

That did little to calm Soul down. In fact, it seemed to make him even madder. "Passed out? The whole point of shifts is so that you don't get tired!" Soul gripped his axe tighter. "You feel like nodding off, you wake the next guy up! That's just common—!"

"Soul, calm down!" The purple-haired Cara, mediator and leader of the trio, was quick to intervene. "It was an honest mistake. We covered a lot of ground today. Floyd probably just underestimated how tired he was. Right, Floyd?"

The blue-nette nodded numbly, not really listening to Cara's defense. Her words wouldn't change the fact that he screwed up. Again! He was supposed to keep watch, or at least swap with Soul if he couldn't. Instead he messed up on both counts.

And that apparition of Silent… or whatever it was… had he imagined that? It was hard to admit, but with Silent_Game proven dead, there was no other possibility: He was seeing things.

His sleep deprivation and guilt were making him see things. Making him hear things too, if that conversation was any indication.

And that smoke around his left arm… It must have been another hallucination. Though why it still felt numb, he had no idea. Maybe he was so tired that parts of his body were just falling asleep on him.

Floyd shuddered as the memory of Silent's apparition walking up to embrace him, only for it to transform into a Creeper. It was like Silent was indirectly trying to kill him.

He didn't like the idea of that.

If Cara hadn't shot that Creeper and snapped him out of it…

He didn't like the idea of that, either.

After a few minutes of talking, Soul cooled down to a lukewarm resentment on the anger scale. "Tch… Whatever. This time, _I_ 'll keep watch. It's my shift anyway… and I won't screw up."

The brown-haired Crafter didn't bother to mutter that last comment. He spoke it loud and clear, with enough disappointment to make Floyd feel worse about himself. Cara frowned on, but it wasn't like she could make him take back the words.

"Let's just try and get some sleep. We'll need our rest for tomorrow." Cara advised before walking back to her bed. Soul, meanwhile, climbed the nearest jut of stone to get a better view. That left Floyd to drag himself over to his own bed and lie down, but not actually get any rest if his nightmares had anything to say about it.

As the blue-nette shifted on his comfy bed, he noticed Cara's aqua-marine eyes, wide open and watching him. She was making sure he actually got some sleep.

Floyd knew she meant well to worry about him, but he also knew that sleep was unattainable in his current state. Not just because of his exhaustion, but also because of the guilt and thoughts of Silent raging around inside his head.

But he'd have to fool Cara into thinking he was sleeping. And it wasn't easy to pull one over on her. It would take acting skills far superior than anything a fake lawyer such as he could muster.

There was one way he could do it; a surefire move that would make it look like he was in a soundless slumber and put Cara's worries at ease.

And as Cara's eyes locked onto Floyd's purple ones, he realized he had to implement his move _now_!

 _It's do or die!_

He rolled over.

Cara gave a slight huff that might have been a scoff before she broke her bed, stepped deliberately over Floyd's prone form, re-placed her bed, and laid down so that she once more had a good view of Floyd's face.

 _…_

 _Damnit, she's good!_

Out of moves, Floyd reluctantly admitted defeat by closing his eyes, hoping that he could keep his mind from drifting into the horrors of his subconscious.

* * *

The next day, the Silver Intent group continued their trek east, through the rocky expanse between them and Nitebane. While most of the Mobs that spawned in the night were incinerated by the rising sun, some were smart enough to take cover beneath the shade provided by juts of stone.

Whatever Mobs the group crossed, they eliminated silently. For there was more than Mobs to worry about as they approached Nitebane.

Bands of Griefers, sparse before, were now more numerous. And unlike the Griefers near Daymonte, these bands had consistent, durable armor. Not to mention almost all of them travelled by horse, with ample food hanging off their belts.

Cara had warned the group about such. Being so close to the Griefer capitol of Minecraftia, it was no wonder the Griefers were well supplied. Which was why it was incredibly important that they avoided being seen. Keeping to the shadows of the stone juts and waiting as large bands of fifty or so Griefers passed, while time-consuming, was the safest way into Nitebane.

Needless to say, Soul was more than a little restless.

"All I'm saying is I could take out forty—maybe fifty?—yeah, definitely fifty, if we just—"

"No. Bad Soul." Cara splashed him with a bottle of water, causing the axe-wielder to hiss and shield his face. Floyd, eyelids heavy, couldn't help but liken the scene to a cat being spritzed. "Even if you could take out fifty, the fighting would just draw a hundred more."

"Okay. And?"

Cara looked incredulously at him. "And then you'd have to fight a hundred more! And that would just draw two-hundred more!" She whispered.

Soul furrowed his brow as he contemplated. "That doesn't sound too bad—"

"No!" Another big splash of water, soaking him. "Bad! Floyd tell Soul that he's— _wake up_!"

Cara splashed the drowsy Floyd, shocking him awake. "Yes, I'm a lawyer— Oh, sorry. What were we saying?"

"We were saying how you didn't get enough sleep." Cara tossed her now empty water bottle, and glared disapprovingly at the blue-nette. "I thought I told you to get some _sleep_."

"I… I know, but… I just couldn't." Floyd looked away as he rubbed his left arm. "I closed my eyes and everything, but I just couldn't fall asleep." Noting Soul's critical glare, Floyd stood up a bit straighter and rubbed the bags out of his eyes. "But I'm fine! Really." He was trying to assuage their worries.

"Really?" Cara spared him a skeptical glance before turning her attention towards the passing Griefer packs. From their cover, she saw a momentary lapse in Griefers. "Then prove it."

"Um… okay. How do I—?"

"We can run to the next stone jut, and you're the fastest one here." Cara explained, watching Floyd carefully. "If you're as well rested as you say, you should have no trouble beating us there. And don't even think about cheating with a Swiftness Potion! I've been keeping track."

"I wasn't thinking that." Floyd lied, already taking his hand away from his backpack. "Fine. I'll show you guys I'm in top form. Whenever you're ready."

Cara nodded, gesturing to Soul to get ready to run. When everyone was ready, she held up three fingers.

She lowered the first…

Then the second…

Floyd kicked off the ground as soon as the last finger lowered. He ran as fast as he could, his purple eyes never losing focus of the jut of stone that was the finish line.

He huffed and puffed as he pushed himself harder and harder. His lungs were practically screaming for him to stop. He ignored it all and kept sprinting.

Then he watched as Soul passed him.

 _Was he always that fast?_ Floyd thought as he struggled to catch up. His legs were already starting to feel heavy, yet Soul seemed to be jogging effortlessly.

 _At least I'm still ahead of Cara._ Floyd reasoned, trying to see the silver lining in things.

However, half-way to the jut of stone, Floyd turned his head to see how close Cara was…

And he gasped. It was one of shock and completely separate from his frantic gasps for air.

Because when the blue-nette turned to see where Cara was, he was surprised to see she hadn't left the starting line. She was just leaning on the stone jut, completely unconcerned with how much of a head-start she was giving everyone.

It was only when Soul finally made it to cover and Floyd was two-thirds finished that Cara finally ran out.

She was sprinting as fast as her legs could carry, her eyes showing laser-focus on her goal.

Floyd, meanwhile, had slowed to a crawl. Any energy he had, had been expelled to get him two-thirds of the way to the finish line. He was running on fumes, and Cara was gaining fast.

"N-no… c-can't… "

* _Gasp_ *

"L-Lose…"

* _Wheeze_ *

"I… I…"

It was when Cara's purple hair passed him that Floyd knew he lost. And to make his loss worse, his own feet, too tired to even stand, buckled. The blue-nette fell face first into the rocky ground, smashing his nose and eliciting a defeated whimper.

Cara didn't stop running until she touched the stone jut. Then, with the same hand, she pushed off it and jogged back to the fallen Floyd. The whole action took less than a second, as if she had fully expected him to collapse from the short run.

Soul watched on as Cara grabbed hold of Floyd's hands and tugged him the rest of the way to the finish. Once they were safely within cover again, Cara propped Floyd against the stone jut.

Despite himself, Floyd offered a lopsided smile. "See?— *pant* — Told you— *wheeze* — I could do it."

"Yep, you sure showed us." Cara replied with a sarcastic bite. "Get some rest, winner."

"No… really…" He made to stand. "I'm… I was just… I can keep going…"

There was a growl before Soul stepped forward, shoving Floyd back down so that he was laying against the stone jut again. "If you can keep going, then stand up."

Floyd took a rattling breath as he tried to stand again.

But Soul demolished his efforts with another straight-forward shove. One that Floyd didn't even bother to defend against.

Floyd tried to stand a third time, only for Soul to shove him back on his ass. The back of Floyd's head slammed painfully into stone. His arms flailed weakly as he tried to gather the momentum to make another attempt.

Soul was standing nearby, arm outstretched to shut the blue-nette down. "You're exhausted, asshole. Stay down and sleep already."

"I… I can't…" Floyd weakly muttered. His eyes darted to Cara, trying to relay a private message.

Cara, it seemed, understood. "Soul, give me a moment to talk to Floyd privately."

"What?" Soul growled. "What for?"

"That's between Floyd and I." Cara stated. And it was clear that she wasn't going to say anything more about it.

Soul rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if he doesn't go to sleep, give me a call and I'll be sure to knock him out." He cracked his knuckles intently before stepping away, giving Floyd and Cara enough space to talk privately.

"So…" Cara began, clapping her hands together. "You realize you need sleep, right? I don't have to point that out to you anymore?"

Floyd grimaced. "No… You've made that perfectly clear. You and Soul both." He rubbed the back of his head, wincing slightly from the pain.

Cara knelt down beside the blue-nette. She took out a Potion of Healing and offered it to him. He sipped it sparingly, enjoying the healing effects.

"We need you well-rested, Floyd. We need _you_." Cara looked him in the eyes as she spoke this. "I get that your nightmares are making that hard, but you have to either soldier through them or fix what's causing them. And if that means telling Soul what you're going through—"

"No!" Floyd gripped Cara's arms tightly, causing her to wince. "No… he—he can't know. He can never find out!"

Cara raised an eyebrow, ignoring the pain Floyd's grip was causing. "Why not? He deserves the right to know. And this has to stop! Just look at yourself. You look like death warmed over."

Slowly, Floyd loosened his grip around her arms. "Yeah… I know… And I'm taking care of it."

Cara's gaze turned flat. "Really?" She gestured to his entire being. "This is you taking care of it?"

His eyes narrowed. "I'm doing everything I can… You think I _like_ feeling exhausted all the time?"

"I'm beginning to wonder…" She muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Look," She held his hands in hers, calming him down. Like it or not, your body _needs_ sleep to function. So that's what you're gonna get."

"But… But… Soul is usually asleep when I try to sleep." Floyd's eyes strayed to Soul. The axe-wielder had his back to them so they could have their private talk. "If I go to sleep before him… my nightmares… they'll make me scream and he'll wonder why and then… and then…"

And then Soul would forgive him. But it wouldn't be genuine. It would only be because if Soul knew his refusal to forgive was slowly eating away at him, he'd swallow his hate and forgive.

"…and then…"

But that wouldn't mean a damn to Floyd. He knew he screwed up. He knew he had to fix things. He had to do something so good, it would obliterate all his past failures and prove to Soul that he was strong.

"…and then…"

That he had changed.

Floyd looked down sadly. "Telling him won't fix it. It'll just make everything worse."

Cara's eyes softened. "Don't worry." She smiled down at the blue-nette, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. "If you start to scream, I'll wake you up before Soul notices. I'll be there the second those nightmares rear their ugly heads."

Floyd looked up, hope shining in his bloodshot eyes. "R-really? You'd do that?"

Cara nodded.

"Promise?"

She held up her hand. "I promise."

Floyd kept his gaze on her, thinking things over, before his head slumped down. A weary sigh escaping him like trapped air finally freed.

"…Okay. Maybe I can get a few winks of sleep…"

"Of course you can." Cara smiled gently, placing her own bed and helping Floyd into it. "But just so you actually get some sleep this time…" She turned around and quickly walked to Soul. The axe-wielder raised a brow as Cara whispered something into his ears, pointed towards Floyd, and then pantomimed something involving bonking herself on the head and her head lolling to the side, unconscious.

Soul smiled, understanding it perfectly and nodded to her before marching towards Floyd. While he cracked his knuckles menacingly, Floyd had pulled the covers up to his chin, his eyes wide with realization.

"Um… guys… I think some warm milk would do the trick… really." Soul walked up the bed, his fist raised. The blue-nette pulled the covers over his head as if that would protect him. "This is _not_ how normal people go to sleep!"

*PUNCH*

* * *

Soul and Cara silently watched over the unconscious Floyd, making sure to stay in cover so as not to be discovered by the passing Griefers.

Moments passed before Cara was certain enough that Floyd wouldn't awaken any time soon.

"Soul," Cara began with a determined tone, "there's something you should know."

Soul raised an eyebrow questioningly, prompting Cara to continue.

Cara took a calming breath, remembering what Captain Wynn had told her. "As leader, it is my responsibility to protect the lives and well-being of my men. Even if it means being despised for it, I must act in a way that ensures that you all survive."

She had Soul's undivided attention with how serious she was taking her role as leader.

"Even though Floyd will hate me for telling you this… and I swore to him that I wouldn't…" She took another shaky breath, steeling herself. "Floyd has been having night-terrors these past few days."

Soul's eyes widened a fraction, the information apparently being news to him.

"Every attempt he's made at rest have been met with reoccurring nightmares involving fallen comrades and his own inability to protect them. I believe they stem from the day he was helpless to save his friend Silent_Game—"

"He was my friend too." Soul growled out of the blue. Perhaps he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"That being said," Cara continued, "His own guilty conscience is chipping away at his mental health and, in turn, leading to his current poor physical health." She walked over to the slumbering blue-nette and pointed to the dark bags under his eyes. "And he's only getting worse. You saw how sluggish he was running. How drained he was trying to stand. This can't keep going."

Soul furrowed his brow and glared at Cara. "And what do you expect _me_ to do about this?" he questioned coldly.

Cara shot him an equally scathing glare. "I _expect_ you to realize that whatever issues you two have can take a backseat to our mission. In Floyd's current condition, he'll never be able to hold his own in battle. And in Nitebane of all places, we need him at his best."

Soul scoffed, shaking his head. "Whatever he can't do, I'll be more than happy to pick up the slack."

"Don't you get it?" Cara hissed scathingly. "Floyd is like this because _you_ can't forgive him!"

"So what!?" Soul shot back. "What do you want me to say? 'You did nothing for Silent and left me to die, but I guess I can forgive you because you're just so guilty about it.' Is that what you want from me? Is that what _he_ wants from me?"

"No!" Cara argued back. "I already told you Floyd didn't want you to know! He was worried you _would_ forgive him just to keep his guilt from eating him alive."

"Well then he underestimated how little a shit I give about his cowardly ass!" The way he said it was so forced and angry. He couldn't keep his tone cold. And that was all the confirmation Cara needed.

"You _do_ give a shit." Cara challenged with a bit of a smirk. "You're just too angsty to admit it."

"You shut up about my angst!—I mean… I don't have angst! I'm angst-free!"

Cara shook her head. "It's not like I can force you to forgive him. You two need to work out your issues yourselves. But I _really_ think you should."

Soul growled as he kicked at the ground.

"Soul?"

Soul looked away, throwing out another stubborn growl. Cara frowned disapprovingly.

" _Sooooul_?"

"Ngh—Fine! I'll think about it, alright?" He hastily conceded. "Just… has he really not been able to get sleep because of me?" There was a faint trace of concern in his voice that gave Cara hope.

She was about to answer when all of a sudden Floyd began to stir. He began to moan in his sleep. Mostly muttered words though on occasion he would mumble 'Silent' or 'Soul'.

They were raising in volume and his breathing was becoming erratic. His face twisted in whatever horror he was seeing. It became clear that the blue-nette was descending into one of his night-terrors again. Cara quickly shooed Soul away, the axe-wielder diving behind a pile of rocks, before she knelt beside the slumbering Floyd.

"Floyd, it's okay." Cara whispered soothingly. She gripped Floyd by his arms in an attempt to comfort his fevered dreams. "You're okay. Calm down. What you're seeing isn't real."

Slowly, Floyd's heavy breathing calmed down. His twisted, agonized face, became loose and tranquil. From Soul's position behind the rocks, he could just make out the blue-nette's features. He saw it all for the first time, and realized how serious his guilt laid.

Finally, Floyd returned to his calm slumber. He rolled over on his side, a subconscious act, as he threw out a mumbled sentence.

"Thanks… Cara… could trust you…"

Cara patted his blue hair, feeling perhaps a twinge of remorse over breaking one of her promises.

But, as Wynn had said, if it was for the good of the group, she would happily shoulder the guilt.

* * *

 **Inventory (Floyd):** Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 37 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 14 Cooked Fish, 1 Raw Mutton, 1 Cooked Porkchop, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 2 Arrows,  1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 12]

* * *

 **AN: Honestly, the shit Floyd has to deal with.**

 **So, yeah, I got a lot of reviews talking about Floyd's death. Which I found particularly funny because we haven't seen him for so long and suddenly everyone's all 'Nuuuuuu! He was my favorite character!' Well then you'll be happy to hear you get to read an arc dedicated to your 'favorite' character. I'm sure nothing _BAD_ will happen to him.**

 **This is the start of the Nitebane Arc, which, unfortunately, I had to write from a past tense perspective. In other words, this arc's timeline is happening before the Halstatt Arc. I originally planned to write this arc after Noman's story, but I didn't want to be off Cobb for that long and I also _really_ wanted to write the Halstatt Arc sooner rather than later.**

 **I know a bunch of you probably wanted to see Cobb this Chapter and how he reacts to... things. But Floyd's story is just as important to the plot. So please bear with it.**

 **See you all next Wednesday.**


	64. Nitebane (Part 1)

**AN: Want to hear me talk about personal stuff? Me neither. Let's get right to the Chapter.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Sleeping Bags.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 64

 **Nitebane (Part 1)**

After Floyd managed to get some rest, the Silver Intent trio were up once more. But before leaving their cover, Cara took stock of their remaining potions.

"So, Floyd has three Fire Resistances, one Swiftness II, and one Water Breathing. I've got three Invisibility potions—splash ones—and three Night Visions. And, Soul… you only have one splash potion of Harming left? What happened to the other two?"

"Nothing. I didn't accidentally drop them on Cobb while he was sleeping."

"…What?"

"What?"

Cara gave the axe-wielder a stern look before ultimately giving up. She'd force him to apologize to Cobb once they returned to Ringwood. "Well, the Night Vision and Invisibility are all we'll really need in Nitebane."

Floyd accepted his brews back, but kept his eyes on their leader. "I can't help but notice how Brett gave _you_ all the important potions for this mission."

"Only because I called _dibs_ on them." Cara returned her potions to her backpack. "Not to mention how quickly you two burned through your potions…" She mumbled spitefully.

"What was that?"

"Er… I said, let's play a game while we walk!" Cara hastily diverted. "You know, to pass the time."

"Considering how we're sneaking past Griefers, I wouldn't mind playing the Silent Ga—" Floyd's eyes widened at his slip-up and he quickly shut his mouth, hoping Soul wasn't paying attention.

It had his attention alright. The axe-wielder walked while hunched over, a complicated expression on his face. Ultimately, he chose to ignore the comment, opting instead to scowl towards the side.

"I Spy!" Cara snapped her fingers in realization. "That's a fun game on the road. Here, I'll even go first. Ahem. I spy with my aqua-marine eye…" Cara glanced around, turning her head left and right as she tried to find a good object. "Somethiiiiiing… grey."

"The landscape." Soul muttered bleakly.

"Very good, Soul!" Cara smiled and gave a little cheer. She was really making an effort to play up I Spy. "Your turn."

"…Can I pass?"

"No, you can't." She replied instantly with that same smile. "So play the damn game."

Soul groaned, his eyes barely taking in the landscape before he thought of something. "I spy with my crimson eye, something… pointless."

Soul's voice sounded kinder on that last word. It was different from his usual gruff voice and it caught Floyd's attention.

Floyd thought for a bit before answering. "Something pointless… like this game?"

"Ding ding." Soul smirked, even as Cara upended another bottle of water onto him. "Gah! That's cold!"

Floyd couldn't keep the laugh from escaping as he watched the scene unfold. For the group to find happiness in such a mindless way.

The edges of Soul's mouth were tilting upward as he dried his face against the side of Cara's jeans, much to the leader's annoyance. Though even Cara's fuming seemed like light-hearted fun. Her eyes shone with mirth as she tried and failed to push Soul off of her.

Team stuff.

"Alright, Floyd." Cara chuckled haughtily. "Get your turn over with so the I Spy _master_ can show you boys how it's done."

"You fancy yourself a master now?"

"Maybe at burning stuff to the ground…" Soul joked.

"I dabble in both." She smirked, happy to see the two old friends talking. "Just go already. Or are your eyes too tired to play?"

"Alright, alright, give me a minute to stump you." Floyd laughed before looking around the rocky expanse. "I Spy… with my tired purple eyes, something…" The blue-nette's eyes suddenly widened at something over the horizon. "Tall."

"Oh, pfft. Too easy." Cara snorted confidently. "The stone juts."

"No… Taller than them."

"Oh… um… no, don't tell me!" Cara screwed her face in concentration as her eyes peeled back the surroundings. "Um… um… could you give me a hint?"

Soul's crimson orbs widened, catching what Floyd had seen between the stone juts. "Shit, what is that?"

Cara glanced back questioningly before angling her head to get a better view between the stone juts. Only then did she realize what Floyd had spotted.

Over the horizon stood hundreds of grey structures that climbed into the air, only to contrast sharply with the crystal blue sky. They towered higher than the clouds, reaching up like countless spindly fingers.

"Nitebane."

" _That_ 's Nitebane?" The blue-nette narrowed his eyes to get a better look. "Those can't be… buildings?"

Cara nodded. "Skyscrapers to be precise. And boy do they earn _that_ name."

The group edged their way forward, closing the distance between themselves and the skyscrapers until they nestled themselves between two stone juts. This gave them an excellent position to survey for Griefers _and_ examine Nitebane while still undercover.

"Are we just waiting for them to pass?" Floyd asked as he gestured to the pack of thirty Griefers riding across on horseback.

"No, we're resting here until nighttime." Cara explained as she withdrew a pickaxe and dug deeper into the stone. She managed to form a little nest where they could comfortably lay three beds and stay hidden. "Being so close to Nitebane, there'll be constant Griefer patrols coming and going. Our best bet is to use the cover of night to sneak in."

She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out an old map before laying it out before the group. "This map is a bit dated, but it shows the general position of all the buildings in Nitebane." She pointed to a round building in the center of the map. "The Center of Planar Trade is here and so is the Endward Cult Banner we intend to rip down and replace."

Soul gave a silent cheer, but otherwise listened intently.

Floyd took a closer look of the map, memorizing Nitebane's geography. The map depicted a pristine white city surrounded by smaller, red-bricked houses on the outskirts. The east of the Kingdom faced the ocean, though there appeared to be a landmass that protruded out. A large ornate structure sat atop that protrusion.

Cara saw the blue-nette's interest and traced her finger over the ornate structure. "That's Lunar Castle, where the previous Kings of Nitebane lived and ruled."

"Previous." Floyd repeated, remembering how Nitebane was now overrun with Griefers. Perhaps at one time, the Kingdom was something like Ringwood. The map certainly made it seem whole. But according to Cara…

Floyd wanted to see more, but Cara was already rolling the map back up. "As soon as it gets dark, we'll head out. But before I forget…"

She turned to look her fellow Silver Intent members in the eye. Her expression was dead serious, commanding their utmost attention.

"I've only been to Nitebane _once_ , to visit a Silver Intent outpost. I don't know everything about the Kingdom, but I've seen enough to know that you two better follow everything I say to the letter.

"The people of this 'Kingdom' are sick, twisted Griefers whose pleasure is another's pain. They will lie to you, they will deceive you, and they will do anything in their power to kill you."

She pointed towards the distant skyscrapers. "What we're walking into right now is the hornet's nest. But so long as you listen to me and stay close, I guarantee that all of us will make it out alive. Am I clear?"

Floyd was at a loss for words with how much authority Cara had spoken with. Her words brought forth a combination of excitement, trepidation, confidence, and a strong sense of unity all at once.

Soul whistled appreciatively. "Now _that_ 's the way a leader should sound!"

Cara smiled at the praise, her confidence lifting. "Tonight, we'll enter Nitebane and head to the Silver Intent outpost. From there, we'll restock on supplies and make a plan to grab the banner. Any questions?"

Soul and Floyd shook the heads.

"I said, are there any questions?" Cara repeated with a more authoritative tone.

"No ma'am!" They replied in unison.

Cara gave a satisfied nod. "Then get some rest. You'll need it."

* * *

 _"_ _Cobb… I… I'm so sorry…"_

 _"_ _How… How could this…"_

 _"_ _Floyd he… I did everything I could, you have to believe me! Please!"_

 _"_ _How could you have let this happen! You said you could handle this! I_ TRUSTED _YOU!"_

 _"_ _I… I…"_

 _"_ _You're no leader! You're NOTHING like Wynn! She would have gotten everyone back here… or would have died trying! SO WHERE'S MY FRIEND!?"_

* * *

It wasn't long before the sun began to dip below the horizon, signaling the Silver Intent group to move. The beds were broken, stomachs were filled, and almost everyone was well-rested.

Floyd furiously rubbed the sleep from his eyes as Cara beckoned them over. She passed out Potions of Night Vision, making sure everyone had one. Even though the time on them was limited, she reasoned it would be better to see the terrain rather than not seeing anything at all.

"Stay close, and watch my hands for signals at all times." Cara explained urgently. "If I do this," she bent her arm upwards, forming a fist, "then that means you should strip off all your armor and stay silent. Don't question me." She added before Floyd could voice his concern.

The blue-nette simply shrugged and drank his potion. He was already quite familiar with the effects, having tasted one before. Soul, however, didn't seem to care for the taste.

"Ugh. Carrots…" He grimaced, wiping his tongue on his sleeve before his eyes suddenly widened. As medium blue particles danced across his body, he no longer needed to strain his eyes. Even though it was night, everything was as clear as day. The stone juts, the creeper craters in the ground, and, more importantly, the Griefers below.

After waiting for them to pass, Cara rushed forth. She didn't bother slowing down, trusting the other two to follow her and her orders without question.

Things got particularly dangerous when a large group of horse-riding Griefers galloped straight towards the three sneaking Crafters. Cara raised her hand up, signaling them all to stop.

With his heart thumping loudly in his chest, Floyd, too afraid to move, watched as the Griefers galloped right past them. One horse even jumped over Soul, mistaking him for a rock. Floyd had no trouble seeing this, but the Griefers had no idea. It was just too dark to make out any shapes.

When the Griefers passed, Cara motioned for the group to continue. Slowly they crept forth, weaving between another set of stone juts.

Further and further they traveled. At times they sprinted for that window of opportunity between two Griefer patrols, while at other times they were forced to creep forward, low and covered by darkness.

The skyscrapers got closer and closer, until finally they appeared to tower directly overhead. Floyd took a moment to marvel at them through his night vision. They seemed to be made of a combination of iron, stone, and some marble-like material—at least the structure was. There were glass windows of course, but there were a few things that struck him as odd.

First off, the skyscraper looked war-torn. There were large holes in the sides, looking as if something blasted them apart with tremendous force. In fact, with all the holes riddled through the multi-story buildings, they resembled towers of Swiss cheese.

Or, more appropriately, like a beehive.

Cara's warning about 'walking right into the hornet's nest' immediately came to Floyd's mind as he reviewed the buildings. But that wasn't the only thing.

He noticed that the building itself… almost defied gravity.

Yeah. Starting at the base, the skyscraper climbed up high, riddled with holes. But then at a certain spot, the building ended and the gap began. Five or six floors worth of space were missing, leaving a giant gap separating the skyscrapers into an upper and lower half. The upper half had holes too, but not as many as the lower half. Almost like the lower half sustained the brunt of the damage.

And it wasn't just that one skyscraper. Not all, but Floyd could see several of them matching that same description. A bottom half looking like Swiss cheese. A gap where it looked like a giant eraser had simply swept across. And then the upper half of the skyscraper that, although left unsupported, just hovered in the air, continuing to climb up into the sky.

From an architectural standpoint, it made no damn sense. If Minecraftia followed the laws of gravity, those buildings would have been scraping the ground instead of the sky. Nothing was keeping them up.

And yet…

At some point in his marveling, Floyd failed to notice how Cara turned sharply to the left, Soul following right with her. So of course, the blue-nette continued creeping forward until his foot failed to make contact with the ground.

Not expecting the sudden lack of ground, Floyd stumbled forward. He hastily threw out his hand to grip the edge of whatever pit he had unwittingly fallen into. Hearing the commotion, Cara and Soul quickly turned around and helped the poor Crafter out of his predicament.

"Ugh… sorry. My bad." Floyd whispered sheepishly while massaging his leg.

Soul looked annoyed, but Cara simply waved it off. "It's fine. I should have warned you about the pits." She gestured to the massive crevice, not unlike Daymonte's, that seemed to stretch across the rocky terrain. It sloped steeply into the bowels of the earth. There were several land bridges that crossed the crevice, one of which was a little ways away, as well as some large buildings with smokestacks poking out from them.

Floyd couldn't help but feel embarrassed at how he almost fell into a pit that noticeable. Especially when he could see in the dark.

"What's with these pits anyway?" Soul questioned as he broke off a chunk of rock and idly tossed it down. "Were they naturally made or…"

"Crafter-made." Cara answered as she beckoned the two to follow along the edge. "According to Void—Void's an agent here at the Nitebane outpost—these pits were conceived in the early days of Nitebane. But not for defense. No, instead they were used for the Kingdom's famous EXP Factories."

Soul perked up at that. "They actually had factories… for EXP?"

"You heard right." Cara nodded. "See, Nitebane's geography forms a steady incline the closer you get to the ocean. Where we're at, the pits, is the lowest point in the Kingdom. The land gradually rises the further east you travel, ending with the jagged cliffs and... Guardian infested waters beyond said cliffs.

"So, the founders of Nitebane came up with a brilliant way to utilize the topography. They built a network of sewers that travel through the whole Kingdom, draining out into either the ocean or these pits." She pointed to a series of tunnels on the far side of the pit. There was no water flowing from them, but they must have been the exit points to the sewer network she had described. "Most of the water flowed into the pits, carrying junk that Crafters tossed out… and admittedly waste."

"So… shit." Soul stated bluntly, bringing a frown to Cara's face.

"Yes, I imagine it wasn't the most desirable job, working the EXP Factories."

"So where does the EXP come in?" Floyd asked as they rounded the corner of the pit and began crossing the land bridge towards the network of skyscrapers.

"Ah, well, the sewers were mostly kept in the dark." Cara continued, keeping half of her attention on their surroundings. "And, as we all know, Mobs can't help but spawn in dark, uninhabited places."

Floyd's eyebrows lifted in realization. "So, the sewers also carried Mobs. And they drained out into these pits?"

"Very good." Cara praised with a smile. "Mobs fell into the pits, where hundreds of pistons, arrows, and traps got to work reducing the night creatures into useful resources and EXP. The biggest Mob grinder in all of Minecraftia is right beneath our feet."

Floyd quickly put together that the buildings beside the pits were the EXP Factories. He wasn't quite sure what a Mob grinder was, but the way Cara had described it, it sounded like Nitebane had developed a way to harvest Mobs like vegetables.

How many hundreds… how many thousands of Mobs would have fallen prey to those pits. Crushed or ground into bones, rotten flesh, gunpowder, string, spider eyes, and whatever else Mobs dropped. And the EXP… Floyd could just imagine hundreds of Crafters dutifully collecting those green and yellow orbs that flowed from fallen Mobs. After harvesting Mobs at a scale this large… it was all he could do just to wrap his mind around how many bottles worth of EXP they shipped out.

"Yeah. Considering the practicality of enchanting, and the importance of EXP, Nitebane really bottled lightning with this idea. The grinder was deemed 'the bane of the monsters of the night' which earned the Kingdom's name, Nitebane. But that wasn't all this place offered. Nitebane was a center of learning and knowledge. Schools and colleges sprung up all over to study redstone, enchantments, brewing, and even the mysteries of Normal Sense. It was a bright place of knowledge, Nitebane was." Cara hummed appreciatively before letting out a weary sigh. "Of course, that all ended when the Griefers took over."

All at once, Floyd's imagination ground to a halt. That was right. The bright days of those EXP Factories were a thing of the past. What Crafter would bother worrying about the factories when Griefers were out and about, trying to make their life a living hell. What Crafters would study at colleges and schools when those Griefers _forced_ the priority to be staying alive.

Though, that brought up a new concern from Floyd. "How did Nitebane get invaded in the first place?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean… they certainly had natural barriers on their side." Floyd continued. "With these chasms on one end and the ocean on the other, Mobs and invaders would have a hard time attacking this place. So… how did the Griefers overrun it?"

Cara clenched her fists as she turned away from the group. "…We shouldn't really be talking any more. We're almost among the buildings."

Floyd opened his mouth to protest but Soul beat him to it. "You _can't_ just cut off there. Don't leave us guessing."

Cara frowned, glancing aside to Soul and Floyd.

"Cara, what happened?"

Cara let out another tired sigh. "The Endward Cult happened."

Soul scowled at the mention of the group responsible for the death of Silent_Game and so many countless others. Floyd's face reflected a similar hatred towards the black-capped cultists. The implications behind Cara's simple response was enough for the blue-nette to look upon Nitebane's ruins in a different perspective.

As they walked upon the grid-like pattern of roads that wove between the buildings, he noticed the cracked bricks. The craters. The holes that fell into the wide tunnels and sewers below. The skyscrapers whose foundations looked ripped apart. Water - and even lava - poured down from the gaps in the floors, forming steady streams that pooled across the streets. The light posts were all stripped of redstone and glowstone, replaced with torches set haphazardly around. The signs of fire damage upon the trees lining the sidewalks. Where there may have once been greenery, there was now only charred stumps. Thick vines stretched down the length of several of the buildings, depicting age and ruin.

But as ugly as the Kingdom looked, it made the ugly feeling inside Floyd feel all the worse… knowing what it once was.

He could almost picture the streets as they once could have been. Clean, pristine, and whole. No signs of damage and bustling with Crafters making their way to school or work or home. Trees full of life, providing shade to the passersby. Buildings filled with…

…

"What did they do in these buildings?"

Cara shrugged. "Work, maybe? They could have been stacked with anything. Some could have even been apartments."

"I bet the penthouse would get a killer view." Soul commented as he gazed straight up the nearest one.

Nitebane was just another Kingdom, like any other. Or at least it was… until the Endward Cult interfered.

"So—if you don't mind me asking—what exactly did the Endward Cult do?" Floyd asked Cara.

But before she could answer, the sound of galloping horses caught their attention. There were also loud shouts and whoops, signaling an enthusiastic crowd of Griefers.

Even though it was still night, the surrounding torches offered no darkness to hide under.

" _Hide._ " Cara hissed, throwing herself behind a burned newsbook stand.

Floyd jerked his head left and right, searching for suitable cover. He grew more frantic when he saw Soul abandon the idea of hiding in favor of readying his axe. "Come get some, Griefers." His smirk was challenging as he prepared to meet them.

It twisted into a snarl when Floyd grabbed him by the collar and dragged him behind a burnt tree. He struggled, of course, but was concealed by the blue-nette before the Griefers could pass.

"What's the big idea?" Soul complained with narrowed eyes. "I could have taken—"

"What happened to _following Cara's orders_?" Floyd shot back, silencing the axe-wielder.

As the Griefers passed, Floyd kept still. Glancing towards the newsbook stand, he could tell that Cara was doing the same. They would simply wait until the Griefers left before—

"Hold up."

Floyd's blood froze as one of the Griefers, a pony-tailed man riding horseback, dismounted. His comrades stopped as commanded, bunching up in the center of the street and separating Floyd and Soul from Cara.

"What's up, Espen sir?" One of the Griefers questioned.

The pony-tailed man, Espen, said nothing. Though his eyes, each one having a dark line stretched over them, seemed fixated on the side of the street Floyd and Soul were hiding.

Espen cleared his throat. "You might as well show yourselves. Both of you aren't fooling anyone with your hiding spot."

Floyd cursed in his mind while Soul simply readjusted the grip on his axe. He, at least, was prepared to fight.

Immediately, the Griefers behind Espen got off their horses and readied their weapons, looking eager for a fresh kill.

Espen, however, remained unarmed. He simply closed his eyes, took a deep, steadying breath… and let it go as wisps of dark smoke encompassed his being.

Floyd's eyes widened at the sight of that dark smoke. It was the same smoke that enveloped his arm in his dream. And the same smoke that came from the apparition of Silent_Game. It even came off of Espen in the same way as it had Silent.

When Espen opened his eyes again, his sclerae was no longer white, but black. And that same mysterious smoke continued to seep from him, surrounding his body like an aura.

"Well then, if you won't come out," Espen crouched low, his muscles ready to spring forth, "then I'll come to you."

The next instant, Espen surged forward, surprising Floyd and Soul by jumping higher than thought possible. The dark smoke trailed behind him as he launched himself towards them.

Though, they weren't his targets.

"RUN, MARGE!" A male Crafter bellowed from within the building on Soul and Floyd's side. The blue-nette followed the sound to see two Crafters, a man and a woman, frantically running out from their cover on one of the building's ruined floors.

Espen, however, was undaunted. His trajectory was carrying him to smack straight into the building…

Only for him to phase through it.

Soul was at a loss for words at how the pony-tailed man simply passed through the wall as if it were never there. The couple within the building were at a loss for words too, especially with how Espen had grabbed them by the necks, pinning them to a wall.

"Now see." Espen spoke to the choking couple. "Isn't this so much worse than just showing yourselves?"

"G-gak!" The male Crafter tried to speak, but he couldn't get enough air into him. The female Crafter had already passed out.

With an exasperated sigh, Espen twisted on his foot, tossing the two Crafters into the street. The male Crafter had three seconds to regain his breath before the Griefers were upon him. They held him and the woman down, even though she was unconscious.

While Soul was watching the Griefers, Floyd kept his attention on Espen. The pony-tailed man, seeing the couple in custody of his Griefers, took a deep breath that, all at once, extinguished the smoke from his body. When he re-opened his eyes, Floyd saw that his sclerae were white once more.

The strange man began to stroll out of the building, though this time he ducked out of a low opening instead of phasing through it. And Floyd actually had to bite down on his fist when Espen hopped, landing on top of the burnt tree being used for cover, before hopping again to rejoin his group.

Those jumps of his… and phasing through that wall… Floyd was floored at what was just displayed. His first thought of it being a potion was immediately overruled. More likely, it had something to do with that weird dark smoke, gone as quickly as it had come.

"Please, don't do this!" The captured male Crafter pleaded as the Griefers searched his backpack for gear. By their disappointed grumbles, he didn't have anything good. "You can take me, but let my wife go! Please!"

Espen shook his head. "Sorry—not sorry—but that's like begging a Creeper not to blow up. It has to happen."

The male Crafter struggled, but the Griefers were quick to quell it. Two of them, in particular, grabbed some leads in their backpacks and used them to tie the unconscious woman's arms and legs.

"No, no, NO! I beg of you!" The man shouted, stirring something in Floyd's chest. The blue-nette's hand moved to the sword at his belt. He was ready to help the two Crafters in peril, only for Soul to stop him.

"Now who isn't following orders?" Soul hissed, his eyes fixed on what the Griefers were doing. Slowly, Floyd was forced to let it go. Jumping in to fight those Griefers and Espen, without even knowing who or what he was, was a bad idea.

"Stop!" The male Crafter cried as two Griefers grabbed the leads tied around his wife's arms and legs and hopped up onto their horses. "Somebody help us! Attila! Anyone! HELP!"

Floyd clenched his fist, horrified at how helpless he was. Even as the man's screaming tore him apart.

Even as he watched the two Griefers, with the woman suspended between them by her arms and legs, spur their horses forward.

Even as he watched as the horses gained speed, all the Griefers watching on in excitement.

"NO! MARGE!"

Even as he watched the Griefers come to an intersection and split. One going left, the other going right.

And the woman suspended between them being ripped apart until she burst into a shower of gear.

"Ohohoho! Brutal!" One of the Griefers whooped appreciatively. There was a smattering cheers and applause from the rest. Espen turned his nose up in disgust.

But Floyd could only look on in horror. They had literally torn her apart.

"MARGE! NO! YOU BASTARDS!" The male Crafter pulled himself free with raw strength and punched the nearest Griefer in the face. Even as he hit the ground, the male Crafter leapt upon him, pummeling his face until another Griefer pulled him off.

And just like that, the Griefers converged on the furious man, armed with swords and picks, and bludgeoned him to death. It didn't take long, and the shower of gear was all Floyd needed to confirm he was dead.

"Alright, alright. We've been delayed enough." Espen calmed the excited group down. "To Lunar Castle we go." He was already back on his horse, waiting for the others to do the same.

After spending another minute kicking the fallen Crafters' Heads and spitting on the place their gear fell, the Griefers climbed back onto their horses and followed Espen deeper into Nitebane.

As soon as the band of Griefers were out of earshot, Floyd and Soul showed themselves. Cara was out sooner, rushing over to her fellow Silver Intent members and wrapping them in a surprisingly tight hug.

"Cara! What's up?" Soul asked in shock. "It was just a couple of Griefers."

Cara shook her head frantically, and held on tighter to the two. Floyd, with his head pressed against her chest, could hear how erratic her heartbeat was.

"You… I thought he saw you two…" Cara choked out, her aquamarine eyes quivering in fear.

"You mean that Espen guy?" Floyd asked, remembering the dark smoke that enveloped that pony-tailed man. "Who – or what – was he?"

Cara slowly released the two from her hug and wiped her eyes. Taking some calming breaths, she began to explain.

"That man – Espen – is a Hacker."

"Hacker?" The word should have meant nothing to the blue-nette - being the first time he had heard it - and yet it made him feel a sense of trepidation. Maybe it was the way Cara had spoken it.

"Hackers are denoted by the dark smoke you saw enveloping Espen's body." Cara clarified in a quivering voice. Even though she had taken a moment to calm down, she was still visibly shaken over the close encounter with a Hacker. "They're an enigmatic sort with powers you couldn't believe. They're like Griefers, but with deadly abilities."

"Deadly?" Soul questioned skeptically. "Really? The guy with the pony-tail?"

"This is no laughing matter, Soul." Cara snuffed the axe-wielder's snark instantly. "You saw how easily he caught that couple. If he had seen you… _I_ thought he had seen you… and I-I… this blasted Kingdom is full of Griefers, I should have _known_ it might have Hackers too! I messed up! I-I…"

Soul's eyes suddenly widened as Cara began to break down. "Hey, hey. Don't worry. _Really_." Soul rushed forward, propping Cara up by her shoulders. "We're fine, okay? He didn't see us. So don't worry about it." Soul wiped a tear from Cara's cheek and looked her confidently in the eye. "You didn't think a Hacker would be here. That doesn't mean you made a mistake. You're still a good leader. Okay?"

Cara took another steadying breath and nodded along, her voice not fully recovered.

While those two comforted each other, Floyd's mind was elsewhere.

He looked down the street the Hacker had gone, replaying Cara's words inside his head.

' _Hackers are denoted by the dark smoke you saw enveloping Espen's body. They're an enigmatic sort with powers you couldn't believe. They're like Griefers, but with deadly abilities._ '

Espen had jumped higher than any Leaping Potion the blue-nette had seen. Espen had phased right through a solid wall.

And it somehow had to do with that mysterious smoke.

It had swirled around his body. Changed his eyes. And had exuded a menace that had unsettled Floyd.

And even more unsettling…

It was eerily similar to the blue-nette's dream.

The apparition of Silent that haunted Floyd's dreams had the same smoke seeping from him. His eyes had changed in the same way too. And even the markings – the dark lines – that stretched over the eyelids…

Silent had never had those markings while he was alive. But in Floyd's dream, he did.

And Espen had them too.

…And so did Floyd.

Could it just be a coincidence?

'… _you're not as strong as you could be…_ '

No… no! It had to be a coincidence. Hackers were more like Griefers anyway. Cara had said as much.

 _'You didn't have to be a weakling that day. With a power like yours… you could have murdered those two cultists.'_

Floyd was just seeing things. Hearing them too. He must have been more exhausted than he thought.

The markings over his eyes…

They didn't mean a thing!

"Floyd, you coming?" Soul called out, startling the blue-nette from his thoughts. Cara was scouting ahead with her map held before her. "Cara says we should get to the outpost before our potions wear off."

"Y-yeah. I'm right with you." Floyd replied, his fingers idly tracing the mark over his eyes. He took a moment to glance at the fallen couple's remains. Their heads staring unblinkingly into the night sky.

He clenched his fist in frustration, cursing the couple's luck. Whether they could have been saved, he didn't know. And he never would, either.

"I'm right with you." The blue-nette repeated, following Cara and Soul deeper into the frightening Kingdom.

* * *

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 37 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 12 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 2 Arrows, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 12]

* * *

 **AN: You guys want to hear me talk about myself? You're right, I'm boring. Moving on.**

 **Well, if you expected Nitebane to be all peanut buttercups and rainbows, then you haven't picked up on anything the characters have described it as.**

 **When thinking up the Kingdom, I wanted it to be like a post-apocalyptic city. The buildings are ruined, there are holes and water leaking and lava dumped haphazardly. The mood is dark, the people are dangerous, the vending machines all only have celery. Stuff like that.**

 **In my head, Nitebane is a combination of New York, San Francisco, and Boston... if they existed in the same post-apocalyptic future as ' _The Last of Us_.' Like, remember the Boston safe-zone? There were ruined skyscrapers literally _leaning_ on each other! I mean how cool is that!? Minecraft doesn't have gravity so I couldn't do that here, but I thought something up. Maybe my version of what Nitebane is doesn't match up with how I described it, but whatever.**

 **The Chapter I originally wrote was not supposed to be a two-parter. But there was so much exposition and stuff being thrown at you, that I _had_ to split it up. I didn't want your heads to explode from exposition overload.**

 **Anyway, Fav, Follow, Review, or offer an OC. See you next week.**


	65. Nitebane (Part 2)

**AN: I can practically _hear_ the angry readers upset that it took me this long to publish a Chapter. You have every right to be upset. This Chapter was... well, you tell me what you think.**

 **Also, because someone asked, I've put another puzzle into this one. As always, the prize is acknowledgement next Chapter and a Victory Cookie shown below.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What tastes better than it smells?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add metal boats that could sail across lava.

...Did I use that one before? I feel like I mentioned iron boats before.

Meh.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 65

 **Nitebane (Part 2)**

Bits of moonlight filtered through the hole-ridden skyscrapers, dimly illuminating the grim ruin that was Nitebane. As the Silver Intent group continued to sneak through the Kingdom, narrowly evading Griefer patrols, Floyd began to realize the sheer scale of how broken Nitebane had become.

There was one building that could have been a college. It had ornate stone sculptures of books, and the blue-nette thought he could see some desks through one of the rooms… though he could only see into one of the rooms because a chunk of the wall was missing.

There was a small park; Perhaps for citizens to walk their pets. It had grass and benches… or at least what may have once resembled benches. Now they were just hunks of wood. Were Griefers so petty that they had to steal benches!?

It looked like the Griefers had a hand in ruining _everything_. Didn't matter if it was valuable or not. Street signs, sidewalks, trees, lamp posts, windows, buildings. All crumbling, broken, burned, or blown up.

The blue-nette was starting to wish his Potion of Night Vision would wear off. Being able to see so much mindless devastation as clear as day was starting to get to him.

"I know it's tough to look at." Cara spoke up, seeming to read Floyd's mind. "But this is real. All of this has happened… and can happen again."

"Not if we can help it." Soul mumbled.

There wasn't much else to say about it.

A few moments later, Cara's eyes lighted up. "That's the place." She was looking eagerly at a ruined bathroom. It was definitely a bathroom because there were holes in the floor, filled with water, and a nasty odor that clung to the air. The bathroom's walls and stalls were knocked out, leaving only the foundations behind.

"…Is this gonna be like the secret base in Ringwood? You know, like the one with the hay bales?" Floyd questioned tentatively. "Because a ruined bathroom doesn't sound too appealing."

Cara rolled her eyes. "Yes, there's a secret base. Finding ways to hide these bases is half the fun. This one, in particular, is tricky to find since nobody would ever try and enter."

Floyd looked wary. "How do you enter it?"

Cara smirked as she strolled up to the ruined bathroom and gestured to a water-filled hole in the ground.

Floyd looked between the purple-haired Crafter and the toilet, putting the pieces together.

When it finally clicked, he took a step back. "I'm not jumping in that."

"Oh, you will."

"But it's disgusting!"

"If it was sanitary, _everyone_ would be breaking in." Cara explained with a snicker. "It's really not that bad."

"Yeah, Floyd. Just grow a pair and jump." Soul replied gruffly. "Meanwhile, I'll wait up here."

"Oh?" Cara raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to see the outpost yourself?"

Soul tried to act nonchalant, even though his eyes darted to the toilet and he was slowly inching away from it. "No… when you've seen one outpost you've seen them all. Besides, I need to stay up here to… guard the entrance. Yeah. Can't let any Griefers find it."

"Now who needs to grow a pair?" Floyd mumbled.

"What was that?" Soul growled.

"I said, 'Now who needs to grow a pair'." Floyd repeated without shame.

"Ahem!" Cara cleared her throat, getting the other two's attention. "While I would love for you two to keep arguing in the open where Griefers or Hackers could see us, I need to remind you that we have a mission to complete." Cara glanced at them both. "So quit being a couple of babies and jump in already."

Floyd and Soul stole another glance at the disgusting toilet, then back to Cara who was struggling to keep the frown on her face. With a resigned groan, the two Crafters walked up to the toilet.

"It's nothing… just a hole with water." Soul took in steadying breaths, which proved to be the wrong move since the air had a stench to it.

"Just pretend it's a cold bath." Floyd pinched his nose with his fingers… and then pushed Soul in first.

"Don't you daaaAAAA—FUCK!" As he fell, the axe-wielder threw out his hand and grabbed Floyd's arm, pulling him in too. "If I'm going down… I'm taking you with me!"

Floyd shrieked in disgust before he fell head first after Soul. The toilet was deeper than they expected and opened up into a big room just below the floor. The two Crafters fell into a heap, the toilet stench sticking to their clothes.

"UGH!" Floyd covered his nose as the smell of excrement assaulted him. "No wonder nobody finds this place! Nobody would jump into a toilet!"

"Yep. It's pretty silly." Cara commented meekly as she climbed down a ladder by the wall.

…

There was a ladder by the wall?

Soul got up off the floor and pointed at Cara, looking outraged "Wha—! You said the toilet was the only way in!"

"I never said that." Cara replied simply. She was trying so hard not to laugh that her face was straining. "I don't know why you guys wanted to use the toilet entrance when there was a perfectly good hidden ladder available, buuuuut to each their own."

"I… you…" Soul looked like he wanted to strangle Cara, but settled for a disgruntled, "You suck."

"Love you too." Cara replied warmly before walking past the two. "But in all seriousness, welcome to the Nitebane outpost." She walked up to a set of wooden doors and knocked on them loudly. "Void? You here? If you're asleep, say something. If you're drunk, don't."

There was a great clatter behind the doors, sounding like multiple objects had fallen off a table. A few muttered curse words followed before the door was flung open.

"Cara! Good to see you again!" Cara was enveloped in a crushing hug by a male Crafter. He had messy brown hair, chocolate-brown eyes. He wore a blue-and-white checkered hoodie, khaki jeans, and a brown belt and backpack to hold his gear. Above his head was the name Void_Dweller. "For a second, I thought you were some Griefers that fell into the toilet by accident."

Cara blinked owlishly. "Has that happened?"

Void laughed. "You'd be surprised. Oh, and I see you brought some fellow members." The brown-haired man sniffed the air before pulling a face. "And I see you pulled the same prank on them as I had you."

Cara smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't resist."

"Well then, you two," he pointed to Floyd and Soul, "there's a shower in the back you can use to clean that stank off of you. Cara can fill me in on why you're all here in the meantime."

The two Crafters nodded gratefully as they pushed each other in an effort to use the shower first.

They passed through a room that looked very similar to the Silver Intent base in Ringwood. There was a table with several chairs surrounding it, a large map that displayed Minecraftia, brewing stands, chests, beds in little alcoves along the wall, a proud Silver Intent banner… and a shower room.

Two showers later, Floyd and Soul were back out, feeling clean and refreshed. Cara was seated at the table, explaining the current mission to Void_Dweller.

"…Brett must be pretty confident if he wants to replace that banner." Void mused. "It'll get the cult's attention for sure. Though with how dangerous Nitebane is right now… he should have sent more of you."

"Does that added danger have something to do with the Hacker we ran into on the way here?" Void looked startled at Cara's latest comment.

"You… you ran into a Hacker?" Void spoke in a hushed whisper. "By Notch, how did you—"

"We kept hidden." Cara stated simply. "Some other Crafters weren't so lucky. Is there any particular reason for Hackers to be here?"

Void nodded fervently while Soul and Floyd took seats around the table, ready to listen to what the brown-haired man had to say.

"With Nitebane as ruined as it is, some would say it's no longer a Kingdom. Others, however, would argue it's still a Kingdom, only, instead of a monarchy, it's more like a tyranny." Void explained with a weary sigh. "Since it first fell apart, and the line of Kings slain, Nitebane has been constantly beset by groups of bandits and Griefers. Their strongest warrior is usually the one that claims the throne and, by extension, the cozy seat at Lunar Castle.

"However, their 'reign' only lasts as long as they remain undefeated. Not much they can do if a stronger warrior rolls into Nitebane, with a stronger crew, and starts making demands and claims. So it's a cycle of Crafters coming in, fighting each other for dominance, taking over, reveling in spoils, and getting toppled by the next group of knuckleheads. For the longest time, Nitebane was a juicy steak being ripped apart by dogs."

"…Was?" Floyd ventured. "Isn't it still like that?"

Void chuckled humorlessly. "Well, that's where the Hackers come in. See, one such Hacker, by the name of Ocan, saw Nitebane as a challenge; A dog-pile of scum with the winner sitting up top. Naturally, he came into town, and used his Hacker powers to kill the current dictator.

"The Griefers that infested the town, like rats, were drawn to Ocan's powers (Griefers always are). They kneeled before him, and respected and accepted him as the strongest in Nitebane. Whenever someone came to challenge him, Ocan ruthlessly murdered them. The dog-pile of power soon ended, as aggressors were too afraid of the infamous Hacker name.

"Now, Nitebane is the Griefer capital of Minecraftia. Griefers are free to kill and destroy and torment without fear of being driven out. And until Ocan is killed, it's only gonna stay that way."

Void pulled out an Awkward Potion from his belt and downed it in one gulp. From what Floyd understood, it was like alcohol.

"With a Hacker as dictator, it's not unusual to see other Hackers entering or leaving the Kingdom. I suspect they have a loose system of communications between themselves. They like to keep in touch."

"Yeah, well the one we saw _really_ kept in touch with that couple." Floyd muttered, thinking back on the Crafters he couldn't save from Espen.

"Did you say a _couple_ of Crafters?" Void questioned with interest. "Strange. I couldn't imagine what a couple would be doing in Nitebane. It's not exactly a honeymoon spot."

"Well maybe they had a dangerous mission to do too." Soul commented sarcastically. "Speaking of which, don't we have a banner to replace… at the Center for Disease Control?"

"Center of Planar Trade." Cara corrected.

"Doesn't _that_ just roll of the tongue."

"Sadly, Soul's right." Cara sat up from her seat, ignoring Soul's frown. "While it's been enlightening playing catch-up, we came here to resupply. We need food, Potions of Night Vision, arrows… the works."

"Of course." Void stood up and walked over to a pile of chests. He rummaged around, tossing things overhead for Cara to catch. "Let's see… three Potions of Night Vision… Strength, Swiftness… do you prefer steak or fish?"

"Steak."

"Fish it is, then!" Void ignored the annoyance on Cara's face as he tossed her, Soul, and Floyd a stack of cooked fish. The brown-haired man then shoved a fistful of steak into his backpack. "I hope you won't mind if I tag along on your mission. I've been cooped up for the past several days."

"We don't need any more help." Soul replied harshly.

"Not that we don't appreciate the offer." Cara tacked on hastily. She shot Soul a disapproving frown, but he merely shrugged at his rudeness. Even if Void's offer was with the best of intentions, Soul saw it as a sign of weakness to accept more help.

Void, however, took Soul's harshness in stride. "There are a lot of dangerous spots between here and the Center. You think you can navigate them all by yourselves?"

"Well…" Cara looked hesitant as she thought it over. "I guess it would pay off to have someone who knows the area better…"

"Then it's settled!" Void clapped his hands decidedly. "Just let me pack my sword and I'll be ready to—OH! Wait… if we're going to climb the Center of Planar Trade, we'll need some ladders…"

"I can make some." Floyd volunteered. Anything to help the group. "How many will we need?"

"A lot." Void replied as he brandished an iron sword and donned some armor.

Floyd quickly placed his crafting table and converted all of his oak wood planks and sticks into ladders. By the time he was done, he had thirty ladders, one oak wood plank, and five sticks.

"How good are you with that sword?" The axe-wielder eyed Void critically.

"Well…" Void considered himself for a moment. "On a scale of 1 to 2, I'd say I'm a solid 1.531."

"…What's with that scale—"

"Though, I personally think I fight better drunk." Void already withdrew a bottle of Awkward Potion and sloshed it down before his eyes looked unfocused and hazy. "Awrighty. Time to… *hic* goooo…"

Soul had to duck as Void spastically swung his sword around in a drunken stupor. He then turned to Cara. "You couldn't have said 'no', could you?"

Cara looked sheepish at that. "In my defense…" She paused for a few seconds, thinking of an excuse, before giving up and turning on her heel. "Let's go."

Soul snorted. "I wish I could dodge arrows as well as you dodge questions—Ow!"

The axe-wielder rolled around on the ground with an arrow lodged in his foot, courtesy of Cara. "Keep working on that." Cara smirked before ducking with a yelp as Soul threw a cooked fish at her. She quickly ascended the ladder, shielding her face from the volley of fish.

"Wheeee… *hic* let's goooo fight us some banners!" Void stumbled forward, bumping into Floyd's chest. "Oh… so sorry miss…"

"I'm a guy." Floyd replied flatly.

"…Ooooh." Void replied dully, scrunching his eyes to focus on Floyd's face. For a second, Floyd felt compelled to cover the markings over his eyes. The urge was quelled soon after. "Are you sure?"

" _Yes_ , I'm sure I'm a guy."

"…but your hair is blue. _Light_ -blue in fact. That's a girly color."

Floyd sighed. "Soul, tell him I'm a guy."

"Why do you want me to lie to the man, Floydette?" Soul smirked as he climbed the ladder, leaving the blue-nette to weather Void's drunken accusations.

"I knew it!" Void hiccupped. "Brown, black, or gray, they're a man. Yes way... Light blu-ish or greenish, they don't have a pe—"

"What kind of a nursery rhyme is that!?" Floyd quickly covered his ears and climbed up the ladder (a remarkable feat in of itself).

Void followed after with a drunken chuckle. "If you think _that's_ too inappropriate, wait until I sing the one about the dispenser and the blaze rod!"

"Cara! Be a leader and keep this drunk away from me!"

* * *

Despite Void's drunkenness, he took the utmost of care traversing Nitebane's darkened streets. It was either a testament of his experience with Nitebane… or a testament of his tolerance to Awkward Potions.

"Thank goodness for these potions." Cara whispered, spotting a crack in the road that she otherwise wouldn't have seen without night vision. It was true that the additional brews proved invaluable to navigating the streets and evading Griefers.

"Night Vision is good, but Strength Potions are even better." Soul grinned as he tapped the dark red potions at his belt. They were also of a higher rank, meaning they could more than _double_ a Crafter's power. It was no wonder why the combat-aggressive Soul preferred them.

"I like *hic* Awkward Potions… followed by Mundane Potions… and Thick Potions…" Void slurred as he held up an empty bottle, the contents of which he had forgotten to have just drank. "…Where'd it all go?"

Unsurprisingly, Floyd noted how all the Potions Void mentioned were alcoholic beverages. He probably should have said something about Void's drinking… but ultimately decided not to get between a man and his liquor.

"What about you, Floydette…" Void murmured, eliciting a groan from Floyd and a chuckle from Soul and Cara.

"One, I'm not a girl. And two, I like Potions of Swiftness." Floyd pulled out the electric blue potion from his backpack and admired it. "Feeling the wind course through my veins… that racing sensation… feeling like I can outrun anybody… nothing like it."

"Well, if you prefer running away like a coward." Soul sniped, dampening Floyd's spirits. "I prefer to tackle things head-on."

"Sometimes it's better to run away." Cara interjected, not missing the veiled insult towards Floyd. "You can't be expected to win every fight you come across. Rather than bet everything on one battle, it's better to live to fight another day."

Soul scoffed as if he doubted it. "Why do tomorrow what you could do today?"

Cara shrugged. "You could get more intel. Stand a better chance."

Soul shook his head as the group cut through a torn skyscraper. "You don't need intel or time or any of that nonsense. Haven't you ever heard of the 'Angel of Death'?"

"Oh, here we go again." Cara rolled her eyes. "Another spiel about your hero?"

"Who's the 'Angel of Death'?" Floyd asked, eliciting gasps from his three companions. He thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he heard it.

"How could you NOT know about the most famous, awesomest, badass in Minecraftia?" Soul practically shouted. After a slap from Cara, he wisely toned his voice down. "The Angel of Death is the leader of the **Paragons** , one of the three largest guilds in Minecraftia. She's also famous for decimating the entire Southern Division of the Endward Cult! She's a legend!"

"The entire… division?" Floyd's eyes widened. "But that would be a quarter of the entire cult, no?"

"That's the thing!" Soul shouted fervently. "She did all that in a single night, and she didn't need any plans or useless crap like that. No, she got shit _done_! That's the kind of person I want to be. No nonsense, tough as nails—"

"A woman."

"A woman—shut it, Floydette!"

Cara, however, rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Soul, you're almost as obsessed as Brett. He's been trying to contact the Angel of Death for months." Cara explained to an interested Floyd. "Wants the Paragons and the Silver Intent to join forces against the cult. Despite his offers, he hasn't gotten a response. But, really, the Angel hasn't made much of a move since the Southern Division. I wouldn't be surprised if she's trying to keep under the radar."

"She's so powerful, she could probably _blink_ in the direction of the cult and they'd be wiped off the map." Soul praised, his red eyes sparkling with admiration. "What I wouldn't give to meet her in person…"

Void hiccupped. "Would you give up your left nut?"

"My wh—okay, I would give _almost_ anything to meet her."

"…yoooouuuuur right nut?"

"I was thinking more in terms of emeralds or weapons and less in terms of my nuts, Void."

While the two bickered, Cara looked out between two buildings and her eyes lit up. "Bingo! The Center of Planar Trade."

Floyd looked over her shoulders, spotting a massive ornate building. It had entrances on all sides, with steps leading up to pillared supports. Most of the supports were ruined and covered in vines, like the rest of the Kingdom, and there seemed to be lava pouring out on one of the higher level. Higher up, there was a large clock with a missing minute hand. There was a domed roof, with gaps of broken glass and stone. And on the very top of the dome, the part that looked mostly untouched, was a small billowing banner; the design of which Floyd couldn't clearly make out.

"I think I get why you said we needed a lot of ladders." Floyd commented. The Center, while not as tall as the skyscrapers, was enormous. Thirty ladders wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Not to *hic* worry." Void pointed out as he stumbled forward. "We can use those vines for most of the way. The ladders are simply for when we come across a vine-less *hic* surface."

"Okay…" Floyd nodded to himself, taking another look at the Center building. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"Oh, and *hic* did I mention that a lot of Griefers camp out in the Center?"

Sure enough, a group of fifty Griefers rode up the stairs and past the pillars, hollering gleefully about recent kills and acquired gear.

"Better now than later." Soul muttered, his axe in hand and his eyes showing grim determination.

Cara, however, closed her fist around the axe. "Soul, calm down already! You're _not_ the Angel of Death, so don't even think you can try and fight all those Griefers!" Soul reluctantly obeyed, returning the axe to his belt. "We go up, grab the banner, replace it, get the hell out of here. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Got *hic* it."

"Sure."

"Good." Cara withdrew the Silver intent banner… and proceeded to hand it to Floyd. "Go do it."

"Wha—" Floyd barely finished his question before the banner was roughly thrust into his hands, the force of the action sending him stumbling back. "Why me?"

"Because I can tell by the look in his eyes that Soul would rather knock in Griefer skulls than replace a banner. And since Void's drunk, I'd rather he _not_ climb vines up the side of a building, thank you." Cara patted Floyd supportively on the shoulder. "Think of it this way, I trust you the most."

"More like you _distrust_ me the least."

"Glass half-empty, glass half-full." Cara waved off. "Same thing."

"It's not the same *hic* thing!" Void shouted. "I want a glass half-FULL of awkward-y goodness."

"This whole conversation is chalk-full of awkward-y goodness." Soul deadpanned. "But anyway, if Floyd is too tired to handle the stupid flag mission, I'll do it myself." Soul reached out to snag the banner, but Floyd pulled it out of his reach.

"No! I mean—I can handle it, really." Floyd rattled his head to stave off the drowsiness. "I can do it."

Soul didn't look convinced, but stepped away all the same. "So what do we do?" He asked Cara. "Twiddle our thumbs until he gets back?"

"We'll act as lookouts between buildings. If we see any Griefers coming, we'll signal Floyd to wait. If not, we'll tell him to go." Cara pointed towards an intact balcony on the third floor of a nearby skyscraper. "Soul, you take position up there and watch the left side. Void, you stay here and watch the lower left. I'll take position by that gnarled tree and watch the right."

Cara demonstrated which signals to use for which situations and made sure everyone could accurately understand and perform them. With that taken care of, everyone took their positions.

Floyd drank one of Void's Swiftness Potions and got into a running position. The nearest vine-covered pillar was about 100 meters away. If he was fast enough, he could make that distance in a twenty second window.

Looking up to the balcony, Floyd saw Soul give the signal. Cara and Void did the same, prompting the blue-nette to sprint from his cover. He deftly leapt over cracks and ruins, ascending the steps without losing any speed.

He didn't take a moment to rest when he hit the pillar. Instead, he entwined his fingers into the dense vines and pulled himself up. His lungs burned, but he kept his arms moving, pulling himself higher and higher until he reached a small stone lip at the top of the pillar. From there, he carefully placed ladders and a wooden plank for a foothold to climb further.

Thinking to check on his companions, Floyd made the mistake of glancing down. His stomach fell from him as he realized just how high up he was.

 _Why did I look down!?_ He internally groaned before shaking his head and pushing on.

Coming to the end of the latest vine, Floyd placed several ladders and hoisted himself up to the building's clock face. A few bats were sleeping beneath the clock's hour hand, but they were soon disturbed and squeaking about.

As Floyd tried to bat them away, his foot slipped on a rung and he lost his balance. That frightening sense of falling gripped his chest as he fell back. Thinking fast, he hooked his leg in between the ladder rungs. He winced in pain as his leg creaked and he found himself suspended upside-down by it.

He bit back an agonized yelp as he tried to pull himself back to a position that didn't leave him dangling hundreds of feet in the air. As he wiggled about, his leg creaked again, still wedged firmly between the rungs. Though it didn't prevent some items from falling out of his backpack.

 _Noooo!_ Floyd internally screamed as he saw the Silver Intent banner tumble from his pack. He threw out a hand and caught it, but could only watch as his wooden sword and book about Miner's Warren tumbled through the air.

Getting over the loss of a few measly items, Floyd held the banner between his teeth and pulled himself up by his leg, his hands searching for something stable to grab until they finally wrapped around a familiar rung.

The blue-nette, with some difficulty, freed his leg from the ladder and breathed a sigh of relief… only for something to whiz past his face, disrupting his hair.

He blinked in confusion and looked up, expecting rain. Then he winced as something sharp caught him in the calf. He looked down to see an arrow, courtesy of a band of Griefers at the bottom of the Center.

* * *

Soul watched the blue-nette climb up the vines.

Soul watched him get to the clock face.

Soul watched him slip on _nothing_ and fall back to hang from the ladder like a monkey.

And then Soul watched as a few of his items fell. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you looked at it), a Griefer had walked out to take a piss. Instead he took a wooden sword pommel to the skull knocking him out cold.

And then the other Griefers had noticed it and grabbed their bows. And now Soul watched as Floyd got shot at.

"One job…" He growled as he withdrew his iron axe. Over by the gnarled tree, Cara was waving at Soul with a complicated set of hand motions. If Soul were to guess, he would say she wanted him to stay put…

But, since she never taught them that hand sign, he would just have to feign ignorance. _After_ he took on some Griefers.

"About time I see some action." He commented as he rolled over the balcony, eliciting a facepalm from Cara.

* * *

Floyd hugged the ladder close as the barrage of arrows flew by. Griefers weren't as skilled as most, devoting their time to destruction and suffering, but if you got enough people together to shoot some arrows, one of them was bound to get a bull's-eye.

Speaking of which, two more arrows caught him in the thigh and back, prompting him to get off the damn thing.

"You'll be fiiiine, Floyd!" The blue-nette mimicked Cara's feminine tone as he angrily climbed the ladder, avoiding arrows, with the Silver Intent banner still firmly clenched beneath his teeth. "You're only scaling a fucking building, at night, surrounded by people that want to kill you!"

Doing crazy stuff like that…

That was what Cobb should have been there for.

Finally reaching the domed edge of the building, Floyd hoisted himself up, his breathing ragged as a dog, and spat the banner onto the roof. Winds whipped at his hair, a testament to how high he was. And yet the skyscrapers surrounding him were even taller than that.

Then Floyd's eyes spotted the banner at the very pinnacle of the domed roof. The design was rather simple: A black banner with a purple flower stamped in the center.

And yet the symbol belonged to the Endward Cult, arguably the most dastardly group in Minecraftia. It was hard not to acknowledge to weight of what that symbol meant.

But Floyd didn't have all day to look at it. The Griefers had spotted him and were probably trying to climb up the vines. He snatched up the Silver Intent's banner, hurried right up to the Endward Cult banner, and kicked it down. The wind caught it a little, causing it to flutter back towards where Floyd had climbed up. But the blue-nette paid it no mind as he gripped the Silver Intent banner, displaying a silver horseshoe against a black back-drop, and plunged it into the stone where the old banner had once rested.

The banner fluttered in the wind, proudly displaying its sigil for all to see.

Floyd nodded to himself, backing up to admire his work, before fully turning to run back to the ladder. He picked up the Endward Cult banner (knowing Brett would want it to verify a job well done), and peered over the edge with his bow loaded.

Instead of the Griefers he expected to be climbing up, he simply saw a shifting crowd surround an ironclad axe-wielder—

"One job, Soul…"

* * *

"You want some of this!?" Soul lashed out with an axe, cleaving a Griefer into a pile of gear. "I'll give you all of it!"

The axe-wielder had drained a Potion of Strength, not caring how many enemies he had to face, so long as he was fighting _something_.

Dark red particles swirled around him as he spun his axe into a reverse grip. He backhanded an approaching Griefer with his free hand and delivered a solid chop to the torso of another. "I can do this all night!"

A Griefer yelped as his arm was slashed back. "What's with his strength!? He's a monster!"

"We need back-up!" Another Griefer called out as two more Griefers were slain. "Go wake up Lord Urson!"

A few Griefers nodded, eager to leave the scene, as they retreated into the Center.

"Who's Urson?" Soul questioned as he lashed out again, sweeping several Griefers off their feet. "Is he supposed to be the big, bad boss?"

One of the Griefers shot an arrow at Soul, catching him in the shoulder. "Wait until Lord Urson gets hold of you. He'll tear you to pieces!"

"Hmph. I'd like to see him tryyyyyy!?" Soul yelled out in confusion as something snagged him by the shirt, pulling him free of the crowd of Griefers. Looking behind him, he saw that it was a fishing hook, with Floyd, Cara, and Void attached to the other end. "What's the big idea?"

"One job!" Cara pointed accusingly. "One. Job."

"Don't let them get away!" A Griefer shouted, spurring a small army of a hundred Griefers to pursue the Silver Intent group.

"Tactical retreat!" Cara ordered, half-guiding, half-dragging Soul along with her. Floyd and Void kept pace.

"Ooh! I *hic* know what we need!"

"I swear if it's another Awkward Potion, I'll—" Floyd stopped his rant as an electric blue splash potion was thrown at their feet, giving them all the speed to outrun the Griefers.

The four Crafters cut through a skyscraper, weaving between buildings as the angry howls behind them petered out.

However, that didn't keep them from stumbling upon _other_ groups of Griefers.

"Hey, what the—!"

"Fresh kills!"

"Oooh! One of them's a _lady_ ~!"

"Grrr… back this way!" Cara called out, backtracking between two skyscrapers. The group followed obediently, even though the shouts and hollers of Griefers were beginning to surround them.

"There they go!"

"Cut them off! Kill them!"

"Did that one guy have lines over his eyes?"

"Leave them for Lord Urson! He'll want a taste!"

"I'm starting to get why this was a stealth mission!" Floyd commented in between breaths. No matter how fast they ran, the Griefers seemed to cut them off at every turn. They probably knew the streets and shortcuts of Nitebane better than anyone.

"Back this way!" Cara shouted again as she squeezed through a thin alley. The rest of the group followed…

Only to come across a dead-end.

"Well, better pour one out for us." Void mumbled hopelessly as he dumped an Awkward Potion into his mouth. Behind them, the sounds of Griefers were getting louder and louder. It wouldn't be long before they…

What was Cara doing with her hands?

Cara's arm was bent upwards, forming a fist, as she frantically stripped off her armor. She kept silent the entire time, her eyes locked on the group in a pleading stare.

Floyd thought for a second before remembering what Cara had said before they entered Nitebane. The signal she had demonstrated with the bent arm forming a fist…

' _Stay close, and watch my hands for signals at all times. If I do this, then that means you should strip off all your armor and stay silent._ '

Catching her meaning at the exact same time, Floyd and Soul stripped off their armor. Not understanding what they were doing, but too drunk to care, Void followed suit.

The Griefers were getting louder, their shadows dancing across the edge of the alley.

Just as Floyd pulled off his last piece of armor, Cara threw down a light gray splash potion. As the bottle burst forth, all four Crafters suddenly disappeared, their bodies as transparent as a door-to-door salesman.

In the nick of time too. For the Griefers had glanced into the alley not a second later, seeing only an empty dead-end before them. They passed without a second glance, eager to catch the foolish Crafters who had stumbled into their land.

Everyone, even the drunken Void, was as silent as the grave. Nobody dared move, or whisper, or do anything for fear of being found out. Even when the voices of the Griefers died out, the group remained still.

Only when the Invisibility Potion wore off did the group let out a sigh of glorious relief. They dug into the dead-end alley, replacing the stone behind them, and hid inside the second floor of a ruined skyscraper. It was filled with cubicles and papers littering the ground, perhaps an office building.

"Good thinking with that *hic* potion, Cara." Void slurred, mistakenly patting a cubicle wall instead of Cara's shoulder. "Saved our bacon, you did."

"We could've taken them… but, yeah, good on you, Cara." Soul offered, causing Cara to blush at the praise.

"Hehe! It pays to be prepared." She smiled before turning to Floyd. "So… did you do it?"

Floyd nodded, withdrawing the Nitebane banner from his backpack. The group stared at the simplistic flower design. The symbol of their sworn enemy was staring them right in the face.

Cara leaned back, resting her head on a spot of carpet. "Mission accomplished."

"Mission accomplished." Floyd smiled to himself as he stowed the banner back into his backpack. "Not too bad for my first mission, eh?"

There was a slight scoff from an axe-wielder that didn't go unnoticed.

"…What?" Floyd asked directly, not liking the sound of that scoff. He _had_ done a good job. He almost broke a leg climbing that building and yet Soul still thought less of him. "What, hmm? What's the problem?"

"No. No problem." Soul raised his hands up disarmingly before his eyes sharpened. "Just that you consider slipping on _nothing_ and almost falling off as a success."

"What was that?"

"Hey, hey, guys?" Cara got up off the floor, sensing a possible argument. "We did the mission. It was a success."

"That's what I was saying until this guy spoke up." Floyd glared angrily at the axe-wielder. "No matter what I do, you can't give me a break."

"How about I _break_ your arm if you don't shut up." Soul shot back, his fists clenched tight. "Or maybe you can just slip on nothing again and break it yourself?"

"Oooh… sick burn…" Void commented unhelpfully as he took another swig of his drink.

"At least I wasn't running into battle half-cocked!" Floyd pointed an accusing finger at Soul. "Were you trying to fight them all off? What if more showed up?"

"Maybe if _you_ hadn't made a slip-up, I wouldn't have needed to distract them!"

"Maybe if _you_ had stayed put, they wouldn't have seen you and we wouldn't have been chased through Nitebane."

"Running and hiding is the coward's way… though you should know!"

Floyd and Soul instantly drew their weapons, pointing them at one another in a fit of rage. Void watched it all with wide eyes.

"Yeesh. This is getting too awkward to watch." He paused before taking another sip of his drink. "Ahh, that's better."

"Even after everything I've done," Floyd mumbled to himself, his sword meeting Soul's axe, "you don't care. What more do I have to do for you to forgive me? What do you want me to say!? I'm sorry!"

Soul loosened his grip on his axe, looking conflicted. "I… I don't want to hear an apology… I already know how sorry you are…" Soul remembered the nightmares Floyd had had. He already knew what he was going through. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forgive the blue-haired Crafter for leaving Silent to die.

Floyd looked confused. "Then what do you—"

"Somebody, help!"

A new voice cut through the tension, startling the Silver Intent group. It came from one of the many broken windows overlooking the street.

"Help!"

It was a female voice, and it was so full of fear that it immediately drew Floyd to the windows.

Down below, he could see a girl lying in the middle of the street. She was huddled upon herself, looking scared and defenseless. Staring her down were a couple of Griefers armed with pickaxes.

"Well, what do we have here?" One of the Griefers questioned with sadistic glee as he eyed the girl. "Looks like somebody's a little lost, eh boys?"

The Griefers behind him chuckled as they advanced.

Cara, Soul, and Void joined Floyd at the window to watch the girl.

"They must be stragglers from the Griefer horde earlier." Cara commented. "We better stay hidden—"

"We got to help her." Floyd spoke clearly, making to leap out of the window.

"No, Floyd!" Cara hissed, grabbing the blue-nette by the arm. "You go down there, and you could expose us all over again!"

"She's right." Void advised. "We should just wait for them to pass."

 _And let another innocent bystander be carved up by those Griefers?_ Floyd bit back those words, his body straining to jump down.

"Were you part of that group that dropped in, girly?" One of the Griefers taunted, walking right up to the defenseless girl. "Go on. Say something!" He raised his pickaxe, aiming for her head.

"Someone, help!"

"Hahaha—huh?"

An arrow was lodged into the side of the Griefer's face, momentarily surprising him before he screamed in pain.

"Floyd! Don't—!"

"I'm not standing by to watch anymore!" Floyd shouted, loading another arrow into his bow before hopping down.

Cara shook her head. "No, it's not that! It's—"

But Floyd didn't hear her. He hit the ground and shot one of the other Griefers before switching to his iron sword. He sprung forward, slashing at the Griefers with little to no resistance. In between strikes, he got between them and the girl, protecting her.

After batting aside one of their pickaxes, the blue-nette carved his blade into a Griefer's back, sending him to oblivion in a shower of gear. That was all the remaining Griefers needed to see before they cut their losses and ran away.

Floyd huffed to catch his breath before turning to the downed girl. "Are you oka—AGH!"

The blue-nette was suddenly set ablaze as a bucket of lava was poured at his feet, courtesy of the 'defenseless' girl.

"Floyd!" Cara shouted, though her warning was a little late.

The girl scooped the lava back up into her bucket and plunged her hands into Floyd's backpack, grabbing the first things that met her hands. The blue-nette, being engulfed by flames, could do little to oppose her.

Withdrawing her gear-laden hands from his backpack, the girl turned on her heel and sprinted as fast as she could down the street. An arrow was shot at her by Cara, but it missed her shoulder by sheer luck. As she turned a corner, Floyd noticed a brown shape chase after her.

Still on fire, Floyd frantically searched his belt before withdrawing an amber brew. He downed the Potion of Fire Resistance and immediately felt the burning agony subside.

He was still wondering what had just happened when Cara came up to him. "Idiot! What would a defenseless girl be doing on the open street!? It was an _act_!"

"An… act?" She was faking it? For what? To hope somebody would come to her rescue… only for her to then turn on them?

And then she had lit him on fire and stolen his gear. What kind of a person would play on another's weaknesses like…

…!

Floyd's eyes widened as he reached his hand into his backpack, searching for something he couldn't find. "Crap! She took the banner!"

It took a moment for Cara to realize what he meant, and when she did, she gnashed her teeth. "Mission Unaccomplished…" She murmured under her breath.

"Soul went after her." Void popped up, pointing down a street. "He had his axe drawn and he looked pretty bloodthirsty."

"We _need_ that banner back!" Cara stressed urgently, giving Floyd a once over before taking off after the axe-wielder. Void followed next with Floyd at the rear.

 _I messed up again…_ He internally cursed.

He slammed a fist to his forehead, cursing himself for his naivety.

 _I messed up again!_

He didn't even notice the wisp of smoke that seeped from between his clenched eyelids, fizzling out as quickly as it had come.

* * *

The girl ducked down a familiar alley, stowing the stolen gear into her backpack. She heard heavy footsteps behind her, but didn't look back for fear of tripping.

Soul's crimson eyes hardened as he followed her like a shark smelling blood. While it was no surprise that Floyd had been outsmarted, Soul wasn't going to let that thief go without a good thrashing.

The axe-wielder felt like he was gaining, given how the girl kept turning corners in an attempt to lose him. The close-knit buildings created alleyways that only allowed a single Crafter through at a time. Soul hoped the girl didn't realize the advantage that provided her…

No sooner had he thought that than the girl turned around, placing three buckets of lava across the alleyway. They flowed down, barring the path, and bringing a smug grin to the girl's face.

Soul's eye twitched and he picked up speed. No way was some little shit gonna outsmart him!

"Rargh!"

Soul dove right through the lava blockade without even flinching. The lava seared his skin and he felt the flames lick across his body, but he pushed through the pain and right out the other side to tackle the surprised thief.

"Oof!"

The flames burning Soul's skin eventually died out, leaving him coughing and burnt. But his eyes were as cold as ever as he glared down upon the thief.

"You Griefers like stealing from people, huh?" Soul questioned as he grabbed the thief by her neck. "Like pouring lava on people that help you?"

The girl struggled to push Soul off of her. "I'm… uck!... not a Griefer!"

Soul ignored her though. "Your girl in peril routine was pretty believable. Why don't you try it again and see if I think twice about sparing you."

"Ggh! I… I was… uck!"

The girl was gasping for breath as Soul raised his axe.

"Stop."

A new voice whispered that single word into Soul's ear. He glanced to his side to see another girl, this one with a pale, freckled face and long, curly, dark brown hair. More notable about her was the fact that she had a sword pressed against Soul's neck.

Floyd narrowed his eyes before ducking beneath her sword and twisting to slash her across the chest. The new arrival simply slid under the strike before angling her body up and springing off the ground to deliver a sharp kick to Soul's jaw.

The axe-wielder's vision jarred and he was forced to give up ground to the girl. Despite her young appearance, she seemed fairly tough. She was tall and lanky, wearing a black tank top, gray sleeveless shirt, army green cargo pants, and combat boots. She had a dark red belt and backpack and her grayish green eyes glittered with anticipation. She was eager for a fight.

And above her head was the name attila_akrasia.

"You looking for a fight, too?" Soul flipped his axe, reversing the grip. "Because I'd be happy to oblige."

The girl named Attila withdrew a potion from her backpack, tossing it lightly. "Attacking two young girls, in a dark alley, at night? Are you Griefers _trying_ to look like rapists?"

Soul growled, charging forward in a wild attack. Attila drank her electric blue potion and swapped out her sword for TNT.

Just as Soul raised his axe to attack, the girl darted forward, displaying the effects of her Potion of Swiftness. She bounced along the narrow alleyway, confusing Soul with her sharp movements. The axe-wielder lunged after her, but only managed to break a chunk of the alley.

With every second or third bounce, Attila placed a block of TNT. Noticing this, Soul tried to break the TNT faster than she could place them, but it was impossible to match her speed without a similar potion.

Once ten TNT were set up, Attila placed a redstone torch down, igniting the nearest one. Trapped, Soul had no other choice but to escape into one of the buildings. He desperately dug out a wall as the TNT hissed away.

As the first blast went off, Attila grabbed the thief girl and put some distance between them and the ensuing blasts.

Soul wasn't so lucky. The explosion caught his back, ripping through half his Health, and sending him careening into a wooden shelf in the adjacent building. He bounced off the top before crashing through a window back into the main streets.

A second later, Attila and the thief came sliding from out of the alley. "Not so tough now, are you?"

Soul snarled as he clambered to his feet. "Just for that… I'm not taking it easy on you any—Grah!"

Attila had already driven an elbow into his gut, cutting the axe-wielder off. Fighting through the pain, Soul grabbed hold of Attila with one hand and fished a Strength Potion out of his belt with the other. He downed it quick, grinning deviously at Attila's worried expression before using his new strength to swing her into a busted lamp post.

Soul refused to let go, however, winding up to throw her against something equally painful. Attila responded by balling her fist into his shirt, preventing him from throwing her anymore.

"Let go!" He growled, throwing a punch at her face. Attila barely dodged it with a turn of her head before sweeping at Soul's legs. The action caught the axe-wielder unawares and sent him flat on his ass with Attila's combat boot placed squarely on his neck.

"You're tough for a Griefer, I'll give you that." Attila muttered as she put more pressure on his neck. "But you picked the _wrong_ day to mess with my family."

"Well… _you're_ tough for a Griefer… but… I'm… not… done—ugh—yet!" Soul frantically tried to break her hold, but his efforts were increasingly fruitless.

"Wait… you think _I'm_ a Griefer?" Attila questioned, the pressure on Soul's neck letting up for an instant before she pressed down again. "Don't lie! You were the one attacking Kate in that alley."

Attila was about to fish out some more TNT when a voice cut across the street. "Soul!"

Floyd, Cara, and Void ran forwards, looking worried for Soul's safety. Their weapons were drawn, ready for a fight.

"Release our comrade!" Cara warned, though she looked to be sweating from the tension of the situation.

Attila raised an eyebrow. "And who are you? Your comrade just tried to kill Kate over there. Sadistically, I might add!"

Cara looked tense, not knowing whether to attack right now or try and talk more. Floyd, however, made his choice instantly when he returned the sword to his belt and held his hands up. "Your comrade, Kate, stole from me. Soul was just trying to get my stuff back."

Attila turned her attention to the blue-nette and let out a sarcastic laugh. "It looked to me like he was trying to torture a defeated girl."

"...I apologize for his actions." Floyd continued, his hands still raised to show he meant no harm. "Tempers have been rather high today without a thief stealing from us. We thought… we thought she was a Griefer."

"Well, I thought that the asshole beneath my boot was a Griefer." Attila commented casually as she ground her boot into Soul's neck. "I'll ask again: Who are you?"

Floyd took a step closer. "We… well, we're—"

"The Silver Intent." Cara interjected. She still had her bow drawn and pointed at Attila, daring her to make a move. "We're an organization dedicated to eradicating the Endward Cult."

"Then why did he have _this_?" The girl behind Attila, Kate, spoke for the first time as she held the Endward Cult banner Floyd had retrieved.

Attila glanced back. "Kate, I love you, and you made a damn good point just now, but I thought I told you to only steal from _Griefers_."

"I was!" Kate protested before she adopted an ashamed look. "But… one of them… one of them got in the way and I just reacted like I usually did!"

"We'll talk about this later. As for you," Attila turned back to Floyd only for her eyes to widen fearfully. "Those… markings…"

Floyd raised a questioning brow as he took a step closer. "If you're wondering about the banner, it's from the Center of Planar Trade. We were tasked with tearing it down and replacing it with our own banner."

Attila didn't seem to have heard him. Her grayish-green eyes were locked with Floyd's. Or more precisely what was around them.

"Those eyes…" She growled as she withdrew her sword and pointed it at the blue-nette. "You're one of THEM!"

"One of… huh?" Floyd was genuinely confused, taking a step back in an effort to calm the girl down.

Soul, seeing an opportunity, used the last of his potion strength to push the distracted Attila off of him. He rolled to the side, dodging Attila's blade and skittering towards the rest of his group.

"You _are_ Griefers!" Attila accused. "Only Griefers would hang around a Hacker!"

Floyd's eyes widened in fear, even as Void stepped up to argue. "Girl, you crazy! None of us are Hackers and none of us are Griefers either!"

Attila spat on the ground. "Tell that to the blue-haired one! He's got the markings of a Hacker all over his eyes!"

Floyd felt the group's attention fixed solely on him, even as he rolled the girl's words inside his head.

"He's evil incarnate." Attila continued. "Just like the scum ruling this Kingdom."

"Floyd, what is she talking about?" Cara questioned, a bit of fear in her eyes.

"You're wrong…" Floyd mumbled, shaking his head frantically. "I can't be a Hacker… I-I didn't even know what one was until today!"

"Liar!" Attila accused. "You might look all innocent now, but deep down you're a twisted, depraved—"

"Th-that's not true!"

Surprisingly, it was Kate who interrupted. Her small voice quivered as she sidled up to Attila.

"He fought some Griefers that tried to attack me." Kate explained. "And not once did I see any smoke emanate from him. He was actually quite skilled with a sword. What Hacker would take the time to practice swordsmanship, Attila?"

Attila's eyes glanced to Kate, though they darted back to Floyd whenever she could spare them. "Kate, now's not the—"

"A Hacker wouldn't act like that, Attila." Kate pressed. "And a Hacker _certainly_ wouldn't leave an opening to be killed. I could have burned him to death with lava!"

Attila looked conflicted as her eyes darted to the girl beside her. "…You may have a point…"

"Just because every Hacker you've seen has those marks, doesn't mean that guy is too." She held up the Endward Cult banner. "And why would a Hacker have this? It wouldn't make sense."

"Then… they're part of the Endward Cult!" Attila held her sword between the two sides. But the action was half-hearted, as if she was doubting her own accusations.

"We're not cultists." Void clarified. "We're not Griefers or Hackers either. We're just Crafters on a mission. So if you could return that banner and the rest of our friend's stuff we'll be on our way."

Attila quickly thought everything over in her head. The four Crafters before her weren't wearing the black leather caps of the Endward Cult, and claimed to be part of some anti-cult organization. Her head tilted to look up at the Center of Planar Trade's domed roof. She could just make it out between two skyscrapers, and she couldn't deny the sight of ladders that climbed their way to the top. Wasn't that evidence enough that they had gone up there?

One of them, the blue-haired one, had the distinctive Hacker markings that she had seen on every Hacker she had ever spied upon. Yet, out of all of them, he was the first to try and negotiate peacefully. If he was truly a Hacker, surely he would activate his powers and kill her in the blink of an eye. And the group he surrounded himself with was so small… they couldn't be Griefers. And they didn't have the markings so they couldn't be Hackers either.

And the man she had fought, Lost_Soul, he was ruthless, sure, but he was also skilled with an axe. Griefers were usually talentless on their own, opting instead to travel in packs. But to fight one-on-one like that, and even to damage her, she couldn't think of any Griefer who could do that.

No matter how she looked at it, this group of Crafters were just that; a group of Crafters.

"Attila." Kate touched her hand. "Put the sword away."

With a tense inhale of breath, Attila slowly complied, staring at the Crafters as if they were the strangest sight she had ever seen.

The Silver Intent group, seeing Attila's action, quickly followed suit. The six of them simply stared at each other, not sure if they should say something or remain silent.

Kate was the one to break the ice. She shuffled forward, only for Attila to rush up to her side, as if she were worried of a sudden attack. Kate bowed her head in apology to Floyd and returned his items, which he gratefully accepted.

Attila kept her eyes on him though, remembering what those dark markings were capable of.

Her attention also slid across the banner that passed between hands. The symbol of the Endward Cult.

A group she long wished to forget about.

"So… we're cool?" Void bothered to comment, missing the tense atmosphere entirely. "We're cool, yeah? Cool? Yeah?"

"…Yeeeeah." Attila stretched the word out, her grayish-green eyes revealing nothing.

"I'm sorry I stole from you." Again, Kate bowed low to the blue-nette. "See, I'm only supposed to steal from Griefers—"

"Like the ones that attacked you." Floyd filled in, understanding her thought process.

"Yeah." She rubbed her head awkwardly. "They actually lower their guard the more you act defenseless and weak… though I guess I acted _too_ weak since it got you involved."

Floyd smiled. "Just means your acting is good enough to fool anyone." Kate smiled at the praise. "Though what were you hoping to get from my backpack?"

Kate's smile instantly fell. "Well, we need all the supplies we can—"

"Kate." Attila spoke sharply, causing the girl to clamp her mouth shut. "We don't know these people."

"And we don't really know you." Soul grumbled. "Like, for instance, what are non-Griefers doing in Nitebane? This isn't the place to raise a family."

Attila flashed the axe-wielder a vicious grin. "Sounds like somebody's still sore about getting his butt whooped."

"In your dreams, little girl."

"Actually, Soul, from what I saw, she definitely kicked your ass." Floyd stated without shame.

"Ha!" The explosive girl laughed with a hand on her hip. "Even your own comrades know how badly you lost."

Soul glared at the girl. "One guy is _not_ all of my comr—"

"He got decked."

"Stick a fork in him, he was *hic* done."

"…"

Attila leaned forward with a smug grin. "You were saying little lost boy?"

Before Soul could retort, some loud bellowing and shouting was sounding from nearby. It must have been the Griefer horde that chased them from the Center, drawn by Attila's explosions.

"Kate, time to jet." Attila urged as she pushed the girl forward. "Nice meeting you weirdo's. Hope you don't get stabbed a hundred times."

"Fuck you too." Soul proudly displayed his middle finger to the retreating girls, before turning back to his group. "Can't believe I wasted another Strength Potion."

"I can." Cara retorted flatly.

"This is *hic* bad guys." Void announced to his fellow Crafters. "The Griefers are coming from all directions. We won't be able to make it out."

"Use another Potion of Invisibility, Cara!"

She shook her head. "That won't us any good when they'll practically crowd this street and stumble into us! We need to hide!"

"But where can we…"

"Kate, get back here!" Came Attila's hiss as the young Kate waved the Silver Intent group over.

"They're not bad people, Attila, we should help them." Kate argued back before calling to the group. "We have a safe space if you'd like?"

The Silver Intent group looked at each other searchingly. "Can we really trust them?" Soul asked, glaring at Attila's shadow.

"…No, we can't." Floyd spoke, though he followed after Kate at her urging. Cara and Void, caught between an unknown situation and a soon-to-be Griefer place, opted to trust Floyd's instincts.

Soul was the last to follow, grumbling to himself.

"I _didn't_ get my butt whooped…"

* * *

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Banner {Endward Cult}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 56 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 13]

* * *

 **AN: Do you see why I had to split this Chapter into two parts? Too much to talk about. So I won't even.**

 **I will say that writing dialogue for the Silver Intent characters is _hard_. Between Soul's gruffness, Floyd's confusion, Void's alcoholism, and Cara's leadership... it ain't easy. Oh, and I need to write humor too. It was sooooo much easier writing between Cobb and Wynn... it practically wrote itself.**

 **Additionally I will talk about the _TWO_ OCs I used in this Chapter. The first one was Void_Dweller, submitted by Platypotato. He's an added face to the Silver Intent roster. And then there's attila_akrasia, submitted by AngelTheSeventh. Love the character, but the name is the most annoying thing to spell correctly. I just _know_ somewhere along the way I'll screw it up.**

 **Hope I represented the characters in a good light.**

 **Again, sorry this is late. Though what's a few hours, right? Hours? Right?**

 **...Bye.**


	66. Those that Remain

**AN: IT'S STILL WEDNESDAY! BACK YOU RABID READERS! BACK!**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle was: tongue! Even though this reviewer spelled it wrong, I don't grade by spelling... unless it's purposefully awful. Congrats to LA LA land for guessing it correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Apologies for this next puzzle, but it is so convoluted, that I doubt anyone will even solve it. The bar has been set. Good luck.**

 **Puzzle: Fill in the blank:**

 **8x8=24**

 **8x8=32**

 **9x9=40**

 **19x19=_**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add TNT boots.

Beta: Myself (So there's gotta be, like, a million errors.)

* * *

Chapter 66

 **Those that Remain**

"Tch. These rats are everywhere." Attila glanced down an alley, waiting as a crowd of Griefers passed, before crossing. Behind her, one cherished comrade—and four annoying stragglers—followed. "Did you Silver Intent kick the hornet's nest or what?"

At the back of the formation, Soul scowled. "They only found us because of the TNT _you_ set off."

"Oh, is that a fact, little lost boy?" Attila called back with a sarcastic titter. "Then maybe you and the rest of your group should _stop following us_. Because explosions are kind of my thing." She subtly withdrew a block of TNT from her belt and 'accidentally' placed it between Kate and the Silver Intent group. "Ooooops…" She drew out, slowly lowered a redstone torch to ignite it.

Void and Soul jumped back reflexively, though the next instant was filled with a light smack rather than a resounding explosion.

Kate lightly smacked Attila again and again before assaulting her in a barrage of gentle slaps. The brunette girl held up her arms defensively. "Ow! Relax! I wasn't gonna blow them up!"

Kate stopped her slaps upon hearing Attila's apology, until she added in a low warning, "Unless they start something…"

Smacking the back of her head once more for good measure, Kate broke the TNT and handed it back to Attila. "They won't start anything. I can tell that they're good people." Kate turned to look at the Silver Intent Group, renewing her faith as she looked each one in the face… until she got to Soul's. She took a long look at his face, paused, and blinked twice, before turning around completely. " _Most_ of them look like good people." She amended.

"Why you little—"

"Soul." Cara held out a hand to restrain the axe-wielder. "Enough. If these Crafters know a place to hide, we'd do best to be polite towards them."

"Hear that, little lost boy?" Attila cheekily called back, sparking annoyance from the axe-wielder. "You gotta be nice to us."

"Not to be rude or anything," Floyd cut in before Soul could share a few choice curse words. "But where exactly is the hiding spot you spoke of?"

"Well… I—" Kate paused, taking a moment to glance to Attila for permission. The brunette rolled her eyes and nodded, albeit reluctantly. "We live in that skyscraper up ahead."

The girl pointed to the nearest skyscraper. Just like the ones Floyd had spotted, this one had several missing floors, but only at one spot. The rest of the skyscraper just hovered there, defying gravity as most blocks in Minecraftia did.

Oddly enough, however, there were small stacks of blocks, covered in ladders, climbing towards the hovering skyscraper. Almost as if someone had been trying to nerd-pole up there.

When the six Crafters reached the base of the broken skyscraper, they watched Attila walk up to an abandoned fountain with a platform of obsidian in the middle.

"So… how do we get up there?" Floyd questioned, to which Kate pointedly ignored. "Kate?"

"Hm?" She turned to the blue-nette. "Yes?"

"How do we get up there?"

"Oh! Well, see what Attila is doing?" Floyd watched as the brunette girl rigged up some redstone and several blocks of TNT to surround the obsidian platform. "She's setting up the explosion pad."

"…Explosion pad?" Cara's eye twitched at that phrase. "Now wait a—"

"See, you know how explosions can send you flying? Like when you're blown back?" Kate explained.

"I really don't think we can—"

"Well, Attila figured out how to harness explosions to reach greater heights. She's smart like that."

"That doesn't sound like the smartest—"

"So, we're basically going to explode our way up the skyscraper." Kate cheered, failing to notice Floyd and Cara's pale face. "It's much safer than it sounds… unless you crack your head on the ledge—But we fixed that!" She hastily added.

"Well would you look at the time!" Cara shook the clock at her belt as if doing so would somehow get her out of the current situation faster. "Exploding up a skyscraper sounds like fun, but we've reeeeeeally gotta go! So, thanks again, and we'll just be off—"

"Hey! I think I heard someone over by the fountain!" The damning voice of a Griefer called out.

"Let's search there next!"

"Yeah!"

"You were saying?" Attila smirked as she placed one final block of TNT down. "Okay, it's all set. Kate, let's go. The rest of you Silver Intent grunts can either stay here or take a ride on the explosion-powered elevator. Trademark."

"Uh…"

"Ahaha! _No_ thanks!" Cara took a step back. "I choose life!"

"Which is why *hic* we need to get on board." Void advised, seeing the swarm of Griefers approach. His counsel would have been more encouraging if he wasn't half drunk.

"We have to, Cara." Floyd tentatively stepped on the obsidian platform, being helped up by Kate.

"Ugh… is this even safe?" Soul questioned, poking the platform with his axe.

"Why? You scared, little lost boy?" Attila grinned at how the axe-wielder leapt upon the platform with folded arms, daring her to call him a coward. It was funny how predictable he could be.

"Oh… this is insane. This is crazy, and insane…" Cara whispered to herself as she and Void clambered on the platform.

"Okay, everyone's on." Attila readied a redstone torch as she continued to speak. "Please keep your arms and legs inside the platform at all times and be sure to maneuver yourself _towards_ the skyscraper." She placed the redstone torch, igniting all the surrounding TNT which fell into the fountain's water.

"Three…" She counted down.

The TNT was flashing white.

Kate balled her hands into tiny fists and raised them to the sky, fully prepared for launch.

"Two…"

Floyd and Soul gripped Cara to keep her from freaking out.

"One…"

The TNT expanded just before…

"Lift-off!"

*BOOM*

Floyd was unprepared at just how much force an explosion could possibly contain. Several blocks of TNT going off at once created an explosion as loud as a Charged Creeper. Probably as destructive as one, too. It was a miracle the group of six Crafters were still alive.

It was an even bigger miracle when Floyd opened his eyes and realized how fast they were rising. The force of the explosion had propelled them up the side of the skyscraper faster than any ladder or skyscraper could. The windows and floors of the building whizzed by so fast.

Floyd saw Attila and Kate being propelled up at the same pace. Kate's arms were still raised up, cutting through the air and aiding her ascent. Attila's arms were folded patiently across her chest. Their expressions were the same, looking rather bored with the mode of transportation, as if it were as ordinary as doing the laundry.

In comparison, Cara was screaming with tears in her eyes, clinging for dear life onto Soul's face. Void and Soul had varying degrees of shock at the method of transportation, but not _nearly_ as bad as Cara's.

"Hold me, Soul!"

"Cara, stop! I can't see anything!"

After rocketing past the missing floors in the skyscraper, the six Crafters began to lose speed. At that time, Attila and Kate angled themselves towards the building, with the latter gesturing for Floyd to do the same.

"Guys! Lean forward!" Floyd shouted, causing the Silver Intent group to move towards the skyscraper. As they reached the peak of their ascent, the effects of gravity finally taking hold of them, the six slowly began to drift back down.

Fortunately, there was a ledge on one of the floors, ready to catch them.

Attila and Kate stuck the landing almost lazily while the Silver Intent group floundered about only to land face-first or on all fours. But as they peeled themselves off the ledge and looked up, they were greeted by an unbelievable sight.

Crafters.

Not Griefers. _Crafters_.

People with kind faces who wandered across the floor, greeting each other with warm gestures, and who appeared at home in the upper floors of a ruined skyscraper.

Though, to be fair, this skyscraper was vastly different from the others.

After navigating through several of Nitebane's skyscrapers, Floyd was usually able to guess what business each one housed. Whether it was the cubicles of an office building, or the close-knit desks of a college building, each one had some identifying furniture or structure.

But _this_ skyscraper, the one filled with Crafters, somehow had none of that… and yet all of that.

What might have been a hallway when the building was still used had been expanded, allowing for more people to pass. The ceiling had been broken and redone into a balcony overlooking the hallway below. Rooms were converted into homes and fitted with doors and banners that offered meager privacy to the occupants. There were wooden stands haphazardly set up, with Crafters lined up all the way down the hall.

The Crafters themselves looked a little worse for wear. Some were gripping their stomachs on the line by the wooden stands, wearing dirty leather armor. Some were busy distributing logs and charcoal, while others simply remained in small niches, curled upon themselves and shivering.

And yet… it was a living community.

"I don't believe this…" Void did a double take between the sight before him and the empty Awkward Potion bottle in his hand as if he thought the whole thing was a drunken hallucination.

"I'm seeing this too, Void." Cara assured, though she didn't take her eyes off the community of Crafters.

"By Notch…" Void actually wiped tears from his eyes. "I never would have dreamed that… that…"

"That Crafters could live up here?" Attila finished, turning to the Silver Intent group. Void just numbly nodded, prompting Attila to continue. "It was a last ditch effort. Back when Nitebane began to be overrun by Griefers, a few smart Crafters gathered all the TNT they could muster and each led a group into a skyscraper. The Griefers pursued, intending to massacre people, but soon retreated when they found the skyscrapers' floors to be rigged with TNT."

Attila smiled as if it were her favorite part of the story. "Kaboom! Several floors taken out. And the other groups did the same, leaving the Griefers no way to climb up here."

So the floating skyscrapers… they were really just regular buildings with the floors blown out. That explained why only the bottom half was riddled with holes and ruined. The Griefers couldn't demolish what they couldn't reach. So then…

"You mean the Griefers never tried to climb up here?" Soul questioned as he watched a pair of Crafters share a bowl of stew.

Attila's smile widened, turning a bit shark-like. "Oh, they tried. Nerdpoles and whatnot. But the higher they climbed…" She punched her open palm. "The further they fell."

"We used eggs and arrows to knock them off the nerdpoles." Kate filled in. "We wasted a lot of eggs until the smugglers brought in some snow and pumpkins. It cost a lot of emeralds, but now the snow golems supply us with an infinite amount of snowballs. Makes for good ammunition."

Attila chuckled to herself. "Some of them even tried to imitate my explosion-powered elevator. Needless to say, they failed _spectacularly_."

"Incredible…" Void marveled at the community in disbelief. "For a community to exist right above our heads. All this time I thought Nitebane belonged to the Griefers, but—"

"It still does." Attila's eyes darkened, her smile vanishing. "So long as that Hacker sits on the throne, this Kingdom will never be truly free." She breathed a weary sigh before glaring at the Silver Intent group. "I don't want you four causing any trouble, got it? If I think for a second you'll hurt any of these Crafters, you—"

"Attila! Attila!" The brunette has to postpone her warning when three Crafters rushed over to her. They were bedraggled and looked emaciated. Attila quickly withdrew a Zombie Head from her backpack before thrusting it upon Floyd's head, swapping out his iron helmet. Only when it was secure did she turn around.

"Don't run you three! I'm not going anywhere." Attila half-reprimanded, half-assured as she walked up to them. "You can't waste your Hunger Meter running. If you're not careful—"

"But that's what we needed to talk to you about!" One of the Crafters gasped as he tugged on the torso of Attila's shirt. "The smugglers are causing trouble! They're not giving us the bones. They say we didn't honor the deal, but we did!"

"What?" Attila growled as her face was obscured by her dark brown curls. "Where are they?"

"The Harvesting Room!" one of the Crafters pleaded. "Please, hurry. I don't think Angelico can fast for much longer."

Attila nodded, but before she left, she turned to Floyd. The blue-nette was in the middle of removing the Zombie Head from his face when Attila grabbed his hand. "Hacker or not, don't you _dare_ show those lines in this building." She whispered. "I don't want people to panic." Realizing she meant the markings on his face, Floyd slowly released the Zombie Head, letting it obscure his face once more.

With that settled, Attila rushed over to an elevator off to the side. She pressed a wooden button, the doors sliding open to reveal a ladder. Floyd watched as she climbed up, her dark brown hair sliding out of sight before the elevator doors closed.

"Oh no…" Kate mumbled, her hand resting against her lips and a look of worry etched across her face. "Another food problem…"

"Is something wrong with your food supply?" Floyd asked curiously, to which Kate nodded.

"Feeding this many Crafters isn't easy." She gestured to the starving Crafters waiting on line for what could only be food. "We have to grow all our food since it's almost impossible to ferry livestock up a skyscraper."

"So you use bone meal." Cara filled-in, catching Floyd's attention.

"Yeah. With bone meal we can instantly grow our crops without having to wait. Usually mushrooms for stew." Kate rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "The problem, however, is our supply of bones. The smugglers bring them in, but demand emeralds in exchange. And they're not stupid. They know how desperately we need them… and they're not above racking up the price."

Floyd's eyes narrowed beneath the Zombie Head. "Disgusting."

"Hmm." Kate nodded in agreement. "We also send people down to steal from Griefers… every bit helps and all… But, there's little we can do."

Floyd frowned, shoving his hands in his belt pocket at the bleak reality of the situation… only for his hand to graze something scaled.

While he rummaged in his belt, catching Soul's attention, Void stepped up. "What about fuel, and tools? What do you use up here?"

"Wooden tools, mostly." Kate admitted. "And charcoal." Kate gave a small chuckle. "Not many Crafters even know that charcoal is an item. It's so rarely used compared to coal—"

"Why did you bring us up here?" Cara stepped forward, taking charge of the conversation.

Kate took a step back, looking sheepish. "Well… you're glad I did, right? Those Griefers would have killed you if I didn't give you somewhere to hide."

"That's not what I asked." Cara stated bluntly, her aquamarine eyes boring holes into Kate's. "Why bring us to your underground—or should I say aboveground—community, where you can barely feed yourselves, much less others?"

At first, Void looked surprised at Cara's rude tone. She was the same person who told them all to be polite. But then, that was _before_ Kate revealed their hiding spot was a community like this. And as surprising as it was, Attila's cold indifference was a response that fit the situation far better than Kate's inexplicable friendliness towards a couple of strangers.

Void realized, as had Cara, that Kate _wanted_ something of the group. Displaying the starving community could have just been her attempt at guilt-tripping them.

As for why…

"Hey, Kate." Floyd stepped forward, displaying the cooked fish Void had given him. "I have more fish than I know what to do with. I could share some of it with the hungry Crafters if you—"

"Is that fish I smell!?"

One of the emaciated Crafters shouted that word as he sniffed the air, instantly drawing the attention of every Crafter in earshot.

"Food?"

"I'm starving?"

"There! That Zombie-headed guy has it!"

"Uh-oh…" Floyd bothered to say, even as the thin Crafters descended upon him like lions ready to tear apart a gazelle.

"Toss them, you fool!" Kate shouted as she knocked the fish out of Floyd's hand. The fish scattered through the air, spinning wildly and catching the eyes of every Crafter. Hands reached up to grab them, snatch them, and catch them before the fish were swallowed whole, restoring a meager amount of Hunger.

Despite how mob-like the Crafters seemed, after the initial frenzy, making sure they took just enough to hold themselves over, they distributed some of the remaining fish to those that were too hungry to move. The ones curled up in the corners were gently hand-fed the cooked fish, the fire in their eyes rekindling from the belly full of food. They got up and joined the Crafters busy transporting charcoal and tools, ready to help in any way they could.

"It's almost like a family." Floyd commented at the care the Crafters showed one another.

Kate smiled at the comment, rolling her shoulder towards the side. "The Griefers below will take a while to clear off. Since you guys aren't going anywhere, would you mind if I gave you the grand tour?"

Cara and Soul looked reluctant, but Floyd and Void gratefully nodded. Though thinking it over, even Cara had to admit she would rather take a tour than sit around and wait. So the Silver Intent group followed Kate down the hallway, weaving their way between Crafters who were already sending grateful waves towards Floyd, the Crafter who 'gifted' them the fish.

* * *

Up the ladder, Attila climbed higher and higher. She refused to break for food, instead fueling herself on the anger and frustration she felt towards the smugglers. They were always trying to squeeze more emeralds out of her community and she was sure this time wouldn't be an exception.

Reaching a familiar level, she pressed a button to open a set of doors and jumped across to solid dirt.

The Harvesting Room.

Even though it was called a room, three floors were allotted to it. Mainly because mushrooms grown through bone meal reached… interesting heights.

Farming mushrooms wasn't easy. While they didn't require water, it was vital to grow them in a dim location. For whatever reason, mushrooms couldn't be grown in the presence of strong light. As such, the Harvesting Room had a minimum of torches. Enough light to keep Mobs from spawning, but not too much to stunt the fungi.

The good thing about them was that a mushroom grown from bone meal would drop ten times as many mushrooms. And since mushroom stew was as easy as mixing a red and a brown mushroom into a wooden bowl, it was no wonder it became a staple of the community's diet.

Though getting the bone meal required bones. And getting bones required dealing with smugglers.

"Attila! So glad you could make it. I was afraid we'd have to wait all night for you."

And dealing with smugglers required a level of patience she didn't have.

A world-weary sigh escaped her lips before she straightened out and approached the group of ten smugglers. "I was out looking for supplies. Sorry for the hold up."

One of the smugglers, Larril, stepped forward with a cocky grin. "Scavenging for supplies, Attila? Tsk tsk tsk. Isn't that _our_ job?"

"Yeah." Another smuggler chimed in as he draped an arm over Attila's shoulder. "You wouldn't want us to be out of work, yeah?"

Attila resisted the urge to shrug off the arm, knowing it would only make things more troublesome. "My people said there was a problem?"

"Very straightforward." Larril commented before reading from a book in his hand. "This week, we went through the trouble of finding loads of goodies for your community. Bones. Iron ingots. Arrows. The works. But when we come up here to do business, _your_ people try and swindle us."

Attila's eyes narrowed. Her people swindling the smugglers? She was fairly certain it was the other way around. She had even verified the payment of emeralds beforehand.

No. The smugglers were just being greedy.

"I'll have to have a serious talk with them, then." Attila lied, if only to make the smugglers feel like they tricked her. Judging by their dumb sneers, it worked. "I'm sure this misunderstanding can be resolved."

"Oh, it _can_ be resolved…" Larril mused. "I'm sure paying _double_ the emeralds will more than make up for your people's incompetence."

Attila nearly choked. They didn't have double the emeralds. They barely managed to scrape by the original price.

"Something wrong, Attila?" One of the smugglers spoke loftily. She could detect the humor in his voice though. They knew very well what was wrong.

"I'm afraid… we don't have that many emeralds." Attila dragged out the words, knowing she'd have to play whatever game the smugglers had in mind.

"Oh, _dear_." Another smuggler spoke mockingly. "Not enough emeralds? It's a shame—"

"— _Such_ a shame," another smuggler added, "but I guess your people will have to go hungry."

Attila grit her teeth, keeping her head bowed so that the smugglers couldn't see her fury. She wished she could lash out. Beat the smugglers to a bloody pulp and _demand_ respect from them…

But then they would simply leave, never to make a deal with her community again.

"Now wait just a minute, fellas." Larril spoke softly, snapping the smugglers to his attention. "Attila and her people have been good to us for a long time. They're treasured customers, after all. I'm sure we can let them off with a warning… just this once."

The smugglers smiles split into devious grins. They nodded too readily, telling Attila that they had something planned.

Larril walked up to her, and folded his arms. "But we do require something for all the trouble _you_ and _your_ people caused." He gave her an arrogant smirk. "Beg for it."

Hearing those words, Attila clenched her fists. How _easy_ it would be to just kill them all.

"Well?" Larril spoke testily. "Go on, Attila. On your knees and _beg_."

She had a sword. And some TNT. Hell, her people would be all too happy to rid themselves of these arrogant smugglers.

But this wasn't about beating up jerks. It was about keeping people alive. And her people desperately needed those supplies.

So, swallowing her anger and pride, Attila got on her knees and bowed so that her forehead was scraping the dirt.

"Please." Her voice was shaking in anger, but the smugglers were too busy laughing to take notice.

Larril took pleasure watching her prostrate herself. "Say, 'Please master, feed my friends.'"

"Please master, feed my friends."

His eyes shone maliciously. "'Please master, feed my worthless friends.'"

"…Please master, feed my worthless friends."

Larril and his smugglers guffawed like the assholes they were. "Oh, Attila! I _can't_ say no to you. Huhuhuhu."

Attila remained bowed, even as Larril and his smugglers dumped the supplies near her head. Bones. Iron ingots. Leather. Meat. And more. A week's worth of resources.

"We'll let you off, just this once, because that begging was pretty funny." Larril lifted Attila's chin with the toe of his shoe. "But next week… _triple_ the emeralds. And no more problems, yeah?"

"…Yes."

"Yes…?"

Attila sighed. "Yes, master."

"Atta girl." He patted her face before walking past her with a swagger. The other smugglers followed him out, cackling at how foolish they made her look.

Attila didn't stand until after she heard the elevator doors slide close. She brushed the dirt off her pants, even as several of her people rushed over.

"Those jerks!" One of her Crafters cursed as she stuck out her middle finger towards the elevator door. "They think just because they get us supplies that they _own_ us! Are you okay, Attila?"

She nodded. "We got the supplies. That's all that matters." She pointed to one of the Crafters. "Get to work grinding the bones into bone meal and growing the mushrooms. I want thirty bowls of stew ready to be served at the stalls in ten minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." The Crafter saluted before collecting the bones with another Crafter.

"Davey." Attila pointed to another Crafter. "Once the Griefers calm down below, organize a party to go looking for supplies. Check the suburbs for anything we can trade for emeralds."

"Sure." Davey nodded. "Marge'll probably want to join us when she gets back." Davey spoke to himself as he walked off.

Before Attila could make another order, a young looking Crafter holding a wooden sword tugged on her shirt. "Attila? What about the training group? You haven't been training us lately."

"Oh… um, yeah." Attila rubbed her head awkwardly. "I… sorry, I've been busy lately. Maybe another time—"

"But ma'am." The young Crafter continued. "We _need_ to train. We got to be ready for that Hacker in Lunar Castle, right? You said so yourself! If we want to overthrow him and take back our Kingdom—"

"Not now!" Attila snapped, instantly regretting it by how scared the Crafter became. "Ah… I'm sorry… it's just… I'll talk with you guys about it later, alright?"

The young Crafter looked disappointed as his sword hung limply at his side. Without another word, he turned to leave, dragging the sword in the dirt.

Attila sighed before calling out to him. "I'm not giving up! Just to be clear!" The young Crafter perked up instantly, hanging onto Attila's every word. "We'll take back this Kingdom for sure… I just need some time to come up with a better plan."

The young Crafter nodded. "Well whatever plan you make, you can count on us, ma'am! We'll fight that Hacker to the death if we have to!" He saluted before running off with a spring in his step.

"Yeah…" Attila rubbed the back of her head, the guilt worming its way into her chest. "That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

"I'm pretty sure this building used to be a sweatshop." Kate explained as she pointed out some item frames and cauldrons. "Attila's been here the longest, so she would know, but based off the work stations it's a pretty safe bet."

"I see." Void noted with interest. "Is Attila in charge of this community?"

"Well, _she_ says she isn't," Kate chuckled to herself at that, "but almost everyone here thinks 'leader' when they look at her."

"'Child' is the first word that comes to my mind when I see her." Soul ignored the frown Kate shot him. "I mean, she looks like a teenager. What's up with that?"

"Crafters spawn at whatever age they spawn in." Kate chided. "And it's her _experience_ that marks her maturity; Not her age. She's a three-digit."

Soul's eyebrows lifted at that revelation, only for them to knit back into a scowl as he looked away. He, Floyd, and Cara were all nine-digit Crafters, separating themselves from Attila by almost a hundred million Crafters.

"Well, I can't deny how incredible Attila is." Void pulled out another bottle from somewhere and began to drink. "She's gotta be *hic* incredible to lead such a community."

Kate nodded her head absentmindedly. "It's thanks to her that we've lasted so long. I can't even count all the times she's saved my bacon… why, just earlier this night, she saved me from some axe-waving psycho." Kate turned to the unamused Soul. "Remember that, Lost_Soul? That axe-wielding psycho with the axe? Nearly killed me. Looked just like you. Ring any bells?"

"Alright, my bad. Sheesh." Soul folded his arms. "Like you guys have never been attacked before."

"You're right, actually." Kate announced as she led the group to the next room. This one was filled with wooden dummies made of fence posts. A few Crafters were batting at the dummies with wooden swords. Others were shooting arrows at targets across the room. "We try and train people, just in case those Griefers rear their ugly heads."

"Wait… what!?" Soul flung his arms to his sides, stomping forward angrily. "You mean to say you have a fighting force—"

"I wouldn't exactly call it that."

"—and yet you're _not_ using it? The Griefers aren't _that_ tough. You should be down there, sticking it to them and reclaiming your Kingdom." Soul was incredulous. If the people were up here starving, why wouldn't they try and fight back? Why stay hidden?

Kate's eyes shifted to the floor. "Well… I admit there have been _some_ that want to fight?"

"Only some?"

"Okay, more than half! But Attila has been against it recently."

Soul clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Sounds like she's a coward."

Immediately, several pairs of eyes—not just Kate's—fell upon the axe-wielder at his latest comment. The training Crafters within earshot were glaring at him, warning him to take back his insult towards Attila.

"For your information," Kate spoke coldly, keeping her eyes locked with Soul's, "Attila's been fighting longer than any of us. In Nitebane's annual bouts for control of the throne, Attila has been right there with the best of them, trying to wrest back control from those Griefers and bandits. Even when that Hacker, Ocan, took over, she coordinated attacks and ambushes to slay him… and while she hasn't succeeded, nobody can deny her fighting spirit! And everyone loves and respects her for trying!"

Taken aback by Kate's sudden shouting, Soul retreated, thinking up a counter. "Well… they don't heap praises on those being _almost_ good enough."

"Soul…" Cara warned. "As a Crafter who dabbles in proactive arson, even I can tell when to _stop adding fuel to the flames._ "

 _What?_ Soul thought to himself before noticing where Cara was looking. The training Crafters were now all glaring at _him_ , with their fists clenched.

"I think we should conclude the tour here." Kate seethed. Soul could tell she was trying not to hit him for the jabs he made against Attila.

"Fine by me." Soul shrugged. "Just point me in the direction of the bathroom… nature calls, if you know what I mean."

Kate stiffly pointed down the hall. "First door on your left. Don't get lost." Kate turned on her heel and left the Silver Intent group to their own devices.

Soul strolled down the hall, ignoring the Crafters glaring daggers at him. When he reached the bathroom, he noticed footsteps following him. A disgruntled Crafter perhaps?

Expecting the worse, his hands flew to his belt as he spun around… only to come face-to-face with Floyd's Zombie Head. The blue-nette pulled it off his head, muttering about not being able to breath.

"What's with you?" Floyd asked accusingly. "Why did you have to press Kate's buttons like that?"

"Tch. Sorry if I upset your new girlfriend."

Floyd's face flushed red, more out of anger than embarrassment. "She's not my girlfriend. We just met."

"Then _why_ are you acting so friendly towards them?" It was so stupid. The whole situation was _so_ stupid. Instead of being in and out, they were stuck in Nitebane. And there was only one person to blame. "Heck, why did you even try to save that girl in the first place!? You didn't know her!"

Floyd held his hands out searchingly. "She was in trouble—"

"She was acting!"

"—She _looked_ like she was in trouble, then! What was I supposed to do?"

" _Nothing_!" Soul pushed at the blue-nette. "If you had stayed silent and done nothing, we would be out of this hell-hole Kingdom by now!"

Floyd shook his head. "I couldn't just stand by."

"Why!?" Soul clenched his fists in anger. "You couldn't _help_ but do nothing when Silent was the one in trouble—!" Soul's eyes widened as the words escaped him. He had brought up his deceased friend _again_. And right in front of Floyd.

Soul expected the blue-nette to get mad. To start shouting out apologies or accusations. But instead he was surprised to see his eyes softened.

"Soul… is that why you're so mad?" Floyd continued. "Because I'm worried about others?"

"I… you… ngh!" Soul bit his lip in frustration. "It's not fair!" He finally blurted out. "You were frozen back then, and yet now all you want to do is help! Giving out food. Saving helpless little girls. _That_ Floyd wouldn't have run away that day!"

Floyd considered the axe-wielder's words before letting out a long breath. "I… I'm only like that because of what happened to Silent…"

Soul just shook his head angrily. "Talk about irony. You take on a selfless streak only _after_ your best friend gets killed."

A humorless chuckled escaped the blue-nette. "You make it sound like helping others is wrong."

"It is. Worry about yourself first." Soul glanced away in embarrassment, all his anger dying away.

Floyd tilted his head back, content to just stare at the ceiling.

Soul thought back to how he had almost killed Kate. He wasn't thinking back then; fueled only by his anger. Anger at what though? Angry at Floyd. Angry at the thief, Kate. Angry at Attila when she showed up. Angry at Cobb just because he could. The list was too long.

If he had killed Kate… he'd have to live with that. The knowledge that he killed someone like her. Someone who was risking her life looking for supplies to feed her fellow Crafters.

Even if he never said it, he was glad Attila had stopped him.

He was so used to just killing any enemy in sight… it was the only way he could think to become as strong and feared as the 'Angel of Death' herself.

But, though that worked for her… maybe it wouldn't work for him.

"Hmm… I think I got it." Floyd nodded to himself, catching Soul's attention. "You're right, Soul. Ever since Silent died, I _have_ been looking after others. Hell, the very next day I saved Cobb from those same cultists."

Soul rolled his eyes. "Are you going somewhere with this? Because I still have to pee."

"Yeah, I'm getting to it." Floyd shushed. "I guess… whenever I see someone in trouble… I see us." Soul's eyes widened at that statement. "You, me, and Silent. The three of us, on that day, getting attacked by cultists. I see that every time someone's in trouble.

"Without even meaning to, my body just jumps in the way… because we were like them." Floyd gripped Soul's shoulders, looking him dead in the eye. " _We_ were the ones in trouble. _We_ needed help, and nobody came. But now, _we_ get to be the protectors. _We_ get to stand between a Crafter and death. The Silver Intent doesn't just have to exist to stop the Cult. We can _choose_ to help."

"Choose… to help?" Soul questioned, thinking the blue-nette's words over.

"Yeah!" Floyd nodded eagerly. "We're strong enough, right? We can make sure nobody goes through what we went through."

Soul glanced aside. "I don't know… wouldn't it just slow us down?"

Floyd shook his head. "Not if we work together." He held out a hand to Soul, who just stared at it hesitantly. "You don't just have to kill everything you see. Try being charitable."

Soul raised his head, searching Floyd's expression for any sign of doubt. He seemed fairly confident in his words.

But just as Soul was about to shake his hand, he had to open his mouth to utter four memorable words.

"I have to pee."

And with that, the axe-wielder left Floyd to do his business.

* * *

"What do I do…"

Attila had her face buried in her arms as she leaned over a table. She was resting in the comfort of her room: a large office.

The meeting with the smugglers had gone anywhere but well. Scavenging that many emeralds was too tall an order.

And to make matters worse, her people were beginning to wonder when the next attempt on Ocan's life would be. They were eager to try anything… and that was the whole problem.

Ocan's Hacks… from their brief exchanges, Attila had concluded he had _two_. He had already called himself a Level 2 Hacker and she had seen them both in action. She thought that that information would have been useful in coming up with a way to counter him.

Sadly, that hadn't been the case.

She had tried and failed and tried and failed. Her plans had ranged from ambushing Ocan on the streets or blasting through Lunar Castle.

But each attempt was met with failure. A crowd of Griefers would show up. Ocan would fight back. Her people would be overwhelmed and forced to retreat to the safety of their skyscraper.

And like the waves of the ocean beating down upon Nitebane's cliffs, a bit of Crafters would be lost on each attempt.

It did little to dissuade her people from trying again. Their respect for her and all that she'd done was enough for them to endure countless failures.

 _They_ weren't discouraged from a loss.

But she was another story.

*Knock Knock* The rapping of knuckles against her door disrupted her rest.

She muffled a groan into her arms before lifting her head. "Come in."

The door slowly opened to reveal Kate. She looked angry and annoyed, making a show of slamming the door behind her after she entered.

"I take it back!" Kate shouted. "That Lost_Soul is by no means a decent person! He's an ass in every vile connotative sense of the word!"

"…Why are you venting in my room?" Attila asked flatly.

Kate turned on the brunette. "Because Soul had the nerve to call you… to call _you_ a coward! Can you believe that? Gah! He has no idea what you've done for us—and what you continue to do for us!"

Attila shrugged uncaringly. "He's not entirely wrong." That had been the wrong thing to say since Kate had thrown herself on the table, cupping the brunette's face.

"Not you too!" Kate squished her face even more, trying to wring out the self-pity. "You. Are. Not. A. Coward!" She punctuated each word with a push and pull of Attila's cheeks. "You. Are. A. Good. Leader! Say it!"

"Mwy fwace ish stwarting two hwurt." Her face growing tired of the manipulation, Attila swatted Kate's hands aside. "Anyway, a good leader wouldn't have failed to reclaim her Kingdom a total of fifty-seven times."

Kate clicked her tongue. "You see anyone else volunteering to be leader? They all understand what you're going through. We all know we're facing Hackers… and we don't even know if they _can_ be taken down… but we're sure that if anyone can do it, it's you. You're just taking a break for now. Regrouping."

Attila let out a sarcastic laugh. "Is that what I'm doing? Because I look like I'm sitting on my ass."

"No!" Kate huffed. "Re-group-ing!"

Attila shook her head. "I… I thought only _I_ could reclaim Nitebane. That I was the only one with the power." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "But the truth is… even if I _had_ the help… I'd want this settled within Nitebane, by Nitebane's _own_ people." A weary sigh escaped her lips. "I just wish I believed myself as much as everyone else seems to."

Kate's expression softened as she offered the leader a comforting pat on the cheek. "You will. Just give yourself a chance."

Attila looked up, a genuine smile on her face. "Thanks for the pep-talk."

Kate smiled before subtly tracing the edges of Attila's desk. "So… while on the topic of help… I've been thinking…"

Attila raised an eyebrow. "About…?"

Kate fidgeted with her hair. "Well… about those Silver Intent guys."

"…Whatever it is, the answer is no."

"Well, good! Because I was gonna ask if we could _not_ ask them to help with our supply problem. Because I _know_ you're here moping because the smugglers acted like pricks again."

Despite herself, Attila smirked. "Calling them pricks would require they had any in the first place."

Kate winced sympathetically. "They were that bad, huh?"

"Worse." The brunette leaned back with a huff. "They had me begging this time."

"WHAT!?" The brunette covered her ears at the shrill indignation in Kate's voice. "Why those… those…"

"Greedy, scum-guzzling, bottom-feeding, douche bags?"

"…Add that they're smelly."

"Added." Attila laughed. It was times like these, times where she could easily chat with her friends, that she valued the most. They made enduring all the pain and humility worth it. "So… I'll bite. What do you want the Silver Intent group for?"

The topic change was enough to make Kate forget about her anger towards the smugglers. "Oh, right! Well, when you left, that Floyd guy—" Attila's eyes narrowed slightly, still not trusting that guy with the Hacker markings. "—He handed out some fish from his Inventory. I dare say he kept a lot of Crafters from starving."

"Really?" Attila tried to sound interested for Kate's sake. But really, it was hard for her to trust those eyes. They were the same as the Hacker ruling their Kingdom. She had every right to be wary of the blue-haired enigma.

"Yeah. He seems like an okay guy, even with the lines and junk. Not Soul, though." She quickly dismissed. "That guy has been eating crazy cakes. And he's so bloodthirsty that he _maaaaaay_ be a vampire."

"Does he sparkle in the twilight?"

Kate thought for a moment. "…You're right, he can't be a vampire. But that's not important! What is, is that most of those Silver Intent guys seem decent and—more importantly—skilled!"

It was then that Attila finally realized what Kate was getting at. She was right in that it would solve their supply problems indefinitely… not to mention it would give Attila the chance to beat the snot out of those smugglers without fear of repercussion. However…

"I know what you have in mind." The brunette stopped Kate's explanation short. "Those guys aren't gonna help us out of the goodness of their heart."

"Floyd did."

"But he's not the leader. That purple-haired woman is." Attila folded her arms. "They've already finished their mission and they have the Endward Cult banner to prove it. Nothing we offer is gonna keep their attention long enough for them to help us."

At that, Kate smirked. "Oh, I'm sure there's _something_ you can offer an organization hunting the Endward Cult."

Attila's eyes widened, catching on.

There was a chance it could work… no, it would definitely work. It would stir up the dark memories of her past—hell, those four might even attack her out of honor or whatever—but if it meant feeding her people…

Attila sat up, face set with determination. "Where are they?"

* * *

"So, where exactly did the pee go?" Floyd discussed with Soul as they walked down the halls.

"I don't know." Soul shrugged. "I guess it just runs down the skyscraper. Hope it hits a Griefer."

"Hoping it hits a Hacker." Floyd commented, earning a smirk and a friendly shove from the axe-wielder.

"Speaking of which…" Cara turned to face Floyd. The blue-nette currently had his face covered by the Zombie Head. "What did Attila mean about you being a Hacker?" She had the sense to whisper, understanding how much the community would despise a Hacker given how one was ruining their Kingdom.

"I'm fairly certain she was insinuating Floyd was a Hacker." Void pointlessly filled in, sloshing some Awkward all over his hoodie. "Also, did you guys *hic* know that Void rhymes with Floyd? Weird, right?"

"But why would she think you were a Hacker?" Cara pressed. "Are you not telling us something? Something about those markings around your eyes."

Void grumbled in annoyance. "The only marks under his eyes are those dark rings, and they only tell us he's not getting enough sleep."

"Wait," Floyd turned to the axe-wielder. "How did you know I'm not getting enough sleep?"

"Because of the rings under your eyes." Soul replied without missing a beat. "Anyway, that Attila chick is crazy. She thought the rest of us were Griefers. Griefers! I mean, do I look like a jerk that revels in the misery of others?"

"Yes, you do."

"Shut up, Cara." Soul scowled.

"Um… I didn't say that…" Cara commented before whispering, "I thought it, though."

"I said it." The Silver Intent group turned to see the dark brown mane of hair belonging to Attila. "Hello, again."

"Did you come here to insult us, _girl_?" Soul emphasized, causing Attila's eye to twitch.

"Well, little. Lost. _Boy_." She pronounced each word with a mocking tilt of the head, eliciting a sound from Soul that could have resembled a whistling tea kettle. "I actually came here to propose something to you four."

"Not interested." Cara cut her off, pulling Floyd and Soul with her. Void staggered after her.

"H-hey! Whoa! Hang on!" Attila downed a Potion of Swiftness and hurried to stand in the group's way. "Just hear me out first. No harm in that, right?" She fluttered her eyelashes, using the full power of her adorable teenage body to hit them with an explosive puppy dog look.

"No! Quick, men! Avert thine eyes!" Cara ordered as she shielded her face. But it was too late for her brethren. They had all been hit, forced to cave to Attila's devious puppy dog whims. "Damnit! 'Avert thine eyes' means don't look!"

"It can't hurt to hear her out." Floyd reasoned.

The others may have been willing to listen, but Cara remained defiant. She had already accomplished the mission that Brett had given her, and nobody had died yet. That was an A++ if she ever got one.

Whatever Attila wanted to propose, Cara was certain it would delay their departure of the accursed Kingdom.

Attila cleared her throat. "My community desperately needs supplies and the smugglers have squeezed us for our last emerald. The only way we have left of obtaining resources… is if we reactivate the EXP Factories."

Floyd's ears perked at that, as had Soul's. Those EXP Factories were the same ones they had first seen upon entering Nitebane. By those steep pits…

"I take it you're all familiar with them." Attila noticed the recognition flitting across their faces. "The EXP Factories were the draining point of the sewers, gathering all the discarded items and spawned Mobs and grinding them into EXP and resources. The water flowing throughout Nitebane's sewers was shut down, as was the redstone of the factories, when the Griefer attacks became too belligerent to manage.

"I need a team of skilled Crafters to accompany me through the sewers, both to turn on the water flow, and to reactivate one of the EXP Factories. Doing so should supply our community with enough bones, rotten flesh, and resources to get by." At that point, Attila bowed low. "Won't you please help us?"

Hearing all that, Floyd's first instinct was to agree. People were in need, and he was there to help. This was just the thing a Crafter like him could do…

But he didn't want to speak for the whole group. Cara already rejected her proposal before she could even explain it all. So she wouldn't—

"I'll do it."

Floyd blinked in surprise as Soul of all people stepped forward. Attila seemed surprised too, recalling how Soul was always insulting her. Yet for him to be the first to agree…

"Really, Soul?" Cara dragged a hand across her face. "Why do you want to jump head-first into danger?"

"This isn't like that. They're us and we're them." Cara looked perplexed, even as Soul turned to lock eyes with Floyd. "We can _choose_ to help, right?"

A smile spread forth on Floyd's face, though Soul couldn't see it under the Zombie Head. "Yeah! You can count on us, Attila!"

Cara raised her hand. "Sorry, you two, but I'm exercising my leader veto right now."

"…Can we veto vetos?" Soul asked innocently.

"Don't you dare. And you!" Cara pointed dramatically at Attila's face. "What makes you think we can stay any longer. This Kingdom is dangerous, no matter how high up you are in this skyscraper. So nothing is gonna keep us from leaving!"

Attila smirked as if she were waiting for that statement. "Not even for information about the Endward Cult?"

…

…

"…Excuse me?"

"I've been around Nitebane for a long time. Three-digits and all." Attila bragged, though it suddenly turned into a reluctant admission. "In those early days… I did some things I'm not proud of… I didn't have connections with smugglers, so to feed my community… I had to join the Endward Cult."

Cara and Floyd gasped, while Soul tensely gripped his axe.

"But that's not me anymore!" Attila assured. "This community means the world to me, not some crazy cult logic. But I _did_ manage to pick up a few tidbits of information before I was… ah… _dishonorably discharged_."

"What happened?" Soul asked.

Attila shrugged. "I quit. They said I couldn't. They tried to kill me. I blew them up."

"Heh. Classic." Soul chuckled, letting go of his axe and relaxing.

Cara stepped forward. "This information. Is it valuable?"

"Oh, yeah." Attila nodded. "I wouldn't offer it if it wasn't. I can give you the location of the Cult's Eastern Division, as well as the identity of one of its most dangerous Lieutenants. C'mon, you _know_ you're interested." She was like a fisherman, baiting the Silver Intent with little nibbles of information.

Cara frowned as she considered the offer. Brett would be over the moon to know the identity of a Cult Lieutenant. And he'd be over the stars to know of the Eastern Division's location. It was too good to pass up.

But still, Cara had that niggling doubt that something would go wrong. That she should just quit while she was ahead. That it was better to get everyone out alive with their mission accomplished.

She ignored it.

* * *

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Banner {Endward Cult}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Mob Head {Zombie}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 13]

* * *

 **AN: Well, I'm sure nothing bad will happen.**

 **I got a few reviews talking about the Nitebane Arc. Yeah, I really screwed up the pacing. This Arc would have fit so much better after Noman's.**

 **Ironically though, you could probably cut and paste this Arc after Noman's Arc and before the Halstatt Arc and it'll probably fit the story just fine. Though if I wrote it like that, there would have been a HUGE lack of Cobb.**

 **I'm trying to make up for the Chapters by giving you readers tidbits about Nitebane's history. Puts a bit of wight behind the setting.**

 **Attila's Skyscraper community is... pretty much just that. A skyscraper community. Think of a ton of refugees transforming an abandoned building into a cozy home. It's tight-knit and Nitebane is dotted with these small skyscraper communities. Though getting to the top via explosion elevator sounds like a... blast? Eh? Eh?**

 ***PUNCH***

 **The smugglers though... what a bunch of assholes. I drew the begging scene from a T.V. show I watched when I was younger. Bonus points if you can figure it out.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this Chapter. Not much humor, but nobody's perfect.**

 **Except that one guy named Tad Perfect. The guy could play a fricken violin! How perfect is that!?**

 **Meh. Review. PM. Fav. Follow.**


	67. Sewers

**AN: Heyo!**

 **The answer to last week's puzzle was: 0! And before you all go 'whaaaaaaaa?' in the reviews, I'll explain the puzzle.**

 **Think of the 8x8 as the spaces of a board. Like a chess board for example. It has 64 squares in dimensions 8x8. And you start the game with 32 pieces. Therefore, 8x8=32. The other three are similar board games.**

 **8x8=24 (Checkers)**

 **8x8=32 (Chess)**

 **9x9=40 (Shogi)**

 **19X19=0 (Go)**

 **Since 'Go' is the only game with a board of 19x19 dimensions, where you start out with no pieces on the board, the answer to the puzzle was 0.**

 **It is by far the most convoluted puzzle I have heard, and It's no surprise that none of you answered it correctly. Don't feel bad. Just feel hungry cuz you get no delicious Victory Cookie. It's mine now! Hahaha! *NOM NOM***

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make bats drop bat fangs, which can then be used to make Potions of Levitation.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 67

 **Sewers**

It didn't take long for Attila to sway the Silver Intent group to her side. The information was too valuable to pass up. So the team of Floyd, Soul, Cara, Void, and Attila were to set off on their latest side mission into the Nitebane sewers to reactivate the water and an EXP Factory.

Once they were all in agreement, Attila guided the group down some levels, but not to supply themselves for the mission. They wouldn't need to go on the mission if the skyscraper community wasn't already scraping by. They could only rely on what they brought with them.

Instead, Attila took the group down to the section of the skyscraper that was left hovering over Nitebane. It was surreal; looking down only to realize the building you were in wasn't connected to any of the foundations below.

It really was like someone had cut the skyscraper in two. The gap spanned several floors, and left quite a fall if a Crafter ever slipped.

Or, as one of the Attila's people demonstrated, if a nerd-poling Griefer was suddenly knocked off by a snowball.

Four of Attila's people stood at different corners of the skyscraper, throwing snowballs down as Griefers tried to build themselves up. Their accuracy was impressive, as Floyd saw one snowball clip a Griefer atop a nerd-pole hiding behind an adjacent nerd-pole.

 _I guess they have to be this good._ Floyd thought to himself. _The safety of their community rides on defending themselves here._

"How's it looking?" Attila asked one of the snowball throwers.

"Pretty good. We've been able to keep them back." He replied while chucking another five snowballs down. "Heard about the meeting with the smugglers. Sorry for—"

"Don't be." Attila stopped him. "If it meant feeding you lot, I would've done it again." She suddenly smirked knowingly. "Though, after tonight, maybe I won't have to do it again."

She turned to look at the Silver Intent group as she said that, and it dawned on Floyd how serious a mission this way. Attila's community really needed supplies. And if they failed, the community would either starve or be at the mercy of those swindling smugglers.

"So, how *hic* do we get down from here?" Floyd snapped out of his thoughts hearing Void's drunken question. "Don't *hic* tell me we gotta _explode_ our way down."

Attila rolled her eyes. "No, nothing crazy like that."

"Thank, Notch…" Cara breathed a sigh of relief.

"We're gonna be jumping down!" Attila cheered, much to Cara's horror. It was probably on purpose though, given the brunette's grin. "Banzai!"

"Whoa!"

"Huh?"

"Oh my GOD!"

"What the hell!?"

Everyone gave a startled cry as Attila, with a forceful tackle, knocked into all the Silver Intent members, sending them and herself plummeting out of the hovering skyscraper.

"WHY!?" Cara screamed in anger and terror as she maneuvered next to Attila only to shake her by her shirt. "PUSHING PEOPLE OFF A SKYSCRAPER IS _NOT_ HOW YOU ASK FOR HELP!" She screamed over the streaking wind.

Void had his hands folded as he fell, looking mildly annoyed with Attila's idea of explaining how they'd get down.

"Um… Miss Akrasia?" Floyd addressed the brunette nervously as he looked down, the bottom end of the skyscraper quickly approaching. "What's to keep us from going splat!?"

"Don't worry." Attila laughed as she withdrew a bucket. "I got… oh."

The disappointment in that 'oh' caught the attention of everyone as they eyed the brunette girl examining the inside of a bone dry bucket. "I could have sworn I filled this up." When she noticed everyone looking at her she rubbed her head sheepishly. "See, I was going to place water down before we landed to cushion the fall. But… I seem to have forgotten." She blinked a few times, trying to think of something more apologetic to say. "Whoops."

It was absolutely the worst choice of a word as it caused everyone to scream in alarm as they flailed around in their fall. The edges of the bottom half of the skyscraper never looked sharper.

"Who forgets something like that!?" Cara accused.

"Hey! It's an idle task, alright!?" Attila defended.

"Alright, let me rephrase; who forgets something like that AND THEN PUSHES SOMEONE OFF A BUILDING!?"

"…okay, yeah, whoops."

"Vines!" Soul shouted out as he pointed to the ivy crawling up the sides of the skyscraper. Their last hope. "Grab on!"

The falling group of five angled themselves towards the vines. With extended hands they desperately scrabbled to catch hold of the plant and save them from their fall.

Attila and Soul were the first to manage, gripping the sleek vines as if their lives depended on it, which they did. It took Soul, Void, and Cara a bit longer with them constantly wincing from rope-burn every time they grasped a vine. They were falling too fast and they weren't as tough as Attila or Soul to manage on the first try.

But eventually (and much further down from Attila and Soul) they managed to grasp a handful of vines and slow their descent. This left them hanging off the fifth or sixth floor of the building.

"Hey! You're not a Griefer!"

Cara's head snapped below her to spot two Griefers clinging to the vines. She could tell they were Griefers by the mismatch of stolen gear they wore. They must have fallen off a nerd-pole and, like them, managed to survive the fall by gripping the vines.

And they looked pretty pissed off too. They fumbled at their backs for sword handles and began climbing towards Cara.

"Hope you're ready to die, because—Whaaaa!"

Before the two Griefers could get any closer, Attila and Soul dropped down right on top of them. Their faces were used as springboards as the brunette and axe-wielder kicked off of them and snagged a handful of vines so that they flanked Cara. The displaced Griefers let out cries of dismay as they fell further down the building until they slammed into the unforgiving street.

After breathing a sigh of relief over surviving the fall, Cara joined the rest of the group as they carefully climbed down. With the Griefers still patrolling the streets below, the group thought it safer to swing into the lower floor of the skyscraper and stay hidden.

Attila guided them through the broken floor and down shattered staircases as they made their way to the basement. There was water leaking into it through holes spanning the length of the building, but Attila assured it was a good thing…

Right before she set up some TNT in the center of the basement floor.

"Stay back." She warned needlessly as the Silver Intent group had already huddled to the farthest corner. Attila then lit the fuse, and ran over to join them, just as the TNT exploded.

When the smoke and falling debris cleared, it was to reveal a hole that led down into some dark, waterlogged pit.

"The sewers." Cara commented with a grimace, already crawling over to the hole and dangling her legs down into it before she pushed off the ledge. Down she fell, swallowed by darkness, only to land with a faint splash. "This is disgusting…"

"Just pretend it's water." Attila called down as she hopped in to follow.

"I'd like to point out that this is the second time _today_ we've had to pass through toilet water." Floyd bothered to comment as he and Soul both jumped down, followed by Void.

It was frightening to fall, only to have your senses completely obstructed when the light vanished. There weren't any torches or anything. Just pitch black darkness much like the endless Void that started all Crafters' existence.

Of course, the Void didn't have water up to your knees. And Floyd kept telling himself it was _just_ water.

"Can someone put down a torch or—Ow!" Void shouted from somewhere nearby. "Who just scratched me!? Cara?"

"No, why would I—"

*UHNNN!*

"Zombies!" Void shouted before a series of violent splashes sounded to Floyd's left. "Someone turn the lights on!"

Thinking fast, Cara withdrew a splash potion of Night Vision and chucked it into the general area. Immediately, the sewer tunnel came into focus, lighting up in the eyes of every Crafter within the potion's splash radius.

Void was wrestling with two Zombies, his back pressed to the water and his head fighting to stay above the surface. With his enemies in sight, the brown-haired drunk had no problem driving his sword into their chests.

"Get off!" Soul shouted, lumbering through the water and yanking the Zombie off of Void. He then delivered an axe slash with blinding speed to the Zombie's skull. He wrenched the axe out, killing the Zombie in the process and turned to spot another Zombie face. On instinct, the axe wielder swung down onto it.

"Whoa! It's me!" Floyd shouted as he blocked the axe with his sword. The action sent vibrations jarring down his body, but he was able to stop it. The blue-nette was still wearing the Zombie Head to cover his supposed Hacker markings. "Can I take this thing off, yet?"

"Oh… Sorry." Soul mumbled as the blue-nette wrenched the thing off his head. Attila took care of the other Zombie terrorizing Void, eliminating the last visible threat. "Why is it so dark down here anyway?"

"Well, Mobs can't spawn in the light." Attila sarcastically remarked. "They had to keep them darkened, but the sewers were usually off-limits. There was no way the Mobs could climb up onto the streets."

"So then we'll have to be fighting Mobs throughout this whole sewer." Void commented with a swig of his Awkward Potion. "Happy happy."

"I _said_ I needed a capable team." Attila reminded as she waded through the water, picking up soaked rotten flesh and depositing it into her pack. Then she moved over to the sewer's wall and made some motions with her fingers, trying to recall something. "Let's see… the pits are to the west… and the water control station is to the northeast…"

While Attila spoke to herself, Cara called the group over. "How are you all holding up?"

"Well we fell down a sewer, so—"

"You know what I mean." Cara rolled her eyes before softening her expression. "We've already done our mission, guys. We can just go home, really."

"And pass up valuable intel on the cult?" Soul scoffed. "Not a chance. This could be the next devastating strike against them! Think about it; if we can locate the cult's Eastern Division, we could become as famous as the Angel of Death!"

Soul was so excited, Cara didn't have the heart to tell him that it probably wouldn't be that simple. Even with the intel, Brett would want to recruit more fighters, and make a plan. Strategize. Not the all-or-nothing gambit Soul had in mind.

Cara was about to explain this when Attila returned. "Okay, so, I got it all figured out. We need to split up into two groups." Cara seized up in panic, but Attila ignored it. "The direction of the pits and the EXP Factory will have more Mobs, so only the strongest should go. And by strongest, I mean Soul and I."

Soul nodded proudly at the distinction, though Cara stepped forward to protest. "Why are we splitting up? We should stay together."

Attila shook her head though. "We need both the water flow AND the EXP Factory on to call this mission a success. But if the water flow is on, we'll be swept along with the Mobs to be grounded into EXP. We need to turn the Factory on first, get to safety, and _then_ turn the water flow on. And that'll take twice as long if we stay together."

"Twice as long, maybe, but twice as safe." Cara argued, not liking the idea of her team separating.

"We're not facing Hackers." Attila reasoned, though Floyd couldn't help but notice how her eyes slid over to him before snapping back to Cara. "If you're worried about Mobs then you must have little faith in your team."

"I don't have—" Cara stopped as Soul touched his hand to her arm. The purple-haired leader turned to see Soul's confident face. A brief conversation flashed between them in an instant before Cara relented. "Fine. But I want Floyd to go too."

'In case Attila tries anything,' went unsaid.

"That's fine." The brunette nodded before she pointed to Void and Cara, and then down the other end of the sewer. "The water control station is that way. If you follow this tunnel and ignore any branching paths, you should get there in no time." Attila fished in her backpack before pulling out a clock. The arrow was halfway between midnight and dusk. "When it's three-quarters to midnight, turn on the water with the appropriate labeled lever. Hopefully, we'll be done on our end and meet you back at our skyscraper."

Cara pulled out her own clock and nodded. "Three quarters to midnight… with maybe a _bit_ of extra time. Just in case."

Attila chuckled at that. "Just in case."

With that said, the two groups split up. Cara and Void heading to the water control station while Attila, Floyd, and Soul headed to the EXP Factory.

* * *

It wasn't long before they found Mobs.

Attila had been right in saying the tunnels were packed with them, and she was right in assuming she'd need capable Crafters to fend them off. With his Night Vision, Floyd spotted Creepers, Spiders, Zombies, Skeletons, and even Cave Spiders nesting in the damp darkness below Nitebane.

The Skeletons were the most problematic, as fighting ranged enemies in water always is. The trio had to use the other Mobs wading towards them as cover, just to avoid the volley of arrows.

Though, as a group of Zombies approached, Floyd had the sudden urge to try something.

He quickly took off his iron helmet and replaced it with the Zombie Head. When he turned to face the Zombies, he made moaning sounds and held his arms out, trying to pretend to be one. The thought process was that they would accept him as one of their own and let him pass.

It was a calculated risk…

…But _damn_ was his math wrong!

"Ow! Okay, that was stupid of m—Soul, don't you hit me again!" Soul stopped himself from swinging his axe as he realized it was just Floyd in a Zombie Head.

"I swear, the resemblance is uncanny…" He tried to defend, even though it really wasn't.

Attila, meanwhile, was placing TNT down behind her and lighting it up. When it exploded, it propelled her through the water like a jet ski, allowing her to cleave a path through the Skeletons.

Not wanting to be outdone, Soul pulled out the boat he had used when traveling down Daymonte's river and paddled forth with it. He swung his axe in a wild arc, dooming and Mob that dared approach.

Floyd had half a mind to do the same with his own boat, but realized there weren't many Mobs left to fight. It even looked like Attila and Soul were competing with each other to see who could kill more.

"Twenty-five!" Attila boasted as she cracked a Skeleton's skull with the hilt of her sword.

"Twenty-SEVEN!" Soul shouted in triumph as he cleaved a Creeper in two.

"Bullshit! You skipped a few numbers… or did you forget how to count?" The brunette taunted, while smacking a cave spider to the side.

"What was that?" Soul called back mockingly. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you over all the kills I'm getting!"

"Oh, very clever, little lost boy." Attila clapped mockingly. "Must have taken you a while to come up with that one."

"Well I—"

In an instant, Attila ricocheted off the sewer walls, slashing at the remaining five Mobs in one fell swoop. She bounced off the side once more and landed right in front of Soul, splashing his face with some water. When she turned her head up, it was to offer a winning smile.

"Thirty-one to twenty-seven." She singsonged haughtily before adding a whispered, "I win."

Responding honorably to his loss, Soul splashed her face with water that Floyd had to keep telling himself was _just_ regular water. The brunette's mouth had been open to boast at the time, meaning she just got a mouthful of _just_ water for her hubris.

"Peh! Peh! Ugh!" She wiped her mouth on the edge of her shirt, which was probably just as soaked in _just_ water as she was. "Poor sport. For shame, little lost boy, for shame."

Soul didn't seem bothered, wading past the brunette like he won the exchange. Meanwhile, Attila bent low and reached her hand deep into the _just_ water to pull out some bones and soaked rotten flesh.

"You must really need supplies." Floyd watched as Attila turned his way. "Going so far for your community, even for half-soaked trash."

Attila smiled softly. "I'm probably not gonna tell them where I found this." She commented as she tried to wring the _just_ water from the rotten flesh. She tilted it to the side, examining it slowly, before reluctantly eating it. She swallowed quickly, not wanting to taste it as it went down, and she looked ill as she recovered some Hunger. "But every bit helps. The bones will certainly be of use back home."

"…If you don't mind me asking, Miss Akrasia," Floyd ventured tentatively, "what made you a part of that community in the first place?"

"Yeah!" Soul shouted, suddenly interested. "And while we're at it, what made you join the Endward Cult? Those bastards are a bunch of killers!"

Attila hummed in thought, shaking some _just_ water off gunpowder she scavenged. "Well… I guess sharing some old stories wouldn't hurt."

Attila waded forward, making sure the two were following before she began her tale.

"You already know that when Nitebane fell, a lot of Crafters made communities in the skyscrapers and blasted them into safe havens away from the Griefers." Soul and Floyd nodded. "Back then, it felt like the whole world was turned upside down. I mean… we were living like refugees. Families and friends were scattered or missing or dead. Nobody knew what happened or what to do or where to start.

"So, naturally, people turned to those that acted like they knew what they were doing. In this case, the Endward Cult."

Soul narrowed his eyes, the memories of what those black-capped Crafters were capable of flitted across his face.

Attila laughed. "I can guess what you're thinking." She turned to Soul, adopting an understanding expression. "I take it the cult took someone from you, right?"

"…Yes." Soul growled, his crimson eyes burning with anger… and regret.

"Well, that's what they tend to do." Attila glanced up, looking at the ceiling of the tunnel when really she was thinking back. "Of course, we didn't know it at the time. The Endward Cult wasn't seen as the murderers they are today. Back then, all we knew about them was that they were a branch of a college. They were studying Normal Sense and how all Crafters have an inherent knowledge of things beyond our comprehension."

Floyd thought back to how he was able to know how to smelt ingots from iron. Or how he knew things his brain couldn't possibly know. Cobb had shown the same thing. Normal Sense.

"We didn't understand what they were studying, but we had no choice but to trust them." Attila continued. "They promised food, protection, and supplies. So long as we joined their 'cause' and help rid them of the Griefers. We agreed, obviously, not knowing that they didn't just want to rid the Kingdom of Griefers… but not caring because we were desperate and hungry."

It wasn't hard for the blue-nette to imagine a group of starving Crafters, stranded in a skyscraper, with no hope of escape. Their best attempts at staving off Griefers being to shoot them or keep them from clawing their way up. They would've turned to anyone… and they did.

"I was a decent fighter, then." Attila continued modestly. "And I couldn't stand to watch the Kingdom I grew up in just roll over and die. So I got stronger and agreed to help the Endward Cult, hoping we could one day overthrow the Griefers and take back control." She sighed wearily. "Funny how things never work out like I want them to."

"What kind of attitude is that?" Soul interjected angrily. "Sounds like you've already given up?"

Attila closed her eyes somberly. "Maybe… I should."

"Cut the crap!" Soul angrily splashed her with some _just_ water. "You wanna give up _now_ after all this time!? Then what was all the hard work for, hmm?"

"You don't understand, Soul." Attila shook her head. "I don't want to give up… I don't! But… I'm starting to wonder if there's any way out of our current predicament. What can I do against a Hacker?"

"You can fight!" Soul shouted, only to grow angrier at Attila's derisive snort. "You can! I don't know how strong you think these Hackers are, but you can't just do nothing! You gotta fight and—!"

"And while I'm fighting, my family will starve!" Attila whipped her head up to glare at Soul. "While I'm fighting, they'll be defenseless! While I'm fighting, they'll loyally run to assist, and get struck down themselves!" She bawled up her fists. "And if I die… my last thoughts will be that they'll die without me."

Soul and Floyd remained silent as Attila tried to reign in her emotions. It wasn't that she was afraid of dying. It was because she didn't know her group was capable enough to survive without her.

"I wish I could be sure." Attila continued, voice cracking. "I desperately wish I could be sure that they'll live. That they can be strong enough to survive, even without me. But… but I can't." She shook her head. "They still need me. And I've lost too many of them recklessly trying to take back Nitebane…

"All the attempts… all the failures… I lose more each time, yet _I'm_ the one that has to keep on living." She tilted her head to look at Soul. "How can I keep living with that? How can I endure losing so much… and stand to lose even more?"

He didn't have an answer. This wasn't like 'The Angel of Death' and her Paragons. This wasn't a trained band of badass Crafters.

This was just Attila, leading a small, starving community of innocent, loving people. They couldn't fight like Attila. There was a reason she had recruited the Silver Intent to gather supplies.

"If it was just me… if _my_ life was the only one at risk, I'd happily storm Lunar Castle and slay Ocan in a heartbeat. But it's not just me." Attila repeated. "It's Kate… and Davey… Marge, Aaron… Shana, Gary, Ross… all of them. It's all of them I'm worried for…"

"…Then teach them how to fight." Soul spoke confidently.

Attila let out a sarcastic titter. "So that they can rush off to their deaths? I don't—"

"I've seen how much they care about you." Soul interrupted, thinking back to the glares they shot his way when he insulted Attila. "They'll run off to fight that Hacker anyway, even if you don't train them."

Soul withdrew his axe and swiped it through the air a few times. "Teach them how to fight for themselves… and then let them fight for you."

Floyd was surprised at how inspirational and moving those words were… and even more so that they came out of Soul's mouth.

Attila looked to Soul in a new light, a soft smiling spreading across her face. Her grayish-green eyes looked hopeful and she stood up a bit straighter. "I guess I could try that…"

Attila leaned forward, her eyes closed as she neared Soul's face. Soul's crimson orbs looked confused at her actions, before they snapped open in shock. Floyd's were the same as he watched Attila's lips near Soul's. Was she about to…?

With the present situation, Soul could only stare blankly at the approaching lips of the brunette. He awkwardly looked to Floyd for some kind of assistance to which the blue-nette mouthed 'I don't know!'

Deciding to just go with it, Soul closed his eyes and leaned forward to meet her half-way. His movements were shaky and his cheeks were heated up in a faint blush…

Floyd saw the edges of Attila's mouth quirk up in a smile. One of her peeked open as she dipped a hand in the _just_ water.

Soul's heated face was soon doused as Attila splashed the unsuspecting axe-wielder with _just_ water. He was so caught off guard that he slipped back, clonking his head on the side of the tunnel and sinking below the _just_ water's surface.

Attila bent over laughing, even as Soul pulled himself out of the water, swearing madly and clutching the back of his head in pain. "Sorry, little lost boy. No kiss until the second date." Soul's face blushed several shades darker, eliciting more laughs from the brunette.

It was enough to get Floyd laughing too. Sure, the axe-wielder would hate him, but this was what friends were for: laughing at each other's expense!

Soul scoffed, trying to shrug off the embarrassment. "See if I ever do anything nice for you again." He muttered under his breath.

"Aww, I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Attila walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, to which the axe-wielder flung aside. "Come on. What you said was really nice. You should say things like that more often."

"Leave me alone." Soul whined as he splashed her face with some _just_ water.

Attila blocked it, smiling mischievously before rushing towards him. "Sounds like somebody needs a hug!"

"Don't touch me, woman!"

"I thought I was just a girl."

"Th-that's what I said! Now stay away!"

Floyd kept on laughing as the two ran down the sewer tunnel. Seeing them get along after they had fought each other the first time they met was a heartwarming sight.

It got him thinking of the fight Soul had with Cobb and how the two obviously didn't like each other.

 _Maybe there's hope for them too._

* * *

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Banner {Endward Cult}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Mob Head {Zombie}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 15]

* * *

 **AN: Short Chapter. But, eh, what can you do.**

 **I wanted to discuss more of Nitebane's History, but it didn't come naturally. Next time it'll probably be discussed more in-depth, along with a few other bits of info about the Endward Cult.**

 **Again, I really like Attila in that she's a Crafter who wants to save her Kigndom... but at the same time, she wants the comfort of knowing her people can survive without her. I feel like secretly that's what all parents want: To raise a child that can support themselves and grow and live on.**

 **This Chapter had a bit more humor... but I swear to god if someone makes one more ship name, disaster will strike.**

 **Don't think I won't do it! I'm the writer here! I can write whatever I want! I'll go all Game of Thrones on these characters if you force my hand.**

 **...Not really.**

 **But, please, no more ship names! It's getting kind of stupid.**

 **It's been a while since an Omake. There's one below.**

 **I won't be able to write next week because I have several real-life priorities to deal with. But I'm sure you'll be able to manage.**

* * *

Omake: Till it Breaks

"Aha! Guess who just found a chest full of bones!" A smuggler shouted out gleefully as he piled them all into his backpack.

"Good find." The smugglers had moved to the suburbs on the outskirts of the Kingdom to search for supplies. Larril smirked just thinking about the 'favors' they could ask of Attila once they showed off their latest merchandise.

Of course, there was no way that little brunette and her community of misfits could ever scrounge enough emeralds. So she would just have to keep begging like the little bitch she was.

"Hey, Larril." The same smuggler raised his hand. "Since I found them, you mind if _I_ make the demands of Attila?"

Larril's smirk quickly morphed into a disgruntled frown. "No. I'm in charge of the ten of us, so I make the demands. The rest of you are just muscle."

"Oh, come on." Another smuggler whined. "Can't you just… throw us a bone?" As he said that, he held up one of their newly found bones, like a stage prop.

"…I'm gonna forget I heard that." Larril gave a short two-note whistle to signal his fellow smugglers to leave. By then, they had picked the house clean and were ready to move on to the next one.

However, as they exited onto the suburb streets, Larril noticed something off about their group.

There was supposed to be ten people. Nine smugglers and himself.

So… why was there an extra female?

"Hi there."

Immediately, Larril and his nine smugglers jumped away from the extra Crafter, readying their blades and bows. "Where the hell did you come from?"

The blue-haired female ignored the question. Instead, she turned her head to regard each of the smugglers. For someone surrounded by hostile enemies, she seemed unconcerned.

"Hmmm…" The woman tapped her chin in mock contemplation. "I don't think I can take you to go…"

"Hey! Bitch!" One of the smugglers stepped forward, keeping his bow trained on the woman's head. "Our boss just asked you a quest—"

The smuggler never got to finish his sentence as a fist crashed into his face in the blink of an eye. The smuggler was already rendered unconscious from that one blow, but the smiling blue-haired Crafter deemed it necessary to follow up with another punch to the face. There was the sharp sound of a nose breaking before the smuggler finally fell over.

The remaining smugglers could only gawk at what they just witnessed. The woman hadn't even used a sword or bow, yet she knocked one of them out in an instant.

The blue-haired woman grinned down at the unconscious smuggler. "That's one point!" She cheered happily. "Now for all the rest of you, we're gonna play a little game I like to call 'Till it Breaks!' Don't worry though, the rules are suuuuper easy."

A few smugglers took a step back, while the few archers began shooting at the weird woman.

However, she quickly side-stepped each shot, dodging them by a fraction of a hair each time. And yet, she looked to be spending the minimum amount of focus on her movements.

"Now you see—whoa there—" She interrupted herself whenever she dodged a particularly close attack. "Each of you has breakable body parts. The more important the part—whoopsie!—the more points I give it. Like, for example… "

One of the smugglers rushed in with a sword. As he swung it towards the blue-haired woman, she twirled to the side before darting under the smuggler's guard and kicking the side of his knee. There was a creaking sound and the smuggler buckled.

"Al~most!" The blue-haired woman sing-songed as she lifted the smuggler's foot while pinning the other one with her knee and yanked hard, twisting it sharply.

*CRACK*

"EIYAAAAGGGHHH!" The smuggler howled in agony as the woman let the broken leg fall. It was bent at the knee in a way legs should _never_ bend. "That's five points, right there." The woman chirped to the horrified smugglers. "Arms. Ribs. Skulls. Spines. Anything counts. And if I _break_ a hundred points," she giggled, "then I win! Though I'm gonna try and _break_ my record." Another light giggle. "Ahh, I could do this all day…"

"What… what are you!?" Another smuggler made the mistake of shouting to catch the blue-haired woman's attention.

She tilted her head to the side as she regarded that smuggler, the moonlight gleaming of her feral smile.

That same smile soon took up that smugglers sight as she darted before him and brought her elbow down on his collarbone. The sickening crunch and the smuggler's cry of agony told everyone she just earned a few more points.

However, she didn't stop there. She somersaulted into the air before angling down into a shattering drop kick upon the prone smuggler's chest. There was a creak and a few audible snaps. A bit of spittle flew out of the smuggler's mouth as he seemed too blinded by pain to react properly. Yet his ribcage didn't break. That brought a disappointed frown to the woman's face.

"Hmm… let me try that again…" The woman commented idly as she jumped off the smuggler with a front flip before straightening her feet out to dig into the poor Crafter's chest again.

*CRRRACK*

"There's the twenty-pointer." The woman looked pleased at the smuggler whimpering on the ground. "Buuuuut, I can probably get a few more points off his arms…" She rolled the smuggler onto his belly, indifferent to his suffering, before gripping his left arm at the elbow and forearm.

"P-please…" The smuggler begged, his mind fighting to form words through a haze of pain. His efforts were only met with a sharp yank and a splintering snap of bone.

"Sweet! Now to break the other one so I get the point-multiplier!" As the woman wiggled her fingers eagerly over the smugglers right arm, she paused to look up from her work. "You know, you guys don't have to wait your turn." The other smugglers stood frozen as they watched their comrade's torture. They were too terrified to do anything. "No? Al~righty, but remember you can jump in whenever you feel like it."

The casual, almost inviting way she said that was a sharp contrast to how she broke the smuggler's right arm immediately after. "At this rate, the only thing I won't be _break_ ing is a sweat! Hehehe…"

"R-run away!" Larril ordered as he and the six uninjured smugglers fled down the street, abandoning their downed brethren.

"What the—there's no running in this game!" The woman cried out in annoyance as she pursued.

"Split up!" Larril shouted, realizing that that was his best bet in escaping the crazy woman. She couldn't go after all of them and there was a good chance she'd run after the others.

Even though his chances were good, it didn't matter. Looking ahead, he saw the street was blocked off by several Crafters wearing…

 _Black leather caps._ Larril gasped. _The Endward Cult._

He and his fellow smugglers skid to a halt as the black-capped cultists held out their swords to point directly at them. It was then that he heard a strangled cry sound from behind.

He whirled to watch the blue-haired woman riding atop the smuggler's shoulders, her arms wrapped around his neck in a powerful hold. Her grin was absolutely manic as she jerked her arms to the side, snapping his neck.

The smuggler fell to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut, with the woman kneeling atop his back. She poked at the smuggler's neck, tilting her head to get a better look at his face. He twitched a little, but couldn't move until his Health ticked back up to heal the broken neck.

The woman just shrugged before rolling off the smuggler and back to her feet.

Larril's eyes darted between the woman and the band of cultists. He had to think fast if he wanted to survive this.

Suddenly, Larril pointed to the woman. "Hey, lady! Why don't you try playing your game with them!?" He thrust his finger in the cultists' direction, surprising a few of them.

"Psh. Because they're my rock-paper-scissor buddies. Duh." The woman answered back without missing a beat, tripping up the smuggler.

"Wha… y-you mean," the head smuggler gulped, "y-you're with them!?"

"Yup-yup!" The blue-haired woman beamed with an innocent smile deceiving of her true nature. "Now, could you maybe show a _bit_ of backbone?" Her smile turned into a playful grin. "I promise not to break it~!"

Three of the smugglers crumpled to the ground, holding each other in sheer terror of the woman skipping towards them. Larril remained where he was, working his brain twice as fast to escape the situation.

The last two smugglers had their eyes flickering between the cultists barring their path and the terrifying blue-haired woman that took pleasure in breaking bones. They chose the lesser of two evils as they charged the blockade of cultists.

They were brutally put down as half-a-dozen swords impaled them, killing them instantly. It was the sight of their heads skittering across the ground that finally gave Larril an idea on how to escape the situation.

"W-wait!" He cried out, hands held up in surrender. "We… we can make a deal!" The blue-haired woman didn't seem to have heard him as she skipped closer and closer. "We-we're just some lowly smugglers! We're not worth killing!"

"Aww, don't sell yourself short." The blue-haired woman finally responded as she cracked her knuckles. "You look worthy enough to me."

"Just… just wait—Agh!" The smuggler yelped in fright as the hand he held up in surrender was roughly grabbed and brought level to the ground. The woman then jumped, twisting her body so that his arm was between her legs before the added weight knocked him to the ground.

In his current position, Larril found himself pinned to the ground by the woman's legs in a far side arm bar. His head spun to face her and watched her toothy grin as she began to pull on his arm with all her strength.

"S-stop!" Larril cried out desperately as the woman pulled more and more. "Y-you cultists like to kill Crafters, right!?" He winced as his arm creaked in protest. "W-WE CAN FIND YOU MORE!"

Just when he thought his arm was going to break, the pulling suddenly stopped. His arm was still held and he was still pinned to the ground, but the woman had stopped.

She tilted her head to look at him curiously. "More?"

"Y-yes!" Larril nodded his head frantically. "Spare me and… and I-I-I can help you find a lot more Crafters. A _lot_ more."

A whole community worth, in fact.

The woman frowned, tilting her head up to think it over, all while in the same position.

"S-so?" Larril questioned nervously. "Do we have a—AUGH!"

A sharp snap followed by blinding pain that slowly dulled to a tingly feeling in his left arm left Larril curled upon himself. "Don't rush me." The woman chided, though she rolled to her feet and pointed to the watching cultists.

"Make sure he doesn't get away." She ordered, hiking a thumb towards Larril. "We got time anyway. I'll finish off those broken points later. And as for you three…" She strolled over to the three cowering smugglers still shirking away from her. She hovered over them with a predatory smile. "I'll need a few hundred more points, please."

* * *

 **AN: Welp, I'm scared.**


	68. The Tragedy of Nitebane

**AN: Yeesh. This Chapter may be a liiiiiiiittle bit sad. You've been warned.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Potions of Withering.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 68

 **The Tragedy of Nitebane**

"Could this be it?"

Cara turned to follow Void's line of sight. There, along the wall, was an iron block with several levers attached. They overlooked a glass tank filled with water and were labeled 'FLOW CONTROLS'.

"Good find." Cara walked over to examine the levers. "One of these is bound to turn the water back on."

"Great." Void took another swig of his potion. "Now all we gotta do is figure out which one."

Cara glanced at her clock. "We got time. Let's work it out."

As Attila had predicted, getting to the water control station was simple and the Mobs were few. She was right on both counts. Which meant she would also be right about the route towards the pits having more Mobs.

Cara couldn't help but worry about her two teammates. The Mobs weren't the only issue on her mind. From what she'd seen of her, Attila was a demolitionist who cared deeply for her people. The skyscraper community clearly meant a lot to the brunette, but just caring wasn't enough to rule out all her suspicions.

Sure, she had information on the Endward Cult, but only because she served that same cult. She had nearly killed Soul, and her band of survivors were desperate enough to steal from Griefers. Cara didn't know enough to trust Attila.

And now they were separated! That was like the number one thing a leader _shouldn't_ do. Never split the party!

Cara didn't know if she made the right decision mucking around in the sewers, just to gain a little more intel in their crusade against the cult.

"…ara. Cara!"

"Hm?" Cara blinked thoughtfully. "S-sorry, what did you say?"

Void sighed. "I said you look a little out of it."

Cara looked aside. "Yeah, well, I guess I am."

"Wanna *hic* talk about it?"

Cara's eyes glanced to the control panel of levers, before her eyes lighted on a wooden table in the corner of the room.

"I'd rather burn something."

"…Huh?"

"Burn something." Cara repeated, looking a little restless. Her body leaned to the right and the left, and she fingered the flint and steel at her belt. "I just… I need to blow off steam. Is that weird?"

Void glanced between Cara and the table before shrugging and stepping aside. "Not at all. Go nuts."

Cara had stopped listening after 'not' as she jogged over to the table, running her hand along the smooth oak surface. There was a layer of dust and cobwebs were bunched along the part closer to the wall.

That was good. Cobwebs would burn with the table

Cara repeatedly struck the table with her flint and steel, igniting it in a wild, but transient blaze. The table was reduced to ashes, but even that wasn't enough for the arsonist. She made sure that even the ashes were ashes as she struck the ground again and again and again.

At that point, Void had taken a long, deep drink of his Awkward Potion, leaning his head back to get the very last drops. Then he immediately tossed the empty bottle and pulled out another one from his backpack, bringing it to his lips and spilling some onto his shirt.

When he finished his second drink, Cara had gotten whatever was bothering her out of her system. She walked over, looking a bit brighter, and smiled at Void. "Thanks."

"We all have our habits." He raised his empty bottle as he said that, watching as Cara moved to the control panel with the levers. "Do you wanna talk now?"

Cara thought about it for a moment. "Do you ever get the feeling that things can be so much worse than they are right now?" She began without turning to look at him. "Like, there's bad vibes warning of some impending doom, and you want to run away from it… but there's just _something_ keeping you there to face it."

Void blinked at the empty bottle in his hand. "Is that what you're feeling now?"

"…Mhm." Cara mumbled as she looked down. "Is that weird?"

"No." Void stepped up beside Cara, checking the levers for any label. "This is your first mission as a leader, right? You're probably just feeling nervous. I don't *hic* think that's weird at all. It's natural to feel apprehensive." Void smiled at the arsonist. "But, I think you'd be more excited."

Cara tilted her head in confusion. "Excited?"

"Yeah. Not only are you getting your mission done, but you're also getting vital information for Brett." He clarified. "You're going above and beyond, and that shows you got *hic* drive."

"Is it really okay, though?" Cara questioned. "There are people trusting me to bring everyone back home, safe and sound." She thought of the promise she made with Cobb. Floyd and Soul's friendship had improved and the blue-nette _had_ gotten some sleep. At the very least he wasn't trying to kill himself. "Maybe it's better to give up on drive and just make it back alive."

Void hummed to himself, deep in thought. Then, with a gasp of realization, he withdrew a new bottle from his pack. "Did I *hic* ever tell you why I drink?"

"…I don't think I've ever asked—"

"Well, I'm gonna tell ya!" He slurred, sloshing some of the Awkward Potion on the control panel. "See, I drink… because Minecraftia sucks!"

Cara looked at the drunkard flatly as he let out a boisterous guffaw. "Ye-up! It sucks! Sucks so bad, it could be mistaken for a vacuum cleaner! S-U-C-K-S! Sucks, sucks, sucks!

"So… I drink!" he took a large gulp of the Awkward Potion before coming back for air. "I drink for every moment life here sucks!" Another gulp. "Awkward Potions are *hic* awesome like that. They take away the pain and would never betray me! Good ol' Drinkie!"

He hugged the bottle close to his chest, though his eyes slowly opened to reveal bleary orbs.

"I even drink… for the times I _know_ things will get fucked up. And in Minecraftia, things _always_ get fucked up." He wiped his mouth before blinking dazedly. "Um… I think I had a lesson in all of this somewhere…"

Cara waited patiently as the drunkard scratched his head, downed the rest of his bottle as if it would jog his memory, and then light up in realization.

"Oh, yeah! See, *hic* the way I see it, if things are always gonna get fucked up anyway, there's really no point in half-assing or doing _just_ enough to scrape by." He shot Cara a lopsided grin. "Bad things are gonna happen, whether you're prepared for them or not. No sense in feeling apprehensive about it. It's too tiresome." He raised his bottle in triumph. "Rather, you should focus that time in doing something worthwhile. _That's_ living!"

"That's funny." Cara suppressed a smile. "Some would argue that _living_ is living."

"Ehh! Those people don't know what they're talking 'bout!" The drunkard waved off grandly. "Think about that Attila chick! She showed me something I never thought possible: A community in Nitebane! And even now she's got the drive to support that community! There's a whole slew of shit that could hit the fan up there, but she's down here to keep that from happening. She's not *hic* wasting her time worrying. And neither should you!"

He jabbed a finger into her chest, perhaps a bit too forcefully, but it was enough to dispel Cara's worries. As drunk as Void was, his advice had a ring of truth to it. She couldn't worry herself over hindsight. What could have been, what should have been. She didn't have time to dwell, what with the safety of her team at stake.

She had to do what Void suggested. Something worthwhile. And gathering information about the Endward Cult was certainly something worthwhile. And if it led to another fatal blow against the cult that ruined so many lives, she'd go for it.

Cara smiled at the brown-haired drunkard. "You know, you're actually not bad at giving advice when you're drunk."

"Oh, stohp!" Void slurred bashfully as he leaned back to take another sip. As he did though, he tottered in place, nearly losing his balance. He flung out both his hands; one to grab Cara and the other to catch himself on the control panel…

Unintentionally snagging a lever by his sleeve.

*Cha- _chunk_ *

The sound of several pistons retracting in tandem with the switched lever raised red flags in Cara's mind. With not a moment to waste, she shoved Void off the control panel and flicked the lever back to its original position.

Just in time to watch what damage they had done.

The walls sealing the water behind the glass tank had retracted. With nothing impeding its path, the water flowed free of the tank and down the sloping paths of the sewers. Through her night vision enhanced eyes, Cara watched as the wave flowed violently through the sewers.

Just as the wave turned the corner, there was another sound of pistons. Only this time, the walls closed to cut off the flow. Only a hiccup of water had been released.

A _big_ hiccup.

"…Well we *hic* found one of the switches." Void offered helpfully from the ground.

Cara ignored him however, glancing at her clock to see that it wasn't yet time to release the water. And yet they had now sent a wave of it streaming towards Floyd, Soul, and Attila.

Cara gulped. "Maybe it won't reach them?"

* * *

A heavy slash destroyed the last of a group of Zombies.

Floyd joined Attila in scavenging the fallen Mobs' drops. He had unknowingly given all his food to the skyscraper community, and the effects of an empty Hunger Meter were starting to get to him. He didn't know what was worse, starving to death or being forced to eat soggy rotten flesh. Even Cobb would have wrinkled his nose at the stuff.

"We're nearly there." Attila announced, looking ill as she tore a hunk of rotten flesh with her teeth. "Soon it'll be goodbye rotten flesh, hello mushroom stew." She hummed to herself thoughtfully. "Maybe I could even spoil myself with some bread."

"You guys really don't have much in terms of food, do you?" Floyd questioned. "Have you tried fishing?"

"We've tried a lot of things." Attila admitted. "Fishing seemed like a good idea at first, but it involved sending people out to either the ocean or the sewers. Both are teeming with Mobs. And fishing usually pulls out junk half the time…"

"I get that the sewers are filled with Mobs." Soul interjected, taking interest in the conversation. "But the ocean? What do you have to worry about there?"

"Guardians."

The term Attila spoke grimly of sounded unfamiliar to the blue-nette, as it had for Soul. Sensing their confusion, the brunette began to elaborate. "Guardians. They're kind of like spiky puffer-fish. Only bigger, with scales, and… oh, and a giant eye that shoots lasers. Pretty nasty."

Floyd and Soul shared a look, not quite sure if the brunette was being serious. "…Lasers?"

"Lasers."

"I… you know what? I'm not even surprised." Floyd had learned to just accept that things in Minecraftia were weird. Giant fish that shoot laser beams? Just a typical day ending in a 'y'.

Attila chuckled at the blue-nette's blind acceptance. "As bad as Guardians are, they're only really formidable in the water. On land they're helpless; flopping like a fish out of water. But schools of them occupy the ocean by the cliffs. If you ever fall off there, and the sharp rocks at the bottom don't kill you, the Guardians surely will."

"Kind of weird to call them Guardians when they're trying to kill you." Soul threw in as he waded through the sewer water.

"I think they're called that because of their spikes." Attila tapped her chin. "They're defensive, or whatever."

"Not that this info isn't useful," Floyd began tentatively, "but do you mind telling us about the Endward Cult? I know you already did." He added hastily after seeing Attila's attempts to argue. "I mean, more about their motives, their Lieutenants… and their history with Nitebane."

Attila frowned. "We still have yet to finish—"

"We're practically half-way there." Soul sounded exasperated. "Just… just _half_ the info. Something to occupy us. This sewer is pretty dull without Mobs to kill."

Attila took a moment to think on it. It was true that, without Mobs to fight, they were just making small talk about trivial things. It would be helpful to have small talk about more cult-related things. Knowing their enemy and whatnot.

"Well… I guess you two have earned some of my valuable intelligence." Attila boasted with a smirk.

"Don't sound so modest." Soul whispered aside.

Attila heard that. "Did I say valuable intelligence? I meant to say, vital, essential, precious, and all around good-god-damn-helluva-damn-good intelligence."

"That's better."

Attila's pleased smirk lasted a moment before it faded to a neutral expression. Neither a frown nor a smile. Just a look that told the guys that she was remembering something from a long time ago.

"Well… I never got high enough up the ladder to meet the Executive of the Eastern Division. I know he was a guy… and a womanizer who'd bang anything with two X chromosomes—"

 _What's an X chromosome?_

"—But there _was_ a Lieutenant I worked with… she was in charge of the subdivision I was part of."

"Did she also get banged by the womanizing Executive?" Floyd couldn't help but question.

Attila scoffed. "I doubt it. That Teal_Larkspur… she's as psychotic as they come. No sane guy would touch her with a ten-foot penis."

"You mean a ten-foot pole."

"…They've also been called that."

"I don't care about their sex-life or lack thereof." Soul dismissed harshly. "What can you tell us about this… Teal?"

"Well, like I said, she's a psycho." Attila continued. "She may look like an innocent, blue-haired woman, but she's got a vicious streak a mile-wide. She toys with her opponents, playing twisted 'games' with them that always end with her opponent's death. I've heard rumors that she'd kidnap Crafters, stick them on a deserted island, and hunt them down."

Floyd looked horrified at that. "But… for what?"

"For sport?" Attila guessed. "She's a thrill-seeker. Or maybe she just gets off on it. All I know is, I made damn well sure she wasn't around when I quit the Cult. That blue-haired crazy would have 'played' with me 'till my Head popped off."

Floyd gulped, his hand idly massaging his neck after Attila's explanation.

"Teal_Larkspur. Teal… Larkspur…" Soul committed the name to memory, repeating it a few times just to be sure. "Lieutenant of the Eastern Division. Got it. Any others we should look out for?"

Attila shook her head. "I _can_ tell you that the Cult's divisions follow a two Lieutenant system, with an Executive that leads… but I'm guessing the Silver Intent already knows that much."

Soul clicked his tongue. "So all we got is the name of another small fry. Then tell us where the Eastern Division is located."

Attila's face wrinkled into a scowl. "First off, I gave you _half_ my info since your job is _half_ over. No more freebies. Second, Teal is by no means a small fry. Underestimating her in battle is a _bad_ idea."

Soul just shook his head. "The Executives are the ones pulling the strings. They're the Endward Cult's leaders. There's no point gunning for some Lieutenant that could be replaced as easily as a Captain."

Attila grumbled as she brushed past. "You just don't get it…"

An arm shot out to snag her shoulder. "What exactly don't I get?"

Attila tilted her head to regard Soul with one eye. "The Executives are higher up than the Lieutenants. Meaning that the Executives are effectively their bosses."

"And?"

"And, would _you_ listen to someone weaker or dumber than you?"

Soul didn't seem to understand what Attila was trying to say, but Floyd understood it well enough. If this Teal person was strong, it meant that her bosses, the Executives, were even stronger… or smarter. Keeping their identities a secret for so long already proved that.

The Endward Cult was far from weak. They had powerful people leading them… and even more powerful people leading those people. And, even though Soul preferred not to deal with small fry, it looked like the Silver Intent would have to slay leagues of cultists just to get a glimpse of their Lieutenants.

Hadn't that Angel of Death done as much when eradicating the Southern Division?

"Uh… guys?"

Floyd turned to the brunette, wondering why she sounded worried. "What is… oh."

Back down the way they came, a great surge of _just water_ was surging towards them, carrying with it a bunch of thrashing Mobs. Attila wasn't kidding when she said turning on the water early would sweep them away.

"Wade for it!" Attila shouted as she desperately paddled forward.

"Why would we wait for it!?"

"No! _Wade_ for it! As in walk through water like your life depended on it!"

Floyd, however, had a better idea. He fished a boat out of his backpack and set it down in front of him. The axe-wielder did the same with his, and the two leapt in just as the surging wave passed. It swept them up, lifting the two boats so that their heads skimmed the roof of the tunnel.

The Mobs caught in the wave were constantly pulled below the water, only to resurface in a thrashing display of limbs. Below, Attila continued to splash forward in an effort to outpace the wave. But it was a hopeless struggle. The wave was simply too fast for her, and it wasn't long before she too joined the Mobs in the rolling cycle of the wave.

"Miss Akrasia!" Floyd called down worriedly. "Are you okay?"

*Glub* *Glub*

"Right, stupid question…"

"Just remember to breathe!" Soul called down pointlessly. "You can't drown if you breathe!"

*Glub*

"I don't think she's listening—Ah!" Soul flinched as he held up a hand to his eyes. "My vision is flickering! Our Night Vision's spent!"

Floyd realized he was right when he noticed his own vision flickering between light and dark. They needed that Night Vision to see. Without it, they'd have no way of navigating the sewer tunnels.

*Glub* *Glub* Another set of agitated gurgles bubbled up from the _just water_ as Attila tried to tell them something.

"What's she saying?" Floyd asked, only for his vision to go completely dark. The Night Vision's effect had finally worn off.

"I think she said to lean to the left!" Soul shouted, and Floyd felt the axe-wielder's boat knock into his, sending them both towards what he hoped was the left. It was impossible to tell with how dark it was.

However, turning the corner, that darkness gave way to a dim light; one that outlined the sides of the sewer tunnel, and it was coming from an opening directly in front of them.

"Is that the exit?" Soul leaned forward to get a better look. "Because I remember Cara telling us that these sewers connect to the sides of that pit."

That wasn't good. If the wave shot them out at their current speed, there'd be nothing to keep them from smacking into the ground. "We have to stop!"

"Too late! Hang onto your boat!" Soul pushed the blue-nette's head down as they sped towards the opening. It got brighter and brighter, the sounds of thrashing water and gurgling overwhelming the two.

The wave pushed them forth, sending them and the swept Mobs rocketing out into the moonlight. The water sprayed into the air, dispersing into large droplets of water containing Mobs, Mob drops, or Soul, Floyd, and Attila. Behind them, the mouth of the tunnel gushed forth with a steady flow of water that quickly died down. Almost as if the wave had been a slight hiccup.

 _Cara, what did you do!?_

Those thoughts came to mind as the momentum of the wave petered out, and the splashes of water carrying everything began to plummet to the bottom of the pit. Soul and Floyd gripped their boats tightly, hoping that they'd somehow catch some falling water to cushion their landing.

However, Attila already had that covered.

"Finally filled up my bucket!" She cheered in between gasps for air. Her body angled itself towards the two Silver Intent members, where she hung suspended from their two boats.

When the bottom of the pit became close enough to touch, Attila quickly threw down her bucket of water. The liquid spread forth on contact, creating a puddle large enough to catch the three. Safe and intact.

The Mobs weren't so lucky. Their bodies crashed rhythmically into the ground, killing them instantly and leaving behind a portion of drops. Needless to say, Floyd found it much more impressive witnessing the Mob Grinder in action… when their own lives weren't threatened.

"I'm gonna have a few choice words for that leader of yours." Attila grumbled as she collected the water back into her bucket. "I _told_ her to wait before turning on the water flow."

Floyd narrowed his eyes at the sewer opening on the side of the pit. The water had slowed to a trickle. "I don't think it was intentional. Maybe they were just testing which switch did what?"

Attila reluctantly admitted the logic in that… even though Floyd knew that wasn't the case. Cara _was_ pretty clumsy. She was the same woman who walked into a stationary barn. And having Void, a drunk, with her probably didn't help much either. She probably tripped and snagged a lever, freaked out, and proceeded to set it back before anyone noticed.

 _Well,_ we _noticed._ The blue-nette thought to himself.

The same thought seemed to be going through Soul's mind. He just stared listlessly up at the sewer opening, mumbling under his breath, "Cara… ditzy…"

"See those?" Attila gestured to some odd hollow device that made up the floor of the pit. "Those are called hoppers. They're designed to suck up whatever items Mobs drop when they die down here. There should be a layer underneath for EXP collection." She brought out a pickaxe and cracked open one of the hoppers, revealing a cramped hallway below. "The hoppers are closed off right now, but if we follow this path, we should be able to reactivate them."

"Lead the way." Floyd nodded to the brunette.

* * *

The group had no trouble following the trail of hoppers. The absence of water and darkness already made the journey infinitely better than traversing the sewers. And after a few turns, the group had arrived in a large storage room filled with labeled chests and levers.

"This is it." Attila laughed in disbelief. She rushed over to one of the chests labeled 'Bones', and let out an excited titter at the contents. "These chests still have resources in them! They haven't been picked clean yet."

"More like the Griefers didn't bother with them." Soul muttered as he slammed an empty chest labeled 'EXP Bottles'. "They only left what they couldn't use."

"Hey, I'm not arguing." Attila said. She ran her fingers through the stacks of bones piled high. "The rotten flesh and bones will keep my community fed for _years_. This is better than I could have dreamed." She climbed up a ladder attached to some scaffolding and crossed to a control panel full of levers and redstone. "Once I get this factory working, they won't ever have to go hungry again. If only I had done this from the beginning…"

Floyd's ears perked as he shut another chest emptied of EXP bottles. _From the beginning…?_

Attila shook her head as she searched for a specific lever. "I wouldn't have had to help those cultists if this factory was an option."

"Hey, Miss Akrasia?" Floyd called out, interrupting the brunette girl's elation. "You never told us what happened to Nitebane all those years ago." Attila froze in her actions, her expression becoming uneasy. "You said you were here from the beginning, that you joined the Endward Cult… and Cara said that the cult had something to do with Nitebane's current situation."

"Yeah!" Soul added. "Everyone keeps talking about what happened and how bad it was, and yet we _still_ don't know what it was! It's not even really intel on the cult either, since, well, apparently everyone but us knows about it. So you have no reason not to tell us."

"I guess…" Attila dragged out, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "It's… It's not a day I like to remember."

"Please, Attila," Floyd asked, dropping the 'miss'. "What happened to Nitebane?"

The brunette, watched the two Silver Intent members for a while before finally relenting. "Since you two got me this far…"

Attila went silent as she tested a lever or two, prompting Soul and Floyd to climb up and join her on the scaffolding.

"At the time, nobody knew who had started it." Attila began in a low whisper that carried through the silent factory. "But the Tragedy of Nitebane had started at the turn of Minecraftia's first century.

"It was a day that started like any other. Clear sky, a calm sea breeze, and a Kingdom bustling with life. The streets back then were overflowing with life as Crafters rushed to work or to attend classes. The College of Inherent Thought, the one studying Normal Sense, was no exception. Students and faculty filled in to the buildings, eager to learn.

"And then, just when it looked to be another regular day in Nitebane…

"A massive explosion blew out one of the college's classrooms."

Floyd tilted his head curiously. "Was it TNT? Did the Endward Cult attack?"

Attila shook her head sadly. "It _was_ the Endward Cult, but it was no TNT that caused that explosion. It was something else. Something…" Her face darkened. "Monstrous."

Attila shivered as if she were seized by an icy cold wind. Her eyes had that same reminiscent look, but there was a deeper emotion beneath the surface. _Fear._

"What came out of that explosion was unlike anything any Crafter had ever witnessed." Attila continued grimly. "And I pray to Notch that nobody ever has to witness it again." Her eyes closed as she tried to recall the details. "A three-headed creature, darker than the blackest night, with a skeletal ribcage for a torso, and shrouded in a deadly miasma. It hovered in the air, shooting its skulls like projectiles over the streets of Nitebane."

Floyd recoiled in disgust. "It… it shot its _skulls_?"

The brunette nodded. "The creature's attacks were relentless. It blasted apart streets, punched holes in skyscrapers as if they were paper. All in an effort to kill. And not just Crafters." She clarified. "Usually Mobs would only target Crafters. But that three-headed monster struck indiscriminately. Crafters, animals, Testificates, Mobs. It killed anything that moved. And with Nitebane's streets bustling with Crafters at the time…" She trailed off, but the message was clear.

Floyd recalled the skyscraper bases riddled with holes. The streets that looked to be bombed. He thought it was just a result of Griefer attacks… he never imagined that an unspeakable creature was to blame.

"The guards were quick to respond." She continued, leaning on the control panel for support. "They had to, of course. What with a giant monster laying waste to their Kingdom. The Captains called in every available guard and planned to contain the creature between the skyscrapers. Then they would throw everything they had at it."

"It didn't work, did it?" Soul muttered, looking somber.

Attila shook her head. "No. At first, it looked like the creature was being beaten back. It was always hovering out of sword range, and the guards had to settle for pumping it full of arrows. The creature had a lot of health, far more than any run-of-the-mill Mob, but their arrows were definitely leaving a mark.

"Then, at one point, the creature was forced to the ground, looking like it was exhausted. The guards saw this, thinking that they had won… But they weren't even close.

"The creature wasn't exhausted. It had simply focused its energy on defending and healing itself rather than flying. A field of energy had enveloped it, deflecting arrows as if they were crumpled up bits of paper. As for healing itself… another ability of the creature was revealed."

Floyd paled. What more could a creature like that be capable of?

"The skulls it launched… they were infused with the same corrupted miasma the creature possessed. And it carried with it one of the deadliest potion effects none in Minecraftia: The Withering." She glanced at her arm, the one holding her Health Meter. "Upon contact, the miasma would infect us with the withering, turning our hearts from a healthy red to an empty black. It became impossible to judge our health, and the effect slowly drained us like a Potion of Poison. But unlike a Potion of Poison, the effect didn't stop at half a heart. Withering drains you to death… and so far, it's the only known effect that can kill a Crafter.

"To make matters worse, the effect drains the target's health and gives it straight to the attacker. Wither Skeletons have the same effect, though I doubt either of you have encountered one of them." Floyd and Soul's shaking heads said it all. "So, with nearly two-thousand guards fighting this thing, and the creature getting health back every time its projectiles withered somebody… it was a losing battle.

"The guards had lost a third of their numbers before they figured that out." Attila sighed wearily. "And, seeing that their attacks were doing nothing, the Captains ordered a full-scale retreat and evacuation. But even if they were done with the creature… the creature wasn't yet done with them.

"It continued its rampage. Busting through buildings and withering Crafters until it regained its health and could fly freely through the air once again. Any Crafters brave enough to try to oppose it were quickly eradicated. And any Crafters stupid enough to cross its path fared even worse. I… a few of my friends were among the casualties. But I think everyone lost someone during that time."

"Hold on…" Floyd interrupted, latching onto the brunette's words. "During that time? Don't you mean during that day?" Attila closed her eyes, steeling herself to continue the rest of the story, but Floyd had already assumed the worst. "No. You can't mean—"

"The creature went unopposed for two weeks." Attila choked out. "Two whole weeks, that damned monster flew around in search of Crafters. The structures of the skyscrapers kept it relatively penned in, but that only meant it had nothing to do but terrorize Nitebane. Twenty percent of the population was estimated to have been slain by it, while sixty percent had successfully evacuated westward to Jolin and Zeppil. The Kingdom was in ruins and the streets were filled, not with bustling Crafters, but the only Mobs the creature refused to attack: Zombies and Skeletons."

"So then what happened?" Soul questioned intently. "What finally took care of the creature?"

Attila tilted her head back to look up at the factory ceiling. "When word spread about Nitebane's situation, strong Crafters and bounty hunters flocked here to try and slay the monster… but they died like all the others.

"Then… when hope was all but lost, King Notch of Ringwood arrived." The revered tone the girl used to describe him spoke volumes of what he was capable of. "Notch, armed with his best weapons and most trusted allies, entered Nitebane to face the creature and end Nitebane's suffering. It was a brutal battle, one that cost Notch several of his most powerful men, but he somehow achieved the impossible. The creature's days of terrorizing Nitebane were over."

"But… then the bandits and Griefers invaded, right?" Floyd filled in, to which Attila nodded. "They saw the Kingdom weakened, and took the opportunity to make it their own."

Again, Attila nodded. "From what I heard, Notch tried to assign some of Ringwood's guards to Nitebane in an effort to rebuild. But his advisors overruled him, claiming to do so would further weaken their forces and lead so many of their guards to their death. In the end, evil was quicker to take over. The rest of Nitebane's ugly past you already know."

Floyd nodded, though he had one more thing to verify. "The explosion at the college—the one that spawned that creature in the first place—it was the Endward Cult's doing, wasn't it."

The brunette closed her eyes. "I didn't know it at the time—nobody knew it at the time—but yes. The college's classroom was reserved for an Endward Cult meeting. And the one who unleashed the creature upon the people of Nitebane… was none other than the founder of the Endward Cult."

Silence settled over the trio of Crafters after that declaration, giving Floyd time to make sense of it all. Whatever that creature was, it's only purpose seemed to be to kill anything that moved. It had devastated Nitebane and Crafters were helpless to stop it.

And with how many Crafters it slaughtered, it seemed like something the Endward Cult would concoct. The only question was what they did to summon such a monster.

And was it possible for them to do it again?

With a sigh of finality, and maybe a bit of relief at being done with the story, Attila flicked a lever, causing the factory machines to hum to life around them. "Once I found out the truth, that the cult I worked for to support my community had been the very cause of my community's suffering, I left." She wiped her hands on her shirt and patted the control panel. "The Endward Cult always claims that they're the good guys. That they have a Crafter's best interests at heart. But all I have to do is remember that day—the Tragedy of Nitebane—and it's suddenly clear who the men of evil truly are."

She turned to look at the two Silver Intent members and nodded to them. "Don't ever forget it."

"We don't need that to tell us those cultists are evil." Soul spared a glance to Floyd as he spoke. "We already have our reasons for wanting them gone. This only adds fuel to the fire."

"Then be careful not to burn out." Attila said before she hiked a thumb towards a set of crumbling stairs. "We can get out that way. By now, I'm sure your leader has turned on the water. Let's head back."

Floyd and Soul nodded as they followed the brunette girl out of the factory and back onto the surface. She truly was a veteran, despite her appearance. She was a citizen of Nitebane, and proud of it. She had seen all the ugliness the Kingdom endured, and yet she kept on fighting for her community.

It was something Floyd couldn't help but admire.

And judging by the reverent stare Soul fixed her with, he felt the same way.

* * *

Floyd, Soul, and Attila navigated the streets, sticking to their standard routine by avoiding Griefers. Growing up in the worst conditions of Nitebane, Attila knew almost every back alley and shortcut to slipping around undesirables. With minimum delay, the group had wound up on the street leading up to Attila's skyscraper. The brunette pointed it out, since, to Soul and Floyd, it looked exactly like all the others.

But she needn't have bothered. From the enthusiasm shining in Attila's eyes… the pure unbridled joy of a girl eager to bring her people good news, food, and resources… one only had to see that to know that those eyes reflected her home.

"Soul! Floyd!"

Attila and the two Silver Intent members spun on the spot, weapons drawn, before their shoulders relaxed. It was only Cara and Void calling out to them from a burned down building. (Hopefully a burned down building Cara had no hand in.)

As Floyd and Soul approached, Cara rushed forward and flung her arms around their shoulders, pulling them into a strong hug. "I'm glad you're both alright."

"You make it sound like we were in any danger." Soul replied confidently, trying to free the arm squashed against his side. "Don't worry. There's nothing that can kill…" The axe-wielder spared Floyd an unreadable glance. "…Us. There's nothing that can kill us."

Floyd felt a swell of elation over hearing that. There were still cracks in their friendship that needed to be mended, but at the moment, Soul seemed to accept that Floyd was a trusted teammate.

 _Progress._ He thought with a smile, freeing his arms to join Cara in her hug, much to Soul's distress. "You can let go of me now…"

Outside of their three-person hug, Attila watched on fondly. Floyd wondered if they reminded the brunette of her own people… and her own relationships with them. Caring about one another was probably at the core of their little skyscraper community. It was how they survived for so long and endured so much…

"You wanna hug *hic* too?" Void offered the brunette, his arms held invitingly. "Bring it in…"

Attila stared at him evenly before uttering a simple, "No," and brushing past.

"…I'll just hug my bottle then." Void intoned sadly as he brought the bottle up to his cheek. "You'd never *hic* not hug me, right?"

Attila took a few steps towards her skyscraper before stopping short. Her back was facing the four Silver Intent members and her shoulders slowly began to relax, as if a great burden had lifted from her.

"Oak Docks." She spoke, loud enough so that they could hear her. "The laidback, oceanside Kingdom with more beaches and resorts than they know what to do with. That's where you'll find the Cult's Eastern Division."

Cara released the guys from her hug and took a step towards Atilla. "Any specific place?"

Attila shook her head. "All I know is they operate in Oak Docks. If you go poking around, I'm sure you'll find something… if _they_ don't find you first."

"And the Lieutenant—?"

"She already told us." Floyd interrupted, grasping Cara by the shoulder before stepping past her. He bowed his head low towards the brunette. "Thank you. This information will surely help."

"No…" Attila shook her head, though her back was kept to them. "I should be the one thanking all of you." She brought an arm up to wipe her face. "I… I almost lost all hope… I thought living was struggle enough… I didn't want to fight those Hackers again…" She made a sniffling sound that Soul and Floyd respectfully ignored. After being so strong for so long, she was allowed this moment to cry. "But… but you helped us get supplies. That's one impossible problem solved."

Attila wiped her face with her sleeve again and turned to fix the four Silver Intent members with her most sincere smile. Her eyes were tearing up, but that only seemed to embolden the gratitude shining through.

"From the bottom of my heart, thank—"

In that precise moment, Floyd expected only one word to follow. It was such a standard phrase, 'thank you' that his brain had already processed the second word before it was even uttered. He had already gleaned the meaning of Attila's words from her posture, her heartfelt emotion, her tears, and everything he had ever learned about her over the night.

He was expecting the sentence to finish with 'you'.

He was expecting a few more parting words to be exchanged before the brunette girl waved goodbye and returned to her skyscraper to tell her people the good news and celebrate their good fortune.

However, he was not expecting the opposite.

He was not expecting the worst.

He was not expecting a massive explosion to erupt from Attila's skyscraper.

Attila's eyes dilated in gripping terror before she whirled around to face the sight before her. Smoke and debris drifted down from the blast, leaving a fiery crater at its origin. The building already had holes riddled into it, but this new crater, spanning two floors, put them all to shame.

And it was right where Attila's community laid.

The Silver Intent members were left in shock after witnessing such a violent explosion, but for Attila, whose home was up there, it was even worse.

"K-kate…?" The brunette muttered as she took a shaky step towards her home.

As if a fuse had gone off at her words, another set of explosions assaulted the skyscraper. They tore down the sides, ripping it apart and leaving a trail of devastation behind. Torn iron. Shattered glass. Crushed stone. Wood and vines catching to the tendrils of fire spreading forth. The explosions didn't stop.

"KATE!" Attila screamed, abandoning all concern for her own safety as she bolted towards the burning and exploding skyscraper. The sheer terror in her tone was enough to make Floyd feel sick.

The Silver Intent members didn't say a thing. They didn't have to. Even though they didn't owe Attila's community anything, they were already rushing to help; Floyd and Soul at the front.

It was bad.

Reaching the base of the burning skyscraper, the group didn't just find bits of stone and wood. They found wooden bowls. Swords. _Leather armor_. All things a Crafter of Attila's community would carry. And by the way the gear was arranged, it looked as if they had fallen to their deaths.

"N-no… no…" Attila whimpered as she fell to her knees in a pile of her people's gear. Her eyes were staring up at the skyscraper as more and more explosions engulfed it. Floyd desperately wished she couldn't make out the faint screams emanating from above.

Beside him, Soul gnashed his teeth. His eyes were also locked on the exploding building above, furious at whoever had committed such horror.

Someone had to have rigged so much TNT into the building but who could have done it. Griefers? No, they hadn't been able to make it up there. It had to have been someone else. The smugglers maybe? But what would be the point. So then who else was there?

That question was answered as a black-capped Crafter emerged from behind a lamppost and stalked towards the kneeling Attila. Floyd's eyes widened as he recognized the Crafter as a cultist.

"Attila! Watch out!"

But the warning went ignored. Tears dripped down Attila's face as she could only watch the carnage of her people. The people she cared about more than her own life. The people that _were_ her life. She looked to be broken.

"Prepare to be freed, my friend." The cultist spoke serenely as he withdrew a sword and aimed it at the brunette. "To another life."

Before Floyd could ready his weapon, Soul surged past and buried his axe deep into the cultist's chest. With a pained cry, the cultist fell back, only for two more black-capped cultists to emerge. One of which had his arms laden with Crafter Heads.

"Fool!" One of the cultists spat. "How dare you interfere with our work! You are only delaying your own salvation."

"You did this, didn't you?" Soul's voice shook with anger, his crimson eyes glaring with a burning fury. "Of course you did. That's all you people ever care about. Killing!"

Behind him, Attila was hunched over, clawing at the ground as she sobbed. "No! No, no! No! Why!? Why now!?"

Her anguished cries only fueled Soul's anger as he practically choked down a Potion of Strength and charged the trio of cultists.

The cultists were quick to disperse, scattering from the axe-wielder's devastating first strike. Soul was belligerent, however, chasing after the cultist preoccupied with carrying Heads. A horizontal slash leveled towards his torso forced him to stumble back to dodge. Soul continued to spin with his strike, coming back around to deliver another horizontal slash, this time to the neck.

The other two cultists wouldn't allow it. Their swords struck at Soul's legs, causing him to lose balance and half stumble, half-spin into the ground.

"Time to join your fellow Crafters…" The serene cultist stated as he withdrew a maroon splash Potion of Harming and aimed it at Soul.

"Not again!"

A light blue blur dashed past the serene cultist, electric blue particles of a Potion of Swiftness emanating off of him. Floyd's sword slashed across the cultist's arm, forcing him to drop the potion on his own feet.

"Ngh! Why can't you Crafters understand… Oof!" The serene cultists got the wind knocked out of him, courtesy of Soul's fist.

"We understand perfectly!" Soul roared as he socked the cultist across the face. "We're the ones protecting the world from YOU!"

The cultist carrying Heads was about to aid his companion, but Void had stopped him first. The drunkard had stabbed the cultist in the back before kicking him off his sword. A few Heads tumbled out of his grip and clattered across the ground. Attila's eyes seemed to stray to one of them.

"You protect the world?" The serene Crafter mocked while backpedaling away from the rampaging Soul. "Don't make me laugh! The people in that community… they lived in poverty! They clung desperately to a life beyond saving. Keeping them alive was just cruel—"

"NO, IT WASN'T!" Soul snarled, his face twisting with righteous ferocity. "THEIR LIVES MEANT SOMETHING TO _HER_!"

The axe-wielder pitched his axe like a tomahawk, surprising the cultist and forcing him to deflect with the side of his sword. The next instant, Soul followed up with a reckless tackle that left the two rolling about on the ground.

The cultist that was previously carrying Heads was forced back by a combination of Void's sword skills and Cara's arrows. "Ughhh… these aren't just some wimpy Griefers… I _knew_ she should have stayed for this!"

Floyd sidestepped a vertical strike using his potion-enhanced speed and nailed the cultist under his arm. However, his sword glanced off the cultist's iron chestplate and allowed a counter-attack that destroyed the blue-nette's helmet.

The strike to the head disoriented Floyd, causing his vision to blur slightly before an elbow came crashing into his sword, knocking it out of his grip.

The dizzy Silver Intent member had his hands frantically scrabble against his belt, searching for a suitable weapon. But the first thing he brought up was the Zombie Mob Head. The confusion it caused bought the blue-nette two seconds before the cultist kicked the Head away and slashed at the defenseless Crafter.

The strike hit Floyd's head again, shaving off a good portion of Health and sending him to the ground. His vision was already swimming and everything sounded distant.

"Rest easy, my young friend." A cold voice stated from nearby. It had to have been the cultist, raising his sword to finish the blue-nette once and for all.

" _Giving up again, I see._ " A familiar, yet distorted voice rang out.

Floyd's eyes widened as he perceived that same white-haired apparition that haunted his dreams. Silent was standing there, leaning against the cultist that was about to end Floyd's life.

 _You… what are you?_ Floyd's hazy mind tried to process the apparition of his dead friend. _Why are you here?"_

The apparition shook his head dismissively. " _Didn't I tell you to stop holding yourself back?_ " He tilted his head curiously, causing his glasses to turn opaque again. Like a pair of glowing eye-sockets. " _Or will you allow for more of your friends to die because of your own cowardice?_ "

 _…_ _No._ Floyd refused as he propped himself up off the ground and stared the cultist dead in the face. _I'm not letting anyone of my friends die again!_

"W-what the—" The cultist paused in his strike, his sword falling a little at the sight of the blue-nette. "Y-your eyes…" The cultist's voice was barely a whisper and he looked to be terrified of Floyd.

Floyd narrowed his eyes as he stood up, trying to perceive the cultist through his blurry vision… though he could have sword there was some smoke or something obscuring his vision.

Taking a glance at his arm to check his Health, Floyd had to do a double take when he saw the same black smoke he had witnessed only last night. The same black smoke that had enveloped that Hacker.

It was swirling around both arms this time… and his eyes too he soon realized.

"H-Hacker…" The cultist whimpered before an arrow pierced his face, killing him. His gear spilled across the ground, coming to rest at Floyd's feet.

The death was so sudden that the blue-nette was taken aback. The smoke that had begun to swirl around him quickly extinguished itself, leaving him more tired than he should have felt. Both arms hung to the side like lead weights, and his head drooped a little.

"Floyd!" Cara called out, bow still drawn. "You okay!?"

Floyd didn't respond, too preoccupied with his own situation. _That… wasn't nothing._ He thought to himself. He tried to lift his arms to examine them, but found they ached. He thought back to what Attila had warned him about his eyes. _Am I really…?_

"It meant something to her!"

Floyd whirled on the spot to watch Soul grapple the cultist so that he was on top. The axe-wielder took a sword to the chest as he brutally smashed the cultist's face in with a chunk of cobblestone. Even when the cultist was stunned, Soul kept smashing his face. He then abandoned the cobblestone in favor of his potion-strengthened fists.

" _They_ meant something to her!" He shouted as his fists pounded into the cultist, killing him on the fourth punch. But still he kept punching. "She didn't deserve this! She didn't do anything to you! SO WHY!?"

The remaining cultist watching the brutal beat down, paled at the sight of it. "Oh, fuck no. I'm getting _her_ for this." He then chucked a slowness potion at Void, collected what little Heads he could, and bolted down one of the alleys.

"HEY!" Soul screamed after realizing the cultist he was punching was no longer alive. "You don't deserve to live after what you did!" Soul followed the cultist, his rage deafening him to Cara's cry of protest and blinding him to the dangers of the situation. He rounded the corner of the alley and disappeared.

"Damnit, Soul!" Cara cursed, clenching her fists in irritation. "I understand his anger… but we're digging ourselves in deeper."

"We better go after him." Void reasoned. "He'll be in trouble if there's more." The drunkard sighed as he glanced at Attila. "Guess bad things happened here after all…"

Floyd turned to look at the brunette girl who had been so wracked with grief that she couldn't fight.

She had crawled over to the place where the cultist had dropped several Heads. One of them, Floyd realized with a struggle for breath, was Kate's. The same thief who had stolen the banner from him before convincing Attila to give the Silver Intent a chance.

Attila gingerly picked up the Head, tears streaming down her face, and she hugged it close to her chest. She cradled it against herself and curled up against the ground. She wasn't sobbing or wailing anymore. She was just crying silently to herself as she clutched the empty husk of her beloved friend.

Before, her grayish-green eyes had always burned with a fierce determination, rivaling that of Soul's. Sometimes it would be a flickering flame, tinged with fear and doubt. Other times it would be a roaring inferno that commanded respect.

But now, that flame looked to be extinguished. The look in her eyes… it was the look of someone who had lost everything. Those eyes were dead.

"Attila…" Floyd walked up to her, wondering what he could possibly say to her. Wondering if he should even say anything at all. If his words would even mean anything to a girl filled with the deepest despair. "I… I can't even imagine what you must be feeling… But… but you can't stay here. The Griefers will hear the explosions. They'll come running!" He reached out a hand to grab her shoulder. "You have to hide or—"

There was a flash of iron as Attila drew her sword and slashed at the blue-nette's arm. Floyd quickly retracted it and backed away, his eyes watching her carefully.

"Just… go…" Attila spoke, her voice fragile and empty. She returned to her curled up position, clutching Kate's Head tightly. "I… I give up…"

Floyd lowered his arm, realizing there was nothing he could do for her. She was broken.

"Floyd." Cara spoke, her voice grim. "Soul's in trouble if we don't catch up to him first. There's… nothing we can do here…" Cara grimaced, watching the brunette girl grieving. "I'm sorry."

Attila didn't respond. Cara didn't wait for her to.

But Floyd was still reluctant. "We can't just leave her here. Those Griefers will tear her apart."

"Maybe that's what she wants."

"Well it's not what _I_ want." Floyd said. He reached into Cara's belt, much to her protest, and withdrew one of her splash Potions of Invisibility. He walked back to Attila, close enough to hit her with the potion without getting hit in return. "Please, keep silent. Don't throw your life away, Attila."

And with that, the blue-nette tossed the potion, cloaking Attila and obscuring her from their view. The only thing they could see was Kate's Head poking out from seemingly nowhere when it was really between her arms. He hoped the Griefers wouldn't notice something so small.

"Be safe." Floyd whispered as he sped off after Soul. His Swiftness potion still in effect, he easily outpaced Cara and Void. And as he led them further towards where Soul had gone and away from the Griefers converging upon the burning and demolished husk of a skyscraper, where so many good Crafters had been slaughtered…

He couldn't help but fear the same happening to Soul.

* * *

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Banner {Endward Cult}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 17]

* * *

 **AN: My Craft is an Adventure/Humor story. Just thought I'd make that clear if this Chapter said otherwise.**

 **Writing Attila's scene was a little heart-breaking for me. I don't know if anyone would feel invested enough in what she's had to endure for the sake of her community. The impact would probably have been bigger if I spent more time describing her skyscraper community to you, the reader. But I didn't really have the time.**

 **More of Nitebane's history is told, and the involvment of the Endward Cult and the mysterious three-headed creature that I'm _hoping_ I don't have to spell out what it is to you people who play Minecraft. Or spend all of twenty seconds google-ing Minecraft creatures.**

 **I'll see you all next week. Laterz.**


	69. High-Moon Tombs

**AN: I don't know who sent the review (actually, I'm pretty damn sure since it's something _they_ would do) but yeah, this is Chapter 69. Just the fact that someone sent that made me laugh.**

 **I completely forgot to mention that I passed 500,000 words. Yay!**

 **Oh, also, I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

 **This Chapter is jam-packed with action! Enjoy!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd fix the weird sign-in problems.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 69

 **High-Moon Tombs**

Soul took sharp breaths that left him in angry hisses as he sprinted to keep up with the soon-to-be-dead cultist.

He couldn't even begin to describe his wrath after witnessing what those bastards did to Attila and her community. All of those people—and everything that girl had to endure—it meant nothing to those cultists. And he couldn't stand that. But that wasn't all that was fueling his anger.

The very sight of those black leather caps brought his blood to a boil. They were the same caps that all cultists wore. Just like the cultists that took Silent away forever.

He had already vowed to destroy the Endward Cult, but seeing those caps had been a different story. It was the first time he had seen one since the incident, and just the sight of it had triggered him into an unrelenting fury. The grip he had on his axe was unnaturally tight and his muscles were eager to rip those assholes a new asshole. He had forgotten about his own comrades and ignored the possibility of danger. All he focused on was the deaths of every cultist he came across.

None of them would be left alive.

As Soul followed the cultist through the desolate streets of Nitebane, he noticed that the buildings were beginning to thin out. Instead of the densely packed skyscrapers, the streets were lines with smaller building and houses. They were just as dilapidated as the skyscrapers, but it looked more like a suburb than the urban jungle he was used to. Remembering the map Cara showed, Soul guessed the cultist was running towards the outskirts of Nitebane.

The cultist he was chasing glanced behind him, looking panicked, before darting between some ruined houses. Soul pursued, following the tail of his shirt as it slipped around corners, over fences, and through crumbling holes.

The one advantage Soul had on the cultist was that the guy didn't seem to know where he was running to. Soul didn't know where he was either, but he was only following. The cultist, on the other hand, would turn one way, pause, and then backtrack as if he had met a dead end, costing him precious time that Soul used to close the distance.

It got to the point where Soul was only a few meters away, his axe was raised and ready, aimed right at the center of the bastard's back.

The cultist took that moment to steal a glance and yelp at how close his pursuer was. His eyes locked onto the axe, even as his hands dove to his belt.

So preoccupied with Soul, the cultist didn't even notice the broken fence until it had clothes-lined him in the face, sending him sprawled onto his back. The action saved him, since Soul's axe chopped into the fence where his back had been just a moment ago.

"Augh!" The cultist clutched his nose as he whipped out a splash potion. Soul was too slow to dodge, taking the unknown potion to the face. However, he was more than content to drive his axe into the defenseless cultist's arm.

The axe-wielder raised his weapon to attack again, only for his movements to slow substantially. A Splash Potion of Slowness.

The cultist pressed his advantage, slashing Soul across the chest and shoving him away before scurrying past the broken fence and out of sight.

"Get back here, coward!" Soul roared as he tried to give chase. Unfortunately, the potion's effects were too debilitating. For every step he took, the cultist could take ten. It frustrated him, but he knew he had to wait for the potion to subside.

That didn't stop him from inching over to the fence to try and locate the bastard. It was easy enough. Past the fence the landscape turned rocky, interspersed with bits of dirt and gravel. The wind was blowing much stronger, and the air smelled of salt, alerting him to the fact that the seaside cliffs were nearby. He really had reached the outskirts of Nitebane.

As rocky as the land was, it was generally flat and barren, lacking the stone juts to the west. So it wasn't hard to spot the moonlit silhouette rushing towards a lonely stone building a ways from the cliffs.

 _Got you now, asshole._

Soul leaned against the fence, sluggishly moving his arms against the effects of the slowness. He replenished his Hunger Meter and took stock of his last remaining Strength Potion and Splash Potion of Harming. He didn't think he'd need them for one measly cultist, but having them with him didn't hurt. He made sure everything combat-related was at his belt, ready to be drawn. When he had it all properly sorted, he watched the timer showing his slowness effect slowly tick by. Each second feeling like an eternity to his agitated state.

 _I'm gonna kill him._ He thought to himself. _I'm gonna kill him… and any cultists that are with him._

He was chomping at the bit, glaring hungrily at the lonely building by the cliffs. There was no doubt in his mind what he would do. They deserved it after all.

How many Crafters lived in that skyscraper community? How many had to die for the cult's stupid cause? He thought he wouldn't care about people that weren't his own, but getting to know Attila's struggle and how much the people cared for her and meant to her...

And to just wipe them all out.

It made him gnash his teeth so tightly he thought they would shatter. He was _furious_. And he'd never get over the broken look on that girl's face.

When Silent was slain and Floyd fled, he had felt alone, sure, but he had transformed it into anger. A burning fury that strengthened him and ensured his own survival.

But for Attila… she lost _everything_. Everything she strived to protect for nearly four-hundred years. Her community… she had killed for them. Sacrificed for them. Would have given anything for them. Would have fought Hackers for them…

All that struggle… and the result was their deaths…

Grief was too weak a word to describe what she must be going through.

And unlike him, she didn't have the energy to convert that grief into a stronger emotion. She couldn't make that weakness into strength.

In the race of her life, her legs had just… given out.

But Soul's legs were still strong. And he was going to avenge that community… and Silent… and every other Crafter hurt by those bastards. He'd avenge them all by making it his life mission to see the Endward Cult burn.

The last second of slowness ticked away; the signal for the axe-wielder to sprint towards the lonely stone building where the cultist had fled.

In his haste, however, he missed a small wooden sign that indicated the location ahead of him.

'High-Moon Tombs.'

* * *

[High-Moon Tombs]

"Sigh."

A young woman with long teal-blue hair, made a dramatic gesture of sighing, going so far as to say the actual action. Her long hair was done in a bouncy waste-length ponytail, held up by a simple pink band, with shoulder length bangs that framed her innocent-looking face. Her hair also had light blue highlights designed in a spiral that wound up her left bang before ending in a spiral along her forehead.

Usually her large eyes, shimmering with an upbeat excitement, were a vibrant blue with just a hint of mischief. However, tonight, having to spend her time in a creepy-ass cemetery for the Endward Cult, her eyes were subdued and dull. She lay upon one of the gravestones with a put-upon pout.

"Siiiiiigh." She whined louder, stretching out the vowel as she tossed and turned atop the gravestone before finally draping her arm over her eyes. The surrounding six cultists continued to ignore her, knowing that to make eye contact would be analogous to entertaining her childish whims.

The teal-haired woman peeked out from under her arm, only to puff out her cheeks upon seeing that she was indeed still being ignored.

*Inhale*

"SssssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggggggghhhhaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH—!"

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant Teal?" One of the cultists relented, his eye twitching as the woman stopped her thrashing and noise as soon as someone paid attention to her.

"Oh," she muttered somberly, her eyes watering slightly, "it's nothing, I suppose…"

"Good to hear." The cultist took the opportunity to break off the conversation, turning away immediately.

Teal shot up, her eyes no longer watering. "Wait! I was joking! It's not nothing. I'm bored. So so bored. So bored you could surf me. Play with me."

"Lieutenant," the cultist shifted uncomfortably. "I know this mission isn't as pulse-pounding as I'm certain you're used to… but don't you think our skills would be better suited for combat rather than…" He let loose a groan. "…rock-paper-scissors?"

The young woman took a moment to ponder that, her tongue sticking out cutely between her lips. "Hmmm… nope. Now come on, best two out of three."

"Lieutenant Teal—"

"Pleeeeeease—wait a second…" She held up her hands as if just realizing something. "I'm the Lieutenant here, and you're just my humble cultist, right?"

"…Y-yeah…"

Teal wore a smug look as she placed one hand on her hip and pointed at the cultist dramatically. "Then I order you, with all the authority my fabulous blue hair commands, to entertain me with a game of rock-paper-scissors. Or Eye-Spy. Or whatever else you can think of, I'm not picky, so long as it passes the time."

The cultist let loose a weary groan. "Yes, Lieutenant Teal."

"Yay!" Teal clapped giddily as she skipped over and readied her right hand. The cultist stood opposite her, mirroring her moves. The other cultists thanked their stars that another poor sucker had been chosen instead of them. Entertaining the Lieutenant could be exhausting. Rumors said that only Lieutenant MarkAble could manage for a full day without tiring.

"Rock… Paper… Scissors… _Shoot_!"

Both the Lieutenant and the cultist pulled out rock, prompting them to go again.

"Rock… Paper… Scissors… _Shoot_!"

This time, the Lieutenant went for paper, defeating the cultist's formidable rock.

"You know," she smirked as she readied her fist again, "you'd think this game would get renamed, what with there being no scissors in Minecraftia."

"It is one of those intrinsic games ingrained in every Crafter's mind." The cultist replied, throwing out scissors to defeat the Lieutenant's paper.

"Yeah, but, like, we should call it… I don't know… cobble-paper-shears?"

"…Cobble-paper-shears, ma'am?"

"Yeah, you're right. It would never catch on." She dismissed before throwing out her final move. Her eyes lit up in triumph. "Ha! Scissors cuts paper! Victory backflip!" At those words, the boisterous woman performed a perfect backflip, with an added twirl for flare.

The cultist laughed in relief. "Well, you've proven to be the better gamer. I concede to y—"

He was cut off as Teal appeared, her vibrant blue eyes inches from the cultist's face. "Don't give up! Come on, double or nothing."

"Oh no no no." The cultist shook his head frantically. "I… um…" His eyes strayed to his fellow brethren. "I heard that Payal over there absolutely adores playing Eye Spy with you… he's just a tad shy."

"Don't push her off on me—I mean, uh…" Payal stuttered as he backed away from an eager Teal.

"Aww! There's no need to be shy around me." Teal smiled innocently. "I'm an open kind of gal and an expert in Eye Spy." The woman was already glancing around the cemetery, searching for a suitable object.

"Lieutenant Teal," a cultist raised his hand tentatively. "Need I remind you we're on a mission. There's no time for games—mmph!"

Teal had crossed the distance in an instant, clamping her hand over the cultist's mouth with vice-like tightness. "There's _always_ time for games." She threatened lowly. Her blue eyes were no longer sparkling with glee. They were as serious as sapphires. "Now nod your head to show you understand."

His pupils dilated in fear, the cultist quickly nodded to divert the Lieutenant's anger.

"Good!" Teal chirped happily as her face regained its child-like innocence and she removed her hand. "Oooh oooh oooh! I know! How about I play with my newest toy~?"

At those words, she turned to the only other Crafter not wearing an Endward Cult black-leather cap: The smuggler, Larril.

"For the last time, I'm not your FUCKING TOY!" The smuggler shouted. He thrashed around as angrily as a man with two broken legs could manage.

"The action phrases on this doll are pretty annoying." Teal mocked as she sauntered over to him. "Do I need to re-break those pesky legs of yours~?"

The smuggler was visibly cowed as he kept his head low, avoiding direct contact with the she-devil. "N-no… ma'am."

Teal smiled and patted his head. "Good boy. Play your cards right and you might live to see a few more sunrises."

"B-but that wasn't the deal we made." He argued.

"Oh~?"

"I… I-I gave you the location of that community. I gave you all those Crafters to kill! The deal was to let me go afterward—"

"I don't recall making a pinky promise on that." Teal mock pondered as she tilted her head. "And for the record, I _saw_ those people. Too stringy and weak." She dismissed with a wave. "I wouldn't have any fun hunting Crafters like them, and in the middle of a mission, where would I find the time to bring them with me? It was a _major_ let-down." She grinned mischievously as she knelt down and pinched the smuggler by his cheek. "You're different though. You and your smugglers were a barrel of fun and I'm sure _you_ won't disappoint for my next Survival Game."

Larril felt his blood drain at those words while also flushing in embarrassment over how Teal was pinching his cheeks as if her were a baby.

"Ga-gu-bu-gi-gu-ba-ga."

The baby talk didn't help.

"S-so you're not going to kill me now?" Larril asked, terrified for his safety.

"Mmmm… Nope!" Teal released him, standing up straight. "Can't speak for later, though."

"Th-then why take me to a cemetery?"

Teal blinked at that, taking a moment to make the connection. "Ooooh… Yeah, I can see why you'd think that." She turned and hopped up onto another gravestone. "See, we're here because of something super duper important discussed at one of our cult's Gatherings." She held her arms out and walked along the gravestones like they were a balance beam. "Some centuries-old book with instructions from our founder or something… I don't know, Abyssmal wasn't very specific."

"Maybe," a cultist spoke aloud, "if you actually _went_ to the Gathering instead of goofing off—"

"Hindsight!" She swung her arm as if to make the hindsight go away. The movement caused her to lose her balance and teeter on the edge of the gravestones. Before she could fall, she pushed herself off and bounced off another set of gravestones before righting herself on the original set. A few cultists clapped in praise, causing Teal to take a dramatic bow.

"Anywho, the book mentioned a certain location here at the High-Moon Tombs. And because I missed the stupid Gathering, I was voted to visit this gloomy-ass cemetery in this gloomy-ass Kingdom to scout it out. Pretty gloomy, right?"

She didn't wait for Larril's answer as she looked up at the moonlit sky. "Is it almost midnight yet?"

"Yes, ma'am." One of the cultists was watching a clock intently. "Nearly there, ma'am. Nearly there."

"Ugggghhhh, but 'nearly there' is like twenty years." She groaned into her hands as she flopped onto the gravestones once more. "If something interesting doesn't happen soon, I'm gonna set off enough fireworks to alert every Griefer in Nitebane."

"Please don't."

"Imma do it."

"Don't you do it!"

"Too late, I'm doing it!"

"Teal!"

It wasn't one of the nearest cultists who shouted that, even as the Lieutenant already lit fireworks that left a purple trail of sparkles soaring through the air, followed by a loud, colorful burst.

"Lieutenant Teal!" It was one of the cultists she had sent to explode and burn down that community of Crafters. Emphasis on _one_ of them.

"Zach?" Teal raised an eyebrow at the lone cultist and his injured and sweaty appearance. "Did you have wild crazy sex again?"

"Wha—? No! No… not this time—NO! Off-topic!" He shook his head to clear it. "We killed all the Crafters in that community, just like you told us, but then some other Crafters showed up!"

"Griefers?" Teal questioned with an eye-roll. They should have been able to handle those tenderfoots.

"No, that's the thing." Zach continued. "They weren't Griefers. They were too strong for that."

Teal's ears perked at that. "Strong you say?"

Zach nodded. "They must have been the stronger warriors of that community or something."

"Stronger warriors?" Her interest was sparking. "How strong?"

"They killed Connor and Reyn. And there were… four or five of them, I think."

If Teal felt any sadness towards the loss of two of her cultists, she didn't show it. If anything, she looked eager to hear of potential Crafters for her Survival Games. The stronger ones were always the most fun for her to toy with.

"One of them followed me, but I managed to lose him before I got here." Teal's eager thoughts came to a screeching halt. "He was pretty mad too. Nearly killed me with his axe. If he's smart, he'll run back to his comrades and forget about—"

Teal set off several more of her loudest and brightest fireworks. They shot up into the sky, illuminating it brightly for any Griefer or incensed Crafter to see for miles.

"Lieutenant! What are you doing!? Someone's gonna see!"

"Yoohoo! Angry axe-guy!" Teal shouted loudly in a sing-song tone. "Wherever you are, I'm awfully sorry that I ordered your community be blasted and burned to the ground! Hope you're not too upset over all your dead friends and stuff! If you want to talk about how bad you feel, I'd be willing to listen… in the Moon-High Tombs—you know that cemetery with the lonely stone building by the cliffs—yeah, I'm standing smack dab in the middle! Mocking you looooudly!"

She paused in her shouting, twisting her head this way and that, wondering if the mysterious axe-guy heard her taunt.

She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted again. "Hope you're not being a chicken~! Chicken chicken chicken!" She giggled in amusement. "I bet you and the rest of your community were chickens too! And they got toasted to a nice golden brown, yeah?" She hoped that if the Crafter was as angry as her cultist said he was, she could get a rise out of him. "Mmhmhm, tasty cooked chicken is the best! Well, since you can practically call me the winner over that community, I can gladly say, winner winner, chicken din—!"

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and quickly leapt back to avoid the axe swing aimed at her head. She smiled gleefully at the axe and the forwardness of this new toy. This would be fun.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" The Crafter had brown hair with the name Lost_Soul hovering over his head. A little unoriginal, but not everyone had as amazing a name as hers.

"Why don't you come over her and shut it for me~?" Teal taunted, taking up a loose fighting stance.

The other cultists armed themselves and moved to surround the axe-wielder. His cold crimson eyes swiveled to keep track of them all. Seems like jumping right in was an impulse on his part.

That was fine by Teal.

"Don't touch him." She called out, causing the cultists to pause and back away. "I shouldn't have much trouble one-on-one."

"Took the words right out of my MOUTH!" The axe-wielder charged, particles of a Strength Potion shimmering off of him.

Teal smirked as she carefully watched the approaching axe blade. She could see the sheer brute strength rippling off the Crafter in waves. She could also feel his intensity. His anger.

 _Child's play…_

As the axe came crashing down, the Lieutenant ducked and rolled beneath Soul's arm. She felt the force of the axe impact the ground behind her, before she twisted her body and stood at full height behind him. The action lasted about two seconds.

Teal giggled to herself as she took the opportunity to playfully poke the axe-wielder in the back of the head. He recoiled at the touch as if he were burned before flipping his axe into a backhanded grip and swinging at the woman's mischievous grin.

A quick crouch had the attack sail over her head, but Soul had his other fist reared back for a follow-up punch. He aimed for her lower jaw, intending to stun her.

Teal's hand shot up instead, catching the fist and clamping down upon it. Soul's eyes widened in surprise at how she could block an attack strengthened by a potion.

Teal's eyes sparkled with amusement at his dumbfounded expression. "Oh, dear. I hope you're not going easy on little old me."

Soul gnashed his teeth together before flipping his axe back into its original position and swinging it towards the Lieutenant.

Teal leaned her head back just enough to leave a fraction of space between the axe swing and her nose. After it passed, her other hand clamped down on the axe-wielder's arm, immobilizing both of his limbs.

"What now~?" She sing-songed, leaning forward to grin cheekily into Soul's face.

His face twisted in fury as he desperately tried to pull himself free or overpower the woman. The problem was, she wasn't giving him any leverage. His arm and fist were clasped so tightly that he couldn't get free.

"Let… go!" He snarled as he aimed a knee towards the woman's side. Teal quirked an eyebrow, effortlessly raising her own knee to block the attack. Soul lowered his leg to try again, only for Teal to press her foot against his, pinning it to the ground.

"Well, you got one leg left." Teal suggested with that same irritating grin. "You gonna try for another kick?"

"Damn right I—!" Soul paused when he tried to lift his leg, only to look down and find that Teal had already pinning it with her other foot.

"Hmhmhm." Teal giggled. "You're such a hothead. I love it."

"How… What kind of potion are you using!?" Soul struggled, unable to get free of the blue-haired woman.

"I'm not using anything. Just my own unbeatable charisma~!" She smiled watching Soul try and pull away with all his strength before she released him. It was so sudden that the axe-wielder stumbled back, his arms waving desperately to regain his balance, before his head cracked against a tombstone. "Oops."

Soul clutched his head painfully as he pushed himself up. So furious was he over the teasing that steam was practically pouring from his ears. "You… you're that Lieutenant, aren't you? Teal_Larkspur!"

"Oh, so you've heard of me? I'm flattered." She fidgeted as if to play coy. "They've all been good things, right?"

"Just that you're a psychopath that toys with your victims."

Teal's smile morphed into a discontented frown before she regained her cheerful smile. "Well… that's half-true I guess. I don't consider myself a psychopath."

"Most psychopaths don't."

"But I _do_ love playing games with Crafters." Teal continued, ignoring Soul's latest remark. "Especially with Crafters who think they're hot shit. I just _adore_ the way they try and fight while I effortlessly embarrass and outclass them. It's the best~!"

"Then why did you kill that community!?" Soul fired back, charging the Lieutenant with his axe. "Why hurt people who couldn't fight!?"

Teal shrugged indifferently, giving off a cocky smirk to enrage Soul even more. "Why not?"

"GRAH! YAH! GAH!" Again and again, Soul's axe swung. Teal dodged each one by a fraction on purpose, giving the axe-wielder the idea that he could _almost_ hit her when really he would never come close. She was already playing with him. A game of tag in which he was always It.

"Aww, did I touch a nerve?" Teal taunted, weaving between his attacks effortlessly. Even as the axe-wielder tried to shut her up, her sing-song voice kept assaulting his ears. "Were they your friends that I had killed? It wasn't anything personal. Hell, I didn't know any of them. But I knew enough to see they were no fun, and therefore no use to me. Who likes to play with broken toys, right?"

"SHUT UP!" Soul feinted with an axe swing before charging the Lieutenant in a full-body tackle.

He may as well have been blowing bubbles for all the damage it did.

Teal met his charge before feinting herself, sidestepping around the axe-wielder and taking his unguarded back. Her arms slid beneath his shoulders, and behind his head in a full nelson. Soul let out a yelp of surprise before he tried to struggle free. It was useless.

Teal's taunting smile pressed close to Soul's ear as she continued to goad him. "Well, Lost_Soul? You're in quite the pickle." He growled and thrashed, but Teal held firm. "All your fallen friends are counting on you to avenge them and slay the dastardly psychopath that I am. And yet here you are, helpless to do anything."

"NGHHH!" She delighted in the frustration he exuded. It was times like these that made her truly feel alive.

"I'm standing _right behind you_ ," her voice continued to taunt, "and yet you can't even land a punch. If you were that community's best fighter, it's no wonder they all died."

His breathing was coming out in sharp, labored breaths as his hatred for her grew. "You have no idea what those people meant…" He growled lowly as he strained his muscles to break free. Teal's hold remained firm. "You and your cultists haven't the faintest clue… about what a life means!"

"Oh?"

"Our lives are more than just to be your playthings!" Soul argued as he tried to turn his head to face her. "And that's why I'll kill you and every other cultist in—"

*CRACK*

With a sharp twist, Teal snapped his neck, causing the axe-wielder to go limp. He wasn't dead—the damage would be fixed when his Health ticked back up. But he wouldn't be able to move anything for a bit.

Teal released him, letting him fall face-first into the ground, paralyzed. Soul's eyes were wide in shock, losing all of their former fury. "W-what…?"

Teal crouched low beside him, tilting his head to look at her. "Sorry, I cut you off there. You were saying?" She smiled mockingly at him. "Something about killing me, right?"

Soul didn't look to be listening. His eyes were darting frantically as he tried to move his body. He was only met with increasingly troubling failure. "W-what… what did you…?"

Teal giggled, ruffling his hair. "Hmhmhm. Now where's all that bravado you had just a second ago? Did it break along with your neck~?"

Teal continued to taunt him, but Soul was too lost in his own thoughts to listen. For most of his existence as a Crafter, he had trained to be strong. He valued Strength Potions as the ultimate brew, he was cold and ruthless to any enemy he saw, and he dispatched them quickly and efficiently.

But tonight, he had been rendered helpless a total of three times by this one woman. He had infused himself with a Potion of Strength, and yet had been unable to land a single blow on her. Even now, she continued to taunt and toy with him, as if she never even considered him a threat.

It was just as Attila had warned him.

' _Teal is by no means a small fry. Underestimating her in battle is a_ bad _idea._ '

He had shrugged it off at the time, classifying Teal as just another small-fry.

But now he understood the scope of her abilities.

Now he fully understood the scope of the Endward Cult's abilities. If someone as strong as her was someone else's underling, that meant that the Executives were a lot stronger. Maybe even leagues stronger.

He had grossly underestimated her.

"Looks like you get it now." Teal let go of Soul, noticing how the fury in his eyes died out. She let out a disappointed sigh. "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. But who knows," she smirked down at him, "maybe you'll rekindle that entertaining anger for the Survival Games. I can't wait~!"

With a snap of her fingers, Soul was collected by the cultists and roughly tossed to the side along with the smuggler, Larril. The axe-wielder's eyes were glazed over in realization at how fucked he was, and there was a faint tremble of fear in his pupils.

He thought he had buried that emotion. But after witnessing what Teal could do…

For the first time… he was scared. And being paralyzed had nothing to do with it. Teal could kill him if she wanted to. The only reason she didn't was because she felt he was more entertaining alive than dead.

The other cultists clearly didn't share her sentiment, wanting to kill him on the spot. But orders were orders.

The cultist Soul had pursued, Zach, walked up to him and raised his boot. "Why don't you take a nice, long, rest."

Before the boot could crash into Soul's skull and render him unconscious, he had only one thought.

 _Please… Cara… Floyd…_

 _Don't come for me…_

* * *

[Nitebane Streets]

 _We're coming, Soul!_

Floyd thought to himself as he, Cara, and Void rushed towards the direction Floyd had been running towards. They hoped that Soul and the cultist would be running outside Nitebane rather than deeper into the Kingdom, but they had no way to be sure. Really, they were just guessing where he might have ended up.

"There's no sign of them anywhere." Cara cursed as the group found themselves at a crossroads in the suburban outskirts of the Kingdom. "Void, see if you can get a better view from one of those houses."

The drunkard nodded, jogging over to one of the many ruined houses that lined the street and making his way onto the roof. He held up his hands to his head like binoculars and peered across the suburban area. "All I see are houses… wait!" He pointed over towards the sea-side cliffs. "Someone's launching fireworks over there. Looks to be from the… Moon-High Tombs." Seeing Floyd and Cara's perplexed expressions, he quickly explained. "The tombs are the oldest cemetery in Nitebane. Perched precariously along the cliff side."

Cara rubbed her chin in thought. "Nobody in their right mind would launch fireworks here… they'd alert every violent Griefer in Nitebane."

"So… Soul, then?" Floyd offered, earning a slap to the back of the head.

"No, even Soul's not that…" She paused as if doubting her own words before frantically shaking her head. "No, no. He's going after that cultist. Even if he had fireworks, he'd be too busy hunting to trigger any." Cara's expression turned grim. "Griefers wouldn't launch them either. There'd be no point."

"Think it's the Endward Cult?" Floyd asked hesitantly to which Cara nodded.

"It might just be… that fleeing cultist _did_ say he needed backup and I can't imagine the three cultists we encountered were enough to destroy that community." It was more likely the cultists had attacked first, and then split up, with one group setting up TNT and fire to finish the job. "It's a long shot… but it's possible that the cult is purposefully luring Griefers to the outskirts of Nitebane to kill them."

"Well if they're luring in Griefers, I'd say it's working!" Void called down, pointing towards the urban part of the Kingdom. "I see a _lot_ of Griefers moving in! We better move or else they'll see us!"

"If the cultists are at those tombs, then Soul's _definitely_ there too." Floyd looked to his leader for a decision. "We have to get to him first."

"…I know." Cara bit her nail in frustration. "Damnit, Soul! Why did you have to—Void! Is there any cover at the tombs?"

"There's… um… a stone building? It was a church at one point, I think. We should be able to see the whole cemetery from the top of it."

"Then that's where we're going." Cara waved Void to come back down. "Every Griefer in Nitebane will be there in an hour, tops. We gotta get there first and hide… otherwise we'll be in for the fight of our lives."

Floyd nodded at the orders, hurrying along his leader's side as they followed Void's directions.

They passed some broken fences to a flat, stone expanse, which dropped off to some cliffs on their right-side. And then, dropping over the cliffs were some jagged rocks below and the vast ocean.

Attila had mentioned that Guardians swam in schools all along the Cliffside, and throughout the ocean. Like sharks, the things were capable of swarming Crafters and killing them. If ever a Crafter fell off and the jagged rocks didn't kill them… the Guardians most certainly would.

Perhaps that was the cultists' plan. Lure Griefers near the cliffs and then push them down. It would easily finish off the inexperienced and dim-witted Griefers.

But something told Floyd that that wasn't the case. For one, the High-Moon Tombs seemed an odd choice. Was it poetic to kill Crafters at a cemetery? The cultists wouldn't think like that.

Second, what would happen if they lured in someone stronger than a Griefer, such as a… Hacker.

Floyd stumbled on the word, thinking back to the smoke that enveloped his arms. He didn't think Cara saw that, but _he_ certainly did. Though it had fizzled out as quickly as it had come, Floyd had no idea what had caused it in the first place.

He shook his head in confusion. He didn't know what was happening or why it was happening. But it was becoming harder and harder to deny that… that he was somehow one of those Hacker people.

That scared him more than it should have. So far, his impression of Hackers was that they were ruthless killers who flaunted a power greater than the capabilities of most Crafters. He wondered if he would end up like that too… if what he was experiencing was really a Hacker power. Would he end up a ruthless killer as well? One who slaughtered innocent Crafters and led Griefers?

The idea repulsed him.

 _I can't think about that while Soul is in trouble._ He reasoned in his mind. _And more than anything… I should keep these theories to myself._ His eyes glanced to Cara and Void, and he remembered how Attila's eyes quivered in terror upon seeing the lines stretching over his eyes.

 _Nobody needs to know this._

When the group finally reached the cemetery, they stealthily entered the stone church. Just like everything else in Nitebane, it was in ruins. Most likely the damage was caused by Griefers rather than that monster from Attila's story. Though the church had held up better than the skyscrapers and houses, probably because there was nothing of value for the Griefers to take.

The three Silver Intent members found some stairs and quickly scurried up to the church's steeple. The windows were still intact and, true to Void's word, gave the three a view of the entire cemetery.

The High-Moon Tombs were built right up to the edge of the cliff. gravestones, crypts, and tombs were squeezed together to allow for the most use of the given space.

But then there was another structure. A tomb shaped differently than all the others. The front of it stuck out of the ground as a half-circle while the rest of it was half-buried. And sticking out of the tomb was an archway connecting a large stone circle over a clearing devoid of graves. The shining moonlight cast a circular shadow across the clearing.

"Oh, Notch, no…"

Cara muttered breathlessly as she saw a few moving shapes. Shapes that bore the distinctive black leather caps of a certain Endward Cult.

But that wasn't the only problem.

Soul was down there. Floyd could tell by the clothes and the hair. He was lying on his side, beside an unknown Crafter, and surrounded by cultists. He was definitely alive, but for how long, Floyd wasn't sure.

His heart seized in fear as he remembered what happened to Silent. It was enough to make him stand up, ready to jump in and get Soul out of there, but Cara pulled him back down.

"Not now." She hissed, pointing to something off to the side. "Look."

Floyd followed her gaze, pinpointing a band of Griefers rushing into the cemetery. Like Cara had mentioned, they were drawn to the fireworks. But Floyd failed to see how that would help.

"More Griefers will show up." She explained, desperately trying to maintain her composure. This was what being a leader came down to. She had to think on the fly to ensure they all survived. "They… they'll fight each other—the Griefers and the cultists—and then we can try and pull Soul out of there."

Void narrowed his eyes. "He looks unconscious from here. I thought he was pretty tough."

Floyd was about to argue how anyone could be defeated when outnumbered when his eyes caught sight of something else.

A flash of blue hair…

Blue hair…

' _But there_ was _a Lieutenant I worked with… she was in charge of the subdivision I was part of._ '

Attila's words drifted into Floyd's mind as looked down upon the blue hair below.

' _That Teal_Larkspur… she's as psychotic as they come…_ '

He gulped, his dread growing, as the blue-haired woman spotted the approaching Griefers and performed a little leap of joy.

' _She may look like an innocent, blue-haired woman, but she's got a vicious streak a mile-wide…_ '

"Blue… haired…"

"Floyd?" Cara questioned, noticing the blue-nette's paleness. "What's wrong?"

"We're screwed…"

"Huh? What do you—"

"If I'm right," he pointed to the blue-haired woman who began to engage the Griefers below, "then that woman is Teal_Larkspur, the Lieutenant Attila spoke about."

"…What?" Cara looked between Floyd and the woman beating up Griefers with her bare fists. She was fighting them all on her own, the cultists with her hanging back near Soul and the other unknown Crafter. "But… the chances of us hearing about her and then her showing up—"

"Forget the chances." Void muttered in shock. "Look at her! She's tearing those Griefers apart!"

The trio watched as the blue-haired woman flipped onto a gravestone before bouncing off a Griefer's head and delivering a devastating drop kick to a pair of Griefers. She was nearly a blur as she darted around her opponents, letting loose an airy giggle as if she were having a blast.

"She's not wearing a black cap like the other cultists." Floyd noted. "I… I really think she's her—Teal, I mean."

"That… is a bit of an issue…" Cara admitted lamely as she desperately tried to maintain her composure. "But… but even a Lieutenant couldn't handle all those Griefers alone. She'll tire eventually. After all, there's no way she could do that all night."

"I can literally do this all night!" Teal shouted giddily as if to contradict Cara's argument.

The Griefers charged her ten at a time, yet she dodged each and every strike just barely. At first, Floyd thought it was because she was lucky. But then he realized, by her cocky grin, that she was doing it on purpose.

 _It's just like Attila said._ Floyd thought. _She's a thrill seeker, toying with her opponent's._ _Playing games with them._

Teal delivered a sharp knee to a Griefer's jaw and grabbed the limp body to use as a shield for another Griefer's attack. Teal held her hands up in mock apology as the body died and fizzled out of existence. Floyd could practically hear the innocent 'Oops' the Lieutenant would offer over the action.

"…She's not tiring." Void pointed out.

"I know!" Cara hissed, biting her nail in an effort to think up a new plan. Rushing in was clearly a bad idea while that giddy Lieutenant was in the throngs of battle.

"How is she doing that anyway?" Floyd asked, watching the Lieutenant rush at two Griefers, only to feint and sidestep them at the last second, taking their backs and delivering a series of crippling punches.

"It's strafing." Void muttered as he took a sip from his bottle. The action was reminiscent of eating popcorn at the movies. "The technique she's using—at least one of them—is definitely strafing."

Floyd raised an eyebrow, only for Cara to step in with an explanation. "It's a combat tactic used by Crafters that value speed over strength." Her eyes were glued to the fighting below as more Griefers charged the giggling Teal. "You charge straight at an opponent, making them think you want a head-on-head contest of strength. Then, at the last second, you up your speed, feint, and move to the left or the right. If done correctly—as Teal is so aptly demonstrating at the moment—your opponent will have struck at nothing, and you'll be in a prime position to dish out damage."

Floyd watched carefully as Teal did just that. She charged an opponent, grinning cheekily, and just as they were swinging their sword, she feinted and sped up to the side, skidding behind them and lashing out with a kick that killed her opponent.

"And that's not all she's using." Void advised grimly. "Normally, using a sword would be better for dealing damage. But she's just using her fists, kicks, knees, elbows… her whole body is a weapon. That suggests she's a prodigy at hand-to-hand combat." His eyes narrowed as he watched her bend backwards to dodge a horizontal strike before pushing off the ground and performing a backflip that evaded a volley of arrows. "Not to mention, she's quite agile and… slippery."

"No wonder Soul was defeated." Cara cursed. "He's all about strength and not the most even-tempered of Crafters, even without Attila's community hanging over his head; A poor matchup against that Lieutenant."

"Can we stop with the play-by-play commentary!?" Floyd gestured below. "Attila said that Teal kidnaps Crafters and takes them to an abandoned island—"

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"—Where she then hunts them down for sport!"

"That sounds bad."

"Bad for Soul if we don't get him out of there and _fast_." He turned to Cara. "So, what's the plan?"

"I-I-I don't know!" Cara admitted, wracking her brain for an idea. "The cultists are on their guard and Teal is far beyond our skill. We'd end up like those Griefers if we tried anything."

"I'm getting kind of bored of this!" Teal shouted as she choked out two Griefers at once while snapping another's leg in two. "Time for my special cap!"

Floyd, Cara, and Void watched as Teal rummaged in her backpack before withdrawing something: A simple light blue leather cap.

"What's she doing now?" Cara wondered aloud as the Lieutenant deposited the cap on her forehead, the light blue matching her own hair color. "It's not even dyed black."

"You Griefers are in for a real treat!" Teal boasted as she posed with the cap atop her head. Her cultists, seeing the cap, quickly distanced themselves, carrying Soul and the unknown Crafter with them.

 _Why are they backing up?_ Floyd wondered as he watched the Lieutenant skip towards the Griefers. They, similarly, had no idea what difference a light blue leather cap would make. So they charged her all the same.

Soul watched them leap at her, their swords drawn, and as if in slow-motion they descended upon her to…

…

…Wait, he wasn't imagining that.

They _were_ actually moving in slow-motion.

They were slowly—painfully slowly—descending towards the smirking woman who continued to move at her regular pace. The Griefers' eyes widened in shock at their own sluggish, snail's pace. It was as if someone had hit them with a Potion of Slowness… even though Teal made no such move.

"…What's going on, Void?" Cara questioned nervously. "Did she throw a potion so fast I missed it or—"

"She didn't throw anything…" Void's eyes narrowed. "I-I don't know what's going on down there."

They watched as Teal strutted over to the Griefers still suspended in some weird slowness effect, and punched them both in the gut. They felt the pain, but were moving so slowly that even the force behind the Lieutenant's punches wasn't enough to speed them up. They were still slow.

"There's… there are particles…" Void narrowed his eyes further to get a better look. "Blue particles surrounding Teal… like a dome. A radius? I-I can't explain it."

Floyd saw them too. Blue particles that spanned a six-meter radius around the Lieutenant. The Griefers were within the radius, and therefore affected by whatever odd slowness effect Teal was using. But blue particles usually meant Swiftness or Night Vision. Not Slowness. And to make a potion force-field like that? Was that even possible?

He'd never seen anything like it. And apparently, neither had Cara or Void.

"What… what could she possibly be using?" Cara's eyes zeroed in on the light blue leather cap as Teal dispatched three more Griefers who had wandered into her field. "That cap… that must be what's doing this…"

"But there's no such enchantment that can imbue armor with potion effects!" Void exclaimed. "Such a thing is impossible!"

"I know…" Cara frowned as she watched the Lieutenant continue to slay Griefers. "It's… I don't even know… It's an unknown item."

After witnessing their fellow Griefers getting torn apart, slain, beaten up, and now slowed to the point where Teal could walk right up to them, take their weapon, and kill them with it, the Griefers had unanimously decided that the blue-haired vixen was a monster. They all backed away, intending to flee, but Teal wasn't quite done with them.

Seeing her prey try and flee, she sprinted after them, moving her slowness field along with her. Any Griefer captured inside of it would be mercilessly beaten and killed before she moved on to the next.

The Griefers panicked, splitting up and hiding amongst the gravestones while the blue-haired woman pursued. Again and again she killed, grinning like a madwoman and laughing loudly into the night air. The excitement was palpable in her voice as it carried up to the church's steeple and chilled the Silver Intent trio to the bone.

They were immensely glad to have hidden themselves so well. Any plan on going down to rescue Soul had been dashed by that blue-haired Lieutenant's display of violence.

She broke arms and legs. Skulls and sternums. Noses and backs. She was a hurricane of broken limbs and whimpering Griefers, frightening off any that had been lured by the fireworks.

Floyd couldn't believe he actually considered that they'd be _merciful_ and just push Griefers off the cliffs. Having Teal tear them apart was far worse.

"C'mon, you weenies!" Teal taunted with a mad gleam in her eyes. "I just started having fun! Don't be shy~!"

However, before her carnage could continue, one of the other cultists called out to her, waving a golden clock.

Teal instantly stopped her barrage, pouting as she let the remaining Griefers run away. She groaned as she pulled off the light blue cap, dispersing the slowness field surrounding her. "Time flies when you're having fun." She spoke aloud, walking back towards the tomb where the other Griefers were stationed.

 _Why'd she stop so suddenly?_ Floyd wondered. True the carnage had gone on long enough, but if Teal was the Lieutenant, she should be ordering herself rather than listening to the cultists under her. _What did he say to get her to stop? And why wave a clock around unless you'd be worried about the… time…_

"Cara…" Floyd whispered. "What time is it?"

Cara raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how the time has anything to do with—"

"What time is it?" Floyd pressed, ignoring Cara's interruption.

The purple-haired leader looked confused, but didn't argue further as she withdrew her own clock. "Midnight."

"On the dot?"

"Yeah? Why do you—?"

Suddenly, over by the half-circle tomb, something began to happen. The moon, perfectly above them in the sky, shone down upon the stone arches and tomb. The shadow created by the moonlight outlined a perfect circle over the clearing of graves. And then, as if in response, a door opened up along the side of the half-circle tomb.

 _The Moon-High Tombs._ Floyd realized to himself. _It's more than just a catchy name… when the moon is high, the tomb opens up…_

And he had the sneaking suspicion that that was exactly what the cultists were after.

"Oooh! Neat!" Teal chirped happily at the display as she and two other cultists stepped past the newly opened threshold into the mysterious tomb. As if they were waiting for it all along. However, Teal poked her head back to point at the remaining cultists. "Don't you boys get into any trouble while we're gone~!" She sing-songed. Floyd would have found the gesture childish, but after seeing how frightening Teal was in battle, he could understand why the cultists nodded along loyally.

It wouldn't be wise to get on that psycho's bad side.

Teal disappeared into the tomb, leaving five cultists behind to guard both the tomb and the two captive Crafters.

Cara's eyes sparked with an idea, and she stood to her full height, pulling Floyd and Void with her. "I don't know what she's intending to do in that tomb… but this is our best chance." Floyd nodded in agreement, readying his sword and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

They didn't know how long Teal would be in that tomb. But without her as an obstacle, the situation seemed much more manageable. Five cultists… just five. If they could kill them all quietly, they could grab Soul—and maybe the other captive—and run away before Teal even realized.

"We need to do this perfectly, Cara." Void advised. "If even one of them realizes or shouts to alert that Lieutenant… we're pretty much fucked."

Cara nodded, her eyes closed to show that she was thinking very carefully about how to go about it. Time was short after all.

"I've got one Splash Potion of Invisibility…" She recited to herself. "A few Night Visions… some Swiftness… Floyd has Water Breathing… and two Fire Resistances… And Soul has one Strength and one Splash Potion of Harming if he hasn't already used them…"

She kept silent for a few more seconds before finally, her eyes cracked open, looking determined. "Here's my idea…"

* * *

The five cultists stood on guard. Two of them flanked the entrance to the half-circle tomb, one on each side. Another two guarded the unconscious Soul and the weaselly Larril. The last one walked around the graves, picking up the Heads of the slain Griefers.

Cara's plan had to be pulled off perfectly to have any chance of rescuing Soul.

And it was about to begin.

Floyd drank the amber brew before Cara ignited him with her flint and steel.

"Help! Help! Fire!" Floyd shouted as loudly as a Crafter in excruciatingly burning pain would as he stumbled out from between two graves, engulfed in a burning flame.

The cultists snapped to attention, readying their swords, only to lower them upon seeing a distressed Crafter.

"Oh, God, it hurts so muuuuuch!" Floyd yelled, rolling around in pain.

Or at least, it would have hurt if he hadn't already drunk a Potion of Fire Resistance. The flames lapped at him harmlessly, useless against the potion's impervious effects. And the cultists wouldn't be able to see the potion's particle effects in all the flame.

"Ugh, just another stupid Griefer…" One of the cultists dismissed. He pointed to the one picking up Heads. "Just go end his suffering already. I can't be bothered with something _that_ pathetic."

The cultist nodded, dropping the heads and arming himself with his blade as he approached the burning Floyd.

Meanwhile, while all the cultists had their attention on Floyd, Cara and Void, under the obscurity of a Potion of Invisibility, snuck between graves before climbing atop the half-circle tomb. Their armor was removed so as not to give them away, but there weapons were ready at their belts.

"Oh, God! I never knew burning could be this painful!" Floyd continued to ham it up. "I'm melting! Oh, what a world!"

They positioned themselves above the cultists guarding the tomb and readied their swords.

When the cultist approaching Floyd raised his sword to attack, Floyd rolled away as if to put out the flames faster when it was really to dodge the attack. He rolled between some gravestones while Cara and Void dropped from the top of the tomb, sinking their swords into the guarding cultists.

When the initial attacks didn't knock them out, they wrapped their arm around their necks and pinned their arms to their sides. The cultists struggled for air, unable to make a sound and not alerting anyone. To Floyd, it looked like they were being choked by two invisible forces. And the cultists guarding Soul were too preoccupied with watching him to see their choking allies.

Floyd rolled behind another set of gravestones, just as the cultist following him began to grow impatient. "Just hold still so I can kill you, you burning idiot!" He shouted, swinging his blade once more.

Under cover of the gravestones, Floyd quit his burning alive act and shot up, swinging his sword horizontally. The cultist was so surprised that he didn't react until the sword had struck his neck. The cultist choked, clutching his throat as he struggled for the air to shout.

Floyd didn't give him the chance. He struck again, this time at his legs, to send him falling to the ground. He gasped for breath, swinging his sword madly to ward off the blue-nette.

Floyd took a blow to his shoulder before he threw all his weight into pinning the cultist to the ground.

"Hey, you okay over there?" The cultist guarding Soul called out dully. "Hate to think a burning Crafter is giving you much trouble."

Floyd didn't say anything as he clamped his hand over the cultist's mouth and stabbed his sword into his gut. Once. Twice. Until finally he burst into a shower of gear and an empty Head.

"Hey, what's up?" The same cultist called out, growing suspicious. "You there?"

Floyd peeked around the gravestone to see that Cara and Void had finished their respective cultists as well. Two piles of gear to show for it.

 _Just two left…_

"Oh, shit!" One of the cultists shouted, spotting the piles of gear by the tomb entrance. "T-!"

He didn't get the chance to shout the rest as an invisible bow nailed him with an arrow, courtesy of Cara. The remaining cultist was baffled before he too noticed the piles of gear. By that time, Void, still invisible, had tackled him to the ground.

Seeing the confusion and lack of cultists guarding him, the smuggler, Larril, picked himself up and scrambled out of the cemetery with his tail between his legs.

The cultist shot with an arrow, Zach, massaged his throat before attempting another shout for his Lieutenant. An invisible force plowed into him, cutting off his air.

Zach desperately struggled with whom Floyd was sure was Cara, while the other cultist struggled with Void. The flames covering Floyd quickly extinguished as he silently sprinted forward, empowered with one of Cara's Potions of Swiftness.

The cultist battling Floyd struggled to push the hand off his throat and call for help. He was almost about to do it before Floyd rushed in. He raised his blade and struck the cultist while Void held him down. The cultist burst into a pile of gear, just as something invisible crashed into both Floyd and Void.

Zach, the now freed cultist, was massaging his neck after tossing an invisible Cara off of him. And now the trio watched worriedly, a tangle of limbs, as Zach took a deep inhale of breath.

"TE—!"

He burst into a shower of gear as a Splash Potion of Harming hit his back…

Courtesy of a newly revived Lost_Soul.

"Shut it…" Soul mumbled coolly as he rubbed his neck. His eyes looked out of it, but he was definitely alive.

"That was cutting it a little too close." He couldn't see her, but Floyd could tell Cara had wiped her forehead of a cold sweat. "You okay, Soul?"

"Y-yeah…" He massaged his neck more, rolling it around, before his eyes suddenly widened. "Oh no… W-we got to get out of here, right now! Teal is going to—"

"Oh?" A terrifying voice chirped. "What is Teal gonna do~?"

Everyone's heads turned to the source of the noise with varying degrees of worry. Cara and Void were still invisible, but Floyd could feel them quivering in terror.

Teal_Larkspur emerged from the tomb, flanked by her two cultists. She had a cheeky smile on her face, even though her blue eyes were the embodiment of terror.

"Siiiiigh." She drew out, voicing the action. "I leave them alone for _two_ _minutes_ and they end up dead. It's my pet cat all over again!"

Her eyes looked upon the Crafters in front of her and she smiled.

"Let's play a game; First to die loses~!"

* * *

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Banner {Endward Cult}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 18]

* * *

 **AN: ...Can't we just play a rousing game of hide-n-seek? We hide and you count to infinity?**

 **Teal_Larkspur. God, I love this character. She's just a cute little bundle of blue-haired carnage. I'll describe her appearance more in the next chapter, but it's not hard to remember her since her name is similar to her hair color. Her name itself went through a few edits before I settled on Larkspur. It's a type of flower, but the name really seemed to fit the character's playful and peppy personality.**

 **...And her special cap.**

 **The Nitebane Arc is nearing its conclusion. Then we'll return back to Cobb. I'm sure you all now regret not hearing about Floyd for so long. I know Cobb is more funny, but these other characters matter too. It's not just about Cobb.**

 **And now... an Omake. About Teal and her special cap.**

* * *

Omake: Bargain

Teal frowned to herself as she looked upon the spread of items. She was in the marketplace looking for something that complimented her beuatiful blue hair in order to impress Mark, but so far she had found nothing.

A shame too. She had just gotten a ton of emeralds from her latest Survival Games captives. All those emeralds were jangling in her belt and backpack, begging to be spent on frivolous luxuries.

 _Speeeeend ussssssss..._

 _Don't worry, my babies._ She patted her belt comfortingly. _I'll find something worthwhile around here..._

She walked up to a shoddy table of items, glancing over them without much thought.

Then, she spotted it. A light blue leather cap sitting on the corner of the table.

It was blue! Just like her hair!

That was all the buyer's motivation she needed. Even if it violated the cult's desscode, she was a Lieutenant and could bend the rules a bit. She slapped the table loudly, alerting the vendor of her purchase. "Yoohoo! How much for the leather cap?"

The vendor's eyes looked over the cap before shrugging. "Meh, that thing's been collecting dust for years. I'll give it to ya for an emerald."

"Hot shit, that's a deal~!" Teal cheered as she slid the emerald across the table and snatched up the light blue leather cap. She quickly placed it atop her head, making sure her ponytail didn't get messed up by it.

She skipped down the street, humming to herself and excited to see how Mark would respond to her newest accesory. He always said the cutest things, like...

' _Keep your kissy face away from me._ '

Or...

' _For God's sake, put some clothes on!_ '

Or...

' _Why do_ I _have to be the little spoon when you're shorter than me?_ '

Teal giggled at those thoughts. He was always so much fun to tease.

As she skipped through the streets, she was blissfully unaware at how her leather cap exuded a field of particles in a radius around her. And that any Crafter that passed her was suddenly slowed down, before returning to normal as she passed, looking slightly confused.

She had no idea that she had just purchased one of the nine all-powerful artifacts made by Herobrine himself. An artifact long forgotten to be just that, lost to time and passed down as garbage before ending up as a humble vendor's merchandise.

The light blue leather cap, The Voda Shlem, was hers...

And all... for one measly emerald.

* * *

 **AN: One man's trash is another Lieutenant's magical, all-powerful artifact. Suck it, Noman!**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	70. Games

**AN: Another Chapter. Yay.**

 **My Beta said it had enough tension and was well-paced. So... if I had to describe this Chapter using someone else's words, I'd say it was tense, but well-paced.**

 **This Chapter marks the end of the Nitebane Arc. Next chapter, we rejoin Cobb. I can't wait.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add patterned leather tunics.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 70

 **Games**

"Let's play a game; First to die loses~!"

Floyd gulped as he took a half-step away from the Lieutenant. He wasn't fooled by her cheerful demeanor and upbeat attitude. After witnessing how easily and _viciously_ she slaughtered those Griefers, he knew just how dangerous Teal was.

As the Lieutenant stood before them, oozing with confidence, Floyd noticed the half-circle tomb behind her close, just as the circular shadow cast by the moonlight, passed. It seemed that midnight, and the window to enter that particular tomb, had passed. Teal seemed indifferent over it.

Now that he was closer, he could make out more of her appearance. She was a young, fair-skinned woman with long teal-blue hair done in a bouncy waist-length ponytail, held up by a simple pink band. Her seemingly innocent face and vibrant blue eyes were framed by shoulder-length bangs. More noticeably, her hair had light blue highlights designed in a spiral that wound up her left bang before ending in a spiral along her forehead. He couldn't deny how intricate it looked.

Looking at her clothing, Floyd wasn't surprised she named herself after a shade of blue. She wore a light halter top with a dark blue flower design emblazoned on her lower left side. A short blue sash-skirt with light-blue flower patterns covered her bottom half, but not by much, revealing slender legs clad in blue fishnet stockings. She also wore fishnet sleeves and sneakers of the same color. Her belt and backpack were teal-blue, just like her hair.

She didn't wear any armor and she didn't carry a weapon at her belt. The only gear Floyd had seen on her was that light-blue leather cap. As arrogant as that sounded, she really didn't need any. She didn't need a weapon when _she_ was the weapon.

"Hey, hey, hey. Aren't you two gonna say something?" Floyd's attention snapped back to Teal's eyes. She looked curious. "I don't mind being ogled, but usually a little 'Imma kill one of you' gets _some_ sort of reaction." Her eyes slid to the left and she smirked. "What about you, Soul? Got anything to say or is your neck still bothering you~?"

Soul clutched his neck and held his free arm defensively. Instead of readying his axe, he took a shaky step back. Floyd couldn't believe how silent he was being, too. Usually he'd have some sort of violent insult to hurl, but this time he was just… quiet. Timid even.

The only explanation was that Teal had done something—a show of skill or power—that _frightened_ Soul. And that wasn't easy, given how strong and fearless the axe-wielder was.

That… wasn't ideal for fighting Teal. She was already a monster in combat without taking Soul's low morale into account. But luckily, there was a silver lining.

Teal had only seen _two_ opponents. Cara and Void were still invisible.

"Cara," Floyd whispered so as not to tip off Teal or her two remaining cultists. "Can you make Soul and me invisible?"

"No, I used my last one." She whispered back, still invisible. "If we hadn't spared that one for Attila…"

Floyd cursed but didn't argue. He had been the one to use it on her after all.

The one good thing was that Teal couldn't see Cara or Void. They'd have no trouble escaping if they kept quiet.

Which meant all he and Soul needed to do…

Teal took a casual step forward, prompting Floyd to grab Soul by his shirt and, with the remaining effects of his Swiftness Potion, sprint away.

"You'll have to catch us, first!" Floyd shouted, hoping the invisible Cara and Void would use the distraction to escape. All Floyd had to worry about was outrunning Teal, a task made much easier by his Potion of Swiftness.

Soul struggled to keep up, still looking a bit out of it. But he was aware enough to realize that flight over fight was the best option. That, in of itself, showed how much facing Teal had changed him.

Floyd ducked between gravestones as two arrows shot past him, followed by a small blurry sphere that hit a gravestone—

 _Ender Pearl._

Teal_Larkspur popped into existence in front of them, grinning as she snagged Floyd and Soul by their respective collars.

"Caught you~!" She sing-songed, twirling on the spot and hurling Floyd across the cemetery. He winced as his shoulder hit a gravestone before the rest of him tumbled over it.

He cracked an eye open, expecting Soul to be hurled through the air after him, but instead he heard a light giggle and the sharp crack of bone, followed by an agonized howl.

Floyd's head shot over the gravestone, expecting the worse. Instead, he saw Soul clutching his newly broken leg as Teal deposited him at the foot of a large stone statue.

"Don't go anywhere, now." She laughed, turning her attention back to Floyd. She looked to his hair and nodded appreciatively. "A fellow blue-nette. I can respect that. Though I _can't_ really respect you killing off my cultists."

"Why? You cultists are no strangers to killing people."

"Oooh! Witty retort!" Teal praised, stepping forward so that she was between Floyd and Soul. "Since you bothered to save Lost_Soul, I take it you are—sorry, _were_ part of the same community. Were you all on lunch-break or something when I showed up?"

"Do you even care?" Floyd stepped around some gravestones, trying to find a path around Teal to get to Soul. Teal smirked as she mirrored his movements, walking across from him. She wasn't dumb, realizing he wouldn't leave without Soul. "Does any of what I'm saying change anything or make you want to kill me any less?"

Teal groaned into her hand insipidly. "Yuck. Already, I like you less than the other guy. He was all fight right-off-the-axe, and you're just… blech!" She scratched her head idly. "Buuuut, I bothered to know the names of those guys you cut down and some of them were my rock-paper-scissor buddies. That alone warrants I kill _at least_ all but one of you. Soul's my newest toy and since there's only two of you…" She shrugged. "It's gotta be you. So just try to make it entertaining."

Floyd readied his sword, just as his Potion of Swiftness ended. "If you're going to kill me anyway," Floyd spoke loudly, hoping Cara or Void would overhear, "then why not tell me what you're doing here? What was so important in that tomb?"

Teal didn't bother answering, rushing forward to attack. Her eager smile was intimidating, but at least Floyd had an idea of what she'd do: Strafing.

She'd go left or right after making a feint, so Floyd just had to be ready for that.

The two blue-nettes charged each other, Teal with her fist reared back and Floyd with his sword gripped in one hand and ready to stab.

As he got within striking distance, Floyd jabbed forward straight at Teal. Just like when facing the Griefers, Teal feinted and sped up to the left, her ponytail flicking his face. Floyd was ready, throwing out his left arm in an attempt to clothesline the Lieutenant.

But she was faster. She leaned her head back and slid under his arm and when she passed, she bounced back onto her feet and drove her knee into Floyd's ribs. He felt something creaking on top of the sharp pain in his sides, but he fought through it to try and land a hit.

Teal sidestepped the vertical slash right into Floyd's guard and offered a cheeky grin. "In your face~!" She shouted whilst jabbing her elbow into Floyd's face. She giggled at her joke, even as Floyd stumbled backwards in pain.

He quickly glanced at his Health Meter before returning his attention to the Lieutenant. Even though Teal's attacks hurt, each one could only do half-a-heart of damage. She'd have to land twenty hits to kill, and that was without taking regeneration into account.

The real risk was if she broke a limb like what she did with Soul. If Floyd's arms and legs got broken, he'd be helpless against her… even more helpless than he already was.

"Really? Still not angry?" Teal questioned unhappily. "That Soul guy'd be raving at this point…" She tapped her chin, regarding Floyd thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. "Maybe if I taunt you a little…"

Teal shot forward in a blue blur. Floyd barely had time to prepare his sword before the Lieutenant slid between his legs, grabbing one and yanking along the way. He felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under him, and his head slammed down and scraped across stone as Teal continued to pull him by his ankle.

"You know the best part about killing Crafters~?" Teal asked idly as if dragging someone by their ankle was normal. "It's their expressions. The fear, the surprise, the frustration, the anger. It's a blast twisting their emotions as if they were wrapped around my fingers. Especially if my toys are arrogant or strong." She smiled as she pulled Floyd so that he was held suspended upside down. "That community of yours wasn't arrogant _or_ strong. But I still enjoyed beating them up. Too bad you weren't there to see it~!"

She poked his face teasingly, but Floyd didn't let it bother him. She _wanted_ him to get mad. She had already said how much she craved it. He hated her for what she did to Attila's community, but he knew getting angry and losing focus wouldn't help.

…Or would it?

"You MONSTER!" Floyd shouted suddenly, directing a fist towards Teal's face. The Lieutenant lit up in glee, dodging the strike effortlessly and tossing Floyd against a gravestone. He quickly scrambled to his feet and charged her. "I'll kill you for that!"

"There we go!" Teal laughed, ducking and weaving between Floyd's attacks. " _That's_ the heat I was looking for~!"

Floyd made sure to twist his face into the most furious expression he could think of. It wasn't hard. He just thought of what Teal did to Attila's people and pretended that Teal was responsible for Silent's death. The angrier he looked, the more Teal glowed with excitement.

He looked furious, but his mind remained composed, watching from the corner of his eyes how Teal's two remaining cultists were silently taken out by the invisible Cara and Void. The cultists struggled against their unseen foes before dying in bursts of gear. Teal was so preoccupied watching him that she wasn't watching anything else.

Floyd kept hurling insults, wildly slashing his sword knowing that he would never land a hit anyway. The main concern was keeping her attention long enough for the others to grab Soul and get the hell out of there.

"You are just like Soul!" Teal cheered, slipping around Floyd to wrap her arm around his neck and pin his sword arm. "I'm almost thinking about taking you—Huh?"

Teal's grip loosened as she looked towards Soul stationed beneath the statue. It looked like Soul was being helped to his feet by some invisible force. The next instant, two Crafters appeared on either side of the axe-wielder, lifting him up. Cara and Void paled upon realizing their invisibility had finally run out.

A sharp twist of his sword arm had Floyd screaming in pain, even as Teal bent his spine forward, forcing his upper half to the ground.

"You tricked me!" Teal accused, her tone devoid of mirth. She had figured out that he was just distracting her. "I might enjoy playing around, but I absolutely can't _stand_ being played!"

Floyd was hurled over Teal's shoulder and slammed into the ground, the Lieutenant's eyes looking unforgiving, as she grabbed Floyd's iron sword.

Cara, Soul, and Void moved to help, but Floyd made them pause. "Forget me! Just run!"

"Worried about them~?" Teal taunted as she held Floyd's own sword against his cheek. "How noble—!"

She suddenly stopped in her rant as her eyes locked onto something at Floyd's belt. Floyd tilted his head as the sword was pressed so that it was just teasing his neck with the feel of cold iron.

"What is this?" She still held the sword at Floyd's neck, so he couldn't quite see what she was reaching for. "What is _this_?"

"Get away from him!" Cara shouted, shooting a volley of arrows at the Lieutenant. Teal dropped the sword and grabbed something else from Floyd's belt before flipping away. Her blue eyes locked onto Soul, between Cara and Void, and she darted towards them.

Void and Soul raised their weapons and Cara aimed another arrow, but as soon as Teal got close, she put on her leather light-blue cap. Soul, Cara, and Void suddenly slowed down as the effects of Teal's cap extended to encompass them. Cara's arrow was released at a snail's pace while Soul's axe and Void's sword sluggishly made their way towards the blue-haired woman.

She walked around the slow-moving attacks before grabbing Soul by his shirt and pulling him away. She seemed fixated on him more than the others.

As soon as Cara and Void were out of Teal's cap radius, they began to move normally again. They whirled to face the Lieutenant, taking a few steps back, just as Teal tossed Soul against the base of that statue again.

She bent over him and got to work, twisting and snapping his limbs until she was sure he couldn't move a muscle. Soul, being within Teal's radius, moved too sluggishly, and was powerless to resist. Instead, all he could do was grit his teeth and bear the pain. When she was finished, she finally took off her cap, returning it to her backpack.

Floyd moved to stand by Cara and Void, feeling safer around the whole group instead of by himself. After all their planning, Soul was still in the enemy's clutches; Like they had walked one big circle.

Teal turned her attention back to the Silver Intent trio. Her eyes showed genuine confusion as she held something out for all of them to see. "What is this?"

Floyd's eyes widened as Teal raised an Endward Cult banner. A quick glance at his belt confirmed it. Teal had gotten a hold of the banner they had taken from the Center of Planar Trade. That was what she had taken an interest in.

"Now why oh why would a couple of Crafters be holding on to something like this~?" Teal questioned interestedly as she waved the banner around. "My first thought would be that you're members, but members would know enough not to steal _my_ toys." She gestured to Soul as she said that, but the axe-wielder was too addled by pain to process it. "So you're something else… And _that's_ interesting enough for me to find out~!"

None of the Silver Intent members said a word. Their weapons were drawn and they were ready for the fight of their lives. They weren't going to abandon Soul to that lunatic. Not now. Not ever.

"Don't feel like talking, hmmm~?" She cracked her knuckles eagerly, eyeing the trio before her like slabs of meat. "That's okay~! Because I know a great way of loosening up those tight lips of yours~!" She chirped, exuding a terrifying aura that contrasted sharply with her tone.

"Quit toying with us." Void called out bravely. "We're not here to play your perverse games."

Teal's eyes narrowed dangerously, causing the group to flinch. As the trio prepared for the worst, Teal's blue eyes suddenly widened, sparkling with excitement. "Ooooh ooooh ooooh! Good idea!" Her eyes lit up as some sort of idea popped inside her twisted mind. "Let's make a perverse game of it~!"

"Wha—Did you not here what I just said!?" Teal ignored Void as she tapped her chin thoughtfully, her tongue poking cutely out of her mouth.

"Let's see… this new game should be called… Question Tag!" She snapped her fingers as if having made a groundbreaking discovery. "As for rules… yeah, that ought to be good~!" She grinned deviously as she turned to the Silver Intent trio. "You guys get to be the first toys I play this new game with. Think of yourselves as the guinea pigs performing a fun, fun test~!"

"I already don't like the sound of it." Floyd commented, earning a giggle from the Lieutenant.

"Don't be like that. I promise it'll be a blast! Well," her smile widened, showing more teeth, "for _me_ , that is~"

Teal pointed to each of the three Silver Intent members. "Usually I'd just play one of my more visceral games with you—what with you killing my cultists and all—but since my curiosity is peaked, we're gonna play a new game I call Question Tag!"

"I—"

" _Don't_ ," Teal interjected sharply, "interrupt me when I'm about to explain the rules. You miiiiight just miss something important~!" She hinted suggestively before continuing. "The rules are simple and you can play it with as many Crafters as you like. I'm gonna try and hit you three. Every time I land a hit on someone—however big or small—that same someone _must_ answer one of my questions. And it better be the truth." Her smile turned grim. "If you don't answer or if I have reason to think you're _lying_ , well, the only thing for cheater-cheater pumpkin eaters is a **_penalty_**."

"And if we don't feel like playing your game?" Cara hissed, pulling back her bow to aim at Teal.

The Lieutenant shrugged theatrically. "You can _try_ to run. But then, not only will most of you get slain by yours truly, but I'll get to keep this stoic trophy for myself~!" She ruffled Soul's hair causing him to curse under his breath. "Though in the next Survival Games, I'll be sure to beat him to within an inch of his life. And my ruler is usually a little off~!"

Cara bit her lip, and Floyd realized it was because she knew that Teal was right. Even if they gave up on Soul, which he would never do, Teal could just as easily catch and slay them. Not all three, but probably one or two. The only chance of escape was for someone to hold her back. Someone strong.

And, unfortunately, that distinction fell to the subdued axe-wielder. What chance would Floyd have over Soul's strength?

"Awww, don't look so cross~!" Teal sing-songed, placing a hand on her hip. "The game works both ways. If any of you land a hit on me, I'll answer a question—I'll even answer _two_ as a handicap."

"Oh, sure. Easy as pie." Floyd remarked sarcastically. They hadn't been able to land a single hit on her yet. She was too fast and flexible, bending and twisting out of the way of attacks. Though it looked like she wasn't going to wear her slowness cap the whole time.

"If you don't stay optimistic, the game'll be over before it even starts." She said. "Which is now."

Like an arrow, Teal shot forward. Her blue eyes gleamed with exhilaration and the wide smile on her face showed the pure unbridled joy she felt engaging in her game. Cara's arrows missed, and the Lieutenant twisted around Floyd's sword before targeting Void.

The drunkard dodged the brawler's first attack and narrowly blocked the second with his sword before lashing out. Teal slapped the blade away with a smirk before delivering a punishing uppercut to Void's chin. The drunkard was lifted off his feet before crashing back down into the ground.

"That's a hit." Teal tittered before flipping away from Floyd's attack. "Question One—to the brown-haired Void_Dweller—Why did you have an Endward Cult Banner?"

Void rubbed his chin from the pain before picking himself back up and ignoring the Lieutenant's question.

"Careful, there Void_Dweller." Teal warned while dodging both Void's attacks and Cara's arrows. "You're making me think you don't wanna play by my rules."

"I'm not interested in your games!" Void argued, desperately trying to hit the elusive blue-nette. He also wasn't going to sell out the Silver Intent. They couldn't let Teal know the banner had been part of a mission by an anti-Endward Cult organization.

Teal began to frown, looking like she had found something disgusting in her food. "Five seconds before I deal a penalty. Five…"

Floyd jumped in, taking a stab at Teal that missed just like all the others.

"Four…"

Void swept at the brawler's feet, only to watch as she avoided it by jumping atop a gravestone.

"Three…"

The brawler rolled off the gravestone as several arrows stuck into it. Cara kept trying to hit her, even as she darted between tombstones.

"Two…"

She popped back up in front of Floyd and Void. The two Crafters fought beside each other in flurry of slashes that would have reduced any Crafter to a pile of gear.

But Teal wasn't just any Crafter.

" _One_ …"

The number was spoken so coldly that it caused Floyd to shiver. Cara gave out a cry of warning as Teal withdrew the leather cap from her backpack.

Before Floyd or Void could back away, the cap was on her head, and they felt the space around them slow to a glacial pace. Floyd's eyes widened as Teal effortlessly pried the sword from his fingers and turned to face Void.

"Zero~" She smiled wickedly as she drove the sword into Void's gut, eliciting an agonized cry. Only both his and Floyd's cries were drawn out as if in slow-motion.

"No!" Cara screamed, firing several arrows at the Lieutenant. The arrows slowed as soon as they got close, and in a single motion, the Lieutenant moved Void so that he was in the line of fire. Cara gasped in horror, realizing what was about to happen and rushing forward to try and stop it.

"I hate long-ranged fighters." Teal commented, twisting Floyd's sword so that it took a few more Hearts out of the drunkard. "I prefer my fights up-close and personal, wouldn't you say~?"

Void slowly coughed in pain, his pupils dilating as he watched the arrows nearing his face. "Caaaarrrrraaaa…"

"Stop!" Cara cried, entering Teal's slowness radius without a second thought. Her hands were raised as if to catch the arrows before they hit Void. She was willing to use herself as a shield if necessary.

"Don't be a spoilsport." Teal whispered, walking around Void and turning him so that he was fully facing the incoming arrows. She grabbed Cara by her face and ground it into the dirt before taking another stab at Void. In her radius, she could move and manipulate them like dolls. "Cheaters need to face the penalty~!"

"H-heeeellllpppp meeee…" Void cried as he had to watch his impending death slowly approach him. Teal gave one final slash with Floyd's sword—just to make sure Void's Health was low enough—before placing it back into Floyd's hand and wrapping his fingers around it. She gave his hand a firm pat before skipping away happily.

As the radius of slowness shifted, time started to speed up. Floyd's strained efforts to move returned to normal and he was able to try and push Void out of the way.

Cara, her face kissing the dirt, pushed herself up the instant time returned as she attempted to throw herself into the path of arrows.

And Void desperately tried to move anything, even as his eyes darted to his dangerously low Health Meter.

When the slowness effect finally left them…

*SHUNK* *SHUNK* *SHUNK*

It was too late.

Cara's body passed the arrows, missing them by a second. Her back impacted a tombstone and she slid to the ground where she began to sob into the aged stone.

Floyd found himself shoving into a shower of gear where a Crafter had been just a moment ago. Void's Head bounced off his cheek and several glass bottles—vessels of the drunkard's Awkward Potions—clattered to the ground.

It was that fast. The death of Void_Dweller.

"Hoo boy!" The damned Lieutenant breathed as she took off her leather cap and admired her work. "Killed by his own teammates. That sure must suck. Does that suck as much as I think it sucks?" Teal questioned Cara, even though she was weeping into the ground, holding herself. Teal smirked. "Now come on _Courageous_ _Cara, you're starting to insult your own name~!"

Tears gushed down Cara's face, causing Floyd's anger to rise. "V-void…?" She whined, praying that he wasn't gone.

Teal walked up to the purple-haired leader and stood over her. "Hey, I landed a hit on you when I threw your face into the dirt. That means you have to answer my question." She knelt down before her and gripped her by the hair. "So tell me. Does shooting your own man suck as much as I think it sucks?"

Cara whimpered as the tears continued to flow. Her aquamarine eyes were bleary as the weight of her actions settled upon her. It wasn't just because of her arrows. She had a more active hand in killing Void. She had kept the mission going when it would have been wiser to end it. Void had told her it was worth it… he had told her it was the right move.

' _Bad things are gonna happen, whether you're prepared for them or not. No sense in feeling apprehensive about it. It's too tiresome. Rather, you should focus that time in doing something worthwhile._ That's _living!_ '

Bad things had happened. And Void was dead because of it.

Cara's head trembled as she took a shaky breath before another wracking set of sobs assaulted her.

"I guess I'll accept that as an honest answer." Teal giggled as she released Cara's hair. "But just this once—Oh~!"

Floyd hurled his wooden axe at the Lieutenant. She slapped it aside where it snapped in two, only for Floyd to barrel towards her. Teal simply hopped over him, delivering a kick to his back while she was at it.

"Another hit~!" Teal sing-songed. "And I think I sense some actual anger this time! Bonus points~!"

Floyd didn't hear what question she asked. Blood was pounding in his ears and he wanted nothing more than to punch the smug grin right off her face. He knew he shouldn't be getting angered. Getting angry would only make things worse.

But he _wanted_ to be angry. One of them was dead. One of his own comrades had died. And just like before, he was powerless to stop it.

" _Same old Flawwed_Floyd._ " Floyd gnashed his teeth as the apparition of Silent came into existence before him once again. This time it was leaning off of a smirking Teal. " _Same old useless Crafter. Same old murdering cult._ " He shook his head. " _I suppose I shouldn't be disappointed since I already knew it would happen again._ "

"Shut up." Floyd whispered, wanting to shut out the words of his deceased friend. A friend that wouldn't stop haunting him… even in a situation like this.

"What was that?" Teal held a hand up to her ear. "If you're gonna give me an answer, then don't mumble it. In fact, new rule: No more mumbling answers. Now, again, why did you have an Endward Cult Banner?"

The apparition of Silent hiked a thumb to the blue-haired Lieutenant. " _You're really letting_ her _call all the shots? Letting_ her _kill all your friends? She can't be_ that _tough. I speak from experience when I say that blue-haired people are cowardly weaklings._ "

"SHUT UP!" Floyd shouted, startling Teal into taking a step back.

"I didn't even…" She shook her head before pouting. "Okay, penalty countdown. Five…"

" _And now she's counting…_ " Silent's ghost adjusted his glasses and looked at Floyd coldly. " _Just let her count down. The world would be better off if she killed you._ "

"RAGH!" Floyd charged, aiming his sword at the apparition and not Teal.

By pure chance, and nothing else, Teal, thinking the strike was aimed at her, sidestepped to the left. What she didn't know was that she moved right into the path of Floyd's sword as it sliced at both the apparition and a portion of Teal's Health. "Wha—Seriously?"

Teal looked more amazed than angry as she observed the dent in her Health. It must have been a while since someone injured her.

That amazed expression soon turned into a feral smile as Teal dodged Floyd's follow-up attack and drove her fist crashing into his nose.

Floyd tumbled to the ground and Teal pounced upon him, pinning his arms with her knees. "That's a hit for both of us~!" Teal grinned, enthralled with the idea that someone could land a hit on her. Someone could actually challenge her. "The first question's countdown is still going! Four…"

Floyd thrashed his arms as he desperately tried to free them. Teal didn't budge.

"Three…" Teal was already reaching for Floyd's sword, intending to penalize him soon. "Two…"

"Stop! Stop it!" Cara screamed on hands and knees as she crawled forward. Tears kept flowing down her face and she spoke in choked sobs. "We… it was a mission!" Cara relented. "The banner was our mission! We were supposed to replace it with our own! Just don't kill anymore!"

Teal turned to look at Cara and wore a pleased smile. " _Now_ we're getting somewhere. Question Two…" She turned to look at Floyd, tilting his chin up to face her. "I want to hear this answer from you… or else little Cara will take up residence in one of these graves." Teal smirked as Floyd tried to wrench his face free. "Who gave you that mission?"

Floyd's eyes narrowed and he tried to move his arms… his legs… anything! But it was no use. The Lieutenant had him pinned. And if he didn't answer…

"…The Silver Intent." Floyd hissed. "An organization that's sworn to be the cult's end."

Teal raised a brow in fascination. "Oh~? An anti-cult group, you say? How interesting…" Her grin turned smug. "Though, I wonder, how exactly does this situation work in your anti-cult plan?"

Floyd looked around, taking in his fellow Silver Intent members. Soul was struggling to nudge his way towards them, even with multiple broken limbs. Cara was weeping into the dirt. Void was dead.

 _Not great._ He thought to himself, even as the same thought seemed to cross Teal's mind.

"I thought so." Teal leaned back, though she kept Floyd's arms pinned by her knees. "Well, rules are rules. You get two questions for hitting me, so ask away~!" She chirped.

Floyd struggled under Teal's hold while his mind worked furiously. Was there even a point in asking her anything when it was obvious she was going to kill them all? Wouldn't she be more likely to kill them if she let slip vital cult information? Did she even care?

Floyd looked into her vibrant blue eyes—eyes that shimmered with anticipation and joy—and saw his own face reflected in them.

Who was he kidding? There was no doubt that Teal would kill them all whether they learned anything or not.

Floyd weighed his options, and figured it was better for the knowledge to be out where _someone_ could hear it and live, rather than being kept within the Lieutenant.

"…The tomb." Floyd spoke after a long moment of thinking. "What were you doing in that tomb?"

Teal tilted her head as she considered the question. "Well… the Endward Cult's latest Gathering revealed some information left by our Founder. Among the information was a location: The High-Moon Tombs. The tomb I entered only opens at midnight—or so the Founder described. I was sent here to check it out, is all."

Floyd listened intently and took a breath before asking, "What did you find?"

Teal smiled widely. "Nothing~!"

Floyd cursed as he realized he just wasted his last question. "What—nothing?"

"Yup!" Teal chirped. "Nothing at—well, there _was_ an altar, if you'd even call that something. But other than that, pshh, zilch. Disappointing, I know."

Floyd felt the world around him blur as Teal pulled him to his feet and threw him across the cemetery. He winced as he slid across stone before the air was driven out of his lungs by a drop kick.

"I'm gonna fire a bunch of questions so I don't forget them. Hope you're ready~!" Teal's smile turned sadistic as she raised her fists. "Where is the Silver Intent located?"

*WHACK*

"Who's your leader?"

*POW*

"How many members do you have?"

*SMACK*

"Are they stronger or weaker than you?"

*POW*

"Who told you about me?"

*CRACK*

"What else do you know?"

*SNAP*

"…Oh, awkward. I, uh, don't have another question…" She paused, thinking it over. "What's your favorite food?"

Teal stopped her onslaught, taking a moment to allow Floyd to speak. He coughed painfully, before glaring up at the woman.

"D-Daymonte." He lied quickly, hoping Teal would believe it. "I never… met our leader." He lied again, not wanting to sell out Brett. "I don't know how many members we have, though I imagine they're stronger than me." He mumbled sadly.

" _That's right._ " The apparition of Silent jeered loftily. " _The weakest of the three. Can't even use his powers._ "

"We… we heard about you… from some source—ugk!"

"Be careful how you answer this one." Teal warned teasingly while squeezing his throat. "My toys don't usually feel like talking when I'm finished playing with them~"

Floyd thought frantically before realizing he had to tell the truth—at least partly. "Attila… akrasia…" Teal's eyes lit upon hearing that name. "She… she used to be a cultist. She gave us the information on you… in exchange for a favor. She was gonna tell us the Eastern Division's base…" Floyd mustered up a look of pure fury, trying extra hard so that Teal would believe his next words. "But then you and your cultists killed her and destroyed her home!"

"What are you—Oh!" Teal slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oooooh! _Now_ it all makes sense! She did say she was supporting a community… I always thought she got away. Attila… I bet she got caught up in one of those explosions. Poetic justice for when she blew up our base."

Floyd inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Not only did Teal think Attila was dead—which he hoped she wasn't—but now she also believed the Silver Intent didn't know more than they actually did. Attila gave them the Eastern Division's location and Teal's identity. They _had_ to get that information to Brett.

"Ahem?" Teal shook Floyd, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Favorite food?"

Oh. The last question. Floyd was about to answer when he suddenly wondered what she would do once her curiosity ended. If she had no more questions, she had no more reason to keep any of them alive.

"…Meat."

Teal opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly shut it. The answer threw her off, to be sure. "What type of meat?"

"I don't have to answer that." Floyd spoke defiantly, even as he tilted his head to the side.

Teal laughed at his reasoning before driving a fist into his stomach. "Now you do~" She smiled. "What type of meat?"

*Cough cough* "The type… with four legs."

*CRACK*

"AUGH!" Floyd screamed as one of his ribs buckled.

"You wanna keep playing~? Because I'm game." Teal giggled, keeping her attention on Floyd. "Does the animal have wool?"

"That's… two questions…"

*CRACK*

"I… I can do this all night…" Floyd hissed as he glanced at his Health Meter. Contrary to his words, he could not do this all night. "No… wool…"

"Does it have a snout?"

*POW*

"N-no…" It was beginning to feel more like twenty questions. That is, if twenty questions included violent beat-downs.

"So it's either a cow or a rabbit." Teal rubbed her chin thoughtfully even as she grabbed the sword at Floyd's belt. "I'm just gonna guess now if that's alright with you." She held the blade over his neck, gazing down into his defiant purple eyes. "Is your favorite food… steak!"

She slapped him lightly, enough to be classified as a hit. Enough for him to answer the final question.

He shakily nodded, closed his eyes, and prepared himself for the cold embrace of death.

"Looks like I win again~!"

"NO!"

The scream of fury was so full of emotion that it shocked Floyd into opening his eyes. Soul, with his arms and legs fully healed, had leapt upon the Lieutenant.

"I'M NOT WATCHING SOMEONE DIE AGAIN!" Soul roared, raising his axe high.

"How many times do I have to break your legs?" The brawler pouted as she dropped Floyd's sword and pulled the axe-wielder off. He made a strangled choking sound as the Lieutenant wrapped her hand around his neck. "Clearly you're not cut out for the Survival Games if you'd just keep throwing yourself at me!"

"Soul!" Cara and Floyd cried, rushing in to help. The Lieutenant lashed out with a violent kick that sent Floyd skittering away and into several tombstones. He came to rest near the edge of the cemetery.

Right next to the edge of the cliffs.

Over the side and far down below he could see sharp rocks, choppy waters, and some odd things swimming around. Guardians.

Floyd remembered what Attila had said about them and the cliffs.

' _If you ever fall off there, and the sharp rocks at the bottom don't kill you, the Guardians surely will._ '

They weren't strong enough to kill Teal. But Floyd figured tossing her to the Guardians was worth a shot.

Another choking sound caught Floyd's attention. He turned back to the fight—if he could even call it that—and gasped when he saw Teal holding both Soul and Cara by their throats. Their hands desperately scrabbled against her grip, struggling for air.

Teal giggled amusedly at this before she slammed the both of them against two gravestones. Side by side. "Here lies two dumb Silver Intent members~!" She taunted happily, even while the two turned as blue as her attire.

"Gggk!"

"Hck!"

Floyd was panicking. He had to do something. He had to help. They were both going to die!

He was taken back to the day he had to watch Silent get murdered protecting him.

 _No!_ He internally screamed. _I can't watch that again!_

" _Then do something about it._ " The apparition of Silent advised, standing beside him.

"STOP!" Floyd screamed, charging the Lieutenant, only for her to lash out with another kick, sending him tumbling back to the start.

"Wait your turn, Flawwed_Floyd. I'm enjoying myself, here." Teal laughed as Soul's body went limp, his eyes rolling back into his head. Cara wasn't faring any better.

"I said STOP!" Floyd shouted, shooting to his feet. He was dizzy from the latest kick and was sent staggering into a ruined tombstone.

"Why don't you make me~?"

" _Why_ don't _you make her?_ "

What was Silent trying to tell him? Why did he keep showing up at the strangest times? The only common link between them was that it—

…

That it followed that smoke…

Floyd looked at his hands, desperately trying to dig down and remember those times he summoned that smoke. What had he been feeling? What had been the key factors?

' _He's got the markings of a Hacker all over his eyes!_ '

 _Please…_ He begged whatever powers he had. _Please help! I don't care what happens to me, but I won't stand by and watch my comrades—my friends—die! No more!_

His Health Meter was beyond low, but he didn't care. If he didn't do something… if he didn't push himself now, they'd all die.

A dark smoke began to gather at the edges of his vision. It was small at first—wisps of vapor that could have easily been mist. Then it started to billow more frequently, as if a fire was burning in his eyes and unleashing a cloudy haze.

" _You have the strength. You've always had it._ " The apparition of Silent explained, no longer jeering or snide. He looked relieved. Docile, even, as he slowly faded from sight. " _You've just been holding yourself back from it._ "

Floyd gritted his teeth as he felt the smoke seep from his eyes. It clung to his body, crawling down his shoulders to swirl around his arms. And it didn't stop there. It kept flowing and flowing, filling himself with a power unlike anything he ever felt.

"I said… _Stop!_ " He spoke lowly, catching Teal's attention. The Lieutenant glanced at him before her eyes widened in shock. Her eyes saw the dark smoke, and she knew exactly what it meant. Her hands fell to her side, releasing Soul and Cara, and she turned to give Floyd her full attention.

As soon as the smoke enveloped his legs—and thus his whole body—the newly realized Hacker glared at Teal with purple eyes surrounded by a sea of the darkest black.

And then, he moved.

He had been several rows of gravestones away from the Lieutenant before he moved.

And after that, he was right in front of her.

Teal barely had time to blink before his fist crashed into her face. Floyd misjudged his new speed and had his momentum carry him several rows of graves away from where he struck Teal. The Lieutenant found herself skidding across the ground into several graves. The stone splintered apart, sending debris skittering along with her.

Floyd's eyes widened at his incredible speed. The distance he crossed in an instant… no Potion of Swiftness could do nearly that much. This was beyond the capabilities of mere potions.

This was... a Hack.

A clatter of stone told Floyd that Teal had picked herself up. He expected her to be angry or scared.

But not excited. Not with blue eyes glowing challengingly. Not with a feral grin, eager for the chance to go toe-to-toe against a Hacker.

"Best. Night. Ever!" Teal laughed before launching herself at Floyd.

If her movements were fast enough to be considered launching, then Floyd's must have been warping. Even as Teal's fist came crashing towards him, Floyd merely had to take a step to the side for it to miss him completely. A trail of dark smoke followed in his wake, the stuff always sticking to him where Teal couldn't.

Teal continued her attacks, sending kicks and punches faster than anything she'd been fighting with before. She wasn't playing anymore. She was taking Floyd seriously.

Floyd kept stepping to the side, zigzagging amongst the brawler's attacks and performing a repeat of what she had done to them. She didn't seem to mind too much, her eyes alight with glee.

Taking a page out of Teal's book, Floyd warped forward with his fist raised. Teal held her arms up to block, but Floyd feinted and warped to the left before delivering a high-speed punch to the back of her head.

Teal tumbled and kept tumbling forward, shattering half the gravestones in the cemetery before she came to rest on the side of the cliff. Even then, she bounced to her feet, shaking off the damage and dusting herself off.

The smoke kept swirling around Floyd, urging him to continue. And Teal was right on the edge of the cliff. One more push was all he needed.

 _Come on._ He mentally ordered, crouching low before warping towards the blue-haired woman.

The same woman who had just put on a light blue cap.

"Fuck…" Floyd realized as he found himself within Teal's space. The cap slowed down his hacker speed, canceling it out and reducing him to a normal Crafter's speed.

Teal took advantage, grabbing hold of Floyd's arm and flipping him to the ground while also stomping hard onto his chest.

Floyd struggled for breath, eyes narrowed dangerously as he tried to get to his feet.

That was when he felt a shift. It was small, nearly imperceptible, but he felt a dip in the exhilarating surge of Hacker power.

A moment later, the smoke enveloping him died out. Like a blown out candle, the dark vapor was extinguished.

And in the smoke's absence, there was a weighty fatigue. As had happened before, everywhere the smoke had enveloped suddenly felt like lead. His eyes had returned to their usual state, no longer seeping smoke.

His whole body felt like he had run a marathon, which, considering his power, he might just have. But more frightening was the fact that he couldn't move _at all_. Even in the brief instances his Hacker power manifested, he had never been paralyzed with exhaustion.

Was that the risk? Incredible speed in exchange for incredible exhaustion? He had only had it active for thirty seconds. Or was this just because it was new to him? He hadn't mastered the ability… he didn't think of that. Did those other Hackers have to master the power or else suffer the same punishing backlash?

Whatever the reason, Floyd and his Hacker powers were both dead in the water, and Teal, standing over him, took notice immediately.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey!" She nudged the newly realized Hacker with her foot as if that would goad him back into action. "We were just starting to have fun! Turn it back on!"

She was talking about the smoke, but Floyd didn't need her to tell him that. He was frantically trying to dig for that power he had felt, trying to harness his anger towards Teal. But it wasn't working. Nothing was working. He was lying motionless on the ground with a Lieutenant prodding at him.

"Ugh!" Teal pouted, kicking at Floyd's motionless body He didn't even feel it. "What a gyp! The best toy of all and its damn batteries run out or whatever! Oh, and great!" Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the cemetery. "Those two friends of yours got away. So I guess I'm left with a load of garbage, huh?"

Teal kicked at Floyd again, sending him rolling dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. His head slumped to face it and saw the sharp rocks and swimming Guardians.

 _Oh no…_

Teal seemed to have the same idea as Floyd, pressing her foot against his side and getting ready to kick off. "Rules are rules—we each landed a hit on each other—so we both get one last question. What is a Hacker doing with some normal Crafters? Or are all of you Silver Intent people Hackers?"

Floyd tried to turn his head to look at her, but he couldn't even muster up that much strength. "I… I didn't know I _was_ one…" He admitted. He hoped Cara and Soul got away and that they'd keep out of Teal's sight. Even if he was about to die, he didn't feel as scared as he should have. If anything, he felt relieved that he had been able to protect his friends. He didn't have to watch them die.

Teal seemed to accept the answer as she readied to roll Floyd over the side. "Now, what's your last question?"

Floyd didn't think it mattered, but there was one more thing he wanted to know from the Lieutenant. One thing that he could roll around in his head during the fall and while the Guardians swarmed and killed him.

"…Why?"

"Hmm?"

"…Why work for the Endward Cult?" He elaborated, wanting to know what a person like Teal gained from siding with them. Why work for anyone when she was so strong?

"Isn't it obvious?" Floyd could hear the glee in her tone. "Life is just a game to me; a way to kill time. It's a way for me to enjoy myself and live life to the fullest." She tittered innocently. "And I've found that I feel most alive… when I'm _taking_ life away from others~!"

Floyd's eyes widened in fury. That was it? Her only reason was that it made her feel alive? She did it for that twisted rush of pleasure? That was just sick. She was sick!

Breaking Soul's limbs. Making Cara cry. Destroying Attila's community. Killing Void.

All of that supposedly made her feel alive? Was it all just a game to her!? Those were real people she hurt! Those were real lives she destroyed! And she didn't even care! The entire Endward Cult didn't care!

"I swear someone will stop you…" Floyd muttered. "Someone will slaughter you and the rest of your cult… And nobody will care when you're gone!"

"Wow, that's swell." Teal dismissed, not even listening to his last words. "Buh-bye~!"

And with that, she rolled him off the cliff and skipped away.

* * *

 **AN: 70 Chapters. (That's ten sevens by the way.)**

 **This Chapter, for me, kinda felt long when I was describing the combat. Teal's no slouch - she might even be the strongest Lieutenant - but you can only describe dodging and punching and kicking and missing so many times before it gets tiresome.**

 **This Chapter also marks the end of the Nitebane Arc. Which means it's back to Cobb in Ringwood. I can't really give you the name of the next Arc since it'll probably spoil something, but I'll think of something. This whole Arc in general was meant to talk about Floyd and Soul's problems, the history of Nitebane, the introduction of Teal, Attila's story, and other elements. For the eight chapters, I think it was pretty good.**

 **Omake below. See you in two weeks. Leave a review or a fav or a follow... but not a jelly donut! _Never_ a jelly donut. I hate jelly donuts.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

The Eastern Division

On the outskirts of Nitebane, a man with shaggy jet black hair and an eye patch stood perched upon a stone jut. His legs dangled over the side as he plucked at the string of his bow.

His one, blood red eye looked up to spot a band of approaching Griefers at least a mile away. Half of them rode on horseback. His head lolled to the side and he gave an exasperated huff before he lazily rose to his feet. He reached for an arrow and loaded his bow—a bow with every possible Enchantment. Power V, Punch II, Flame I, Infinity I, and Unbreaking III.

He counted them. Twenty in all. His eye narrowed slightly as he measured the distance, judged the correct angle, and took aim. The next instant, his pupil dilated as he launched an arrow. As soon as it left his finger tips, he loaded another one, and another one, and another one.

Forty times he shot. Two arrows per Griefer. None missed. The horses were left unharmed.

Abyssmal let loose a satisfied sigh as he sat back down and enjoyed the sunrise.

Just as he was beginning to consider taking a nap, the clatter of rock caught his attention. He leaned back, holding himself upside down and dangling by his legs as he aimed an arrow at the latest intruder.

"You've got me in your sights, don't stop now." A dull voice droned as he held his hands up. He had magenta hair and dead-looking eyes, giving off a world-weary look.

Abyssmal lowered his bow immediately. "Sorry, Mark. I saw you coming from a mile away, but I didn't think you'd get here so fast."

To answer, he held up a Potion of Swiftness.

"Right, right." Abyssmal, the Executive of the Eastern Division, nodded. He let go of the stone jut and flipped ungracefully, landing on both feet and an arm to steady himself. "So, how'd your mission go? Find a lot of danger at the Oceanic Museum?"

"Oh, yes." Lieutenant MarkAble commented dryly. "The one guard dog really got my heart pumping. And the security guard's snoring nearly shattered my eardrums." He shook his head jokingly. "I can't believe you gave me forty cultists for that mission. It's an Oceanic Museum. Security wouldn't be that bad."

"Yeah… see…" Abyssmal rubbed his head sheepishly. "I _may_ have only glanced at the order—"

"You can't be serious…"

"To be fair, I read the word 'museum' and 'steal' and figured it'd be a forty person heist."

"You should be the role model here, not me."

"Hey, if you wanna be a model to role, then I'd happily make you the Executive—"

"I didn't even want to be a Lieutenant!" Mark shouted, before taking a deep breath to lower his voice. "You know I'm only a Lieutenant because nobody else is willing to juggle the division's budget, paperwork, Head quotas, and less than competent leaders."

"Ouch…" Abyssmal winced before he let out a laugh. "Don't forget that you're the best guy at handling Teal."

"It's not easy." Mark nodded modestly, getting distracted by the praise. "She's always fixated on me no matter how many times…I…"

Mark suddenly blanched, feeling a shiver run up his spine. "She… uh… she's not coming to this meeting… right?"

Abyssmal didn't say anything, but the smile that stretched across his face was enough to make Mark recoil in horror.

"Oh, no…" Mark sounded sick as he whipped his head around, peeling back every stone for the slightest hint of blue. "Abyssmal, don't you dare stand there silently!" Mark shouted with the desperation of a dying man. Even then his eyes remained focused on his surroundings and he stood guarded and tense, Potions of Slowness at the ready. "If you see her, you tell me so I—"

A blue blur hurled itself down from atop a stone jut, heading straight for the magenta-haired Lieutenant.

"Mark~!" The voice sang flirtatiously as Lieutenant Teal clasped onto Mark. She maneuvered her body, expertly twisting around him to reduce her momentum, never unbalancing him, before her body came to rest on his front, arms and legs wrapped around him. "I missed you so so soooooo much~!"

"You're dead to me, Abyssmal." Mark deadpanned, even as Teal showered him with affection. "Dead to me."

"Oh, I was _so_ worried about you!" Teal looked agonized as she considered the thought of Mark getting injured. "All of those dangerous ocean fossils—"

"…Have you ever been to an Oceanic Museum?"

"—Alone and with nobody to support you—"

"There were literally forty cultists with me."

"Shush. Not another word." Teal quieted before she pressed her cheek against Mark's much to the latter's discomfort. "Your beloved Teal is here to make it all better~"

She rested her head against his chest, still trapping his arms to his side, but Mark had had enough. "Teal. Off." He twisted in place and tried to shake her loose, but the blue-nette wasn't letting go. "Teal, come on. You're light, but I can't see in front of me."

Teal spun around Mark's body, resting against his back. Her arms and legs remained wrapped around him lovingly.

"That's not what I meant. I need my arms free."

Teal smirked as she moved her mouth next to his ear. "I'll free your arms," she whispered lasciviously, "but only if you do something _special_ for me with them~"

"And that's crossing the line!" Mark's voice cracked as he violently shook Teal off of him and pushed her away for good measure. Teal didn't mind, giggling as she bounced off the ground and onto her feet. Mark desperately tried to contain the blush spreading across his face.

"You don't know how lucky you are, Mark." The Executive said before his voice took on a suave tone. "Hey, Teal. If you're looking for a _hands-on_ relationship, then I'm your—"

Teal looked at him balefully. "I don't care for Cyclopes."

Abyssmal let out an exaggerated sob while Mark debated gouging his own eye out to keep Teal back. Even if he could, he ultimately decided against it.

"Fucking Mark…" Abyssmal cried. "He's got a gorgeous woman with the hots for him and what does he do? Not have sex with her. It's like watching a bird refuse to fly. Or a rabbit… refusing to mate with another rabbit. It isn't fair, damnit!"

"You're right, it isn't fair." Teal agreed, causing Mark to groan into his hands. "But it's fine. I never lose. And I'm nothing if not persistent." Teal winked in Mark's direction, her blue eyes glittering playfully.

"…I'm gonna rescue myself from this awkwardness and ask that we report on our missions already." Mark spoke stiffly.

"You got it~!" Teal giggled as she took her favorite seat atop Mark's shoulders. "The High-Moon Tombs were a total bust!—" Teal stopped herself before amending her statement. "I mean, I had fun of course, but the tomb you had me check was empty. Nothing there but a stone altar."

Abyssmal smirked, confusing the blue-nette. "That's _exactly_ what we were hoping for." Teal couldn't understand what a random altar told him, but by the way the Executive looked, it was something pleasing. However, his expression soured a second later. "Er… what happened to the nine cultists I sent with you."

"They kinda sorta maybe… dead." The dark-haired Executive groaned, the action being the closest he could come to expressing sympathy for the deceased. "But! They were killed by an upstart anti-cult group calling themselves the Silver Intent."

"Great. As if we didn't already have the Paragons to worry about. Now this."

"Eh, they're not _that_ tough." Teal shrugged.

Mark's ears perked, even as he was being used as Teal's comfy chair. "Don't you mean, they _weren't_ that tough? You killed them all, right?"

Teal scratched her head sheepishly. "Two of them… kinda escaped." Abyssmal and Mark facepalmed.

"So they know who you are." The Executive spoke harshly. "Your identity is out now. And this… Silver Intent group knows it."

"Yeeeeeaaaaah…"

"Should I buy you the bullseye tunic now, or later?"

"Hey, it's not like anyone can stop me. If anything, I'll be stopping them." Teal grinned as she spun her special leather cap around her finger. "And if it grants me some more _ambitious_ toys… I wouldn't complain."

"Did you at least learn anything about them?" Abyssmal rubbed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to take a nap.

Teal nodded happily. "I got enough to know they're no real threat. Especially since I killed their strongest ally~" She sing-songed, not giving away the juicier details.

"You should have sent _her_ the forty cultists." Mark droned earning a chiding poke from the blue-nette. "My mission went off without a hitch. You mind?" Teal leaned to the side so that he could reach his backpack. The golden armor he withdrew gleamed from the rising sun. "This gear was probably the museum's most expensive stuff. Aqua Affinity, Depth Strider, and Respiration. All at the highest tier. Everything you need to raid that Monument."

"Ah, I thought we'd discuss that little snag." Abyssmal began delicately, even as Mark's eyes widened. "I was hoping—"

"No."

"—that you could—"

"No."

"—take the gear yourself—"

"Nuh-uh."

"—and plumb that Monument—"

"Not gonna do it."

"—for what we need."

"I have paperwork waiting."

"I'll do it for you."

"It's _already_ your paperwork. Yours and Teal's."

"Mark, just do it. Please?" He added when it looked like another denial was coming.

Mark sighed and glanced aside, turning his head against Teal's thigh. "I—there's gonna be Guardians shooting off laser beams. I'm as tough as a limp noodle." He didn't say no. "I can't search it alone."

"I'll go with you then~"

"I can search it alone."

"Awww, come on, Mark~!" Teal tittered before leaning upside-down to stare Mark in the eye. "Just think; you and me. On a mission. Together~"

"I can definitely search it alone! Please don't send her with me!" Mark begged, gripping Abyssmal by his shirt. "My heart wouldn't be able to handle it!"

"You'll be fine. An outing with Teal won't kill you." The Executive dismissed much to Teal's joy and Mark's abject horror. "You might even enjoy yourself."

"Hooray!" Teal somersaulted off of Mark and leapt with delight. "Mark and I, together on a mission! Dreams _do_ come true!"

"You can thank me later." Abyssmal whispered to the dejected and hunched over Mark. "It's my responsibility to be the wingman to the sexually inexperienced juniors, such as yourself."

"…Dead to meeee…"

"Oh, we're gonna have so much fun~!" Teal continued to gush, falling to her knees to hug the hunched over Lieutenant. "I got so many games planned, and we'll probably have to _sleep together_ while we camp. Hmhmm~"

Mark whined into the ground while Teal cuddled him gently, whispering suggestive and flirty comments that he couldn't repeat in mixed company.

His division was the worst, sometimes.

* * *

 **AN: Light-hearted Omake after Heavy-hearted Chapter.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	71. Not Fine

**AN: This just in: A Chapter!**

 **People were upset that I didn't post last week. Sorry, but I had things going on. Even if you plan to post a chapter a week, you can never plan for things. Things always sneak up on you and jump you when you least expect it. It's like 'Whaaa!? Things!?'**

 **So, yeah, things.**

 **Anyway, I'm wishing some of you would actually read these Author's Notes to get a sense of when the next chapter is coming out, buuut I'm already forcing you to read my lame-ass story, so asking you to read the little blurbs in-between that talk about my boring life is probably asking too much.**

 **In other news, I'm going to be answering any questions in the reviews for this Chapter, because it's been a while since I've done that... I think? So, if you have any questions or concerns, leave a review and I'll try to answer it... without giving spoilers. Because, spoilers are bad. Also I may not have plotted the story that far out yet. But mostly for the first reason. Around 49% for the first reason.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add sticky notes.

Beta: Myself (Sorry Void)

* * *

Chapter 71

 **Not Fine**

[Cara]

Part of me wished I was dead.

And, yeah, that sounds pretty stupid considering everything I lived through, but it was how I felt. Didn't matter that I had avoided Hackers, Mobs, Griefers, Cultists, sewers, and tragedy. _And_ Teal_Larkspur, who was worse than all those things put together.

Didn't matter that I escaped with an unconscious Soul by burying ourselves in an occupied grave. It should have mattered, since I pretty much saved his life. I fought to save his life, dragging him away through the turmoil and haze of pain.

I saved a life…

By dooming two more.

Void_Dweller. Killed by my own damn arrows. Flawwed_Floyd. Tossed into Guardian-infested waters. He wasn't even moving when she rolled him off that cliff. Probably had his spine snapped.

But their blood may as well have been on my hands. I chose to continue the mission… because I wanted to know more about the Endward Cult. We could have just gone home. And everyone would still be alive.

But instead, I sat in that grave, on the remains of some Crafter, waiting for the sounds of _that woman_ to fade.

I shook Soul awake and he immediately noticed our missing member.

He demanded we search the cliffs, and I was too defeated to argue. I pretty much let him lead us, not having the energy to argue or make a decision.

It was pretty clear where _my_ decisions had gotten us.

So, we scaled the cliffs the entire day, searching for any sign that Floyd survived. And as our search became increasingly fruitless, Soul became increasingly angry and irrational. By noon, he was convinced that if he jumped off the cliff, he would end up where Floyd was.

Only then did I make a decision to stop him. And only because I couldn't stand to lose someone else.

Soul had realized how foolish he was being… and he was ultimately forced to accept—as I had when I first saw it—that Floyd was dead.

The sharp rocks. The fall. The Guardians. The water. Any of them could have killed him. Especially with how motionless he was.

Teal wouldn't have tossed him off if she thought he could survive. When she wanted someone dead…

I just had to think of Attila's community or all those Griefers… or Void.

So Floyd was dead.

Floyd… was… dead.

And it was those words that kept playing back in my mind as we left Nitebane, defeated and broken.

Soul remained silent the entire trip, his axe slipping from his loose grip every so often. Any attempt at making plans on how to leave the Kingdom or avoid bands of Griefers… I just didn't care.

Anything—even a lowly Zombie—could have killed us.

But, by some small chance, we made it out alive. Those badlands were behind us, and we were traveling by boat up the river into Daymonte. Homeward bound.

It was at that time that I finally realized what that meant.

Cobb had asked I kept Floyd safe. Cobb was waiting in Ringwood for his friend.

' _Don't worry. I'll make sure to fix things with him…with both of them…somehow. Leader's promise._ '

I had covered my eyes as a fresh wave of guilt swallowed me up. _Leader's promise_ , I thought bitterly as I bit the inside of my cheek.

Cobb had counted on me to keep Floyd safe. He had spoken his mind to me. Voiced his concerns over the Silver Intent and its influence on the blue-nette. He had… he had tried to be supportive to me. Tried to encourage me I could do it. That I could be a leader.

And… and just the thought of his face when he'd find out…

I-I couldn't…

I couldn't face that look.

I would have rather been choked by Teal than face that look— _imagining_ that look was enough to wish I were dead. What would facing him actually feel like!?

It had to be worse. It could only be worse.

I wanted to die. I wished it were me. I desperately begged that I could go back and fix it all—give up _my_ life so that Floyd and Void could live! It was my fault they were dead anyway!

Never had those thoughts been louder than when I was within Ringwood's walls. The Silver Intent Headquarters. Reporting stiffly to Brett, only for him to disregard Floyd's death.

And then _he_ walked in.

"C-Cobb. You… you're back."

Any hope I had that he wouldn't ask for Floyd died an ugly death when I noticed his emerald eyes sweep across the room.

"Where's Floyd?"

My insides twisted and I had to look away. I was too weak to face him. And Soul, seeing my turmoil, stepped forward to answer.

"Floyd's dead."

Straight and to the point. Soul didn't beat around the bush.

Still, the bluntness he used to deliver the news caused Cobb to stagger back, as if he had been pushed. His eyes looked unfocused and he held out a hand to brace himself against the wall. His legs trembled, but didn't buckle.

"…What?" He croaked, barely moving his mouth. "He's… how did…?"

"He was murdered." Brett brushed past me to explain. "Shoved off a cliff by an Endward Cult Lieutenant. I'm sorry for your loss." He added, nodding solemnly.

"But… th-that's not…" Cobb steadied himself, taking deep breaths. "He said he… he was only replacing a banner. How—?"

"Things… happened." Soul attempted to explain, not really sure where to start.

"He… No!" Cobb pushed off the wall, stomping forward. "If he's really dead, show me his Head. That's the only way to prove it."

Soul shook his head somberly. "We searched those cliffs from top to bottom, Cobb. There wasn't anything left of him, and if there was, it was carried to the bottom of the—"

"Then he's not dead!" Cobb shouted in Soul's face, the axe-wielder not even bothering to step away. "He wouldn't die that easily! He's fought worse! I should know!" Cobb's voice got choked up near the end.

Every word he spoke was just another nail in my heart. I slowly turned my gaze up, willing myself to face him. I had no right to hide behind Soul after what I'd done.

"Cobb… I… I'm so sorry…"

He didn't seem to have heard me as he clenched his fists in frustration. "How… How could this…"

"Floyd he… I did everything I could, you have to believe me." I reached out a hand to touch his arm, only for him to slap it away.

His emerald eyes narrowed to thin slits as he took a step away from me. The look of betrayal on his face tore at me. "How could you have let this happen?"

My eyes widened and I shook my head, begging him to understand. "I-I—"

"You said you could handle this!" He gnashed his teeth together and pointed accusingly at me. "I _TRUSTED_ YOU!"

Tears pooled in both our eyes, and I could only stare blankly at him. "I… I…"

"You're no leader!" Cobb spat. "Leaders are supposed to look after their people. Wynn told you that! But you…" He stepped forward, grabbing a fistful of my tank top and bringing his face close to mine. "You're NOTHING like Wynn! She would have gotten everyone back here… or would have died trying! SO WHERE'S MY FRIEND!?"

He jerked me by my tank top, forcing Soul and Brett to pull him off. It was at that time that my legs gave out and I slumped to the ground. Tears slid down my face and dripped onto the floor as Soul spun Cobb around.

"It's not her fault, Cobb!" He shouted over Cobb's attempts to escape his grip. "She didn't do anything wrong!"

"She did _everything_ wrong!" Cobb yelled, shoving Soul off of him. "If she couldn't even keep her promises… than she should never have come back!"

I shut my eyes, accepting his caustic remarks. It was what I deserved. I was a failure as a leader and a friend. People were dead because of me. And those were irreparable mistakes.

"…If you say that again, I'll break your goddamn jaw." Soul threatened lowly, his eyes deadly serious. "Apologize, right now, or I swear I'll—"

"No, Soul…" I choked out between sobs. "He's… he's right. I deserve it. All of it… and then some." I looked up, locking gazes with Cobb. "He… he saved our lives. Floyd." Cobb's face twisted with some unknown emotion as he listened. "Teal had us. We would've died… but he saved us." I wiped my nose along my arm as more and more tears gushed forth. "He gave his life for us… and I let him down."

Every word was ladled with remorse, cracking slightly as I fought for the words. He needed to understand how sorry I was. He needed to.

"You… you should hate me even more." I sobbed. "I-I wish it were _me_ that fell off that cliff."

"Stop!" Cobb's eyes scrunched up in disgust and he took a step back. "I… I can't hear this anymore!" He turned on his heel and ran towards the ladder, trying to get as far away from the news as possible.

"Hey!" Soul shouted, taking a step to follow, but then realizing he didn't know what to say to him. The end of Cobb's hoodie disappeared up the ladder, leaving Brett, Soul, and I alone once more.

I stared at the spot Cobb disappeared, my cheeks slicked with tears. His reaction to the news… it was worse than I feared. And that made it hurt even more.

It was a wonder Soul, who had known Floyd for much longer, could handle the grief as well as he did. Even with ten days to cope, he must have felt something for the blue-nette. Or was their friendship too far gone for that?

Soul's gaze drifted to me, trying to convey something, before he walked out of the room. However, at the doorsill, he stopped himself. "It's not your fault." He spoke without turning. Though it was fairly obvious whom he was talking to. "Teal did this. Her… and…" He trailed off in a whisper, making me unable to catch the rest of it, before he stalked away and up the ladder.

"Quite a loss, we've had." Brett spoke up after keeping quiet for so long. I had almost forgotten he was there, though his words only reminded me of my failure as a leader. He moved to the left side of the room and placed some signs down.

It was a small mercy that the silver-haired man didn't ask me to leave. There, I could cry all I wanted, just to get it off my chest, and he wouldn't think anything less of me.

But I wasn't going to cry anymore. There was something else I needed to do though. Something to get off my chest.

I dried my face with my tank top, took a shaky sniffle, and stood up straight. "Brett," I choked out, having difficulty controlling my voice. "Brett."

The silver-haired man silently turned to face me after scribbling something down in a book.

"I… I don't want to be a leader anymore." My eyes bore into the ground, expressionless and empty, not wanting to lock eyes with him. "I… I don't deserve to lead after a failure like this."

I didn't have what it took to be a leader. Certainly not one like Captain Wynn. Cobb had been right. She wouldn't have lost any of her men if she were leading the mission. She would have valued the lives of her people more than some information, no matter how valuable it was. A Crafter's life just wasn't something you could sacrifice.

"A failure?" Brett scoffed. "Cara, your mission was a resounding success!"

My eyes widened, though my gaze was kept locked onto the ground.

 _…_ _What did he just say?_

"True, we lost Floyd and Void," Brett continued while strolling over to the Minecraftia map posted on the wall. "But we were able to find out a Lieutenant's identity. This Teal_Larkspur may have slain those two, but I'd like to see how she fares when all of Minecraftia knows of her association with the cult."

 _…'_ _Those two'?_

I felt my fists tighten at the casual way he talked about their deaths.

"We also now know where the Eastern Division is operating from." He boasted triumphantly, taking a jab at the Oak Docks section of the map. "So much useful intel… and on top of that, you completed your mission! With flying colors, I daresay."

 _Flying colors… he'd call two deaths flying colors?_

As I tilted my head up, I was sure my face would look like it was carved from stone. "What about Floyd?" I asked tonelessly.

"What about him?" Brett dismissed it with a casual wave. "Sacrifices aren't uncommon in war. I won't fault you for it, considering how much we got in return." Brett continued to talk as I circled around the desk. "Soul will only fight harder against the cult considering how many friends he's lost—"

*SLAP*

I slapped him across the face as hard as I could. It sent Brett staggering back, where he banged his leg against the corner of the desk and fell in a heap. The silver-haired man's eyes were wide with bewilderment as he glanced at my raised hand and the look of disgust adorning my face.

"Don't." I threatened lowly, taking a step towards him as if to slap him again. "Don't talk about them so callously."

He rubbed his face and eyed me warily before picking himself up. He wisely chose to remain silent, however.

"…I'm done being a leader." I said without an ounce of hesitance. "I failed this mission, no matter how much _you_ got out of it." I spat out those words in revulsion before storming out of the room.

As I slammed the door behind me, I heard Brett utter a parting remark.

" _Far_ too emotional."

* * *

[Wynn]

"You're certain?" Despite my forced composure, a bit of eagerness slipped free. "It's actually… it's coming?"

Captain Iron_Lung nodded. "YOU BET! THE TESTIFICATES SAID AS MUCH—OH! BUT KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT! I WANT IT TO BE A SURPRISE FOR KING MILES!"

 _Then maybe you shouldn't be shouting it in the most echo-carrying part of the whole Palace._ I wanted to say. But I was too excited over the news.

After so many years, it was finally happening.

A Bounty Day.

In Minecraftia, there was a multitude of Mobs, animals, items, enchantments, potions, etc.

But it wasn't always like that. According to the Testificates who had lived long before the First 100 spawned, there were times when iron golems didn't exist. Times when their villages were overrun with monsters. Times when horses couldn't be found anywhere in Minecraftia.

All the things Crafters enjoyed today, were absent to the Testificates during those times. And the only reason things had changed, was because of the Bounty Days.

They were days in which a mysterious tremor would shake the earth. Call it a shockwave or a pulse, but whatever it was, it brought with it a whole new bundle of things. Both good _and_ bad.

One Bounty Day brought with it Witches, bats, and Testificates being infected by Zombies. It was terrifying for them to watch their own people turn into monsters and lose their sense of self. But that same Bounty Day introduced the Testificates to potatoes and carrots. New crops to join their wheat fields.

That being said, after the First 100 spawned, there hadn't been a Bounty Day for some time. They were often sporadic; the last one occurred, oddly enough, the day the First 100 spawned.

Testificates explained the phenomenon to Crafters—who were initially skeptical—about the Bounty Days, and they've been under debate for hundreds of years. Eventually, Crafters realized that the introduction of new Minecraftia items and entities _had_ to be true, given the Testificate villages, mineshafts, and temples scattered throughout Minecraftia. Since the Testificates couldn't build things like Crafters, they couldn't have made the villages or temples.

Meaning that something _else_ made them. And it had been theorized that the Bounty Days were responsible, and quite real.

Upon realizing the significance of such events, the Kingdoms unanimously agreed to reserve a day in which those pulses shook the earth and introduced new things to Minecraftia. Crafters could use the time to experience the new changes, learn from them, or defend themselves from them, if they turned out to be a threat.

Testificates would always be able to sense the tremors a week in advance—much like how they sense weather—and warn Crafters.

And after 500 years of waiting, a Bounty Day had finally come.

It was my first, and that was saying something considering how long I've been around. Part of me worried about what dangerous Mobs and items it would bring…

But another part was excited over the prospect. New items, maybe new weapons. New potions or enchantments. New foods. New blocks. New… new!

And it was an even newer experience for Crafters. This would be their first time experiencing a Bounty Day. Most of them wouldn't know how to react. _I_ didn't even know how to react.

"I think," I spoke in an even tone, "I think we should announce it."

"WHAT!?" Iron_Lung whispered, blowing out my eardrums. "BUT I WANT IT TO BE A SURPRISE!"

"It's already going to be a surprise, Iron_Lung." I shook my head with a laugh. "It's going to be a surprise for everybody. It's only fair we tell them. Oh, actually…" I started pacing the floor, flipping the hair out of my eyes. "There's so much to do. I didn't even realize. We have to make the announcement and reserve the day next week—that means canceling His Eminence's meetings and charity events. Come to think of it, it will be as if the entire Kingdom is on holiday." I paled, speaking faster as I continued to pace.

"Everyone will be given the day off to enjoy the Bounty Day. That means nobody will be working. Stores will be shut down, the Kingdoms imports and exports will be on hold. That could back things up—and Princess Deo!" I slapped a hand to my forehead. "She was going to the theater next week! And those tickets are non-refundable and-and-and—!"

"WYNN!" Iron_Lung whispered soothingly, startling me from my rant. "YOU'RE TURNING INTO ERIN WITH ALL YOUR WORRYING! RELAX! LET MY TENDER VOICE SOOTHE YOU!"

Oddly enough, I was a lot calmer hearing him shout. I made sure to take a few steadying breaths as I thought things out. One at a time.

"Thank you, Iron_Lung." I nodded respectfully. "Anyway… we should tell His Eminence. Even with a week to prepare, this Bounty Day is bound to be exhausting."

"TO BE FAIR, MINECRAFTIA HAS BEEN WAITING 500 YEARS FOR THIS!" Iron_Lung blared. "WE SHOULD BE MORE THAN PREPARED!"

"I don't think anyone considered one would actually happen." I folded my arms, thinking it over.

 _Why now of all times? The Testificates said sporadic, but 500 years is far too long. Something must have happened recently to trigger a Bounty Day._

 _But what could do such a thing?_

 _Maybe whatever brought upon during the Bounty Day could shed some light on it._

"EITHER WAY," Iron_Lung turned with a spring in his step, "MY NETHER EXPEDITION IS GOING TO NEED A RAINCHECK. BECAUSE NEXT WEEK, I'M ENJOYING THE BOUNTY!"

I waved goodbye to the veteran Captain and left the Palace. There'd be a lot of work over the next few days, and I'd need my rest to be ready for it.

As I descended the steps of the plateau, I couldn't help the eager smile slipping onto my face. Passing guards eyed me warily, wondering why a regal Captain such as myself was smiling.

 _Wait until Erin and Cobb hear about this._

* * *

[Luis]

"Any sign of him yet?"

"Not since you asked five minutes ago, no." Luis sighed as he peered down at the row of mansions.

The Northern District housed some of the richest, most influential Crafters in Ringwood. Green-capped guards surrounded the entrances to the walled off district with orders to keep criminals and riff-raff out.

But when two companions of the person we were ordered to track walked past the guards and into the Northern District—as if it were nothing—we just had to follow.

It was obvious that Lenzington and ErinRunner were friends of King_Cobb. And Carys had asked us to find out everything about him, friends, allies, and habits included.

Why? I had no idea.

But ever since we lost sight of Cobb, those two had been our only lead. We had to scale the Northern District's wall just to slip past the guards. After watching Lenz and Erin (the latter being carried by the former) enter one of the mansions, Wing and I had taken a vantage point atop a different mansion several rows away.

And now, we waited—some of us more patiently than others—for either Cobb to show up or for Lenz or Erin to leave.

"Mind if I make idle chat?" Wing asked as he lay against the roof.

"You're going to do that anyway, so sure." There was no harm in passing the time. I just wished he would focus on the mansion. Carys was counting on us for this mission.

"Why are we out here spying on some random Crafters when, at this moment, Carys is probably launching Operation: Overshadow?"

I sighed wearily. He was still upset about that, and for good reason. Ever since he heard of Overshadow, he had been working twice as hard, intent on proving himself. And then to be relegated to such a trivial mission, it was understandable for him to feel cheated.

"Maybe they're not just some random Crafters." I tried to stress how important our mission was. "If they live in the Northern District, they could be important to Ringwood in some way."

"He didn't look too important." Wing dismissed, thinking of our encounter with King_Cobb. "Hell, he seemed like your average guy. Why on earth would Carys want us to spy on him?"

"Who knows." I said. The edge of my lips quirked up. "Are you intending on voicing your protests to Carys?"

"Uh, _no_. I happen to value my life." Wing shot back with folded arms. "It's just… she doesn't usually have us spy on people. What's so different about _him_?"

"That's what we're here to find out." I replied. "Perhaps he is someone of great potential and Carys wishes to recruit him. Perhaps he is a cultist, or—I daresay—a Lieutenant, and Carys wants to keep tabs on him."

Wing hummed at both ideas, clearly not convinced. "I don't see him on the same level as 4Blite."

"Perhaps his unassuming disposition is precisely what allows him to avoid detection." I suggested, trying to keep an open mind. "Nobody expects a doofus to be a cultist in disguise. The Executives could be employing a similar tactic, considering how long their identities have evaded us."

Wing opened his mouth to retort, only for a loud banging to be heard beneath us. We instantly rose to our feet and readied our weapons, pointing them directly below.

"I swear I hear something up there!" A cranky voice sounded from below, followed by more banging. Like the handle of a shovel was jabbing at the roof. "Either we have a bat infestation, or they're some fiddlers on the roof!"

Wing and I exchanged looks as the loud banging continued. When it stopped, and there was a moment of silence, Wing cupped his hands over his mouth, and…

…

…

"Squeak squeak!" He did his best bat imitation, raising his voice several octaves.

He let out several more squeaks before going silent. "Damn bats!" The cranky voice shouted from below. "I'm getting an exterminator first thing tomorrow."

As the voice grew softer and softer, Wing and I let out a sigh of relief. We decided to speak a little more quietly to avoid further problems.

It was getting dark when I finally spotted Cobb walking down the street. I tugged on Wing's jeans, letting him know our target had arrived.

"So he does live here." Wing whispered, watching as the brown-haired Cobb hobbled across the well-kept lawn into the mansion Lenz and Erin had entered. "He's swaying a lot—is he drunk?"

"Hard to tell." He was swaying a bit, but it didn't look like he was inebriated. It was more like he was exhausted and had trouble walking. "Maybe he had a long day?"

"With all the emeralds he racked up at that auction house, I'd have to agree." Oh, yes. We had witnessed how excited he and his companions had been when that grass block sold. That had been theirs.

More importantly, however, I had witnessed the jealous glances the hired muscle and auctioneers shot their way. Grass blocks sold fast. So much so that the Silk Touch Enchantment used to collect them was held in high esteem. A goldmine at one's fingertips. Emeralds flowing more freely than water.

Surely that auction house would do _anything_ to possess a Silk Touch enchanted tool. And if Cobb and his companions had one…

It gave me an idea on how to test Cobb's combat ability.

"We know where he lives." I said, as I stood up. Wing got up to do the same, but I held an arm out to stop him. "Wait here. I'm going to… _instigate_ … a little confrontation for Cobb. With any luck, it should happen tonight. Watch that mansion, and make sure you get a good view of the fight that follows."

Wing raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "I'll keep hidden. But won't you be here to watch too?"

"Not exactly." I patted the dust off of my clothes and walked to the edge of the roof. "I'll be at the Hall of Records to find out Cobb's number. Maybe something about Flawwed_Floyd while I'm at it."

"Crappy job for me again." Wing huffed with folded arms. "I just hope I get to see a good fight."

 _That depends on how well the auction house's hired muscle can fight._ I thought to myself while adjusting my glasses.

"I'll meet you back at the Inn tomorrow morning. _Be careful_." I warned before hopping down off the roof.

Carys was counting on us.

I'd make sure the report was so thorough it would have things even King_Cobb didn't know about himself.

* * *

[Wynn]

When I returned to my home, I was eager to share the news of the Bounty Day. Cobb, Erin, and even Lenz, I guess, since he was there. Eh… Anyway, I was excited to let them know.

I was expecting Erin to be busy making dinner, Lenz to be reading on the couch, and Cobb to be doing… whatever wacky thing Cobb does.

Instead, I was greeted by the sight of a red-faced Erin, lying on the couch, with Lenz standing over her and fanning her with his book. Cobb remained out of sight.

"…Erin, I thought I could leave you in charge." I said sarcastically, finding it funny how Erin immediately snapped to attention as if she were never passed out on the couch.

"M-miss Whispers! I—Ah! Dinner! Oh no, I completely forgot, what with the chores and the moment with Cobb and—tee hee, _Cobb_ —I mean, _not_ tee hee! Never tee hee! Purely professional! No explicit relations at all! I didn't kill a furnace!"

I blinked at her nonsensical rant. "Good to see you too, Erin."

Erin quickly shuffled to the kitchen, face red and embarrassed, as she stiffly prepared dinner.

"Remarkable." Lenz commented. "I had been trying to wake her for quite some time. Yet you have managed it within seconds of entering your home. Quite impressive."

"Do you know why she was passed out?" I asked before my eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Was she exhausted because you and Cobb slacked off on your chores?"

Lenz looked affronted. "For your information, we performed our tasks admirably… except maybe for expanding the pond—but the rest was fine!"

I rolled my eyes before taking a glance around the room. "And Cobb? He's here, right?"

Lenz nodded. "He walked in a few minutes ago. Came in and then walked out into the backyard. Actually," he tapped his chin, "maybe he went to finish expanding the pond? Anyway, he was nice enough to give me the guest room tonight."

I hummed at the suggestion before taking a better look around the room. "Well, everything isn't on fire or screaming," she nodded appreciatively, "so I guess I can leave you two alone from now on."

"Why thank you—buh, hey!"

"D-dinner's ready!" Erin called out as she finished cooking potatoes and chicken. "Get it while it's hot."

"Here, let me help you set the table." Lenz offered, grabbing the potatoes and passing them around.

While they worked on that, I set my trusty rapier down at the door and walked into the backyard. True to their word, the pond had been expanded properly. And it looked like the other chores had been completed too.

But there was still no Cobb.

The backyard was lit up fairly well, so there weren't many places to hide. "Cobb?" I called out, wondering if the fisherman had snuck out or something.

I walked around, checking behind bushes and peering into the pond. Still no sign of Cobb or his white hoodie.

"Cobb, I swear if you jump out to scare me I will slap you."

I took another look around before my eyes focused on the outhouse. The door was open just a fraction and I could see a bit of white cloth poking out.

"There you are." I smiled, walking over to the outhouse. "You can use the inside bathroom, you know. This outhouse is just for show."

My tone wasn't too strict, yet there were no sounds coming from the outhouse.

I let out a sigh, thinking this was another one of Cobb's quirky habits. "Thanks for doing the chores." I started. "I was half worried you'd try mowing the lawn and somehow get Ringwood involved in a Hacker war." I attempted to joke.

The outhouse remained silent.

It was then that my smile began to weaken. "Alright, come on out Cobb. Dinner's ready. Erin made baked potatoes and chicken." I called out temptingly. "It's probably delicious."

Cobb loved food, so I was hoping that would get a response. But he just remained silent. And I knew he was actually in there because I heard faint movement against wood and saw the white hoodie shift slightly.

It was then that I began to get annoyed. It wasn't just the dinner I wanted Cobb to attend. The Bounty Day was news I wanted to share over the table, with everyone present. I wanted to see Erin's surprised stutters and Cobb's eyes wide with innocent wonderment. He always loved learning about new things in Minecraftia so I figured he'd love hearing about the Bounty Day.

But he just sat in that outhouse, quieter than I've ever seen him.

"Alright, Cobb. Stay in there if you want." I called out, as I pretended to leave. "I guess you don't want any of that delicious, mouth-watering food." I called out even louder, hoping he'd take the bait and come rushing out.

"I'm not hungry."

The words were very faint, as if whispered, but I heard them. And I couldn't believe I heard them. Cobb loved food, and was always praising Erin for her cooking. For him to say he wasn't hungry was like Captain Iron_Lung saying he didn't like to shout.

It tripped me up, both verbally and physically. "Oh… well… I-I wasn't serious." I explained, taking a step toward the wooden outhouse. "The food isn't going anywhere… and Erin could just reheat it if—"

*sniff*

My eyes widened as I caught that tiny noise. A small sniffle. And it was coming from the outhouse.

Concern welled up within as I knocked on the outhouse door. "Cobb?" I questioned in a gentle tone. "Is everything all right? Are you cry—?"

"I'm fine." Cobb called out faintly, just as I was about to open the outhouse door. "I'm… fine."

 _That doesn't sound fine._ I thought, taking notice of how choked up he sounded. I reached out a hand and gripped the door before slowly opening it.

Inside was Cobb, curled up, with his face buried in his knees. He didn't even respond to the creaking of the opening door.

I instantly knew something was wrong. Cobb had never looked so small before. I quickly knelt down and patted him along the back. "What is it, Cobb? What's wrong?"

There was a faint sniffle as he shook his head, still burying it within his knees. "It's nothing. I'm fine." He mumbled into his jeans, sounding less convincing by the second.

"It's not nothing." I reasoned slowly, taking the time to sit besides Cobb. I stayed outside the outhouse, given how cramped it was. "You wouldn't be like this if it were nothing." I continued in a gentle tone, trying to coax him into explaining why he was crying. "So what's wrong?"

Cobb sniffled into his jeans before tilting his head to look at me. His emerald eyes were red and there was a spot on his jeans soaked with tears.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." I said comfortingly, rubbing a spot along his back. His eyes darted for a second before he took a shaky breath of air.

"I-I… I went to see Floyd today." He began slowly. His eyes were locked onto the walls of the outhouse. "He… he was supposed to be back from his mission by now."

I watched him carefully, even though internally I worried if something might have happened to Floyd. That was Cobb's friend, the one who served as his lawyer—and irritated me—to get him out of jail time.

So… was Cobb sad because he found out that Floyd…

"…None of them have made it back yet." Cobb sniffled, keeping his eyes fixed on the walls. "Floyd, Soul, and Cara aren't back yet. Brett said it was normal… but… but I can't help but worry."

I inwardly let out a great sigh of relief. I was glad that the problem wasn't as bad as I thought. "Oh, Cobb." In a surprising display of compassion, I brought my arms around his curled up form and hugged him. "Being worried about your friends… it's completely normal. I'd be worried too if my guards were out there."

Cobb nodded against my arms, taking another deep sniffle.

"But, you also know how tough Floyd can be." I reasoned. "So nobody but you would know just how strong he is. Do you think he's weak?" He shook his head. "Then I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just run into a bit of trouble and is eager to get back here."

Cobb let loose a choked sob before nodding again.

"And I bet Soul and Cara are rushing to get back too. Cara said she'd be a responsible leader, right?"

Cobb's grip tightened along my back.

"I'm sure they'll all be back soon. Maybe even by tomorrow." I suggested, patting his head. "And you'll think back to this moment… and realize how silly you were worrying."

Cobb took another sniffle. "Y-yeah." He choked out. "They're… probably fine."

I separated us, and looked into Cobb's face. He wiped the tears from his eyes and gave me a wistful smile. He was still pretty upset. Floyd must have been a really important friend to him.

"Come on." I helped him up and out of the outhouse. "It's cold out here, and Erin has a delicious dinner waiting."

Cobb nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the ground, even as I led him back to the mansion.

"You'll be fine, right?" I asked, checking the fisherman one last time before opening the back door. Erin would overly fuss over him if she saw him crying.

He nodded sadly.

"Yeah. I'm… I'm fine."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 6 Coal, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 9 Grass Blocks, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 12 Cookies, 24 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 7 Rotten Flesh, 21 Emeralds, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 59 Redstone, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Carrot, 32 Steak, 13 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 20 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: Cobb be lying. He not fine... ing? Bad at rhyming. Good with timing!**

 **This Chapter was actually shorter than I thought it'd be. Sucks for you guys, since there's less content, but it reminded me of how much shit I need to set up and get back to.**

 **1.) I need to talk about the Silver Intent and how they're doing.**

 **2.) I need to talk about how Carys and the Paragons are doing and remind everyone that Cobb is being spied upon.**

 **3.) I need to talk about what Cobb is going through after hearing the news that his first friend is _dead_ and write it in a natural way that's at the same time memorable so that people can actually remember and relate to it. GEEZ!**

 **4.) Oh, and the Bounty Day. Minecraft going from 1.8 to 1.9.**

 **I can imagine a lot of people are going to be happy to hear that. In hindsight, I should have planned the world out from the start in which Bounty Days were already pre-existing. Like the world was constanly updating over 500 years. Due to writing's sake, I had to explain it in a slightly different way. Something caused the Bounty Days to stop, according to the Testificates, and now they're starting again for some reason. A reason that I actually cleverly made for myself. Thanks Brain!**

 **Brain: _You're welcome._**

 **Anyway, it's a good chapter to start the Arc on. It's back to first-person perspectives, which have their pros and cons. Probably a lot of errors since I'm a terrible Beta. No Omake this week. I'm pretty busy with several other projects. Don't ask.**

 **Until next time. Bye!**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	72. Taking Action

**AN: Sorry about not publishing a Chapter last week. My workload has recently doubled, and I'm finding it harder to find time for writing. Thankfully I have such UNDERSTANDING and NON-PITCHFORK BRANDISHING readers who would _never_ think about pressuring me to meeting my one chapter a week deadlines when I have work to do. I'm so lucky to have all of you. (^_^)**

 **That being said, don't be surprised if some weeks don't have published chapters. Once summer arrives, I'll have more time, but right now, I can't give consistent dates for when I can publish a chapter. This is when that alert function for when a story is updated comes in handy. One chapter every two weeks is the latest I can manage if my workload is too much. I'll make it up to you... somehow.**

 **I mean, I'd like to publish five Chapters in one week to make up for the lack of content, but there's no way I could manage something like that (unless they're two word chapters).**

 **Sometimes I wish someone else could help me wirte these, but nobody else knows what I have planned for this story but me. So, meh, what can you do.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add scrambled eggs.

Beta: Myself (Ignor alll erors plz)

* * *

Chapter 72

 **Taking Action**

[Cobb]

"Are you certain you wish to sleep in the outhouse tonight?"

I turned to regard the engineer. We hadn't really talked much during dinner, but that was mostly because I wasn't really talking to anyone. Wynn had tried to start a conversation, talking about some odd Bounty Day stuff or whatever. I'd been thinking of other things at the time.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." I dispelled his concerns with a wave. "I've gotten used to it."

"I cannot see how." Lenz argued with folded arms. "It is far too small and reeks of human waste."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"Well, my guess is that it is because it is a… oh, sarcasm again?"

I nodded at him catching on. "You say small, I say cozy." It was a weak argument, but I couldn't just say I needed a place to be alone. Then that would cause everyone to worry and fuss over me. Like I was some sort of child.

I didn't want that. Which is why I lied to Wynn about Floyd.

Lenz rubbed his chin in thought. "That outhouse serves no functional purpose, considering Wynn already has a bathroom in her mansion. Perhaps I can request her to allow me to remodel it."

"Sure, fine." I waved half-heartedly and turned to the backyard, only for Lenz to stop me. " _What?_ " I snapped.

Lenz flinched, but otherwise remained composed. "I have been reading about social ticks lately. I did it in an effort to learn more about others… perhaps even to become more sociable." He adjusted his tinted glasses to look at me better, causing me to fidget uncomfortably. "I noticed you have been unnaturally quiet after getting back here. And according to chapter twelve of _Reading Your Friends Like Open Books_ ," he pulled said book from his belt and flipped to a bookmarked page, "stoic standoffish silences from otherwise cheerful and charismatic individuals are usually a sign that something is amiss." He lowered the book to look at me. "Is something amiss?"

I sighed, realizing I'd have to lie to Lenz too.

"No, everything is fine." I replied stiffly. "Things couldn't be better."

"Hmm…" Lenz looked back to the book, flipping through a few pages. "So you do not wish to talk about your…" He leaned into the book, as if scrutinizing a set of instructions. "…'feelings'?"

"No."

Lenz frowned before studying the book more closely before flipping it upside-down. "Am I reading this wrong?" He muttered under his breath while scratching his head. I took the chance to slip away, just as I heard him come to a realization. "I need more social books."

Stepping out into the cool night air, I slowly walked across the backyard and clambered into the outhouse before shutting the door.

I sat in silence for a minute, trying to wrap my head around what I was doing.

Why did I want to be alone?

Why didn't I want anybody to know?

…No! Wait… I… I shouldn't have even been acting like anything. Floyd was strong and those Silver Intent bastards said they didn't find any evidence of Floyd's death.

So there was a chance he was alive.

There was that small chance, and I should have been holding onto that.

Instead I had been crying, already accepting he was gone. What was wrong with me?

 _Nothing, that's what! I didn't do anything, so I—_

 _…_ _!_

 _I… I didn't do anything?_

 _What should I have been—No! Forget it!_

I wasn't… Soul and Cara were there, so they should have been…

' _You… you should hate me even more. I-I wish it were_ me _that fell off that cliff._ '

I clutched my head, feeling the weight in my gut double. She had sounded so grief-stricken…

 _No! I don't care how sorry she sounded. I don't!_ I shook my head angrily, trying to forget how I lashed out at her. _She deserved it! She deserved all of it!_ _She's lucky_ _I didn't say more hateful things to her!_

Heart: _You don't mean that, Cobb._

 _Yes I do._

Heart: _You wouldn't have been so disgusted with yourself if you were. There was a great wave of self-loathing when you heard what Cara said about wishing it were her. You wouldn't have ran—_

 _Shut up!_ I slammed my fist into outhouse's wall, hoping it would silence the voice. _You aren't even real!_

Brain: _To everyone else, no, we're not. If you ever told anyone you had internal organs speaking inside your head, they'd call you crazy. But to you, we may as well be real._

Heart: _We're all just you._ You're _the one arguing with yourself. And you're only doing that because it's the only way you know how to cope with this._

 _There's nothing to cope with!_ I internally screamed. _Floyd is fine! He isn't gone! He can't be…_

Stomach: _You don't believe that. You wouldn't have been in here if you did. You wouldn't have lost sight of yourself if you did. You're obviously rattled._

Heart: _My question is why you didn't feel the need to tell Wynn? Or Lenz? Or Erin? Any of them would have comforted you the instant they heard about Floyd. So why?_

I shook my head. _I… I don't know…_

Bladder: _Is it because you don't trust them?_

 _No. I trust them. I've seen what they've done for me. I'd trust them with my life. I… I'd do anything for them._ I thought back on Floyd, remembering with a pang of guilt how I would have done the same for him. _I guess… If I told them about Floyd, what would they do?_ I posed hypothetically.

Heart: _They would comfort you. Wynn already did as much, no?_

I nodded. _She did. She knows what it's like to have people in danger and not know whether they're alive or dead. That's what she thinks is my problem… only it isn't._

 _She might know what it's like for a friend or guard to be in danger… but does she know what it's like to learn about a friend's death?_

My organs went silent, but not in the way that usually signified death.

 _What about Lenz or Erin? Have they lost someone in the same way? Have they done any of what I've done to cope with—do_ they _have internal organs telling them how they're supposed to feel!?_

Brain: _God, I hope not._

 _No matter how similar things might seem, no matter how much they say they know what I'm feeling… they don't. And they won't, if I can help it. Telling them would be meaningless. Just spreading around the bad news. Making more people believe what I'm desperately hoping is wrong…_

Heart: _…_

Lungs: _…I think you're wrong._

Lungs was speaking, so I must have really been messed up.

Lungs: _I think you're wrong… But a part of you thinks you're right. And I will respect that. If you really want to close the door on everyone and stew in your own depression, alone, that is your choice. Just know that it doesn't have to be the_ only _choice._

My organs didn't say anything else, leaving me to my solitude.

I sighed wearily, the corner of my eyes watering slightly. I knew Lungs was right, and that I shouldn't listen to the part of me wanting to keep the door closed.

But that same part of me felt it would only hurt more if I opened it.

* * *

[Lenz]

Pro: I was allowed to sleep in an actual bedroom instead of that foul-smelling, four-walled hole in the ground, loosely interpreted as an outhouse.

Con: I was stuck in Ringwood instead of Daymonte when a Bounty Day was scheduled to appear.

Of all the rotten luck.

Bounty Days were a bit of a vague topic at the Redstone College. They were not covered in depth—being purely conjectural—but they were acknowledged as a source of new redstone technologies, should one ever occur.

The Testificates had never really paid attention to the marvel that is redstone, so there was always the possibility that a Bounty Day meant new methods of redstone engineering never seen before.

Imagine if hoppers or repeaters or pistons had never existed until a Bounty Day brought them forth. Minecraftia must have been a dumber place back then. Lying in bed, I shuddered at the thought.

But that was not the issue now. No, the issue was that a Bounty Day was definitely going to happen. And when it did, instead of being in the center of Daymonte where all the new redstone innovations and items would be brought to light… I would be in Ringwood, praying for redstone technology like a dehydrated man in the middle of the desert.

I tossed and turned, balling my blanket with my fists.

If I wanted to learn of any new redstone, I would have to discover it myself during the Bounty Day, or else wait the agonizing days until Daymonte felt like sharing their discoveries to other Kingdoms. It would be quicker just traveling to Daymonte.

But, alas, we had only just gotten to Ringwood. Asking to go back would be redundant, and I was not sure Cobbert would even go for it. He was, from what I heard, waiting for a companion.

Thankfully, there were other things that brightened my mood. Both Cobbert and I had a reasonable source of income with the Silk Touch shovel and selling grass blocks to the auction house. Erin had agreed to manage the sales for us, and we had convinced her to accept a percentage of the income, despite her protests.

With so much money, I would have no trouble finding redstone to occupy myself with. Perhaps even finding some at the auction house. There was also the matter of making the outhouse more presentable for the next time I was forced to sleep within it. I would first have to ask the Captain's permission before even thinking about replacing the wood.

I tossed and turned for another few moments, having trouble getting to sleep. My thoughts were restless, hung upon the Bounty Day. My mind was working a mile a minute, thinking of all the redstone possibilities.

Feeling restless, and perhaps a bit parched, I rolled out of bed to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen.

However, as I walked down the hall and into the living room, I noticed a few things that seemed out of place.

First, one of the windows was missing, as if it had been recently broken.

Second, there were several mysterious Crafters wearing Mob Heads, rummaging through chests and searching the room for something.

Third, and most importantly, the lights I had meticulously fixed just the other day had been _smashed in_! All that hard work, dashed away! The nerve of those mysterious people!

The Crafters in masks looked up to see me furiously trying to turn the lights on and off. "That's the guy!" One of them hissed whilst pointing to me. "He was with those other two."

Immediately, two of them rushed me. It was then I realized that the second thing out of place in Wynn's mansion was probably more important.

"Burglars!" I shouted as loud as I could as I turned to flee. One of them snagged my leg, causing me to trip and bang my chin on a wall. "HEL—!" My strangled voice was cut off as one of the burglars wearing a Creeper mask slapped a hand over my mouth. My eyes were wide beneath my tinted glasses as I watched all seven of them stand over me.

"Shut him up!" One of them with a Zombie mask whispered before glancing around the room cautiously. "Is he alone here?"

"No clue." Another one, female, commented while searching my belt and backpack. "He doesn't have the shovel though. You sure that guy gave you the right info?"

"The info was spot-on." Another burglar argued—this one with a Skeleton mask—while pointing out my face. "This guy was at the auction house along with those other two. If he ain't got it, he should at least know who does." He grabbed me roughly by the chin and turned my head up. "So tell me, four-eyes, where's the shovel?"

They were obviously referring to the Silk Touch shovel, which Cobbert had safely tucked away… in his backpack. Maybe safely tucked away was not the best way to describe it. A more reasonable person would store it in an ender chest or a bank. Not Cobbert, though.

"I'm gonna let go of your mouth," the burglar silencing me explained, "and you're going to tell us where the shovel is. Then we'll take it and leave, and nobody gets hurt." He waited for confirmation, to which I reluctantly nodded. "Good. Tell it to us quietly. If you scream or try anything else, well," he flashed an iron sword menacingly, "I'd rather not say."

Another pause before I nodded again. The burglar slowly took his hand off my mouth and asked again where the shovel was.

I opened my mouth and muttered something under my breath.

"Not _that_ quietly." The Creeper-masked burglar complained before leaning in closer. "Say again? A little louder—"

"BURGLARS!" I screamed as loud as I could, deafening the Creeper-masked guy. "BURGL—!" Another hand covered my mouth before I received a punch across the jaw. My eyes watered from the pain before I received a kick to the gut by the female burglar.

"Waste this smart-ass." One of the burglars commented grimly as I saw them raise their swords.

"LENZ!" The familiar sound of Cobbert's voice caught my ears as he charged into the crowd of burglars, knocking four of them off of me in a reckless attack. Only then did he draw his sword and clash with the invaders.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Cobbert _roared_ , seeming a lot angrier than he usually was. At first I thought he was being as loud as possible to alert other people about the burglars. But I caught the look of sheer hatred in his eyes as he violently attacked the burglars. Something had set him off.

But now was not the time for that. There were less people covering me and I took advantage by drawing my bow and firing two successive shots at the female burglar. She took both of them in the arms, shrieking as she fell over.

I rolled to the side and took another few shots at the burglars engaging Cobbert. One of my arrows expertly weaved beneath Cobbert's arm before piercing the Zombie-masked guy in the neck. He flinched in pain, earning another strike from Cobbert.

"They're just two guys!" The Skeleton-masked burglar tried to reason. "If we get that shovel, we'll be stinking rich! Don't let these punks get in the way of that!"

His words seemed to bolster his companions, who all charged Cobbert at once. One of them took a sword in the gut before two more grabbed his arms and pinned them to his side. Another drove a fist into his stomach, eliciting a sharp wince. They were overwhelming the fisherman with numbers.

I tried to shoot at them, but I had the other three burglars to deal with. I jumped back, just dodging a sword aimed at my neck. Next thing I knew, something slammed into the back of my head, sending me to the floor. Then something sharp pierced my back, bringing forth agony.

"Stop it! STOP IT!" Cobbert shouted louder as he thrashed about, elbowing a burglar in the face.

"Oi! Someone knock this guy out! I can't hold him!"

"Let go of me!" Cobbert shouted, keeping his panicked eyes locked on me as one of the burglars wearing a Creeper mask raised their sword. It was poised above my throat before it fell…

But instead of meeting my neck, it was blocked by a familiar iron rapier.

" _What are you people doing in my home?_ " The cold voice of Captain Wynn questioned, making the room feel several degrees colder.

If ever I have seen death incarnate, it would have been the look on Wynn's face at being woken up in the middle of the night by several burglars in masks attacking and attempting to kill people under her care.

And even though I could not see the faces of the burglars behind their masks, I could tell by their quaking forms that they were equally as terrified of the ivory-haired Captain.

With a flick of the wrist, the Captain slapped the burglar's blade away before jamming her rapier into his neck. In the time it took the burglar to struggle for breath, Wynn had swept at another burglar's legs and struck at their torso with three quick jabs.

"Oh, screw this!" One of the burglars had the sense to drop everything and bolt from the premises, advising his companions to do the same. Wynn had already knocked out three burglars and was apprehending two that were closest to Cobbert. The last burglar, the one with the Creeper mask that almost killed me, tried to sprint out the front door, only to get tripped up by a tackling Cobbert.

Wynn flipped over the two burglars' feeble attempts at hitting her before she lashed out with a sharp kick to the ribs. The first burglar went down as she clashed blades with the second one. They pushed each other in a contest of strength before Wynn spun around with a roundhouse kick to the face.

I could _feel_ the impact coming from the Captain's attacks. And her unforgiving amber eyes promised cruel punishment to the burglars that invaded her home. In a few seconds, her opponents had both been knocked out cold.

Seeing her opponents indisposed, she gave her ivory hair an elegant flip and moved to help me up. "You alright to stand?"

I nodded, gratefully accepting her hand and pulling myself up. "Thank you. Another moment and I would have been—Cobbert?"

Wynn turned to follow my gaze as we saw the fisherman kneeling over a fallen burglar. Cobbert roughly tore the Crafter's Creeper mask off and stared him in the face as he wrapped his hands around his throat. A wretched choking noise soon followed as Cobbert squeezed, cutting off the man's air.

"Cobb, that's enough." Wynn stepped forward, eying him carefully. "He's already lost. No reason to choke him."

Cobbert, however, ignored the Captain. "He almost killed Lenz… my friend… another death…" Cobbert mumbled to himself, his eyes unfocused as if in a haze. He leaned forward, putting more pressure onto the burglar's throat and causing the criminal's face to turn blue.

Wynn's eyes widened and she rushed forward, grabbing Cobbert by the shoulder. "Cobb! Stop! You'll kill him!"

Cobbert violently shrugged off the hand before raising the burglar's neck and slamming it back onto the ground with a sharp crack. The burglar's eyes rolled up into his head as Cobbert kept strangling him.

"Cobbert! It is over!" I argued. However, even my protests were ignored as Cobbert continued to squeeze the burglar's throat. He was really going to strangle him to death.

Just when I thought the burglar would explode in a shower of gear, Wynn struck Cobbert's head with the handle of her rapier, knocking him off. The burglar coughed painfully before taking great breaths of sweet air.

Cobbert rolled onto his knees, agitated and armed as he eyed Wynn. He looked like a wild dog, ready to attack. The Captain stepped in between the burglar and Cobbert with one foot pinning the criminal in place. "It's over, Cobb." Wynn stated slowly, leaning down to look him in the eye. "It's _over_." She repeated, hoping the message would sink in.

Cobbert's eyes darted to the other unconscious burglars before returning to Wynn. The frenzied haze in his eyes began to simmer down as he realized things were indeed over. "H-he tried… tried to kill…" He trailed off, pointing to me.

"I know, Cobb. And they'll face justice for it." Wynn sheathed her rapier and held out a hand as if to steady the fisherman. "But they've given up. They're under control. So you can _calm down_ now."

That did the trick. Cobbert's unsteady breathing went back to normal and his muscles relaxed. His sword hung loosely from his hands before clattering to the floor. "…Okay." He mumbled, for lack of anything better to say. He took a step back and looked Wynn dead in the eyes to show that he was truly fine.

It did not seem like enough for Wynn, however, as she rummaged in her backpack and tossed me some fireworks. "Lenz. Launch a few of those outside. I want several guards here now. They can explain their poor job guarding this district while carting this scum to jail."

I nodded, hurrying to the front door to release the fireworks. They would signal the guards who would be happy to detain the mysterious burglars.

I passed Cobbert, who bent down to pick up his sword and the Creeper mask of the burglar he almost killed. Wynn kept her eyes trained on him, making sure he did not try to kill anyone.

She must have thought it possible if she refused to go outside to signal the guards herself.

* * *

[Wynn]

It didn't take long for the guards to arrive, given that they were stationed at the entrance to the district only a few blocks away. They had no end of excuses as to how seven burglars managed to slip past them and break into my home, but I tuned it all out. It wasn't like their words would change the past.

The burglars were taken away and I made a mental note to interrogate them later. Burglars didn't just break into a Captain's mansion. Not unless they _wanted_ to be sent directly to jail.

But even that paled to Cobb's behavior. I had been angry at the invaders, but he expressed a special kind of hatred towards one burglar in particular.

It made sense, given that that burglar had attempted to kill Lenz. Cobb had every right to be mad. But what I saw in him… it wasn't just regular anger.

He was… in a state. A frenzied level of rage that had overcome him and blinded him to everything else. All he saw was that burglar, and he wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of him. And he would've too.

Cobb had killed Griefers during the Battle of Halstatt. Hell, he killed a Hacker. But that had always been in self-defense or when protecting others. But with that burglar, he was fully willing to kill him, despite the fact that he had been detained.

That wasn't like him… or was it?

Thinking back, when I was in danger and about to be killed by Alec, Cobb wasted no time in saving me. He hadn't looked like bloody murder, sure, but he had done everything he could to fight them off.

Other than that, I hadn't seen much of him fighting to protect people. Maybe it only applied to Lenz and not me. I wasn't too sure.

But I _was_ sure that I didn't want to see Cobb like that ever again. Whatever the cause, it would be best if his friends weren't in any life-threatening situations.

That extended to Flawwed_Floyd as well. Hopefully the blue-haired man would be back soon so that Cobb wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Once things had finally settled down, Lenz went back to his bedroom and Cobb moved to return to the outhouse. My hand stopped him before he could. "Mind telling me what _that_ was all about?"

Cobb glanced at me before shaking his head slightly. "They… they broke into your home. They almost killed Lenz. They were criminal scum, right?" He emphasized the last part, hoping to capitalize on my opinion of criminals.

"They were criminals, yes." I admitted. "Which is why they will serve time in prison. They can't do that if they're strangled to death."

Cobb turned his gaze to the ground. "Did Alec deserve prison? After what he did? After he tried to kill you?"

My amber eyes narrowed slightly and I let slip an exasperated sigh. "Alec and his Griefers willingly chose to hurt, kill, and steal. They threatened my guards, and refused to surrender. Killing them was unavoidable, and if you hadn't killed Alec, a lot of innocent people would have died. That's a fact."

I tilted Cobb's face so that I could look him in the eye. "But if I can help it, I would rather see those criminal scum rot away in prison for the rest of eternity. That's why I let Burke live. That's why I stopped you from killing that burglar." Cobb's eyes, once appearing as hard as emeralds, softened. "Killing a downed enemy… killing someone who's given up… there's no victory in that. Kill only in self-defense, or when protecting the people you care about. Alright?"

Cobb glanced aside, even as I walked past him and back towards my room.

"What about the Endward Cult?" I heard him call up after me. It made me stop my ascent up the stairs. "Do they deserve mercy, even though they've killed so many?"

I gripped my arm, recalling all the horrific murders in which the Heads of the victims were missing. They were always the Endward Cult's doing. The wanted poster for 4Blite was fairly high too. It was clear how Ringwood felt about those black-capped devils.

"They don't deserve mercy." I coldly called back down. "I'd kill them all if I could. Minecraftia would be a better place… but…" I shook my head before realizing Cobb couldn't see me. "Killing them would make us just as bad. If I could help it, I'd try to imprison them."

Silence filled the air, and I was half wondering if Cobb had anything more to say.

I was right when he replied, "I disagree," before the backdoor swung to a creaking close.

* * *

The next morning, I walked downstairs to see Erin already busy making breakfast.

"Up early aren't you?" I inquired while taking a seat, helping myself to the latest newsbook Erin had so graciously picked up.

"Y-yeah, well," Erin stuttered before piling the table high with bread, carrots, and steak. "I wanted to talk with Cobb and Lenz about something, but… well…" Her gaze drifted to the window displaying the backyard. I followed it to see Cobb practicing with a sword. "He's been busy."

"He must be fired up after yesterday's break-in—" I abruptly stopped, realizing my mistake, as I turned to a hyperventilating housekeeper. "Did I say break-in? I meant to say… breaking! Cobb was breaking a window… and… he…" By the look on Erin's face, I could tell my lame excuse wasn't working. "Oh, I give up. Some burglars broke in here last night."

The damage was already done as Erin started to panic. "Burglars? Here? B-but we're supposed to be safe! W-w-what were the guards doing? Is everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt? What did they steal? Did they take your fancy leather boots!?"

"Don't worry. I took care of them." I decided not to mention how one of them escaped and might return. I wasn't sure Erin's frail heart could take it. "Not sure what made them think it was a good idea to break into _my_ home. Besides my rapier, I don't have much worth risking life-imprisonment over."

Erin's eyes snapped open and she let out a nervous chuckle. "Eh heh heh. N-nothing valuable at all." I raised an eyebrow at her odd chuckling, causing her to break into a cold sweat. "W-well, it's a mystery."

"Not for long." I commented, digging into some steak and carrots. "I'm gonna interrogate those burglars later today. Find out what they wanted to raid my house for—Erin are you feeling okay?"

The housekeeper had just dropped a stack of steak. She let out a startled 'Eep!' at the attention I was giving her. "M-m-me? Of course I'm okay. I'm not acting suspicious or anything. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not—"

"Careful there, Erin." Lenz spoke, showing up out of nowhere to stand beside the housekeeper. "Maybe you are a bit feverish. Here, let me calm you down by bringing you a fair distance away from the Captain and huddling close beside you so she cannot read our lips while we whisper about secrets that _should not be shared_. Discreetly, if I may add."

I blinked in bewilderment as Lenz took the stuttering Erin to the side and huddled next to her before whispering something to her. Every so often the engineer and housekeeper would shoot glances at me from over their shoulders before hurriedly returning to their whispering.

After a few awkward minutes, the two separated and returned to the table, with Erin flashing a winning smile. "So sorry for that, Miss Whispers. I am feeling all better now."

"Yes." Lenz nodded in acceptance. "It was just an isolated case of," he quickly glanced down at an open book, searching for something before locating it with a smile, "Feminine hormones."

The room went deathly quiet as both Erin and I turned to face the oblivious engineer. "What was that?"

Lenz blinked in confusion before pulling out one of his books about social ticks. This one entitled:

 _Don't Worry: That Girl Isn't Secretly a Fire-Breathing Dragon. It's Just Hormones._

"Well it says in this book that—" He never got to finish as the book was swiftly plucked from his fingers and tossed into the fireplace. "Nooooo! I was nearly done with chapter five!"

"You should thank them, Lenz." Cobb entered the dining room, sweating up a storm from his sword-training. "If you followed the advice in that book, you would have gotten beat up."

"But… but the preface claimed it was the leading authority on understanding women!"

"What was the author's name?"

"Legoman857."

"Maybe if it was written by a Lego _woman_ , you'd have better luck." I reasoned before looking at Cobb. "You were really training back there. Any reason?"

He shrugged before gorging on a handful of steak. At least his appetite was back to normal. "I just thought it was about time to get stronger. Never know when burglars will break in again, right?"

He had a point, but still, I didn't want him to fight violently and without mercy. That wasn't the type of person he was. "In that case, would you mind showing me how strong you've gotten?" His eyebrows lifted up, taking interest in the proposal. "This really will be a friendly spar, unlike our last one."

Last time, I had knocked him out and he had tossed me in the pond by his fishing rod. I was a lot more resentful towards him back then. And justifiably so.

He slowly accepted my offer. "Yeah, sounds good. But do you mind if we spar tomorrow? I'm sort of tired now."

"This early in the morning?" I eyed him carefully, checking for signs of fatigue. "Did you get any sleep after last night's… disturbance."

"…Yeah. Definitely." He replied a bit too quickly, nearly choking on some carrots. My eyes narrowed at his slip-up, detecting a lie. He backtracked almost immediately. "I mean, it was a little cramped after getting used to comfy beds and spacious rooms. That's all."

"Comparators, that reminds me…" Lenz interjected as he sidled up beside me. "Concerning the limited space of the outhouse, I wonder if you would be against the idea of expanding it? Sleeping in such a confined space is torture for the spine."

I raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

"Just some light expansion. Enough to stretch out our elbows. Maybe using a different wood."

I thought the proposal over. That outhouse had been there since I'd been given the place by King Mann. The mansion had a bathroom, so I never really used it. Having Cobb sleep in it had just been a cruel punishment. Surely there'd be no harm in fixing it up a little. They could turn it into a shed for all I cared.

"Very well." I nodded to Lenz, who looked ecstatic to hear my approval. "I don't want it to take up too much of the backyard, though. After all, Erin works hard to maintain it."

He eagerly nodded to my conditions. "Wonderful! I will get started first thing tomorrow."

 _Not like it'll take up a lot of time._ I thought to myself as I looked to the clock hanging off the wall. "Shoot. It's later than I thought." As unrefined as it was, I hurriedly wolfed down the rest of my breakfast and crossed the distance to my rapier resting near the door. "I'll be back late tonight, so don't wait on me for dinner." I spoke through a piece of steak between my jaws.

Erin handed me some Swiftness and Leaping Potions, knowing I'd need them to get to work on time. Once I strapped on my Feather Falling boots, I downed a Swiftness Potion and was out the door in a blink.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Oh dear Notch, she's gonna know…" Erin whispered to herself as soon as the Captain was gone. She fell to the floor, repeating the same words, as she clutched herself for comfort.

"What is she going to know?" I asked, wondering what could cause such a reaction.

Lenz was quick to answer. "The shovel, Cobbert, the _shovel_!" He stressed as if it were obvious. "That is what those dastardly burglars were after last night. She is off to interrogate them as we speak, and once she does, our secret emerald-making tool will be revealed."

That… was that such a bad thing? Wynn had stated she'd let us stay only until we managed to find a way to support ourselves. _I suppose having a tool that dug up items worth hundreds of emeralds fit that distinction._ Erin was going to sell more of our grass blocks today, which meant we'd definitely have enough to afford our own place, even after the auction house's percentage and splitting it three ways. Lenz and I might even be able to afford separate places.

But… I really enjoyed living at Wynn's. Even with the chores, it was a nice place. I didn't want to leave it after only a few days.

"Sh-she might not believe them." Erin offered hopefully. "She might think the burglars are lying. That could give us enough time to think of—"

"We'll tell her." I cut Erin off, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "When she gets back, we'll tell her where we got the shovel and explain how we're using it for emeralds. We'll _explain_ it," I stressed to a worried Erin, "so that she won't have any reason to be mad at us. We couldn't have known having the shovel would invite burglars to her home."

"B-b-but…" Erin fidgeted, having a bit of red creep across her face. "W-won't she kick you two out? You won't be here anymore…"

"Again, we'll explain it." I reasoned. Maybe I should have been more worried. But I had other things on my mind. Other priorities that outweighed whether or not Wynn would let us stay in her mansion. "Wynn's a friend, not a dictator. She'll understand. Probably."

"Y-yeah…" Erin's head drooped down. "Probably."

"Well, I suppose that is that." Lenz accepted, finding my reasoning infallible. "Moving on. Cobbert." He pulled out his notebook and readied his quill. "Do you prefer oak wood, or dark oak wood?"

"Hmm?"

"For the outhouse." He explained with a flourish of his quill. "Since we are both living in it, I thought it best to hear your feedback. It will help in deciding which materials I will use."

"Ah." I nodded. "Then… oak wood. I imagine it'll be easier to find at night than if it were made of dark oak wood."

"Reasonable. Reasonable." Lenz nodded as he took note. "Would you want a see-through door, or one that allows for a bit more privacy?"

"It's an outhouse, so… privacy."

"Nether Quartz or Iron?"

 _Huh? Does he mean for the floor or something?_ "Uh… Nether Quartz?"

"Ooh. Good choice." Lenz marked something down before moving on. "One bed or two?"

 _He's going to be fitting beds in this thing?_ "Two… since there's two of us."

Lenz paused at that. "Well, I do not think we will be sleeping together… but I suppose just in case. Next, would you care for some reading material?"

 _In an outhouse? That's strange… unless you think of it as reading magazines while you take a dump. In which case…_ "Some reading material would be nice. Maybe a few stories."

"Ah! That actually answers my last question." Lenz smiled to himself as he slowly repeated 'maybe a few stories' while jotting it down in his notebook. "Okay, that helps. I think I have a good idea on what I will need to build this." From the sound of it, he was going to accompany Erin to the auction house and use our hard earned emeralds to purchase the building materials. "I might even have a little extra to splurge on redstone. The auction house just _has_ to have some."

At Lenz's excited words, an idea slowly began to creep in my mind. "Hey, Lenz." I tapped him on the shoulder before leaning in to whisper. "Remember that TNT cannon you used on the Valley Beast."

"It would be difficult to forget that." Lenz answered flatly. "But yes, I remember. Did you perhaps have an interest in it?"

"…Yeah. Definitely." I fixed my voice to make it sound more eager. "It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. The way it launched TNT through the air and blew that cotton-tailed Valley Beast into smoking chunks of raw rabbit." It was important I talked it up.

"Ah… well… it was just something I threw together." Lenz answered bashfully. "If I had more time and really put my mind to it, I could make a TNT cannon ten times as impressive."

"Could you then?" I sprung my trap. "Like tomorrow. Could you build one of them? I… I _really_ want to see the level of firepower you can make."

"Well… I suppose…" Lenz scratched his chin thoughtfully, but I could tell by his interested smirk that he'd already decided. He'd jump at the chance to prove his redstone skills and what I was presenting was something of a challenge to the engineer. "Alright then. We will have to build it outside Ringwood and ensure it is pointed away from the Kingdom… but I do not see why not. I will be sure to purchase the necessary redstone and TNT along with the building materials. You will not be disappointed, Cobbert!"

I smiled kindly while internally smirking deviously. "That's what I like to hear, Lenz."

I decided to walk with Erin and Lenz to the auction house. It was for their protection given that one of the burglars last night had escaped. If they ever tried to attack either of them, I'd stick them like pigs. I had the sneaking suspicion that the auction house had a hand in sending those burglars to our door, but there was no way to prove it. It could have been that some people had seen our grass block sell and followed us home. Or it could have been that the auction house sent them after us.

They didn't seem to realize it was Wynn's home however. That had proved their mistake. Maybe Wynn would be able to find out more about who sent them after some interrogation.

Once we had safely reached the auction house, I subtly slipped the housekeeper my nine grass blocks, and she expertly negotiated the terms with the auctioneers. She really had a knack for haggling, unlike me.

I sat with the two, watching our grass blocks sell and vaguely registering the prices. We had decided to remain silent so as to not tip anyone off that we were supplying the grass blocks. Even so, it was hard for Erin or Lenz not to smile given how high the blocks sold.

I should have been smiling with them, but I just didn't have the energy for it.

It wasn't like yesterday. But I already knew why it felt different.

 _I wish Floyd were here to see this._

Once the blocks had sold and the emeralds divided up amongst the three of us, I left with a quick explanation of wanting to see whether a friend was back or not. It was a pathetic excuse, but they accepted it. Lenz a bit too quickly, given that he was eager to purchase building materials and TNT.

I was eager for him to purchase the TNT as well.

One-hundred-and-seventy-six emeralds. That was what each of us had earned after selling the nine grass blocks. Three stacks of emeralds and a little left over left my inventory filled to the brim. It had been a while since I cleaned it out; an issue I hoped to rectify.

Erin had once again tried to push her share of the emeralds off onto us again, to which I just told her to shut up and take the emeralds. Only I said it kindly, without any harsh bite.

The housekeeper eventually agreed, and mentioned something about the dangers of carrying so many emeralds. She opted to head to the bank.

Lenz said he was going back into the auction house to get the necessary materials. I imagined it was more of getting the TNT cannon materials than the outhouse building materials, but I didn't bring it up. From the sound of it, Lenz had some inventory cleaning to take care of as well. Now more than ever, given how his backpack was weighed with emeralds.

With a short wave—and some advice on purchasing some armor or a better bow—I left the engineer and headed off down the street towards my destinations. On the way, I visited that Enchantment place again, just to check up on my enchanted item.

Falcone the Enchanterer told me he was still working on it and reminded me of the price. Seeing then as good a time as any, I doled out the full sixty emeralds to an astonished Falcone, stating that I needed to clear out my pockets anyway, and paying in advance didn't bother me.

I had stacks of emeralds, so I wasn't too concerned about money.

Falcone certainly appreciated it. He bowed lowly and chastised his Jibberman assistant to do the same as I passed. It made me a little uncomfortable to receive such respect, but I didn't stay long.

When I finally got to my location—the park—I laid down on the grass before the serene pond and stared up at the crystal blue sky. Puffy clouds of indescribable shapes floated by, and I made a game out of what each one looked like.

 _That one looks like a duck._

 _That one… that one looks kind of like a smudge._

 _That one is definitely a penis._

I tilted my head. _That one's a sheep._

 _There's that penis again._

 _And that one sort of looks like…_ My eyes widened in fear as I saw two people poised alongside a cliff. One of which being cruelly kicked down by a wickedly smiling—

I shook my head frantically, screwing my eyes shut. When I opened them again, it was to see that the cloud I had observed was just an innocent pile of fluff floating along.

I closed my eyes again, taking calming breaths. _I'm fine._ I repeated to in my mind. _I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine._

My internal organs weren't talking, reminding me of what Lungs had said. This was _my_ problem to cope with. They wouldn't be helping me, even though they _were_ me.

But I had to sort it out myself. It was what I wanted anyway.

Not wanting to watch clouds anymore, I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, it was to a pitch black sky. A quick look to my clock told me it was midnight. I quickly devoured some steak to refill my Hunger Meter before walking briskly out of the park.

Maybe Wynn was back home. Lenz and Erin certainly were. Maybe they were worried about me, but I had something I had to do. Something I needed to do.

I wove between gravel roads, and made my way into the Eastern District. Looking out towards the Granger's Barn, I spotted a few adjacent houses nearby with the lights on.

I crept quietly, looking into each house for the person I was searching for. Some of them were empty and some had people I had never seen before. Whether they were other members of the Silver Intent or just people living nearby, I had no idea.

Then, after looking in one particular house, my eyes lit upon finding my objective. He was sitting at a desk, jotting some stuff down.

I walked up to the wooden door and rapped my knuckles against its surface. I tapped my foot impatiently as I heard stirring inside. Slowly, the door was opened.

"Erm… hello?" The silver-haired man, Brett, answered. He looked a bit surprised at seeing me, not sure why I was there. "You're Cobb, right?" He glanced above my head, just to be sure. "Why are you—?"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I knew why I was there. I knew what I wanted.

"Where's the nearest Endward Cult base?"

* * *

- **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 6 Coal, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 10 Cookies, 24 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 7 Rotten Flesh, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 9 Emeralds, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 59 Redstone, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Carrot, 32 Steak, 13 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 4 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: Cobb is setting things up. But is that good... or bad?**

 **This Chapter took a while to write. mainly because I had trouble getting it to where I wanted it to go. The burglars kind of triggered Cobb when one of them tried to kill Lenz. Understandably so given Cobb just lost Floyd. He shows no mercy.**

 **The second half of this chapter... felt a little rushed. Probably because it was rushed. Not much dialogue, just things happening. A bit of humor with Lenz, but not much.**

 **Sadly, at this point in the story, a lot of pivotal things are occuring. But since the focus is on Cobb at the moment, I can only show these pivotal scenes in one way: Omakes.**

 **The Omakes are going to depict a lot of behind the scenes stuff happening elsewhere. And I'm ashamed to say it'll probably be more interesting than what Cobb is going through.**

 **But maybe not. Who knows. Let's find out.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Omake: Angel's Return

"Welcome back, ma'am."

Carys_Angel marched out of the Asmodeus and onto the hard-packed dirt of the secluded and abandoned mountain village that was their temporary headquarters. Baltic and Perry followed in her wake, the latter of which looked exhausted from making multiple copies of Snow Prints. After three days of flying in their airship from Lazuli, they had finally met back up with their allies.

"Heather." The feared Angel of Death nodded to the Paragon at her greeting. Her crimson eyes swept across the sight before her, taking in the legion of Paragons looking towards her with awe and admiration… and fear. This was her army. "I see you've gathered our forces. Good work."

Heather accepted the praise humbly, knowing the Angel of Death would not appreciate overly emotional acts. "We're still waiting on a few. They should be here in a few days."

Carys nodded again before stepping past the girl and looking over her Paragons. All of them were skilled combatants she had either handpicked or trained. They all had incredible potential and, more importantly, a grudge against the accursed Endward Cult. And while they paled in comparison to her own dogma towards the cult, it gave them a sense of loyalty and determination. They all respected and feared her, as they should. They all hated the Endward Cult and would not hesitate to slay one of them.

Carys let a dark smile creep upon her lips. All of her preparations… all of her painstaking manipulations… they were soon to pay off. And the Endward Cult would be one step closer to destruction.

"Er… ma'am?" Heather piped up from behind her. "Where's Mr. P-mmph."

Baltic's hand clamped over Heather's mouth and he slowly shook his head, telling her not to ask.

The damage was already done. Carys clenched her fists as red hot fury seared through her, vanquishing all thoughts on Operation: Overshadow and reminding her of the bastard of a Crafter that took away her beloved steed.

King_Cobb.

That insect was still alive somewhere. He had the nerve to _live_ , when someone as valuable to her as Mr. Piggles had died. And it was because of him that he had died. It spoke of her own ineptitude how her beloved steed could be murdered and eaten in front of her very eyes without her making a move to stop it.

Oh, how she hoped that Cobb was enjoying life right now. Alive and well. She smirked cruelly as she prayed that the bastard was content with life, working a cushy job, making lifelong friends, and enjoying the best of what life had to offer.

It would make it all the sweeter… when she took them all away.

Just as he had taken away Mr. Piggles, she'd be sure to find him, hold him down, and make him _watch_ as she tore apart everything and everyone he ever cared for. And why stop there? He'd live the rest of his life imprisoned and at her merciful whims. She would torment him. Taunt him. Torture him. Take out whatever frustrations she felt out of him. Like a stress ball. Anytime she'd feel stressed, she'd have him on hand to _squeeze_ until she felt better.

Just the thought of what she'd do once she had him… it made her grin.

It was a grin that had Baltic eying her cautiously. "Er… Carys? Are you—?"

"Have Wing and Luis been dispatched?" Carys turned to the blue-haired potion maker. "Have they been sent to Ringwood."

Baltic nodded. "Yes, they got your message. They are observing the Crafters you spoke of." He paused, taking a moment to consider his next question. "If I may ask, what reason do you have on observing King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd."

Carys lifted her eyebrows and fixed Baltic with her crimson orbs. Perry and Heather fidgeted at the sustained stare, but Baltic didn't balk. He stood his ground.

The sight of it made Carys smile. He wasn't as cowardly as the rest of them. He respected her, but he wasn't afraid to ask questions. If only he didn't act so sentimental towards others…

"Let's just say that King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd are a pair of Crafters I'd very much want to meet." Carys answered mysteriously.

And she wanted to meet them alright.

She wanted to see the hope drain from their eyes at the sight of her. To see that she was still alive, and for them to realize that they were as good as _dead_.

* * *

 **AN: Somebody needs a hobby.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	73. Bottom of the Backpack

**AN: Hey. Hi. On with the Chapter.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Endermites would be a little more creative.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 73

 **Bottom of the Backpack**

[Cobb]

I followed Brett into the Granger Barn, behind the hay bales, and down the ladder into the Silver Intent base. He turned on the lights and led me to the room with the large desk and the map sprawled against the wall.

"Just a moment." He said before approaching a chest in the corner of the room. I watched patiently as he rummaged around, pushing aside books and pieces of paper.

"I must say, I wasn't expecting you of all people to turn up at this time." Brett commented as he searched. "Asking for information and all. Surely it could have waited until the morning, no?"

I remained silent, tapping my foot to show I wasn't going to give him an answer to that. He got the hint pretty quickly, but moved on to another question.

"I'm no fool. I can tell what you intend to do with the information I'm providing." He turned to look at me. "You want to avenge Floyd." I stiffened and looked at the silver-haired man with a baleful glare. "I don't blame you. His death was a true loss for the Silver Intent." He held a hand over his heart. "He was a good man. You must be furious with Cara for leaving him to die. You might even resent the Silver Intent, thinking us responsible."

Brett fixed me with a sympathetic gaze. "Just know that Cara's actions do not speak for the rest of the Silver Intent. We would _never_ leave a comrade behind, no matter the peril. I was so appalled by her actions that I reprimanded and stripped her of her leadership status. She won't be leading any more of our members to their deaths, I can assure you."

Besides blinking, I just let him talk. If he thought his words would make me feel any better, he was mistaken.

Brett waited a moment, as if expecting me to say something. When I didn't, he awkwardly returned to scavenging for whatever he was looking for. His eyes lit up when his hands withdrew something.

He walked back to the desk and laid out a smaller map before calling me over. "The Endward Cult currently consists of three Divisions." He explained. "And from what we know, each Division has a main headquarters and then some smaller outposts surrounding it." He pointed to the map, which displayed the Kingdom of Ringwood, Mt. Mur, and a few of the surrounding areas. "The Northern Division resides in Ringwood. Therefore—"

"So where's the headquarters?" I interrupted, not really caring for the whole story. I just needed a location.

"We don't know." Brett continued as if I had never interrupted him. "The cultists we've brought in have been surprisingly tight-lipped when it comes to the Northern headquarters. We know its somewhere in Ringwood, but beyond that we're in the dark." He then dragged his finger southeast of Ringwood, to a point in the mountains. "However, we _have_ identified an Endward Cult outpost in the mountains. The cultists use it as a base from which they can hunt newly spawned Crafters."

My expression darkened at those words and my teeth gnashed in anger. It was just like when those two cultists attacked me in Miner's Warren… before Floyd saved me. Those cultists were hounding Crafters so close to the Origin Zone. Right after they spawned into existence.

It wasn't fair.

"It's the closest base we know of." Brett continued, tapping the unmarked spot on the map twice. "From what our reports say, it's a heavily fortified stone fortress built into the side of the mountain, closest to the peak. Regular Ringwood guards can't get up there without getting bombarded with arrows. Plenty of cultists." He tilted his head, gauging my reactions. "It'll be a tough time breaking in and an even tougher time breaking out. Probably a suicide mission—"

"Thanks." I snagged the map and stowed it deep in my backpack before making to leave the room.

However, I stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"I can tell Floyd's death has upset you." Brett began as he walked around to face me. "And I think it's fairly obvious that you're going to pay that outpost a visit."

 _Two for two. He's on fire._ I thought bitterly.

"Whether it's for Floyd or for all the Crafters slain every day by those heathens, the Silver Intent appreciates your willingness to fight the Endward Cult all the same. If you need any supplies—anything at all—by all means take it." He gestured to the potion stands littering the room.

My eyes strayed to the colorful potions promising enhanced abilities and a level of strategy I wasn't really capable of. Maybe if I knew how to incorporate them into my fighting style—if you could even call it that—I'd be more interested. But at the moment, they were meaningless in my eyes.

Brett noticed my disinterest. "Or I can send you some members. Not Cara of course." He hastily added. "But perhaps Soul? After all, he was Floyd's friend too. I'm sure he'd want to help."

My eyes narrowed at the silver-haired man. I didn't like the way he kept throwing around Floyd's name. Did he think it would win me over in some way? Because every time he spoke it, my gut felt a little heavier.

"…You really want to do me a favor?" I turned to Brett, looking down on him. "Don't tell anyone what I'm doing. Not Soul. Not Cara. _No one_."

The reasonable part of my head told me I was being a dumbass—

Brain: _You're being a dumbass._

—But, at the same time, acknowledged that if I was going to attack an Endward Cult outpost filled to the brim with deadly cultists, the last thing I should do is tell everybody about it. Wynn, Lenz, Erin… probably Soul and Cara too. They'd all either talk me out of it or come along. I wasn't going to be stopped, and I'd rather risk my own life with my stupidity instead of anyone else's.

Brain: _Still a dumbass._

 _Shut up._

"I'll keep it a secret." Brett nodded. And to my surprise, he didn't look the least bit worried over me. "After what you did in Halstatt, something like this should be no problem."

My eyes widened. "How do you know about Halstatt?" Didn't Wynn say that her guards wouldn't say anything? Who else would know that I killed a Hacker?

"Word travels fast." Brett explained with a wave. "Faster than a Swiftness Potion, I daresay. I make it a point to investigate those associated with my fellow members. And it can't be just a coincidence your number is one billion and a recent Halstatt story depicting a legendary Billionth slaying a Hacker has made its way to Ringwood. Just try and tell me the two are unrelated."

I didn't know whether it was good or bad for Brett to know I killed a Hacker. On one hand, the spread of information might reach another Hacker's ears and said Hacker would want to fight me themselves. On the other hand, Brett was probably only telling me what I wanted to know because he thought I was some badass in disguise. He said himself I'd have no trouble, but if he knew the details…

"Just keep it to yourself." I finished before shrugging off his hand and leaving the room. Although it was rude, I clambered up the ladder and left the barn with the information I wanted.

An outpost in the mountains… That was the only target I had. From what Brett described, it wouldn't be easy. Especially on my own.

I would need some top-class gear and a decent plan if I was going to storm that outpost and kill everyone inside.

Brain: _So what's your plan?_

I'm gonna storm that outpost and kill everyone inside.

Brain: _…What about top-class gear? What have you got?_

 _I was thinking of getting some anti-gravity guns. Dual-wield, obviously, and I'd just shoot them all around. Making them float and stuff. Then I could maybe get a couple of black-hole grenades, followed by a freeze-ray—_

Brain: _I was thinking more like swords and armor and less like imaginary shit because we don't have any of that._

 _…_ _I see what you're saying._ I thought to myself. _Well, I have some dirt. I could probably throw that at them. And… uh… a sword I guess? Lots of food… not much else, really. At least in terms of what we're up against._

Brain: _Then there's only one way to arm ourselves to the teeth like trained, testosterone-filled men. Shopping!_

* * *

[Brett]

"Well, that went rather well." I laughed to myself as I walked over to the potion stands. I figured I might as well make some while I was up.

I deposited three bottles of water and placed the necessary base: A nether wart.

That Endward Cult outpost had always been an issue, being so close to both the Kingdom _and_ the Origin Zone. The Northern Headquarters was one thing, but from the outpost, cultists were free to terrorize any new Crafters spawning in. Strategically speaking, it was a brilliant place to build a base.

I smirked as I watched the potions bubble and froth. I added some golden carrots next, intending to make some Potions of Invisibility. Using golden carrots would make a Potion of Night Vision, and then adding a Fermented Spider Eye would make Invisibility. Duration, level, and splash effect came after.

It was always a fine art, mixing potent brews. You had to know the right ingredients and the effect each of them had. It required a bit of coaxing getting it right, but nothing I couldn't handle.

Manipulation was a similar endeavor. More subtle of an art than brewing. A little coaxing there, a little sympathizing here. Knowing how to play on another's emotions to make them work for the greater good.

I had made a blunder with Cara, thinking she wanted to be alleviated of her guilt. She had gotten such useful information, and I thought telling her Floyd was a necessary loss would have won her over. Instead it had the opposite effect.

Cara foolishly believed that victory could come about without sacrifice. That you can keep taking and taking from your enemy without expecting anything to be taken in return. The idea was laughable. He'd rather have the information about the Endward Cult than the lives of two Silver Intent members.

I rolled around a spider eye, sugar, and a brown mushroom in my hand, mixing them together and crafting them into a Fermented Spider Eye. Once the Night Visions were ready, I added to new ingredient and watched the midnight blue potion turn a light gray.

And King_Cobb… he was offering a deal too good to pass up. He—a Hacker killer—was going to storm that irksome outpost with the intent of avenging his fallen comrade. Surely he'd be able to kill a good portion of cultists and bring the Silver Intent one step closer to erasing the lot of them.

And all it took was a little coaxing. A nudge in the right direction.

With a final simmer, the Potions of Invisibility were made. I couldn't improve the quality, given that you can't look _more_ invisible, but I could extend the effect's duration and make them splash potions. Perfect for disappearing quickly or making others disappear. I turned back to my chest to grab some gunpowder and redstone.

King_Cobb was poised to attack that outpost. I'd honor his request by not telling a soul—more for my benefit than his—and he, in turn, would attack the outpost.

Even if it killed him.

When I scraped together the necessary ingredients, I returned my attention back to the brewing stands…

Only to discover that the Potions of Invisibility were missing.

I wasn't foolish enough to think I had simply misplaced them. Someone had taken them off when my back was turned. Someone was in the room with me.

"Who's there?" I called out cautiously as I withdrew an iron sword from my backpack. I backed myself against the corner so I could see the whole room. "Show yourself."

"I don't think I will." A voice whispered from somewhere in front of me. I was startled enough to raise my sword for a strike, only for a floating sword to appear out of nowhere and slap my hand away. My sword bounced off the wall and slid under the desk.

"Don't shout." The voice whispered again as the floating sword was held to my neck. He had used my own Invisibility Potions to surprise me. The irony was not lost as I held my hands up.

"Who are you?" I questioned calmly, realizing that the mysterious assailant wouldn't bother disarming someone they wanted to kill right away. He wanted something. "What do you want?"

The sword was pressed closer to my neck, causing a bit of damage as the invisible man must have leaned forward.

"What do you know about the Endward Cult?"

* * *

[Wynn]

It was late when I stormed back into my mansion with a frustrated huff. Questioning the burglars who broke in the other night took longer than expected. Mostly because they tried to sell me a story that Cobb and Lenz had a Silk Touch shovel in their possession and that they had broken in to steal it.

What a bold-faced lie _that_ was.

If Cobb or Lenz had a Silk Touch tool they wouldn't have bothered to live in my mansion. They would have been able to sell enough grass blocks to live in the lap of luxury. Why settle for alternating stays in bedrooms and outhouses when they had a fortune like that at their fingertips.

There must have been another reason. But whatever it was, the burglars hadn't given it up. They were surprisingly persistent to my questioning. Naturally I wouldn't torture them—I found the action too barbaric, even for criminal scum—But after spending most of the day making threats and even calling in Iron_Lung for assistance, they stuck with the same story.

Apparently, they received a tip-off from an anonymous note that Cobb and Lenz were staying at my address and that they had the enchanted shovel. The burglars themselves worked as muscle for one of the auction houses, and I decided I'd have better luck asking around there.

But, oh Notch… I had gotten pretty _vocal_ questioning them. It was a combination of mounting frustration and the fact that they broke into my own home that had me burning to know the truth. At one point, when I threatened to string them up by their legs over the side of the plateau if they didn't tell the truth, I scared two of them to the point of pissing themselves.

As much as I hated to admit it, Veronica was better at these things than me. She could get all the answers she wanted out of somebody with nothing more than a flower.

I let out an exhausted sigh before I opened the door to my home. I placed my rapier by the door, kicked off my leather boots, and managed the six or so strides to the couch before I collapsed upon it.

My face was smothered into the wool carpet that made up the couch, but my ears vaguely caught the sound of movement, followed by hushed whispers and stutters.

 _Erin._ I relaxed, knowing my housekeeper was there. If I came home to more burglars, they wouldn't be around long.

"R-rough day?" The tremulous voice asked as a bottle of water and a cookie was pushed gently into my waiting hand.

"You could say that." I tore into the cookie, enjoying the sweet taste of chocolate… or more closely cocoa beans. It was all the same. "Those burglars were surprisingly resilient. I couldn't figure out what they were looking for here."

"O-o-oh?" Erin stuttered in a high-pitched voice. "O-oh? Th-that's… oh?"

I paused in my sip of water over my housekeeper's repeated words. She usually stuttered, but never repeated the same word multiple times.

Lenz was beside Erin in an instant, patting her on the back and whispering something to her. Erin turned to the engineer with a betrayed look, as if he had just thrown her to the wolves. Her green eyes darted back to me before she hastily cleared her throat.

"S-s-so… they didn't say anything?" Erin ventured carefully.

"No, they talked. I couldn't get them to _stop_ talking after the threats I made." I shrugged indifferently as I sipped from the water bottle. "But—listen to this—they kept going on about how you have a Silk Touch enchanted shovel. That you," I pointed to Erin, "you," I pointed to Lenz, "and… ah! Perfect timing." Cobb just walked in through the front door. He looked apprehensive as I pointed to him. "And you. Those burglars said the three of you were at the auction house yesterday selling grass blocks. Crazy, right?"

A long, drawn-out silence was my answer as no one dared to speak. Erin's eyes bulged as her head spun to look at Cobb and Lenz. She looked terrified, guilty, and on the verge of tears all at the same time. Lenz's eyes were unreadable behind his tinted glasses… but the way he twiddled his thumbs spoke of his nervousness.

Cobb just stood near the door for a long time, his eyes focused on the ceiling, as he contemplated something. He was the one to break the silence, taking a deep inhale of breath before letting it all out.

"So…" Cobb began slowly, thinking how best to break the news delicately… before shrugging as if to say 'fuck it'. "So remember how we _didn't_ have a Silk Touch Enchanted shovel?"

My eyes widened in realization. "…Oh no."

"Annnd remember how we _didn't_ have a fuck ton of emeralds?"

"Oh my God… where…"

"Annnd remember how we _didn't_ save Halstatt?"

"I called those burglars liars…" I thought back, feeling embarrassed more than ashamed. "I terrorized them so badly they pissed themselves…"

"Yeeeeaaaah…" Cobb stretched the word, rubbing his head awkwardly. "Well, long story short, we do now." As if to emphasize his point, he withdrew the shovel in question as well as a stack of emeralds from his backpack.

"You…" I growled, flexing my fingers as if ready to strangle something. Cobb's blatant way of telling me something he should have told me the second he got a Silk Touch Enchanted tool was irking me in a way that only Cobb could. "You… you…"

"Cosmic gave it to us after Halstatt." He explained, being smart enough to fall back so as to put the dining room table between us when I advanced. He foolishly thought a mere table could keep me from him. "She told me not to tell anyone, so—"

"So you told Erin and Lenz." I finished as I jumped onto the table and continued towards him. Cobb retreated further, circling the room. "You told them, but not me. Did it slip your mind?"

"I didn't know what Silk Touch was until you asked us to do those chores." Cobb protested. "And we're telling you now. Is two days really a big deal?"

"I spent the whole day… And they were telling the truth all along… guards were _watching_ me work. Taking notes on how to interrogate… and… and…"

My eyes darted to my rapier leaning against the wall, and I quickly rushed over to grab it before facing Cobb once more.

"N-now, now, Wynn." Cobb held his hands up calmingly as he retreated beside the forms of Erin and Lenz. Both of whom were frozen in terror. "You wouldn't want to get violent."

"Erin. Lenz." The two stiffened at being addressed. "Leave the room. I need to _talk_ with Cobb."

"Can't they stay?" He asked hopefully. "I'd feel a lot safer with witnesses."

"Leave. Now."

"W-well, I really should be getting dinner ready… away from here." Erin reasoned before bolting up the stairs.

"And I… better work on that outhouse." Lenz offered lamely before he turned on his heel and ran out the backdoor as if his life depended on it.

That just left Cobb and I.

I advanced closer with my rapier held aloft, to which Cobb backed away until he hit the wall.

"Come on!" He argued weakly. "We didn't know burglars would show up for it. And we needed emeralds."

I took another few threatening steps towards him. My rapier was held tightly and my eyes were solely on his. Once my looming shadow covered him, he shielded his eyes and lower region respectively.

"Just make it quick!"

Looking upon the cowering Crafter, I felt a bit of my anger fade. I was embarrassed over the interrogation of those burglars and also a little betrayed that Cobb kept the shovel from me at all…

But it really wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault really. It was just one of those things that happened. The past few days had been kind of busy, both for him and me. If he wasn't worrying about Floyd or fighting off burglars, I was off performing my duty as Captain.

And Cosmic telling him to keep the shovel a secret was reasonable too. As the burglars had demonstrated, anyone that knew of the Silk Touch Enchantment would do anything to have it. Even if Cobb had told me, Nothing would have changed. He still would have sold grass blocks, the burglars would have found out, and they still would have broken in.

With a deflated sigh, my rapier fell to my side and my eyes softened. "I'm… not going to hit you." A green eye peeked from behind Cobb's hands, looking hopeful. "I… I'm mad at the situation, but not at you." I ran a hand through my ivory hair as I thought of the right words. "If I could stab the situation, I would. But… but I guess…" I shook my head. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Then why tell the others to leave?"

"Because my first instinct was to hurt you." I looked away in embarrassment, trying not to notice the flat frown Cobb directed at me. "Sorry."

"Sorry I didn't tell you… right away." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Cobb rub his shoulder awkwardly. "I don't want you to think I don't trust you. I do. We've fought together and you've risked your life for me. It's just…" He paused for a few seconds, thinking over his words, before he fixed his eyes on mine. "There are some things that are harder to share than others."

"I know." I finished for him with a small smile. "Thanks for telling me. Though I guess I would have found out eventually. Something tells me you're not the best at saving money."

"I would deny that assumption… if I hadn't already spent them today."

I rolled my eyes, not at all surprised. "What did you buy?"

"Things I should have had fighting in Halstatt." He answered, pulling out a few things. "I traded in my old stone sword for a diamond one and I got an iron helmet to replace my chainmail one. I also took the time to clean out my Inventory. It was getting pretty full."

As he showed off his new gear, I couldn't help but smile knowingly. "Fairly high quality stuff. Seems like someone wants to win tomorrow's spar very badly."

"What do you—oh, yeah. Definitely." He laughed before smirking challengingly. "I'm just thinking of the face you'll make when you lose. There's no better reward than bragging rights."

"Is that so?" I matched his smirk as I took a swipe with my rapier, creating a small gust of wind that blew aside the strands of hair on his forehead. "Sounds like a challenge."

Cobb raised a brow at the disturbed strands of hair before quickly patting them back down. "I dare you to do that aga—"

I took another swipe before he could finish, shifting the strands the other way. I bit back a laugh as he fixed his hair and took a step back, bringing his arm up in defense for good measure.

"I dare you t—"

In a burst of speed, I rushed forward, pulling his defending arm down with one hand and, in one fluid motion, flicked the strands of his hair up with the tip of my rapier.

"Okay, okay! Geez!" Cobb whined as he furiously patted his hair back down. I chuckled amusedly, sheathing my rapier in a show of mercy. "If you're done proving how much of a badass you are, we should probably call Erin and Lenz back in. Let them know you haven't killed me."

As Cobb made his way to the backdoor to call for Lenz, I suddenly snapped at my amusement, remembering to ask something.

"Did Floyd get back?"

His hand stilled as it reached for the backdoor. "Huh?"

"Oh, sorry." I quickly apologized. "I thought you'd go see if he got back yet. I assumed that's why you got back so late, even after Erin and Lenz."

"No, I… I _did_ go see if he was back." He spoke carefully, keeping his eyes on the door. "He wasn't… None of them were."

I cursed myself for ruining the mood. He seemed pretty happy before I brought up Floyd. _Of course he doesn't want to talk about Floyd. He's probably worried sick about him._ Sensing Cobb's oncoming depression, I spoke quickly.

"Well, don't worry. They'll be back any day. I'm certain of it." Floyd, Cara, and Soul. I didn't want to believe that something happened to them. But if it was the case, maybe I was just making it worse giving Cobb hope that they were all fine. I didn't know the finer details of whatever mission those three were on, but it was sure to be something Endward Cult related if Brett had any say in it.

"Thanks, Wynn." Cobb turned back to give me a grateful smile. "I'm not worried though. I know they'll be back."

Even though his smile seemed genuine, I noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. They were an empty green that signified he had other things on his mind. What he was saying and what he was thinking were vastly different.

I didn't see his eyes long, though. For he quickly turned to call out for Lenz. I decided to do the same for Erin, given that she ran upstairs in terror. A quick assurance that Cobb wasn't dead would surely calm her down.

As I climbed the stairs, I couldn't help but realize I never brought up that, since Cobb had a steady supply of emeralds, he could afford a place of his own instead of stay in my home.

I only offered it to him because he didn't have a job and slept in a park. So now, there wasn't anything preventing him from moving out. If the idea slipped his mind, I should have reminded him.

…

Then again, there was no rush. Purchasing the right home took time, after all.

And it wasn't like he was any trouble having over.

* * *

[Cobb]

Later that night, I made sure Erin was gone, Wynn was asleep in her room, and Lenz was outside in the outhouse before I got out of bed and crept downstairs. There were still things I needed to setup before what came next.

I carefully nudged open the backdoor and peered out across the backyard to where Lenz was slumbering. Taking care to double check the surroundings, I tiptoed over to the outhouse. Lenz had already improved the structure, changing the door and wood to a neater shade. And if he bought that all at the auction house, then he also had the TNT for the cannon tomorrow.

Little did he know, he'd never get the chance to make it.

I pulled back the outhouse door agonizingly slow and winced as it creaked loudly. _This is a new door! Why the hell is it creaking!?_

Thankfully, Lenz's good eyesight didn't also translate to having good ears. He slept through the creaking, scrunched upon himself in the cramped space of the outhouse.

 _He could have at least expanded it a little._ I thought to myself as I carefully rolled him over and got to his backpack. I moved many items aside, digging deeper and deeper for what I needed. Then, my eyes lit in triumph as I saw, between Slime Blocks and arrows, the TNT.

There was a whole stack of it, which I hastily scooped out and into my backpack. Lenz must have really wanted to impress me with that TNT cannon. I felt a little guilty over taking it, but ultimately decided I'd make it up to him by giving him half of my share of emeralds moving forward. Remembering Lenz's boring lessons on priming TNT, I also scooped up all the redstone on him. I had a feeling I was going to need it.

Once I had everything from the engineer, I carefully shut the door (not that he would hear it) and walked back to the mansion. Once inside, I mentally checked off the first thing on my list.

Wynn wasn't wrong when she said I was geared up to win tomorrow. That was exactly what I intended, but not against her in a friendly spar. My fight was with the Endward Cult. And just because I showed her some of the more expensive purchases I made, didn't mean that was all I had.

I snuck into the enchanting room and used the hallway light to guide me to the enchanting table. The book atop it was still perpetually floating, just like before when I had enchanted my gear.

I plunged my hand deep within my backpack, the place where I kept my most secret items, and dumped them on the table. The Advanced Mob-Slaying book, Brett's map of the Endward Cult's outpost, a set of leather armor without a leather cap, the Creeper mask I got off that burglar from yesterday, four chunks of lapis lazuli, three [INK SACS], and ten ender pearls which cost me four emeralds a piece.

I quickly got to work, spreading the ink sacs over each piece of leather armor to dye them black. The darkened armor would be my battle suit the night I attacked. A more sensible person would buy the strongest diamond gear for the best defense, but I had a feeling it wouldn't help against the amount of cultists I'd be facing.

So instead I went for stealth, thinking they couldn't fight what they couldn't see. The black dyed leather armor would conceal me perfectly during the night. As for my identity, I planned to keep that a secret in case any of the cultists survived and traced my name back to Ringwood.

That's where the Creeper mask came in.

The burglars yesterday concealed their names by wearing Mob Heads. Skeletons, Creepers, Zombies… and probably deceased Crafter Heads as well. Wearing one would obscure your name. Perfect for burglaries, or in my case, breaking into a heavily guarded Endward Cult outpost.

And of course, it wouldn't be fitting to wear a Creeper mask without bringing enough explosives to—sssssSSSS KABOOM!—the lot of them. That's where Lenz's TNT came in.

Once the leather armor was dyed black, I threw it atop the enchantment table with the lapis and watched as the ancient writing in the floating book glowed blue and became legible. I selected my enchantments carefully, with most of them being Protection, and finished by enchanting my diamond sword with Sharpness I. It wasn't the greatest option, but I couldn't over enchant. Wynn thought I was gonna spar with her using my new diamond sword. Nobody would spend so much for a friendly spar. If I enchanted it with Sharpness III or Fire Aspect she'd get suspicious.

With the enchanting done and no lapis or ink sacs left as evidence, I looked over Brett's map, memorizing the location of the outpost. Southeast of Ringwood. Deep in the mountains. It would take two or three days hiking up.

Or an afternoon if I used my ender pearls carefully.

There was one problem with that strategy, and it came from my book of Advanced Mob-Slaying. There was one entry that warned of using ender pearls recklessly.

 **[ENDERMITE]**

 **[Description: Dark purple slugs with red mouths. Smaller than Silverfish, but move in a similar manner. Their sounds are similar as well, mainly involving hissing.]**

 **[Tips: Endermites are small, meaning they are not easy to land hits upon. Their health is low at 4 hearts of health (the same as Silverfish), but they have a distinctively harsher bite that deals one-and-a-half hearts per hit.]**

 **[As Mobs go, this one is perhaps one of the weakest I've encountered. The only unique thing about this Mob is that it only spawns from the usage of ender pearls. Perhaps the inter-dimensional space warping capabilities of the pearl opens a gateway into a dimension filled with the unsightly buggers, allowing them to enter our world.]**

 **[Or perhaps it's just the universe telling us to stop spamming ender pearls all over the place.]**

 **[Either way, Endermites disappear within two minutes of spawning. Endermen don't like them, and attack them on sight. They don't attack in packs and are extremely weak. So any Crafter that dies to one should be glad they don't have to live with that embarrassment.]**

 **[The chances they spawn from a pearl are quite low, but if you really don't want to risk fighting them, don't use ender pearls. The worst they could do is surprise a teleporting Crafter. If you somehow find yourself facing one, you may either wait two minutes for them to disappear, throw splash Potions of Harming which work at exterminating the smallest of Mobs, blow them up, burn them, or use a Bane of Arthropods enchantment if you are truly desperate.]**

 **[To summarize, they aren't much of a threat. Pretty much anything can kill them. Really. What a waste of an entry. Maybe if you're a Crafter with poor hand-eye coordination and drunk… then** ** _maybe_** **they could be a threat? But otherwise, very uncreative and boring.]**

 **[Weakness: Pretty much anything. Time.]**

…

Okay, so maybe there really wasn't a problem using ender pearls. Endermites sounded like the Jibbermen of Mobs.

 _Alright._ I thought to myself while shoving my Endward Cult assault gear deep into my backpack. _Tomorrow night, I attack._

And I intended to raze that outpost to the ground.

For Floyd.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Diamond Sword [ _Sharpness I_ ], 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 26 Torches, 5 Coal, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 10 Ender Pearls, 59 Redstone, 64 TNT, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 4 Cookies, 24 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Black, Protection I, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 7 Rotten Flesh, 63 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 18]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 10 Slime Blocks, 64 Blocks of Quartz, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 32 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 45 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: More setting stuff up. More than you realize.**

 **Not a lot of content for two weeks, I know. I wanted this Chapter to be longer, but found that where I ended it was a good stopping point.**

 **One of the things I realized while keeping track of the Inventory is that things in Minecraftia are expensive as hell. You'd think a stack of emeralds would be a lot of money, but when you compare the stuff Cobb bought between this and last chapter, you'll see that everything costs a lot. I used the Villager exchange rate for the armor and weapons as well as the ender pearls. It freed up a lot of Inventory space for Cobb, but I was just surprised by it.**

 **And then we have Herobrine's book of Advanced Mob-Slaying. Haven't seen much of it since Chapter 40, so I brought it back. Made me realize how stupid Endermites are in the grand scheme of things. I'd like to see what the Minecraft creative team were thinking making those things.**

 **"Okay, so, we need a new Mob. We already have discount Slenderman and Porcupine-Fish, so we need something else. Something cool to catch the kids' attention. Any ideas?"**

 **"I got it! What if we take a Silverfish, right, and removed the hairs, change it from gray to purple, chop off its tail, and make it sound exactly like a Silverfish as well as do everything a Silverfish does... except go into blocks. Oh, and it, like, spawns from ender pearls or whatever and we call them Endermites."**

 **"...So... A smaller Silverfish... that only spawns from ender pearls?"**

 **"That's right."**

 **"...GIVE THAT MAN A RAISE!"**

 **Yeah, so, if you couldn't tell by how I wrote Herobrine's description of the Mob, I feel that Endermites are a bit lame.**

 **Omake below. It includes an OC, Kalmarin_the_Prophet, submitted by Kalmarin. Hope I represented him well.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Omake: Angel's Tool

Carys stood in the center of the room with her diamond sword drawn. The tip was pointed towards her opponent, a man with blue hair and a fedora. His own weapon, an iron sword, was held before him defensively. His hands trembled slightly, but that was understandable given who his opponent was.

Carys' crimson orbs locked on the man's sea green eyes as she took in his stance. Despite his trepidation, she noted how perfect his guard was. Most Crafters had a hole in their defense that she could exploit. But not Kalmarin. He was as experienced as they came. Older than her and nearly on the same level.

 _Nearly._ Carys smirked to herself before darting forward.

In response, Kalmarin brought up his sword and blocked the angel's first strike. She followed up with a kick, only for him to swap sword arms and block it with his elbow.

Carys raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed, before avoiding a slash aimed at her face. She stomped down on his sword, trapping it beneath the heel of her boot, before delivering a sharp elbow to Kalmarin's chest.

The effect was immediate. Kalmarin's breathing was thrown off by the sudden jab, and as he struggled for breath, his defense was left to suffer. Carys pressed her advantage, lashing out with a series of sword strikes that Kalmarin barely had time to deflect on top of steadying his breathing.

Seeing where the fight was going if he didn't come up with something fast, the blue-haired man spun on his heel, whipping his iron sword around him to gain momentum. On his second spin, he lunged forward, aiming for Carys' neck.

He expected the angel to dodge or block. She did neither. As the sword was about to hit her, she threw out her right arm and had it bend around both the sword and Kalmarin's wrist like a snake. Next instant, a vice-like grip tightened on his wrist, stopping the sword from hitting her.

With his arm trapped, Carys took her own diamond sword and scraped it along his iron blade towards his eyes. The two swords _screeched_ against each other, scattering sparks straight towards Kalmarin's eyes. He couldn't stop himself from closing them.

"Damnit."

"Mmhm." Carys replied simply as her sword struck Kalmarin's torso, followed by a kick that sent him crashing to the ground. She placed her purple boot over his chest, pinning him to the ground.

With a resigned sigh, Kalmarin let go of his sword and yielded.

Carys frowned in displeasure. "I thought I told you not to hold back."

Kalmarin chuckled nervously. "You… you noticed, huh?"

"Well, your eyes weren't smoking, so yes. I noticed." The Angel of Death moved her foot to Kalmarin's gut and put enough pressure to elicit an 'Oof!' "I wanted to face you at your best. That means Hacker powers and all."

"You weren't at your best either." Kalmarin shot back, earning another stomp to the gut. "Oof! You weren't using ender pearls or potions… or your Thorns armor."

"I don't see a reason to waste durability on a spar."

"And I don't see a reason to waste my Hacks on a spar. Oof!" Carys stomped twice for his backtalk. "Okay, okay! Quit it! You're gonna make me hurl… unless you don't mind getting chunks of rabbit on your boots."

Carys wrinkled her nose in disgust before removing her boot. "What I mind is you holding back. Operation: Overshadow is coming. And you of all people should know that on that day, holding back isn't an option."

Kalmarin's sea green eyes narrowed challengingly before he rolled to his feet. "Don't you worry. When the time comes, I won't show any mercy."

"I should hope not." Carys walked back to her original position, readying her sword. "Again. Only this time, don't…"

The angel trailed off as a Crafter entered the training room. It was another Paragon, Witige, with wild green hair and a scruffy beard. In his hands was a lead, with which he was using to guide a saddled pig.

Carys' crimson eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is this, Witige?"

"Ma'am, if you'll excuse this interruption," he bowed low before the pig tugged him aside by the saddle, "I've come with a gift."

Carys arched a single eyebrow. "A gift?" Her eyes never left the pig, and her blood was already simmering before Witige even had a chance to explain.

"Yes. Yes. I—"

"Witige, don't!" A voice rang out before the blue-haired form of Baltic came sprinting into the training room. When he saw that Witige had already revealed the pig, he paled. His eyes darted between Carys and the sword held unnaturally tight in her grip. "Witige, we… we shouldn't interrupt them while they're fighting." He tried to beckon Witige back, whispering warnings under his breath. But the green-haired Crafter wasn't having any of it.

"Now Baltic. I'm pretty sure an exception can be made once the Angel of Death sees what I've brought her."

"Witige, please, you don't—"

"Let him speak, Baltic." Carys interrupted as she stepped forward. She made sure to look the picture of calm to alleviate Baltic's worries and not frighten Witige too early. "He says he brought me a gift. I'd like to see what it is."

Baltic's brow creased with worry. He was no fool. Even if Carys looked calm, he still noticed her tight grip on her sword.

"Speak, Witige." She gestured to the green-haired Paragon.

Feeling emboldened by the allowance, Witige shot Baltic a smug look before holding out the lead tied to the pig. "I heard your steed died in battle. So I figured you'd need a new one before Operation: Overshadow." He pulled the pig closer to him and knelt beside it. "Now it's no Mr. Piggles, but this pig won several races in Dover Plains. There's no pig faster or of higher quality than this one."

"Is that so?" Carys questioned, sounding interested.

Witige nodded eagerly. "It cost a small fortune buying it off its trainer. I got it in case something ever happened to Mr. Piggles. Lucky thing, huh?"

"Hmmm." Carys paced around the pig, acting like she was admiring it. "I'm confused Witige."

"Uh… eh?"

"I said I'm confused." Carys repeated softly as she knelt down beside the pig. "When you refer to the situation as 'lucky', do you mean how my beloved Mr. Piggles was murdered, or how you had a spare steed waiting to replace him?"

"I… u-uh…" Witige blanched under the question. Baltic looked on worried, noticing how Carys' grip tightened on her sword.

Kalmarin just shook his head. "She's got him by the balls." He whispered.

"If that's too difficult a question for you to answer, here's another one." Carys continued as she held the sides of the pig's head and tilted them back and forth. "When you planned to bring this pig to my attention, did you imagine it could even hold a candle to Mr. Piggles' worth? Or were you just not thinking?"

"I… I…" Witige gulped before quickly glancing down. "I-I just thought that…"

"There is no right answer here, Witige." Carys called back coldly before a flash of diamond raked across the pig's side. It squealed in pain and tried to scamper away only for Carys to pull it back by the lead. The pig was yanked off its feet and onto its back, exposing its defenseless belly for Carys to sink her blade into.

The squeals were extinguished in a splatter of raw porkchops and a saddle. Everyone in the training room was deathly silent as Carys tossed the lead onto the ground and stalked over to a shivering Witige.

"Here's what I'm thinking, Witige." Carys spoke softly, piercing the Paragon's blue eyes with her burning crimson ones. "When I see you bring forth a pig and tell me it's a replacement steed, it makes me think that you think I need one."

"I'm sorry, ma'am… I—"

She brought up her sword to scrape at his neck, silencing him.

"It would be one thing if it was a horse, but you specifically got me a pig. You thought any old sorry excuse for a swine could replace the time I spent with Mr. Piggles." She shook her head chidingly. " _That_ is a _grave_ oversight."

"Carys, he made a mistake—"

"Quiet, Baltic." Carys warned, never taking her crimson glare off of Witige. "I'm busy contemplating whether or not I should kill someone."

Witige whimpered slightly, edging his neck up as the sword was pressed closer and closer.

"And finally, you assume I need a new pig based off some emotional attachment I had for Mr. Piggles. You assume I'm in need of something and that I wouldn't be able to function properly. You assume I need _pity_ and that this gift will provide the answer." Carys' eyes narrowed in anger. "You insult my strength of will, and that makes me very, _very_ angry."

By now, Witige was reduced to a whimpering pile of jelly as Carys' eyes burned further and further into him. The sword at his neck was causing him damage and Baltic and Kalmarin were expecting the green-haired Paragon to burst into a pile of gear at any moment.

However, the tension was snuffed out as Carys pulled her sword away. Witige was panting for breath, desperately trying to calm himself down as Carys glared at him coldly.

"Make sure you let everyone know not to pull something like this ever again." Carys warned, sheathing her blade. "Now clean up that sorry excuse for a pig you dragged in here and get out."

"Y-Yes, ma'am. Many apologies m-ma'am." Witige kept his head low as he picked up the remnants of his pig and scurried out of the training room.

Carys was breathing heavily with her fists clenched tight as she began to pace the room. Baltic and Kalmarin kept silent as they watched her fume. Once she got to the wall, her hand shot into her backpack and withdrew an iron axe. She cocked her arm back and hurled the tool clear across the training room where it smashed through a window.

Carys' hands balled back into fists as her attention snapped back to Kalmarin, who flinched slightly. "Come on! Another spar!"

"Er… maybe later… after we eat a little?" Kalmarin ventured, hoping some time might calm her down. He made a mental note of never bringing up Mr. Piggles ever again.

"Fight me now!" Carys growled, marching towards the Paragon with nothing but her bare fists. She was halfway to him when Baltic stepped in the way. "Move."

Kalmarin was surprised the angel didn't just bowl through him. Baltic wasn't that strong, after all. He was good at potions, but wasn't an extraordinary fighter.

Baltic, however, was prepared. "You seem a little… unsettled after Witige's 'gift'. Perhaps you should take some time to calm down before—"

"I'm completely calm!" Carys shouted, grabbing Baltic by his collar and yanking him down to her eye level. "Do these eyes look unsettled to you!?"

Baltic's black eyes looked deep into Carys' burning crimson orbs. The sight alone would intimidate any Paragon into submission.

But not Baltic.

"All I'm saying is that you need a distraction." Baltic held up one hand to appease her while the other one reached into his backpack. "And I think I have one. Your order just arrived."

Carys raised an eyebrow. "My order? What are you—?"

"From Exter."

At those two words, Carys' tense expression instantly relaxed. Her anger drained away to be replaced with a barely restrained eagerness. "My weapon…?" She asked hopefully, to which Baltic nodded. "Show me."

At her command, Baltic withdrew the weapon from his backpack: a long diamond Scythe. An Exter exclusive, forged by the word-renowned blacksmith, Tinker.

Carys was breathless as she examined the weapon. Her grip on Baltic's shirt slackened, and she shakily held up her hands to await the tool. Baltic slowly placed it in her palms, watching as she wrapped her fingers around the smooth wooden surface. Her hands explored the crescent blade, marveling at its sharpness.

"It's beautiful." Her awed whisper carried throughout the training room, speaking of her satisfaction with the weapon.

"I can't believe he actually made it." Kalmarin commented as he marveled along with Carys. Tinker's weapons cost a fortune, and the blacksmith was very selective over who he made weapons for. It was an honor being given one.

Carys wasted no time testing it out. She gripped the handle with both hands and swung it, smirking at the sound it made as it cut through the air.

*SWISH*

*SWISH*

She waved it around, spinning it over her arm, and watched as the light blue of the diamond glimmered in the lamp light.

"Now, he said it would take some getting used to." Baltic explained, though Carys was barely listening. "The weight and balance are different than a sword, not to mention it has properties of its own. It won't be easy to—"

Carys leaped into the air, her new diamond scythe trailing behind her before the sharpened edge buried itself into the floor, splintering the wood across a large area... and undoubtedly revealing one of the scythe's unique properties.

"—master." Baltic finished lamely, even while Carys smirked at him. She rested her scythe on her shoulder, enjoying the familiar weight it provided.

"It's perfect."

* * *

 **AN: An Angel of Death needs a scythe.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	74. One

**AN: Hey. Sorry this is... actually, you know what, I'm NOT sorry. This Chapter was a bitch to write! I'm not sorry one bit!**

 **As if it wasn't bad enough I have finals and tests to worry about this week, not to mention reports I have to resubmit, I had to type up this Chapter. But wait, it gets _better_! After typing up half of what was supposed to be Chapter 74, my computer crashed! And like an idiot, I forgot to periodically save so there went all that content. And after raging for one full hour, I was too tired to even retype what I had just lost, so I said 'fuck it' I'll type it another day.**

 **THEN, I got sick! And I don't know if any of you have ever tried typing while having a runny nose and coughing your lungs out all over your keyboard, but it isn't fun. In fact, it's a _living_ hell! So I had to take off an additional week just so I'd feel well enough to make this.**

 **THEN, because I realized I'd been gone for three weeks without an update, I was forced to type an extra long Chapter just to appease the viewers who feel cheated out of content!**

 **So I'm not sorry one bit for this being late! In fact, I think it's _better_ because it was late! So bring on the pitchforks and torches, viewers! Because I am in a RAGE!**

 ***huff* *huff***

 **...I'm sorry you all had to see that. It's been a very stressful couple of days.**

 **Just... let's just get on with the Chapter.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add telescopes.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

* * *

Chapter 74

 **One**

[Cobb]

I was really doing well in my fight against Wynn.

"Ow!"

And why wouldn't I? I mean, I took out a Hacker—something that had never been done before—and saved Halstatt from an army. Even Wynn couldn't do that. So it stood to reason I'd be able to defeat her in combat.

"Ugh, my face!"

Then again, my victory over Alec and Alec's victory over Wynn could have followed more of a… rock-paper-scissors scenario. Rock beats paper, paper beats—no wait, other way around. Rock beats _scissors_. Then scissors beats paper and paper beats rock. So Alec would always beat Wynn, I would always beat Alec, and Wynn…

"Okay… okay slow down—Whoa! Did you just try and spin-kick me!? What the frig!?"

Come to think of it, how the hell could paper beat rock anyway? I mean, it covers rock, sure, but that doesn't really hinder the rock, does it? It's not like the rock needs to breathe and the paper is smothering it. It's just a rock covered with paper now. And while we're at it, scissors are pretty damn durable. Unless the rock weighs a ton, I don't see it smashing scissors anytime soon. Scissors cutting paper? No argument there. That just made sense.

"Okay, Wynn! I give up! Seriously, put down the rapier!"

"Not until you use your fishing rod." Wynn shot back, her rapier held before her in her usual stance. "I'm determined to thwart your skill with it, and I won't settle for anything less." The focus in her amber eyes showed just how serious she was. But I was just as serious and twice as focused as—

Why even call it rock-paper-scissors? In Minecraftia it may as well be called cobble-paper-shears. It sounded more fitting—

I winced as the end of Wynn's rapier caught my shoulder. The ivory-haired Captain pulled back to strike the same spot, but I quickly knocked iher attack aside with the edge of my diamond sword.

 _Okay, so my focus needs work…_

"Go Cobb!" Erin cheered from the sidelines, waving some saplings like pom-poms. When she heard Wynn and I would be fighting and I asked her if she wanted to watch, she initially declined, saying she didn't want to see me get brutally defeated.

Harsh, but probably true.

But I had laughed it off, walking away with a passing rhetorical comment asking who in their right mind would want to watch _me_ work up a sweat.

Suddenly, Erin was very interested in watching our fight.

"Go, Cobbert." Lenz was there too, cheering in his own way: By not watching and burying his nose in that notebook of his. "Fight. Hit her with a Creeper." Came his monotone support.

"Lenz, there aren't even any Creepers here!" I shouted back, ignoring my opponent. Another mistake Wynn was quick to capitalize on when a boot caught the side of my face.

So yeah, she was actually winning—or as I like to call it Wynn-ing—the fight. So then why did she look so frustrated?

"Fishing rod! Now!" She shouted as she lashed out with her rapier. I deflected as best I could, but it was like blocking water with a strainer. I was full of holes for her to exploit and it wasn't like I had a shield or something.

Although…

"Hey," I asked as I brought up my sword to scrape against her rapier. She tilted it upward, but I pushed forward, locking the weapon against her chest. Her eyes narrowed as our weapons trembled against each other in a contest of strength. "Are there shields in Minecraftia?" I asked through my teeth. The Captain strained against my weapon even as her feet edged backward.

"No. Shields don't exist." She replied, moving her arm up to support her blade. "But perhaps the next Bounty Day will change that. Now quit stalling and draw your fishing rod."

"I don't have it on me." I answered back honestly.

"Then make a new one."

"I figured I'd train my _sword_ skills today." I shot back, tilting my head to indicate the blade in my grasp. "Is that a problem?"

"Maybe if you'd take this seriously." One of her legs shot forth between mine and hooked my ankle before pulling back. At the same time, she quit our contest of strength and grabbed a handful of my hoodie to pull. My balance was all over the place and she was pulling me off my feet, over her shoulder and aimed towards the ground.

"Hoodie-be-gone!" I focused my mind on the article of clothing, willing it to disappear. At my command, the white and black fabric fractured into glimmers of light, leaving me in my blue undershirt. With her handhold on me gone, Wynn cursed as I clamped onto her shoulder like a bloodthirsty baby koala.

"What the… get off!" Wynn shouted as she flailed around, trying to reach her hand up to pull me off. I was valiantly able to hold her hand off by swatting my own hand before me with the persistence of an ill-tempered toddler.

"Um… V-very interesting fighting style, Cobb!" Erin cheered with the hesitance of a woman not quite sure what she was watching.

"Go, Cobbert." Lenz droned, still not looking up from his notebook. "Watch your footing."

 _Remind me why I saved that guy?_

Realizing she wasn't going to get the monkey off her back that way, Wynn's hand shot to her belt and pulled out a light green potion. One of Leaping. As she lifted the bottle to take a drink, my foot swung up and got caught in the crook of her elbow, preventing the bottle from touching her lips.

"This is just ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous like a genius!" I muffled into her flowing ivory hair, more as a result of position than on purpose. "Pah! Peh!" I spat out as strands of her hair tickled my nose.

"Are you—don't spit in my hair!" She twisted around, trying to dislodge me with the force, but I clung firm, weighing her rapier arm down with my body and keeping her other arm from bringing her potion to her mouth. With my one remaining leg dangling against her back, I tried to kick her. Some way to inflict damage and force her to surrender. But I was at such an awkward angle, that what I delivered instead was a series of feeble bops that barely registered.

This went on for several minutes. Wynn twisting wildly as she made her way from one end of the backyard to the other, all the while having me ride atop her in the most embarrassing submission hold of all time. Erin watched the spectacle, bemused and speechless, as her eyes followed us.

"Amazing. What a move." Lenz spoke dully as he turned a page of his notebook. "Quite the turn of events."

Flailing turned to thrashing and I had to keep my eyes closed just to stave off the dizziness. "How is grappling part of your _sword_ skills!?" Wynn screamed. I was about to answer, only for her thrashing to suddenly still.

One eye peeked open and I saw what Wynn had seen: The mansion. Or more precisely, the solid wall of her mansion.

Wynn tilted her head up, flashing an arrogant smirk, before she began running towards the wall.

"…Don't you do it." I tried.

Wynn began to pick up speed, my words only fueling her.

"Seriously, stop!"

Wynn ignored me as she neared the wall. And just as it looked like she was going to run into it, she bent down and turned so that the only thing slamming into the wall was the monkey on her back.

"AUGH!" I shouted as I was sandwiched between a wall and Wynn's shoulder. My grip on the Captain slackened with the impact and that gave her the chance to pull away. She watched as I slid down the wall into a heap on the ground, moaning from the pain.

"Well," Wynn began breathlessly, looking a little apologetic over taking things too far. "We'll… er… call it there."

"Friendly spar my ass…" I coughed out before rolling over onto my back. "Oough… ouchie…"

"Well… next time fight naturally." She argued unconvincingly. Yeah, she was guilty about smearing me against a wall. Erin had already hurried over with a Potion of Healing in hand.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed…" I coughed in between potion sips. "But I don't exactly fight naturally. Maybe instead, you could fight a little less angrily."

"I am in complete control of my temper, thank you." She straightened the damage I did to her hair before giving it an elegant flip. "I only ever lose myself when fighting irritating individuals."

"Like me?"

"Like you."

"But not like Alec."

Judging by Wynn's fuming face, it looked like I struck a nerve. Alec's Hacker powers did make him an irritating opponent. And he had mopped the floor with Wynn. Was that why she wanted to thwart the fishing rod? Because Alec couldn't?

"My bad." I apologized before Wynn could open her mouth. "I shouldn't have brought that up. Nobody wants to hear about their losses. But you know," I gave the Captain a small smile. "You think I'm impressive with the fishing rod, but nobody can skewer privates like you."

Wynn groaned into her hand. "That's not something to be proud of."

"Personally I prefer getting slammed against a wall over having a sword at my privates… Don't quote me on that."

"I'll keep that in mind next time we spar." Wynn sheathed her rapier and stared at me challengingly. "Just be sure to bring a fishing rod next time. Otherwise my victory won't be as satisfying."

"Yeah, yeah. As if you needed another victory under your belt. Aren't you already some kind of badass?"

"I wouldn't go that far." Wynn answered modestly, though she couldn't keep the proud smile off her face. _Looks like I said something right._ "Certainly not as 'badass' as the Crafter that killed a Hacker."

"Do go on. Shower me with praise." I joked while posing dramatically, only to receive a light swat to the back of the head.

"How about _you_ shower yourself in water. You're all sweaty and gross."

"M-Maybe he should take off his shirt." Erin supplied helpfully. "Y-you know… to beat the heat. N-not to reveal those chiseled abs or anything l-like that! Nope! J-just trying to offer suggestions! Innocuous suggestions that have no hidden agenda! Hehe… he."

"Oh, that reminds me…" I quickly focused my mind on my vanished hoodie, and just like that, it rematerialized over my shirt in shards of light. "Thanks, Erin."

"Sure… that's what I wanted… n-neat." Erin mumbled, downcast. For some reason, Wynn was just shaking her head at the housekeeper.

As a dejected Erin was helped back to the mansion by Wynn, who proceeded to whisper something about 'feelings' and 'dense as a brick wall', I noticed Lenz approaching out of the corner of my eye.

"Enjoy the fight?" I asked, only to yelp as the engineer pulled me aside.

"Cobbert. We have a problem." He lifted his tinted glasses, displaying a serious expression.

"What's up?"

Lenz glanced left and right, as if he was worried about being watched. His eyesight was good enough to see possible eavesdroppers, so when he felt confident enough to talk I felt just as secure.

"Somebody has stolen my TNT."

 _Yeah. Me._ I thought internally while at the same time trying to feign surprise. "No! For our TNT cannon?" He nodded along. "But… are you sure you didn't misplace it?"

"Positive." He spoke without an ounce of hesitation, causing me to curse internally. _So much for making him think he lost it._ "I remember leaving the auction house with it safely nestled in my backpack. But come morning, it was all gone. And I wish that was all that was taken. But I am also missing my redstone!"

"Your redstone?" I asked innocently. "That's odd. But are you quite sure you didn't set it down somewh—"

"I do not misplace things, Cobbert." Lenz interrupted sharply. "Especially when it comes to redstone. You think I would just leave my lifeblood lying around on the floor or in some unguarded chest?"

"As opposed to your unguarded, can't-use-a-sword Inventory?"

"You are missing the point! Somebody has stolen my redstone and TNT! I dread to imagine what they intend to do with it, but I have a pretty good idea who stole it."

I paled slightly. "…You do?"

He nodded and lifted a single finger in preparation of the reveal. "It has to be the auction house."

I relaxed a bit as Lenz went into a rant about his reasoning.

"Think about it. First, we sell grass blocks at that auction house—making it incredibly obvious that we own a Silk Touch shovel—and then we get a visit from burglars who, as Wynn proved, worked for the same auction house." Lenz picked up speed in his accusations as he made more sense of it. "We sell more grass blocks and I buy TNT, and then the next day, _that_ gets stolen from right under my nose! The very thing the auction house _knew_ I had. The fact I was sleeping in that outhouse probably made it easier for the thieves. Why risk entering the mansion of a reputable Captain?" He nodded to himself before turning to me. "Why, if you had been sleeping out here, I bet you would have lost that golden shovel in a snap!"

"You may be right." I nodded along, happy that Lenz was pinning the blame on someone else. "So you think the auction house is scamming people—selling off merchandise and then stealing it back?"

"I think it is the only logical answer." He agreed. "They have probably stolen from others as well. We should alert Wynn of their duplicity at once."

 _Or we could keep quiet and not worry about a few tons of TNT._ I wanted to say, even as I felt the damning explosives in my backpack. He couldn't have known they were right there. But if he told Wynn and she wrongly busted the auction house, it'd probably lead to problems in the future.

I needed some way to divert him. "We can't be absolutely sure. There's no proof that they're the one behind it… but it's also suspicious how items dealt there suddenly disappear." Lenz nodded along, wholeheartedly trusting my judgment. It sent another stab of guilt into my chest. "We need more proof before we can accuse them."

"Good point." He rubbed his chin in thought before snapping his fingers in realization. "I got it! If they truly are scamming people, I will happily play into their hands. I will purchase more TNT—twice as much—from the same auction house, and make them think stealing from me again will yield the same result." He smirked triumphantly. "Then, when they come to reclaim it, I will be waiting, fully awake, and ready to expose them for the thieves that they are!"

 _That's a terrible plan._

"That… is a brilliant plan."

"Thank you. My mind surprises me sometimes with how practical it is." The engineer nodded proudly. "So I need _two_ stacks of TNT this time. That will make the cannon fire even better! Though we will probably have to resolve this thievery problem before building the machination. It might also interfere with my outhouse improvements."

I didn't really get why that would be an issue—it wasn't like burglars would care about a dinky outhouse—but I agreed all the same. Anything to throw Lenz off and keep him from doing anything drastic. It would cost him emeralds, but I could easily make it all back for him by selling grass blocks.

"We should probably do it tonight—the sooner the better." Lenz suggested, finally lowering his tinted glasses. "Can I expect your collaboration in the stakeout?"

"The huh?"

"Stakeout. As in, keeping watch throughout the night… like in those private detective novels."

"Oh, right, well… I might be busy tonight." My thoughts strayed to the Creeper mask in my backpack.

Lenz looked incredulous. "Busy? _Busy_? Cobbert, this is a serious issue! If the auction house is resorting to thievery to inconvenience their customers, we need to put a stop to it. I thought you of all people would be eager to help."

I was confused on what he meant until I realized he was talking about Halstatt. From his point of view, I must have looked like some kind of champion of justice or something. It made sense for him to think I'd want to stop thievery. He had no idea I had bigger matters planned.

And that was how it was going to stay.

"You're right, Lenz. I'll be there tonight." I told him to allay his suspicions. I'd pay for it later by skipping out, but for the moment it brought an appreciative hum from the engineer.

"Now we should probably think about how to position ourselves. Once I purchase the TNT, those burglars will likely raid the outhouse again, thinking one of us to be sleeping in there." He looked up to the second floor of the mansion. "I can probably get a decent view from that second-floor window… I would need a Potion of Night Vision to see in the dark, though. I should pick that up with the TNT…"

As he shared plans I knew I wouldn't be a part of, I couldn't help but feel guilty about all the lying. Lenz was a good person. Loyal and trustworthy too. But that was why I didn't want him to die. I didn't want him to risk his life either. The only life worth risking was my own, and I wouldn't allow any more of my friends to jeopardize their safety if I could help it.

I was lying to protect them. That made it right. Selfless, even.

…

The guilt still hurt though.

* * *

[Cara]

The guilt still hurt.

That only meant I wasn't drinking enough.

"Another round." I slurred, slamming a handful of emeralds onto the counter. The bartender was quick to arrive, though one look at my undoubtedly bloodshot eyes and he wasn't so eager to serve me. "C'mon. Chop-chop!"

A few nearby Crafters shot me annoyed looks. People visited bars to drink and relax, and I vaguely registered through my drunken stupor that I was ruining the mood. If I was more self-conscious, I might have been embarrassed.

Awkward Potions had a way with numbing that feeling.

"No offense, ma'am," the bartender began with the tone of an experienced diplomat, "but perhaps you should slow your roll. Twenty drinks is ten drinks too many—"

"I'll decide wha's too much!" I argued, pushing the emeralds across the table without even bothering to count them. "Drink! Now!"

"…Yes, ma'am." The bartender nodded before disappearing to retrieve my drinks.

The sounds of the bar became oddly quiet and I swiveled on my chair, nearly throwing myself off from the lack of balance. Everyone was shooting me wary looks. "Why everyone sooo shushy? Drink! …Be happy! Tha's wha bars are for, yeah?"

At my urging, everyone turned their attention away from me. The traveling minstrel in the far corner began to continue his epic song about the 'Hero of Halstatt', but I tuned out most of the lyrics.

I tuned out most of everything. Awkward Potions were like liquid earplugs. Perfect for abandoning all grasp on the world and to simply forget. The sober me that relied on reason and planning would have been appalled to see my current state. But I didn't care. I didn't want to feel anything.

It hurt less.

"Your drink." The bartender returned, passing a glass bottle filled with blue liquid over to me. I brought it to my lips immediately, waiting for its numbing effects to take me away. "Forgive me for saying this, ma'am, but you look like shit."

"Quite the charmer… aren't you." I called back sarcastically. "Buh I don' blame you. I probably _do_ look like shit." I wiped the corner of my mouth with my arm and shook my head. "Things have been pretty bad."

"Well, as a bartender, I'm contractually obligated to offer a sympathetic ear to the troubles of my patrons. So," he cleared his throat before leaning on the counter and shooting me a sideways glance, "what ails ya?"

I giggled tipsily, a slight lift in my spirits that had nothing to do with the alcohol. "I apprecimatate your offer… buh I don' wanna bum you." I drained the last of my drink and slammed it back on the table.

"Try me." The bartender had a new drink on the table before I could blink. He must have brought several with him. "I've heard quite a bit of troubles working here. There's nothing that'd surprise me."

"My actions led to the deaths of two Crafters, one of which who's friend rightfully blames me, and all because I was too stupid to quit while I was ahead."

The bartender's eyebrows lifted in shock. "Oh… shit." He rubbed his head awkwardly, at a loss for words. "Ah… uh… shit."

I chuckled sadly before downing the latest drink. "That pretty much sums it up. Can I get another—oh thanks."

The bartender swapped my empty bottle for a fresh one, his eyes never leaving mine. "Well, shit, I didn't think I'd have no advice to give. Can't say that I've been in a similar state." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Is that why you're drinking tonight?"

I nodded along, swirling the contents of my drink as if they'd hold the answers to absolving me of guilt. The tuned out voices of the fellow patrons were making their way back to me. That wouldn't do.

"So I have one guy who hates me… another guy who _should_ hate me, buh for whatever reason doesn't… a third guy who's _proud_ of me—the bastard—and it sickens me just thinking about it… and then me, who hates myself even more." The drink went down, but it wasn't doing its job of numbing the pain or surrounding sounds. "I think your drinks may be broken…"

"You heard the saying 'it needs to get worse before it gets better?' This is the same." He pushed another bottle of liquid into my hand. "You have to get sober before you get drunk."

I blinked at his words, but ultimately accepted them along with the drink. Even if they made no sense.

"As for your troubles… I'm at a loss over how to fix them." He began to wipe down the counter with a piece of paper acting as a rag. "But I know how you can start. It's the age-old solution of solving problems."

"Wha's that?"

He smirked. "Push them on to someone else."

I grimaced at his joke, looking down into my drink. "Yeah, sure, very funny. Somebody's not getting a tip…"

"I don't work for tips from troubled people. It's like taking advantage of them. And I'm not joking." The bartender leaned forward, propped up by his elbows. "True, _I_ don't know what the hell you should do. But that's because I've never been in a similar situation. So my advice is for you to find someone else—someone who's been in the same situation—and have _them_ hear your troubles. If they've gone through the same, then they'd have the best advice."

His words resounded in my hazy mind, almost clearing it in a way. I couldn't have been the only one to lose people for stupid mistakes. Minecraftia was too huge for that to be possible. Someone had to have the answers to my guilt. And I had a small idea where to start.

"That's… actually good advice." I smiled, downing the latest drink, but then pausing mid-sip. _Wait a second_. I thought as my tongue tasted the liquid. "This is… this is just water!"

"About time you figured it out." The bartender smiled, raising the other bottles he brought with him. All water. So that was why my mind was slowly clearing up and the numbing effects of the alcohol ending. He swapped them while I was too drunk to notice. "Twenty drinks is usually the limit before I sober people up with water. On the house, of course."

"As if water costs anything." I pouted as he slid my emeralds back to me. "You tricked me."

"No. I gave you good advice and made sure you didn't stumble off in a drunken stupor." He winked before gathering the empty bottles to be washed.

"No tip for you!" I called back in irritation, unable to keep the damning smile off my face. He was right. And he had given me good advice. But he didn't have to be so smug about it!

Now I just _had_ to tip him, if only to keep what little pride I had left. I slid five emeralds across the counter before getting out of my seat and walking onto Ringwood's main streets.

I was still a bit tipsy and smelled of Awkward Potion, but I wasn't nearly as bad as I could have been had that bartender not switched me to water.

I went into that bar hoping I'd feel less than when I arrived. Instead I felt more. And I had a better plan than just drowning myself in alcohol.

I needed someone who knew the guilt I was now forced to bear.

And I knew just where to look.

* * *

[Wynn]

I let out an exasperated huff after writing the latest closure announcement. Preparing for the Bounty Day truly was taxing, but it was probably best to set a precedent for it now so that Ringwood would be prepared for more in the future.

 _If any more even occur._ I thought while leaning back in my seat to stretch. It was a good I had sparred with Cobb earlier today. The exercise was welcome when I had to sit in my study filling out paper work. The prospect of new items was fine, but arranging for everything in Ringwood to be shut down for the day was torture.

 _I need a break._ I thought to myself before exiting my study. Dinner wouldn't be ready for a while, but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy a light snack. An apple and a bucket of milk would certainly hit the spot.

However, as I walked down the stairs, I spotted Cobb with his hand on the front door. His hair was still dripping wet, showing he had just used the shower.

"Cobb?" He froze in opening the door and turned to look at me. "You heading out?"

"Mhm." He hummed. He didn't mention where he was going or why, but it looked like he was waiting for me to ask.

I didn't need to be a genius to know he intended to see if Floyd had come in yet.

But, at the same time, he already told me how worried he was. It wouldn't be right to doggedly question him every time he left the mansion. He was probably worried sick about Floyd's well-being.

"You know, I'm busy right now," I began kindly, hoping he'd accept the offer, "but tomorrow, if you want, you and I could patrol outside east of the wall." He perked up at the suggestion. "We can look for incoming Crafters and help guide them to Ringwood. It's not uncommon." I hoped he understood the underlying message. Maybe looking for Floyd would help calm his worries. Give him something to do.

He considered the offer before ultimately nodding. "That sounds nice. I'd appreciate it."

"Then it's settled." I clapped my hands together before heading off to the kitchen. "Don't be back too late." I called over my shoulder. "Unless Floyd shows up, in which case, take as much time as you need."

"Yeah…" Cobb nodded, a small smile plastered on his face. "I will."

And with that, he shut the door behind him, the sound echoing through the empty mansion.

* * *

[Cobb]

My hand hung on the doorknob, refusing to let go after I closed it. I lowered my head so that it rested on the wooden frame and closed my eyes.

 _Lenz is off getting TNT, Erin is buying dinner ingredients, and Wynn is busy in her study._

 _Now's the time…_

My eyes snapped open and I finally released the doorknob, backing away from the ivory-haired Captain's mansion. I turned on my heel and sprint-walked to the northern exit out of Ringwood. The security there was fairly tight, given that it was the only thing separating the Northern District from outside the Kingdom's walls. There were guards at toll gates fitted with iron doors and bars. Archers were positioned atop the wall, ready to shoot any aggressive Crafters on sight.

I gulped as I approached and deposited my entire Inventory in a double chest to be checked. Hopefully they wouldn't stop me for any—

"Sir?" One of the guards questioned with a raised brow. "You have an awful lot of TNT in your Inventory. May I ask what it's for?"

Of course. They would ask why I have tons of explosives in my backpack. I cursed as I tried to come up with a reasonable excuse. "…Mining. I need resources and I heard there's a nice chasm a day's walk away."

One of the guards inspecting my items nodded at my reasoning, only for a second, sterner looking one to step in. "Doesn't seem like you'd need resources." He drawled, carelessly knocking aside my many books to scoop out a handful of emeralds. "You have enough emeralds here to afford a golem's worth of iron."

 _Damn them for being so thorough._

"I didn't—"

"Wait…" One of them held up a hand breathlessly. "Is that a… a Silk Touch shovel!?" He gasped in awe as he tore it free from the rest of my Inventory. The books and dyed leather armor tumbled free. "I've never seen one so close… never even had the chance to hold it…"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't manhandle my prized possessions." I called back sharply. I couldn't help it. They were being rude digging through all my stuff as if they owned it. They had no idea what I had to do to get half that stuff.

"He's right, Clancy." The stern guard swiped the shovel from the awestruck guard and placed it deliberately back in the chest. Only then did he gather up the books and, with far less concern, dumped them back. "But back to the TNT resource dilemma…"

"I… ugh… I don't want to just buy things for the rest of my life." I made up on the spot, hoping they'd buy it. "It wouldn't make sense to rely on a shovel when it has a finite durability. I don't need everything handed to me through a purchase. Is it so wrong to want to _earn_ resources through hard work and the end of a pickaxe?"

The stern guard narrowed his eyes, causing me to break into a cold sweat. Had I been too flippant? Were they going to confiscate the TNT or—

"Well said." The guard nodded in approval, skimming over the rest of my Inventory and finding nothing of concern. "You check out. If you still have TNT after your mining, come back here. We'll save you the hassle of having to explain yourself to the other toll gates."

I relaxed my shoulders at his words. "You got it." I assured before gathering up my Inventory and passing through the opened iron doors out of Ringwood.

I kept walking north, creeping around trees and rocks, until I couldn't see Ringwood's wall anymore. Then I quickly took out Brett's map of the region and turned east. A small white blip showed up on the map, designating myself. There was another small blip near Ringwood's Eastern District and I could only assume that was the Silver Intent headquarters where I got the map.

My blip was to the north of Ringwood. The Endward Cult outpost Brett had described was to the southeast. I was taking an incredibly circuitous route to the outpost, but it would throw off the chances of Wynn following me. If she asked those northern guards about me, they'd just say I went mining… with a shit-ton of TNT.

I could just imagine the horrified look on her face. Followed by anger at how incompetent the guards were to believe such a lie. Then came the ball-stabbings.

But anyway, Wynn or Lenz would never expect me to head southeast after going through Ringwood's northern toll. It guaranteed their safety. And Brett had promised not to tell anyone.

It was just me and the outpost.

As I continued to make my way to the southeast, I passed some Crafters chopping down trees. There were quite a few of them, and they seemed to be clearing the trees to form a path of sorts. There were a couple of guards in green leather caps as well. One of them I recognized.

"Oh, it's you." Bitters, the assholiest of guards, sneered as I approached him. I remembered how the bastard had tried to get Wynn in trouble for defending her guards and Halstatt while he ran away. The Captain almost lost her job because of him. Thankfully, his pissy-poor attitude was no match for my out-of-ass lying, and Wynn's job was saved. The other guards also hated him for his cowardice.

Judging by his less-than-polite greeting, he probably blamed me for all the hate he got.

"Come to rub in your victory?" Bitters questioned sharply. "I'm stuck guarding this project because of you and your lies."

"How is that my fault?" I asked with genuine confusion, eliciting an eye-roll from Bitters.

"His Eminence somehow got the idea that _I_ defied direct orders from Captain Wynn."

"…But you did."

He snarled. "Orders that conflicted with our mission, you twit! But our mission was already over. The railway was agreed upon between Daymonte and Ringwood. So I was in the right! And don't think I don't know you weaseled the Captain out of taking responsibility for her actions!"

"Wynn acted to protect her guards. Her brothers in arms." I argued, not liking how the green-haired guard was insulting her. "You can't deny you chose to save your own life over your fellow guards."

"I chose to follow the rules." Bitters gritted out. "But apparently, following the rules doesn't mean anything. So now, His Eminence has me outside the walls, guarding this railway project from Mobs and threats of a similar ilk."

"This is for the railway?" I asked, glad he was changing the subject, and to something I'd find interesting.

"Don't you have eyes?" Bitters frowned before inclining his head to the Crafters toppling trees. "A railway needs a clear, even path from Point A to Point B. And lumber is needed for the rails, even if it's only a small percentage of the final product. The Kingdom is killing two chickens with one sword this way."

"And you're here to keep them safe." I filled in. "Don't see why you're upset over that. Sounds like an easy job."

"It isn't." Bitters sneered. "But I can see why _you'd_ think that. With all the guards present, _you'd_ just—ah… never mind." He gave an exaggerated shrug as if to dismiss his own words. But judging by his accompanying grin of a condescending nature, he meant something else.

And it was hard to miss how he emphasized certain parts of his sentence. Parts directed specifically at me. I could detect them as if they were italicized text.

"Are you trying to say something?" I asked bluntly. "Because it sounds like you really want to say something."

"Oh, no." He held his hands up in a sign of mock surrender. A smile stretching across his face as if he knew some private joke. "Nothing at all."

I narrowed my eyes at the guard before relenting with a sigh. "Look, what's done is done. Despising me isn't going to undo anything. It's not going to change how people feel about me or you, so whatever animosity you've got going on… I'm sorry. Okay?"

I hoped that would be the end of it. But no. Bitters still looked like he wanted nothing more than to shove a pickaxe up my nose. "Sorry? That's the best you can do?"

"…Really sorry?"

Bitters frown deepened. "That's not—"

"Super duper sorry."

"That's just it!" Bitters exclaimed, stamping down one foot. "You just don't care, do you? This apology, Halstatt… You just couldn't care less."

"What are you talking about? I stayed behind against an army! What's more caring than that?"

"No, no, NO! That's not it!" He shook his head with increasing volume. "You didn't _know_ how that would happen. You didn't have any forethought about saving that village! You acted impulsively and on a whim… and yet it _still_ worked out for you!" He looked me up and down with disgust. "No training. No experience. No chance. But that doesn't affect you, does it? You think yourself impervious to the world!?"

"Wha—No… I—" I was taken aback by how furious he sounded. Had he been thinking that this whole time? Keeping it bottled up until he could release it in a fit of anger. "I know I'm not invincible! I was terrified before those Griefers showed up!"

"But then Wynn arrived and made everything better."

My eyes widened. "What are you—"

"I may not be privy to all the 'glorious' details of that battle," Bitters argued with accusing eyes, "but I can bet you wouldn't have won if Wynn and the guards hadn't been there."

"That's…" I thought back to how Wynn arrived and asked what I needed in my preparations against the Griefers. She had been unwavering in her offer to help. Her guards had helped set up Lenz's trap. They fought against those Griefers and impossible odds. And Wynn had done all that and more by just being there. How quickly had my fear diminished when I realized Wynn was still my comrade—my friend? How great had I felt when she returned the green-dyed tunic?

How belligerent had my fighting been against Alec when I saw what he did to her.

Bitters was right. If they hadn't been there… If it had been just me…

"You didn't know they'd come back." Bitters continued when I didn't argue. "You didn't know staying behind would guilt them into joining you, just like you didn't know everything would turn out fine." He scoffed. "Or maybe you just didn't care."

I gnashed my teeth and glared at the guard. "Don't tell me that I don't care about my friends." I threatened lowly.

"Funny way of showing it." He mocked. "Going off to fight an army on your own, and too stubborn to let anyone talk you out of it." I let out an involuntary gasp at how close to the truth he was. "You're only as invincible as the amount of people willing to risk their neck for you. On your own… you're no legend. You're just a one-billionth _nothing_." He spat at my feet, and stalked away, having said his piece.

I watched him leave and couldn't help the anger rising within me. _What does_ he _know!?_ I thought to myself as I turned on my heel and stormed through some chatting guards. _It's not my fault they came back. I never asked them for help. I would've been fine if they hadn't wanted to figh—I mean… I wouldn't have hated them if they didn't want to fight!_

Sure, Wynn's assistance had been pivotal in the Battle of Halstatt. And sure, without her and her guards, the Griefers _might_ have won… probably. But I would've figured something out. It all just boiled down to taking down Alec, anyway. The Griefers' fear would do the rest.

But if there had been no trap… no archers on the wall… no experienced guards fighting alongside me… no Captain distracting Alec…

If it had just been me…

Would it have been harder? Or just impossible?

' _On your own… you're no legend. You're just a one-billionth_ nothing _._ '

I shook my head to dispel those thoughts. _Fucking Bitters… man, I hate that guy._

The worst part was how accurate he described what I was literally on my way to do. Going off on my own to fight an army (outpost), and too stubborn to let anyone talk me out of it. It was like Minecraftia had sent Bitters as one final reminder of 'Don't do it, stupid!'

But this wasn't like Halstatt. Again, it was just me and the outpost, but it was also to avenge Floyd. To fucking do something other than mope around about what could have been had things been different. You only got out what you put in. So if I wanted the grief _out_ , it meant putting _in_ effort of a similar magnitude.

Floyd had joined the Silver Intent to rid the world of the Endward Cult, and it had been that very cult that murdered him. So if single-handedly assaulting an Endward Cult outpost couldn't get rid of the grief gnawing away at my intestines like a starved rat… well…

Then there was really nothing that could.

* * *

[Brett]

It was getting late. All of the other Silver Intent members had retired for the night.

But not me. No, I _had_ to see this.

Not in the actual sense of being present when it happened. I was fairly content with sitting at a desk in a rundown Inn, enjoying a light Mundane Potion, while observing the map that lay before me.

Of course someone as meticulous as I would make copies of maps. And map copies doubled as tracking devices between each other. Which meant the Billionth could see a white blip on his map that matched my location in a seedy Inn…

And _I_ could watch as his white blip left Ringwood's northern toll, meandered for a bit to the east of Ringwood's wall, and worked its way lazily towards the Endward Cult outpost I had so generously pointed out.

He was doing it tonight. Clever. Assaulting the base at night when he could easily avoid detection. Wary cultists would mistake rustling branches or faint footsteps as a Mob's doing.

And the best part was, whether he succeeded or failed, I would lose absolutely nothing. I was staying at a seedy Inn instead of the Silver Intent base specifically in the event Cobb was captured or killed. The cultists would find the map, and simply look to where the white blips were to track down its counterpart, mine, in Ringwood. Only they'd stumble upon an Inn instead of something greater.

Though, if I had to be honest, considering last night's visitor, I was hoping the Billionth would pull it off unscathed. It certainly would yield a greater gain having the outpost taken care of. And perhaps he could be coerced into assaulting more outposts in the future.

On the map, it was when the white blip that was Cobb made it to the base of Mt. Mur that I noticed the marker disappear and reappear further in the direction of the outpost. He was most likely using ender pearls to scale the mountain faster.

"Best of luck, Cobb." I chuckled before taking a great sip of my brew.

My eyes continued to track his movements, as one would a pawn on a chess board.

* * *

[Lenz]

"Comparators!" I hissed. "Where is Cobbert? That thief could show up any second."

Here I was, sat near the second floor window overlooking Wynn's backyard, bow at the ready and directed towards the outhouse, and Cobbert could not even be bothered to show up. He even promised. Did his word mean nothing!?

Still, I watched that outhouse like a hawk. Day or night mattered not due to the Potions of Night Vision I had accrued. One for me and one for Cobbert.

But since it did not look like he would join me in my stakeout, the potion was wasted. Or it would have been had I not already decided to drink it once mine wore off.

 _Where is he though?_ _When he did not show up to dinner, Captain Wynn assured Erin and me that he was off with a friend, and to eat without him. She also mentioned that he might not show up tonight and that I should go sleep in the guest bedroom in his stead._

 _The mysterious friend of his… Cobbert mentioned the name once or twice… Floyd, I believe. He must mean a lot for Cobbert to keep visiting him._

Still, he gave his word that he would show up. I munched into some steak—the traditional cuisine of a stakeout—with a hint of irritation towards the fisherman.

Did he not realize how dangerous this thief could be? Stealing merchandise back from the very Crafters that purchased it was a brilliant scam. Items did not have fingerprints, after all. So one could steal and resell as much as they liked without fear of retribution.

And why stop there? _Any_ item on a Crafter's person could be stolen and resold. Why limit it to items purchased in the auction house? Anything was fair game, even if it was not considered valuable, so long as it had an emerald cost to it, it—

…

 _Hmmm…_

Tentatively, I reached deep into my backpack and exchanged my bow for my Redstone Repeaters. I held the devices in my hand and frowned down at them.

Repeaters were incredibly cumbersome to craft. They required one redstone, two redstone torches, and three stone. Not cobblestone. _Stone_. That meant one had to first melt the cobblestone in a furnace before using it in the recipe. Cobblestone is more readily available, so having to melt it first is deemed a waste of time.

The device was tricky to make. Tricky, but not impossible.

Surely… it would have been of _some_ value.

I crammed the repeaters back into my backpack before withdrawing the next device. Redstone Comparators. Not the expletive, the device. Their recipe was similar to the Repeater, but had an additional element in the form of Nether Quartz, a mineral found _only_ in the fiery Nether.

Those would definitely fetch a price in any auction house.

And yet… after having the Redstone and TNT stolen… both the Repeaters and the Comparators remained untouched. As if the thief never cared for them.

More than that. I had not realized it before when I was buying the two stacks of TNT, but all of my emeralds were accounted for. The thief had not touched those either.

Was it because the thief wanted me to spend the emeralds at the auction house, knowing there was no point in stealing something that would return to them anyway? Or was it because a stack of emeralds would be more noticeably missed than some redstone materials.

Or perhaps… it was because the auction house had nothing to do with the theft.

If it had been them, they would have stolen everything in my backpack. They would have made more and would not have risked much. In fact, repeatedly stealing from someone would only increase their chances of getting caught. It would be easier to steal everything at once, and then move on to a new target.

But to leave the emeralds behind… as if they were worthless… as if the thief only desired the TNT and redstone to set it off…

That meant the auction house was not behind the theft.

But that was a ridiculous notion! It _had_ to be them! They had seen me purchase the TNT! They knew I had it! That TNT was going to be used to make a TNT cannon to impress Cobbert! And nobody else could have known I—

…

Who else…?

…!

' _Hey, Lenz. Remember that TNT cannon you used on the Valley Beast._ '

My Potion of Night Vision ran out. My vision was flickering between dark and bright, but I was no longer watching the outhouse below.

' _It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen… Could you build one of them? I… I_ really _want to see the level of firepower you can make._ '

"Why, Cobbert…?" I frowned as I lifted my tinted goggles and moved to rest my head against the cool window. "Why did you do it?"

' _That's what I like to hear, Lenz._ '

"Why did you steal from me?"

* * *

[Cobb]

"Ow! Die, you little purple shit." My golden sword plunged down, impaling the Endermite and killing it in one go. "Herobrine was right. Those things are just annoying."

I sat down atop a rock perfectly sized to be a chair and consumed some steak as I waited for my Health to regenerate. It wasn't like the Endermite had done any real damage. It was more due to the effects of the ender pearls—also the source of the Endermite spawning—which shaved off a quarter of my Health every time I used it. Armor didn't seem to make a difference, though maybe there was an Enchantment or Potion that could counter the damaging effect.

Still, for being able to teleport, a few Hearts were a small price to pay. If Floyd or I had had a stack of them back when Carys chased us, we would have cleared Mt. Mur easily.

I sighed as I involuntarily brought up Floyd. Again. Even when I was trying not to, it just happened.

I slapped my cheeks twice, willing myself to stay focused. Grieving could come later, when I wasn't about to invade an outpost.

I glanced at my last remaining ender pearl. This was the third time I had to stop and regenerate Health. I hadn't thought about bringing more pearls, thinking the darkness would spawn Endermen to replace them. But Endermen, as it turns out, spawn rarely. Nothing but Zombies, Spiders, Skeletons, and Creepers on this hike. The Unholy Quadrinity.

I then brought out Brett's map. Remembering where he pointed, the outpost was close. At least another good throw away. I looked up in an effort to see some sort of structure or ruin, only for my vision to be blocked by a passing cloud.

I was so high up that I was at cloud level. And Mt. Mur stretched even higher. Behind me, Ringwood was a mass of lights surrounded by a thick wall, with a large bulging plateau in the middle. Down there was a Kingdom filled with tens of thousands of Crafters. Most of them were probably sleeping, unaware of what was about to unfold tonight.

The Endward Cult, from their outpost, had a similar view of Ringwood. But their thoughts probably had a sicker edge concerning the Kingdom.

A few Zombies spotted me, grumbling as they tried to navigate the rocky slope to attack. Skeletons and Spiders had more luck with their ranged attacks and climbing, respectively. But any Mob climbing _down_ towards me had a chance at causing damage. These Zombies, however, were stuck with the low ground.

As their clawed hands reached up to swipe at me, I knelt down with my golden sword and steadily jabbed them in the head. At this point, they were just minor annoyances.

I was even confident enough to look through my Inventory as I 'fought' them. I needed a Crafting Table in case I needed to quickly make something while in the outpost.

Brain: _Like a fishing rod?_

 _Among others things. Who knows? Maybe the cultists will have something I can use._

Heart: _Then make a fishing rod. It's your best weapon._

 _I have a diamond sword. I think I'm prepared on weapons._

Brain: _Don't say we didn't warn you._

 _Fine. I won't say the words 'we didn't warn you'._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _You're right, Lungs. He_ is _a smartass._

I rolled my eyes and, four planks of wood later, I had a Crafting Table.

The two Zombies below me died in a puff of smoke and rotten flesh, which I climbed down to scoop up. Force of habit.

With that done, I swapped out my armor—taking a moment longer with the green-dyed tunic—before putting on my black-dyed stealth armor, and finally the Creeper mask.

Brain: _You know… call me crazy—_

 _Crazy._

Brain: _—But maybe masking yourself as the most explosive, day-ruining Mob in Minecraftia… for a_ stealth mission _wasn't such a smart idea. You're gonna scare those cultists showing up in their base like that._

 _That's what I'm hoping for._ I thought with a grim smirk. _Besides, I_ am _gonna ruin their day with explosions._ I withdrew Lenz's TNT and hooked it to my belt along with the redstone. _The mask is just fitting._

With everything set, I readied my last ender pearl and raised my arm to aim high. Right through the clouds. But before I could throw it, one of my organs had something to say.

Heart: _Wait! Before we start… Cobb, tell yourself that you're going to make it back safe._

I raised an eyebrow at that. _What? What's that gonna do?_

Heart: _It'll give you something to hang on to. Something to keep you going._

Brain: _You know, so that we_ don't _get brutally murdered._

 _I'm not gonna get murdered._ I assured. _Look at me? I've never been this prepared for something. I've never put in this much thought before a battle._

Heart: _…That's what I'm worried about. You're not… you're not acting like yourself._

The arm holding the ender pearl fell to my side. _Are we really going to have an internal council meeting_ now _!?_

Heart: _Just… ugh… promise yourself that you won't die. If not for your organs, then do it for Wynn, Lenz, Erin, and all the others you wouldn't let in on this._

Hanging the guilt over not telling my friends about any of this was a low blow. But I relented, if just to get everything over with sooner.

"I promise not to die." There. Monotone and convincing. Quota filled. I winded up my arm for the throw, but Heart stopped me again.

Heart: _Promise to live._

 _What?_

Heart: _Don't promise not to die. Promise me you'll_ live _._

I groaned in exasperation. Was my heart always so tiring? _Is there a difference?_

Heart: _Dying is easy. Living is the real struggle. I'd rather you promise to do something difficult than to not do something easy._

I blinked at those words, thinking they sounded surprisingly profound for my own internal organs.

Stomach: _Lungs told you to say that, didn't he?_

Heart: _…Yes._

Aaaaaand there went my respect for Heart. Still…

"…I promise to live." I spoke clearly, meaning every word of it.

I _was_ going to live. Live to see everyone again. To apologize to Lenz for stealing his TNT. To apologize to Wynn for putting myself in danger. To apologize to Erin for that cookie I borrowed from her without her noticing. God I felt guilty over that.

My organs seemed satisfied with my promise, and with no more delay, I chucked the ender pearl as high as I could and waited for its eventual descent.

The instantaneous rushing soon followed. Everything was a blur as I raced forward with an unrivaled speed before standing atop a rocky slope.

And there, a few hundred feet away and built into the side of the mountain, was a stone fortress.

It wasn't big—About as large as Ringwood's Palace—but it looked heavily fortified. I ducked behind some stone cover and narrowed my eyes to try and get a better view. It was dark, but I could make out torches near some archway guarded by five Crafters. All of them wearing black leather caps.

 _Cultists._ I thought angrily as my fist gripped the stone cover tightly. Those bastards were the reason that Floyd was dead.

They were too far away for me to tell what weapons they had, but I assumed swords and bows. If Lenz were with me, he could have used his incredible eyesight to give me a detailed explanation of what the cultists were wielding and judge whether or not we could take them in a fight.

Instead, I was on my own.

Looking more closely at the stone fortress, it seemed like only the front entrance and a few towers were exposed. The rest being built into the mountain. But when I glanced up Mt. Mur, I noticed something else entirely.

The fortress was actually built into a natural made swirl in the mountain. Stone and rock curled forward, making an outer wall that protected the insides from view. I didn't know whether it was hollowed out or just naturally formed that way, but it meant that the outpost was a lot bigger than I realized.

If I was going to set off TNT… the best place would be at the heart of the outpost, where things would be messed up the most. Kill the heart and the rest dies.

Heart: _Pardon you._

So within the curled wall. I had to get in to do that though. And something told me attacking those cultists at the front would be a horrible idea. There were archers positioned on the towers and windows. I would have been shot the second they spotted me.

 _So they won't spot me._

From through my Creeper mask, I glanced down to the iron pickaxe at my belt and swung it into the stone beneath me. Once I made a deep enough hole, I covered my entrance with dirt, hoping the cultists wouldn't find a patch of dirt on a stone slope ridiculous, and tunneled forward, placing the occasional torch to keep things bright.

I also kept checking Brett's map, making sure I went the right way so that I was past the rocky swirl. If I misjudged my direction and popped up near the front gates, right beneath the cultists…

I'd die of embarrassment before then dying of swords to the face.

On and on I dug, wearing away at my pickaxe while also listening above. There were voices, muffled by the rock, which alerted me to the amount of cultists above.

"…how many Heads did you gather?" A feminine voice inquired.

"Dunno… Stopped counting after I hit my quota." Another voice replied, sounding bored. "Found a big group of Crafters east of the Origin. They didn't know a sword from a stick. Me and some others cornered them, split the Heads six ways."

"Lucky. Wish I could have been there." A third voice grumbled jealously while I clenched my pickaxe tight enough to hurt my knuckles. "I'm still a few Heads short. And 4Blite is due to be back tomorrow."

"Oh, joy." The first voice droned, though it grew fainter as I dug further forward. "Wonder if we can switch divisions…"

No sooner did their voices peter out than I stumbled forward from a lack of resistance, busting through some stone bricks and into a dimly lit room. I landed on my stomach and quickly withdrew my diamond blade before scrambling to a kneeling position, ready for any attackers.

There were none. Instead, I found myself in some sort of supply cupboard. There were double chests lined against the walls on wooden shelves with accompanying signs to label their contents. Food. Wooden Planks. String. Armor. All fairly basic stuff.

I walked over to the only door in the room and opened it just enough to get a glimpse of the outside.

There was a hallway that led to a staircase where some loud voices were filtering in from. That probably led to some sort of meeting area where I had heard those cultists talking. The other direction down the hallway there was nobody.

I made sure the coast was clear before triple checking Brett's map and memorizing the placement of my blip. It would be my best method of escape to return to my pre-dug tunnel. I fixed my Creeper mask, making sure it was on right, before exiting the cupboard and creeping down the hallway, away from the loud voices.

The hallway was made of stone brick and lit with torches, meaning that it wasn't just hastily dug into the side of a mountain. It took time. And the cultists must have been pretty confident in their defense to make an outpost near enough to warrant attacks from Ringwood.

Soon, I came across a crossroad of hallways. _Would it have killed them to have a directory?_ I mentally groaned before shrugging and going left.

That proved to be a mistake when I turned a corner and ran into two cultists.

I silently cursed and moved back into cover around the corner, but not before one of them had glimpsed my face.

"Creeper!" The cultist shouted, startling his companion. "There's a fucking Creeper around that corner!"

"What?" His companion sounded skeptical, but I was already frantically digging into the wall to hide myself. "I didn't see anything."

"I'd know that hideous green face anywhere!" The first cultist shouted, trying to convince him. "Watch it… go around the corner slowly!" He warned.

I stowed myself in my newly dug hiding spot and sealed up any evidence with the same stone bricks I mined. I kept quiet and listened in to the two cultists round the corner.

"See? Nothing." The second cultist stated calmly, no doubt showing his companion the empty hallway.

"But… but I saw…" The first companion's tone shifted from bewilderment to worry.

I heard a loud slap on the back. "Eh, you're probably just seeing things. 4Blite's plans got you so worked up you start seeing Creepers everywhere." He laughed, and from the sound of his voice it sounded like he was guiding his companion past my hiding spot. "Just remember, _we're_ not the ones who should be worried about the Creepers."

As their voices faded and the hallway returned to silence once more, I dug my way out of the wall, but not before placing a block of TNT in the spot and sealing it up.

 _From what I remember of redstone, I need to make a trail of it to connect all this TNT._ I glanced down at the floor of the hallway. _I could probably run the redstone and TNT under this floor all the way back to that cupboard… maybe even back through my tunnel and out of the outpost. Then I can set it off._

But first, I'd have to run it through a good portion of the outpost. That meant going further down the hall. With a determined nod, I continued to creep down the hallway.

As I worked my way into the outpost, I passed several rooms leading off from the hallway. Training room, library, sleeping quarters, mess hall (in which I narrowly avoided a group of cultists by hiding under the floor). The outpost was filled with important rooms.

 _I should have stolen more TNT and redstone._ I thought to myself, realizing the amount of explosives I brought wouldn't be nearly enough to wipe out the whole outpost. But I couldn't just scrap the mission after getting this far. There had to be some way I could make it work.

 _I bet Lenz would know a way to turn this around. He'd probably make some redstone contraption that could launch anvils at them or something._

While I was pondering, I heard the sound of approaching cultists coming from around a corner ahead of me. It sounded like a bunch of them too.

I was about to turn around back the way I came, only to hear another group of cultists approaching from that way. I was trapped.

Trying not to panic, I dashed over to the wall and swung my pickaxe into it to make a hiding spot—

*SNAP*

"Craaaap…" I whispered in frustration as my pickaxe fell apart in my hands before vanishing in a puff of smoke. I had worn out the durability with all my digging. And it was my only pickaxe.

The voices were getting closer and a Creeper-masked Crafter wearing black leather and standing in the middle of a hallway was definitely suspicious. I was just about ready to withdraw my sword when I noticed a door besides some ornate stone pillars. I ducked inside, shutting the door behind me, and pressed myself against the inner wall, watching as the cultists passed. There really was a crowd going both ways. At least forty cultists that I narrowly avoided.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I took a closer look at the room that had saved me. It surprised me how large it was, extending the ceiling to a greater height than the hallway and containing ornate pillars surrounding a massive table that took up most of the floor space.

Glancing around to see if it was truly empty, I crept forward to get a better look at the table. My eyes widened at the sight of it.

It was a map.

A three-dimensional map made up of colored wool and other materials to make a map identical to… to…

"Ringwood?" I questioned, looking at the wooden planks that formed a circle on the table's landscape. That had to be Ringwood's wall… and in the center, a raised stone that had to be the plateau. There was also a Ringwood banner standing atop the plateau, verifying it to be the landmark on the map.

But it wasn't just Ringwood. There was white wool to the north that could have easily been seen as snow. There was a stone slab in the very center of the map that must have been the Origin. The east and west edges had blue wool—oceans. And… and there was a break in the map, from which a Daymonte banner was raised.

There were more banners as well. Scattered around. _If those represent the Kingdoms…_

It was a map of Minecraftia. Not one made on paper, but one made out of blocks. It was very creative, but I didn't see how it was necessary. Maybe if they wanted an idea of the landscape. They even included grey wool for the mountains, saplings planted on dirt to represent a jungle, and bits of sand for the desert.

But then my eyes spotted something between two mountains. I hopped up on the table to get a better view, and realized it was a Creeper Head. Several Creeper Heads that formed a trail from the jungle straight through a valley by Mt. Mur.

I pulled out Brett's map just to check. Yes. It was a valley formed between two mountains. The Creeper Heads on the table were being bottlenecked through that valley… but I had no idea what any of it meant.

What did the Creeper Heads even represent? Were they supposed to represent Crafters or Mobs or literally just Creepers? It had be Crafters since I couldn't think of a reason why they would want to gather so many Mobs in one place.

But if it were Crafters, it made sense that the Endward Cult would want to drive them towards an enclosed space, bottleneck them, and then trap them. With enough archers, they could pick them all off from the mountains and take their Heads that way. No better way to kill them than to keep them in a tight space. It was the same thing we did in Halstatt, guiding all those Griefers to one spot where the trap could hit them all at once.

…

Hmmm…

 _I think I know how to take out all these cultists._

* * *

The outpost was a heavily fortified fortress, guards posted at the gates, with cultists crawling all over the place. Once inside, it was nearly impossible to get out.

That was just another way of saying it had a good defense. But from what I saw of the outpost, it also meant it had only one exit.

An exit that all the cultists would swarm to in the event of an emergency. Like say… a fire.

 _Lenz would be proud. Cara too if she ever saw my fire._ I thought to myself as I placed enough TNT to level a building under the stairs leading to the surface. It was the only way up from the inner structure of the outpost and it led to the meeting area above, which then lead to the front gates.

Then I made a new pickaxe out of the only available material, cobblestone, and dug a path connecting the TNT under the stairs to the cupboard where I tunneled in. Remembering that redstone functioned like a fuse, I laid a trail of it down connecting to the TNT, through the tunnel, and back outside the outpost where I had started. Luckily, I had just enough redstone to finish the fuse.

As for triggering the fuse, I used what little oak wood planks I had left to make a wooden pressure plate. I didn't set it down right away since I had to return to the outpost to make a disturbance worthy of an evacuation.

I crept back through the tunnel into the outpost, double-checked that the TNT under the stairs and the fuse were concealed enough, backtracked to the library I had seen, snuck past some reading cultists, and went to the furthest corner of the room where I proceeded to ignite a bookshelf with my flint and steel. The flammable material caught easily and began to spread to the floor and adjacent bookshelves like wildfire.

My plan was simple. The fire would cause alarm and force the cultists to evacuate. They'd all rush to the only exit out of the outpost, just like in a fire drill, and when they got into position, I would set off the TNT, killing a good chunk of them, and likely destroying the staircase, preventing any more from evacuating.

It wasn't a foolproof plan. But it had potential. All I had to do was race back through the cupboard, through the tunnel, and back outside where I could place the wooden pressure plate, trigger the redstone, and detonate the TNT from a safe distance away.

Nothing could go wrong.

"Who the hell are you?" A gruff voice inquired from behind me, shattering my sense of security.

I whirled around to see one of the reading cultists, his sword armed, and several of his companions joining him to see what the disturbance was.

"Uh…" I glanced aside awkwardly, hoping my Creeper mask would make me more intimidating than I actually was. "I'm… the ghost of Creeper's past. Ooooooh…" I offered an eerie wail as I waved my arms spookily, hoping it would work. "You will forget you ever saw me. Ooooooh… Or be _cursed_! Oooooooh…"

"Kill him."

"Oooooooh, _SHIT_!" I cried out as a series of arrows flew towards me. I dove behind a bookshelf, catching only one of them in the leg. I ignored the pain as I made a mad dash for the library door.

"Don't let him get away!" One of the cultists shouted, though I could hear his fellows' footsteps against the library floor. They were already trying to cut me off. "Oh—Fire! Fire in the library!"

And there went part one of my ingenious plan. Heaps of black smoke billowed upward, signifying the amount of fire that had spread amongst the bookshelves and wooden floor. At the rate it was going, it'd become a raging inferno in a matter of minutes.

 _Gotta get to that fuse…_

I nearly ran into two cultists as I turned the corner of one of the bookshelves. They were clad in iron armor, wielding iron swords. I withdrew my diamond sword and blocked one of them well enough, only to get slashed across the side by the other one.

A follow-up kick sent me reeling into a bookshelf that was slowly catching fire. But the approaching flames were an afterthought compared to the sharp blades swinging towards me. With little time to think, I pushed off the bookshelf and spun with my diamond sword held tightly before me. My eyes screwed shut as one of the blades sheared across my neck, while another one bounced off my Protection Enchanted leather armor with a dull thud.

When I opened my eyes again, it was to see that I had slipped between the two cultists, and was again free to run to the library exit… which I did.

The cultists shouted angrily behind me, and I think one or two of their arrows found their way into my back, but I kept fighting through the pain until I barreled out those library doors.

…And right into more cultists.

These ones were carrying buckets of water instead of weapons, and I easily crashed into three of them while fleeing. We were all a jumble of tangled limbs and confusion as they didn't know whether I was a fellow cultist or not. But I knew that couldn't last with my other pursuers soon to follow.

I clawed to my feet, shouldering past a few bewildered cultists, before I freed myself from the crowd and full-on sprinted down the hallway.

"STOP THAT CREEPER-MAN!" A loud voice screamed from behind, urging me to double my speed. "HE'S AN INTRUDER! KILL HIM! LIBERATE HIS SOUL!"

That screaming was all I could understand before it devolved into a rabble of angry noise and violent weapons. All aimed at me.

 _Shit, shit, shit, shit!_ I internally screamed as arrows countless arrows pelted ahead of me. I zigzagged in an effort to confuse them and avoid damage, but I was also giving up my head-start since my pursuers were probably running towards me at full speed.

And even then I was still taking arrows. One of them nailed me in the elbow while two more joined the ones already in my back.

 _Wish I got Projectile Protection…_

I rounded a corner, tracing my steps back to where that cupboard was, only for a blaring alarm to sound. It echoed through the halls from note blocks mounted high. Whether they were for the fire or for me I had no idea. All I knew was that the whole outpost was now on high alert.

I was close to the cupboard though. It was just around the next corner, and once I got in that tunnel, it would be a straight run to the fuse—

I abruptly stopped in my running as I saw about fifty cultists making their way up those stairs to the meeting area above. They were blocking me from getting to the cupboard.

 _Crap… maybe I can sneak through them._

"KILL THAT CREEPER-MAN!" The same loud voice as before shouted over the alarms, dooming me to catch the attention of every nearby cultist. "ANOTHER ANGEL OF DEATH WANNABE!"

I panicked as the fifty cultists withdrew bows, swords, potions, and other items I didn't know could be weaponized. I was trapped between them and the pursuing cultists behind me.

 _What do I do!? What do I do!?_

Brain: _We're fucked! They're gonna kill us!_

Liver: _I never got to write out my will!_

Bladder: _Cobb! Channel your inner Creeper!_

I blanked on that suggestion until I realized… I still had some TNT! I tore it out of my backpack and frantically placed it down before me, all while arrows whizzed past, some hitting me in the gut.

After the first TNT, I jumped high, placing another one below me. A nerdpole of TNT that went all the way up to the ceiling. I lit the last one with my flint and steel, causing it to flash white. Quickly swapping to my stone pick, I dug a hole out of the ceiling and jumped to cling onto it.

*BOOM*

Below, the first explosion and subsequent explosions blasted me through the ceiling and into the air, taking out a good chunk of my Health, before I crashed back into the ground, smoking slightly. The explosions were louder than the alarms, louder than the panicking cultists who scattered from the initial blasts.

I coughed painfully before taking greedy gulps of air as I rolled onto my back. The night sky was what greeted me as I found myself in the meeting area above the stairs. I thought I could take a moment to catch my breath and eat, but no sooner had I taken out a steak than more alarms sounded and cultists began to surround me and the hole I made.

 _Give me a break!_ I internally screamed as I rolled to my knees just as an iron axe barely missed my face. I tried to spring back onto my feet, but instead I was launched awkwardly, my ankle twisting unnaturally, before I stumbled forward onto my side. It was a good thing since it allowed me to dodge a sickly green splash potion that sailed overhead. It landed a few feet away, causing a few cultists to clutch themselves in pain as if they were sick.

I surged back to my feet, despite my twisted ankle, and limped past the poisoned cultists towards the front gate of the outpost. I still had to activate that fuse. And if I couldn't use the tunnel, my only chance was through that stone archway.

A few cultists ran to get in my way, wielding swords of varying materials. I grit my teeth as I swung my diamond blade with all the strength I could muster, waving it wildly to keep them all back. One of the braver ones was undaunted by my attacks, thrusting deep with his sword to pierce me in the shoulder. I tore it free, losing my diamond sword in the process, before lashing at the cultist with a solid punch to the jaw, stunning him.

My Health was low, at two Hearts, and I couldn't even be allowed the time to swallow a mouthful of meat, but I somehow managed to limp through the archways and slow my pursuers down with some hastily placed cobblestone.

I was breathing heavily, limping with a twisted ankle, low on Health, diamond sword gone, hungry, and tired, but I had a triumphant grin on my face as I made my way to the fuse, hidden behind a rock. My hands fumbled at my belt for the wooden pressure plate that would set it all off. The cultists would still be evacuating through those stairs, so my TNT would take out a bunch of them.

Behind me, I heard the cultists breaking through my cobblestone barricade and chase after me, but I was too exhausted to care. I pulled myself around the rock, found where the redstone fuse began, placed my wooden pressure plate, and half stomped, half collapsed atop it.

"Say goodnight assholes." I mumbled proudly as I awaited the sounds of tumultuous explosions.

…

…As I awaited the sounds of tumultuous explosions!

…

But there was nothing.

No loud sound that rose over the alarms and angered shouts emanating from the outpost. No explosions. Even as I watched the redstone glow from being activated by my wooden pressure plate.

There was nothing!

"No… no, no, no…" I stepped off the pressure plate and back on, hoping that it was just a delayed fuse or a small malfunction or something. "No! Not now! Not after all this!" I practically pounded on the pressure plate in an effort to make it work.

 _Why wasn't it working!?_

I was jarred from my attempts as a sword knocked me aside, sending me rolling towards the edge of the mountain. It wasn't like a climbable slope. It was a steep cliff face that dropped immediately.

I looked away from it to see the cultists gathered before me with anger burning in their eyes. "I'm gonna rip that mask off of you." One of them threatened as he raised his sword. "I wanna see the look in your eyes when I send you off!"

I was at loss for what to do. My whole plan had failed. The TNT wouldn't go off. The cultists wouldn't die. Floyd wouldn't be avenged. I was going to die. I… I had to jump! But I didn't know—

The choice to jump was taken from me as more cultists joined the first and pelted me with arrows. I raised my arms up to defend myself, forgetting to block with my remaining sword, and cried out as an arrow caught me in the knee, sending me teetering backward and forcing all of my weight on my twisted ankle.

"AGHHHH!" I screamed out as something in my ankle snapped completely and everything just gave out. The edge of the cliff slipped away from my good leg and my vision of the night sky angled upwards so that I glimpsed a bit of the cliff I had just stood upon.

The feeling of weightlessness soon followed as I plummeted off the cliff.

I panicked, wide-eyed and scared, as I reached into my backpack and pulled out my water bucket. I twisted myself to get a better look at the ground, but it was far too dark to see anything. I was blindly hoping the water would be placed as I repeatedly set it down below me.

The light slosh of water, followed by a cool flowing was like music to my ears as I found a surface to place it. I thought I had landed completely, only to cry out in further surprise when I was swept away by my water over another cliff edge. The water lessened my fall, but not enough to stop my head from cracking on a rocky outcropping.

That's when everything went dark.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 9 TNT, 4 Pumpkin Pies, 21 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Black, Protection I, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 63 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 19]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 36 Redstone, 64 TNT, 64 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 27 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 54 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: Plot Armor much?**

 **The final scene of Cobb escaping the outpost was based off a scene from Disney's Robinhood (not sure whether any of you have seen it), where basically the main character has everything thrown at him as he tries to escape a deathtrap with enemies around every corner. Literally everything trying to kill him, without any time to take a break or say, 'phew, I'm safe'.**

 **Any redstone experts could probably explain why Cobb's redstone fuse didn't work. I'll talk about it later (since I know you all just looooove to hear me gush about redstone), but for now, it's mainly because Cobb doesn't know redstone as much as someone like Lenz. Maybe if he brought Lenz with him, he could have pointed out the flaws in his fuse plan.**

 **A lot of perspectives. Cara's wasn't originally in it, but I added it in after my computer first crashed, erasing all my content. I haven't had a Chapter this long in a while.**

 **The Omake adds to it. Special thanks to Kalmarin for helping me write some of his character's dialogue. Every bit helps.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 1)

Carys_Angel walked onto the Asmodeus, the steady padding of her boots making a distinctive sound against the wooden floor.

*tk tk tk tk*

She walked the length of the airship, taking stock of the bomb bay and turrets, before she reached the bridge… and her awaiting Paragons.

But these weren't any ordinary Paragons. These were her most trusted warriors; each one in charge of a modest unit specializing in unique skills within her guild. All the Paragons she recruited were divided amongst these five, whom followed her orders to the letter. The result was a complex system of operatives that rivaled the Endward Cult.

She was pleased that they were all present (her being the last to arrive) and even more so when she saw how most of them straightened at her arrival.

Over by a control panel of levers stood Kalmarin_the_Prophet, or rather Kal the _Hacker_. Accepting him into the Paragons had been a great risk, given the chaotic nature of most Hackers. However, Kal had lived down all those rumors, proving himself loyal and dedicated to ridding Minecraftia of the Endward Cult. His formidable Hacks and experience had earned his place leading Team Alpha, the combat and offensive unit.

Sitting at the 'helm' of the airship was BalticSkies. Baltic was… not the best fighter. But what he lacked in strength, he made up for in wisdom. He was a valuable advisor when it came to making decisions and a valuable alchemist when it came to making potions. Out of all her trusted Paragons, he was the only one who understood how to fly an airship. More importantly, he had known Carys the longest, and therefore had an interest in staying by her side. After everything they went through and everything they lost, she doubted he would betray her now of all times. Even if he could be overly sentimental at times, his trust was one built over time, earning him the spot as head of Team Beta, the potion and attrition unit.

Lying atop one of the control panels with her legs splayed was—Carys suppressed a grimace—Anibal_Whiteclaw. The only one who didn't bother straightening her gait upon Carys' arrival, Anibal was a dark-skinned beauty with short, wavy, black hair, ruthless black eyes, a short black jacket with a popped collar, a dark red undershirt, blue jean shorts, long legs wrapped in white bandages, white fingerless gloves, and black boots with red straps. She had a black backpack and belt, at which her signature Sharpness V, Looting III Diamond sword hung.

Anibal had lived in Akasha when Carys found her. And from the look of her, it had been obvious that she was living rough. She used her charms and quick fingers to steal food, water, weapons, materials, and anything else she needed for survival. And why? Because her village had been burned to the ground in a covert ploy enacted by the Endward Cult. The claim had been an unattended campfire had gotten out of control, but Anibal, the lone survivor of the fire, saw the black-capped cultists at work. Nobody believed her, and with most of her possessions and home burned in the fire, she was forced into the life of a thief in Akasha for the rest of her life.

Or at least until Carys invited her to the Paragons for a chance to make a living hell for the Endward Cult. Naturally, she accepted with an eager grin and unexpectedly rose through the ranks, stealing priceless enchanted tools and Tinker's weapons for the Paragons' exclusive use. She more than earned her spot in charge of Team Gamma, the theft and arms unit.

The fourth Paragon, leaning against the side window, was JillianLikeAVillian. True, her name was a tad off-putting, but with the naming conditions of Minecraftia as unorthodox as they were, there was little that could be done about it. Not to mention, nobody had the heart to tell her that she had misspelled 'villain', whether she intended to or not. Everyone just called her Jillian.

Jillian was a fair-skinned woman with long blonde hair done up in a thick braid that trailed down her side. She had light blue eyes and a black and purple beret atop her head. She wore a yellow bandanna tied around her neck along with a small brown and yellow jacket and a dark grey undershirt. She wore black jeans with chocolate-colored straps, and brown sneakers tinged with a bit of black. Her belt and backpack were the same chocolate shade of brown as the straps on her jeans, and from her belt hung an Infinity Bow and a single arrow.

Like Baltic, Jillian was more diplomat than combatant. She had served as a Captain in Zeppil during the Kingdom's dark days, when the Endward Cult's Southern Division was still a very real threat. She preferred to fight at a distance with her bow or with her words, saving the up-close-and-personal fighting to her guards. Her level-headed advice to the King of Zeppil when dealing with the cult had saved many lives, but failed when it came to ridding the black-capped scourge from her Kingdom.

So when Carys_Angel showed up and purged Zeppil of the cult's entire Southern Division, she saw her as a godsend. For ousting the cult, Jillian owed the Paragons a great debt. Zeppil's King repaid them with an airship. Zeppil's people repaid them with adoration and praise. As for Jillian, she quit her position as Captain and formally requested to join Carys' ranks. The loyalty of a former Captain was something so good Carys couldn't possibly turn her down.

That decision proved to be a masterstroke. Ever since she joined, Jillian has demonstrated her diplomatic prowess by maintaining connections for the Paragons with high-ranking figures in Kingdoms as well as with information brokers scattered throughout Minecraftia. A meticulous network of spies and political figures at her fingertips, like a spider's web. And she made it her business that anything regarding the Endward Cult made it to her ears first. Then Carys'. It was no wonder she was heading Team Delta, the long range fighting and intel gathering unit.

Lastly, sitting cross-legged in the darkest corner of the bridge, was Z7KHD9H, or just Z7. As her garbled name suggests, she was a Jibberman—or more appropriately Jibberwoman—and the only one amongst Carys' top Paragons. She had long purple hair that stretched to her ankles, often sweeping against the floor when she walked. Her face was severely scarred up, though never deterring from her cool beauty. She had black, empty eyes and her wardrobe consisted of only a short black t-shirt that exposed her midriff, and black shorts. She didn't wear socks or shoes, opting to go barefoot. Her belt and backpack were purple, holding a series of daggers.

Z7 was a mystery. Even more mysterious than most Jibberman. She was nearly always quiet, only responding to Carys or others with short nods, shakes of the head, or hand gestures. On rare occasions when she did speak, it was as garbled as what a Jibberman usually spews forth.

And yet her status as a Jibberman never hindered her skills; that being an assassin. If anything, her silence made her more deadly, earning her the moniker 'Slumbering Death', since she could kill you in your sleep. It seemed a fitting nickname for one serving the Angel of Death.

Recruiting her had been… unique, to say the least. Carys had found her in an abandoned Exter prison while searching for supplies. She was just sitting in the corner of a dark cell, folded in upon herself, with coal-black eyes tracking Carys' every movement. The Angel of Death noticed the daggers hanging off her belt and recognized her as a Jibberman… and decided to break open her cell. Despite what her Paragons would say, she saw potential in the Jibberman, and asked for her to join, albeit slowly in case she had trouble comprehending it.

For whatever reason, Z7 agreed. Not with words, she simply walked out of the cell and followed Carys. And she kept following her. Guarding her. Protecting her. Fighting for her in ways that eliminated threats before Carys could even perceive them. Z7 was a natural assassin, and Carys appreciated the way she worked. Despite her quiet, brooding nature, Carys allowed herself to be at ease whenever Z7 was near. It was like she could sense danger and eliminate it accordingly. Her loyalty was a mystery or why she even decided to follow Carys, but the Angel of Death wasn't one to look a gift assassin in the mouth.

Against the protests of most of her trusted Paragons, Carys gave Z7 a spot as head of Team Epsilon, the covert ops, stealth, and assassination unit. The assassin took the promotion like she took everything else: silently.

Carys mulled over each of her trusted Paragon in turn before clearing her throat. "Welcome, fellow Paragons. Now that we're all here, I'll get right down to it. Operation: Overshadow is a go."

At her words, Anibal whooped enthusiastically while Jillian and Baltic stirred in interest. Kalmarin and Z7 remained silent, though both kept their attention glued to Carys.

"You and your respective teams all have your intricate roles in this operation." Carys continued, hefting her new scythe over one shoulder. "You have your objectives and you should _never_ , under any circumstances, go off plan." She swung her scythe down so that it scored a deep cut into the wooden floor, intimidating the others to pay close attention. "Overshadow has been planned to make use of you and your teams' unique talents. Therefore, you have no reason to do anything other than what I am about to tell you. Understood?"

Her absolute tone left no room for anyone to argue. If she gave an order, they'd follow it to the letter.

"Good." Carys smiled, bringing her scythe to rest on her shoulder once more. "Now, for your roles. Team Alpha," she pointed to Kalmarin, "will be the distraction. They'll ride in on horseback right up to the gates of Lunar Castle. The Griefers won't like that, and they'll try to kill you. Keyword here being 'try'. Team Beta and half of Team Delta will be accompanying them, offering food and healing potions as well as long-ranged snipers to keep our people alive. However, Kal will be the only one leading them."

Kalmarin nodded solemnly. "We'll keep them focused on us. Don't you worry."

Carys then turned to the other male in the room. "Baltic, you're one of the few people that knows how to pilot the Asmodeus. You're also more diplomat than fighter. So I need you to take Jillian and the other half of Delta up to the skyscrapers to talk with the Crafter communities." Jillian pointed to herself, surprised to be accompanying Baltic of all people, and to the skyscrapers instead of the battlefield. "Jillian has the information on their whereabouts and it's _crucial_ that she establishes ties with those communities and explains what's happening. If anything, _you_ have the more important mission." She walked up to the blonde-haired woman and stared unflinchingly into her eyes. "Jillian, you _must_ appear strong and determined to those communities, and, if your Team doesn't already do so, make sure they know to accept your decisions respectfully."

"I… okay." Jillian nodded with a bit of unease. "I'll make sure they do."

"Team Gamma and Team Epsilon are with me." Carys turned to resume her position in the center of the room without even looking at either Anibal or Z7. "While the Griefers are focused on Kal, we'll burrow our way into Lunar Castle from the cliffs, kill the Griefers inside, and do the same to their Hacker leader."

That came as a surprise to Jillian and Anibal. Baltic and Kalmarin nodded along, as if expecting it from the start. Z7 remained silent as she lightly scraped her nails between the planks in the floor. Kalmarin stepped forward to say something.

"Even though we're killing a Hacker, don't think of it as hopeless. Even though nobody's ever done it, it _can_ be done. And I won't hold it against any of you taking part in this." Everyone's eyes shifted to stare at the dark lines over Kalmarin's eyes. They seemed to exude a presence of their own. "I'm more Paragon than Hacker—you all know that. My loyalty won't waver… not when Hacker scum like that possess powers they don't deserve."

"Easy, Kal. We know who you are." Baltic stepper forward, offering his support. "You've earned your place here. We'd all trust you with our lives." There were murmurs of assent all around. Even Z7 offered a small nod of acceptance.

"I know, I just… I just thought I should say it." Kalmarin looked up with determined eyes. "Those Hackers aren't like me. They don't deserve to live."

After saying his piece, Carys continued with her explanation. "After that - No Anibal, you can't raid their treasury during the break-in - After that, we deal with the remaining Griefers, reconvene at Lunar Castle, and move on to Phase Two."

Some of the Paragons turned to each other with bewildered looks, wondering what Phase Two had in store. But they had enough sense not to ask a question that Carys didn't feel like answering.

"Any Questions? No? Good." She didn't even wait for them to reply, gesturing for them all to leave the airship and tell their respective teams the details of Operation: Overshadow. The five Paragons quietly left, with Baltic hanging behind to glance at Carys as if expecting her to follow. When she didn't, Baltic sighed and stalked away.

Carys looked outside the window to the see the entirety of her guild gathered before her. An army awaiting her orders. It was moments like this before a major battle that _really_ got her blood pumping.

"Operation: Overshadow." She smiled to herself, dawning her black Wither Skeleton mask. The trademark for the Angel of Death's persona that would disguise her name from view. It would be necessary for the operation.

"Hacker slayer." She tasted the words, glorifying in how they sounded. "Now doesn't that title have a nice ring to it." She laughed to herself as she gave her diamond scythe another swift swing.

* * *

 **AN: Cobb's plans are chicken feed compared to Carys'. Little does she know, a certain fisherman killed a Hacker _before_ it was cool.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	75. Mistakes

**AN: Hello everyone. I know I've been gone for a while (longer than usual), but I'm back and with a bunch of news.**

 **First off, thanks to all my supportive viewers and reviewers for keeping up with this story for as long as you have. 75 Chapters is a lot of content. I'm actually amazed none of you are bored with it. Because, like, there's other stuff to read that's leagues better than my writing. Ever read Harry Potter? I hear it's amazing. Ever read Twilight. Don't.**

 **Second, I have some... interesting news concerning the setting of this story. A viewer by the name of EveMC has decided to make a map of _My Craft's_ Minecraftia in game. And while that is the craziest thing I have ever heard considering that this is just a simple story and I don't want him/her to be slaving away making a map of the world I came up with, EveMC has asked me to make an announcement that he/she is looking for builders to help with the Minecraftia map. Look up his/her penname and PM him/her if you're interested. I'm hoping that's his/her prefferred way of finding people to help on the map.**

 **Third, I got good news and bad news.**

 **The bad news is this Chapter will have no Omake, since it's a bit of a rush. The good news is that I thought up several nifty riddles so I'm brining back the chance to win a Victory Cookie. For those of you that don't know, I will leave a riddle near the top Author's Note. Answer it correctly in a PM or review and you'll earn a Victory Cookie and acknowledgement for being a smarty-pants in the next Chapter. It's first come, first serve though. Get it wrong or fail to answer first and you get a Negative Cracker.**

 **For your reference:**

 **Victory Cookie: (::)**

 **Negative Cracker: [::]**

 **Puzzle: Tear one off and scratch my head, what was red is black instead.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add boulders.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 75

 **Mistakes**

[Wynn]

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

The blaring alarm roused me from my sleep, signaling the start of a new day. Rubbing away any lingering fatigue, I slipped out of bed and got ready for the day.

 _Only three more days until the Bounty Day._ I thought in equal parts excitement and dread. _Oh, Notch, three more days…_

There was still so much to do. His Eminence had been informed and the announcement made in today's newsbook, but arrangements still needed to be made to cease imports and exports on the designated holiday. Crafters would be far too busy learning about Minecraftia's newest innovations to work.

And that extended to the guards too. They would want to enjoy the Bounty Day just the same as everyone else (my own excitement was proof of that), but, at the same time, relieving all of Ringwood's guards for even a day posed a _huge_ risk to the Kingdom's security. What if Griefers attacked? What if a Stage 5 Emergency occurred?

 _We can't relieve all the guards… but maybe they can work in shifts? Would Griefers attack on a Bounty Day? Wouldn't they be too busy enjoying the holiday to attack?_ After a moment, I scoffed at the idea. _What am I thinking? Of course they'd attack. Cultists, especially, would use any advantage to attack the Kingdoms._

I let out a disappointed sigh as I trudged to my office and fished out the half-finished book and quill detailing the order as to whether or not the guards would get the day off. I began to write where I left off.

[ _Due to the importance of security, Ringwood guards must remain on-duty for the duration of a Bounty Day so as to ensure the Kingdom's enemies remain at bay and the citizens remain at peace. As for the Captains, the very bastions of a Kingdom's pride and strength, they should…_ ]

I paused, tapping my quill on the paper and biting my lip guiltily. My eyes darted to the statement left unfinished and I made a small noise of distress.

I _really_ wanted to try out the new things brought by the Bounty Day and I wouldn't get a chance to do so while acting as security. But it was necessary for Ringwood! And if my men had to suffer, watching as Crafters discovered new items and building materials… and foods… and weapons… and-and maybe Enchantments that could work on Tinker's weapons…

…

After a minute of re-reading those words, I quickly scribbled down:

[… _they should join the populace in enjoying the Bounty Day, cementing their connection to the common Crafter and celebrating a new age in Minecraftia._ ]

I slammed the book shut, signed it with an extravagant signature, and tried not to feel guilty over what I had just done.

The guards would understand. Ringwood's camaraderie was a steel bond, unbroken on the battlefield… but Bounty Days were like a forbidden fruit, available maybe once every five-hundred years.

Besides, I worked hard. I deserved to be a little selfish. Just for one glorious day.

"I'm a terrible human being." I spoke unashamed. "I am a terrible human being who's going to celebrate the Bounty Day with all my friends." I stored the orders in my backpack and moved on to the next ones.

After that was done, I entered the kitchen to find Erin standing over a roaring furnace and wringing her hands with a feverish look. When she caught sight of me, she immediately rushed over, nearly tripping on her own two feet. She looked worried.

"M-m-miss Whispers." Erin bawled with watery eyes. "I-I-I checked the guest b-b-bedroom this morning and-and-and Cobb wasn't there. He… I think he's missing!"

"Erin, calm down." I soothed the housekeeper. "Cobb isn't missing. I told you he went over to check if Floyd got back yet."

"B-b-but that was last night." She whimpered, as worried as ever. "Shouldn't he be back by now? What if something happened to him? What if he got jumped by bloodthirsty gangsters? What if he—" Erin gasped as a new, more terrible thought occurred to her. "What if he was seduced by another woman, a-and was brought to her house for a night of passionate… Oh, Notch, I took too long!" She broke down into regretful sobs.

I shook my head, as the thought of Cobb making passionate anything with anyone was enough for me to want to bleach my brain of the filthy idea. "Cobb is fine, Erin. I told him he could take his time chatting with Floyd if he was at Brett's—he's been worried about him for days."

Erin looked up, alert and with tear-stained cheeks. "H-he has? But *sniff* h-he never told me he was worried about Floyd…"

"Probably because he didn't want you to worry about him worrying about Floyd."

"Eh?"

"He didn't want to worry you." I summarized. "Cobb is fine. He probably stayed over at Brett's."

Truthfully, I didn't expect Cobb to be out all night. Even if Floyd returned, I figured they'd chat for a bit before the fisherman returned home. Sleeping should have taken priority over sharing stories through the night, but maybe Floyd was nocturnal like that. Some Crafters preferred to sleep during the day and work at night. Or maybe Brett had to send him on another mission right away and they only had the night to talk.

Back to my housekeeper. "Did you try asking Lenzington about what's taking Cobb so long?"

"I tried." Erin sniffed, wiping away most of her tears. "B-but he was busy with a bunch of Crafters in the backyard."

"He was?" I looked out the kitchen window to see Lenz working on the outhouse, diligently and by himself. "How long ago were they here?"

"Th-they showed up early in the morning." The housekeeper explained. "Lenz said they were here to help refurbish the outhouse a-and that he already paid them."

"He's still working on that outhouse?" I questioned suspiciously. "Is he making it out of diamond? It shouldn't be taking this long." Erin could only shrug, apparently not having bothered to keep track of the inexplicable strangers in my backyard. Deciding to get the answers out of Lenz, I jogged outside and up to the dinky outhouse.

As I got closer, I noticed that the outhouse did indeed look better. Spruced up and with a different wood. And, like the engineer had promised, the dimensions remained the same. No worries about the structure imposing on my lawn space.

Seeing me approach, the engineer turned with his tinted glasses fixed to his face. "Oh, good morning Captain Wynn. Is there something I can help you with?"

I nodded, my eyes drifting again to the outhouse. "Erin said she saw some other Crafters here. Were they helping you with the outhouse?"

"They still are." Lenz nodded. "While I pride myself on my redstone engineering skills, I desperately needed some experienced Crafters to aid in the structuring of the—"

"Yes, yes. You needed their help." I interrupted, not wanting to waste any more time. "I don't feel comfortable with you having strangers come to my backyard. At least not without me present."

"Oh… My apologies, I… I suppose I would not want strangers in my home either if I were you." He looked down sadly.

I sighed, realizing it was just another small mistake that anyone could have made. He looked sorry enough. "Have you already paid them?" He nodded. "Will they be done with the outhouse by today?" He hesitated for a moment before nodding again. "Then it's fine. Just remember to alert me next time you bring strangers over. We wouldn't want a repeat of that burglar fiasco."

"Understood." Lenz nodded. "Again, my sincerest apologies for infringing upon your hospitality."

I waved away his apology, assuring him that he was forgiven. To make up for it, he offered to show me the finer points of the outhouse's remodeling, but I hastily declined. I had a bathroom inside, after all. And even a tidy, cleaned up, and remodeled outhouse was still just an outhouse.

With that taken care of, I moved on to my next question. "Before I go, I wanted to ask if you knew where Cobb was." Lenz raised an eyebrow. "He hasn't come back yet, and Erin is a little worried. Did he say anything about meeting Floyd or maybe something else?"

Lenz's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Actually no. Despite promising to help me with a certain endeavor, he apparently had a prior engagement."

He looked quite irritated. Being ditched must have been a new experience for him. "Don't hold it against him. I just got done telling Erin that he has every right to spend his time with a friend." Lenz folded his arms tightly. "A friend other than you, I mean. Not seeing a good friend for a while and having to catch up, you must know what that's like."

Lenz glanced down with his arms loosening a tad. "Actually… no I do not. Friends were never a subject I excelled at in college."

Oh. I was making the conversation worse, wasn't I? "Sorry, I mean… um… Oh! Look at the time!" I hastily tore what I thought was a clock from my belt when it was actually a compass. "It's half-past North. Better hurry to work."

"Wait, huh?" Was his eloquent reply, but I was already marching away without looking back. I really was good at communicating with others, but once you hit the awkward territory it was just a slippery slope of embarrassment.

Getting back to the kitchen, Erin had finished preparing a delicious breakfast of baked potatoes, steak, and pumpkin pie. She sat down across from me, but didn't bother eating any of the food. She kept sneaking glances at the front door, as if expecting Cobb to come bursting in any second.

While I wouldn't have minded it if he showed up for breakfast, the front door remained closed. Even when I took extra long finishing my potatoes in the hopes that he would turn up, the front door was as Cobb-less as ever. It was enough to make Erin slump in her chair and reluctantly nibble on her share of the food.

I was finished by the time Lenz came in to eat and quickly exited with my rapier and documents in hands. Scanning my front yard for any sign of Cobb's white hoodie, I still saw nothing.

 _I hope he hasn't gotten himself in trouble again._

As I walked down the mansion-filled streets towards the Palace, a familiar voice caught my attention.

" _Please_ , just let me in!" The purple-haired Cara begged. "I'll be in and out real quick, I promise."

"Nobody enters unless accompanied by a Northern District citizen, a Captain, or without permission from a Northern District citizen or a Captain." One of the guards explained firmly.

"Yeah." Another guard intoned. "In fact, even _we're_ not allowed to go in there."

"If someone asked us to go in there, we'd say 'Not without permission,' and knock ourselves out to resist the temptation."

"We take our jobs very seriously."

"That we do." Without turning to look at each other, the two guards bumped fists.

"But…" Cara looked helplessly between the guards. "But I _really_ need to speak with Wynn. She's—"

" _Captain_ Wynn," the guard stressed importantly, "Is a very busy woman."

"Yeah." The other guard agreed.

"She works hard to ensure that Ringwood is as safe as it can be."

"Yeah."

"And, as we speak, she is hopefully drafting legislation that excuses all guards from their duties on Bounty Day so that we can enjoy all the new things of Minecraftia with all the other Crafters and be able to take a rare holiday."

"Yeah. Holidays matter."

"So I believe the Captain would not want to be disturbed during such a critical time." The guard snubbed his nose at Cara. "So if you could kindly vacate the premises…"

"I'll take it from here, boys." I spoke aloud, not wanting to watch the poor girl get talked down to anymore. Cara's eyes lit up in relief while the two guards spun around, hastily tidying up each other's green leather caps before standing to attention.

"Captain Wynn. Our apologies. We were just sending this woman on her way—"

"Perfect. Then I'll go with her." I smiled politely as I walked past the two gawking guards and stood beside Cara. "We are acquaintances after all. And you needed to talk with me, correct?"

"I… Oh! Yes." Cara nodded quickly. "It's… it's something only you can answer."

Her tone told me it was a very serious issue. One that she desperately needed an answer for. Luckily for her, I had some time to spare. "There's a café I'm particularly fond of. We can talk there if you'd like."

She easily agreed, looking more and more relived by the minute. If I hadn't have shown up it was likely she'd have been escorted away by the guards. Speaking of which…

"Keep up the good work, men." I praised, earning a salute from the two guards. Cara and I then walked around the plateau—with me leading the way—towards the Southern District.

* * *

[Cara]

The café Wynn picked, _Café de Café_ , was very quaint. They served standard pastries and beverages—cookies, pumpkin pies, cakes, milk and water—that you'd expect at any café. The prices were cheap and tables were set up both inside and out. The Captain selected a table shielded from the sun by an awning, and we sat ourselves down.

When I had set off to find Wynn, I knew exactly what I wanted to ask and I was determined not to leave without an answer. But now, sitting across from her and her authoritative presence, that determination began to evaporate.

Figuring it'd be better to get it all off my chest at once, I opened my mouth to speak. But before I could so much as utter a word, a waiter rushed over to take our orders.

"Ma'am Whispe—Ah! I mean… er… Miss Whispers… ma'am!" The waiter sweated nervously, stumbling over every word. "I… h-how may I be of service?"

Wynn's expression was neutral as she regarded the waiter. "I'll have one cake to split with my acquaintance and milk to wash it down." She ordered quickly without even asking about the menu. She must have been a regular to know as much.

The waiter committed it to his memory and bowed slightly to her before turning to me. "And you, ma'am?" He asked in a more relaxed tone.

"Oh! I'll… have milk too." I decided.

The waiter nodded politely, making sure to keep his eyes off the Captain. "I'll be right back with your orders." He said before turning to leave.

When he was out of earshot, Wynn let out a short sigh. "They always act like that." I raised an eyebrow in question, but she tilted her head to the side, gesturing the other Crafters sitting down. They were all sneaking glances at Wynn, ready to look away at any second like a bunch of timid deer.

"I have a reputation as a strict Captain." She explained further, flipping her white hair in the process. "It's a combination of my overenthusiastic arrests in my younger years, and my stringent policies on criminal scum. People worry I'll imprison them at the slightest provocation."

That explained why the waiter was so nervous. And not a second later, he returned in a flash, carrying our order. He tossed my milk on the table before me, but carefully set Wynn's beverage and the cake, acting like it was an active bomb. "Is th-there anything else I can get you… Miss Whispers?"

"Just some time to finish this dessert, thank you." Wynn said politely, allowing the waiter to retreat from our table. "See? I've been coming here for several years, and they still act like I'm about to throw them in prison. If Erin's default personality wasn't nervous, I'd say I have the same effect on her."

"Does everyone act like that?" I asked, hoping it wasn't too personal a question.

"Not everyone. The guards respect me, and the Captains are friendly. Some a bit _too_ friendly." She massaged her temple as if feeling a headache coming on. Then she smiled. "There are exceptions too. Some Crafters that defy first impressions." She sampled some of the cake, savoring the sweet flavor. "It's enough attention that I'm not bothered how most Crafters avoid me like the plague."

Not knowing how to respond, I helped myself to some of the cake. It was good, but felt like it was expanding in my throat. I subtly drank some of my milk to wash it down without appearing like I was choking.

"So," Wynn began, "you wanted to talk with me?"

I swallowed through a mouthful of cake and wiped my mouth before gathering my courage. Then I explained everything.

I told her I needed advice. I told her I had been beating myself up over a mistake I made on a mission. And then, realizing I'd have to explain the entire situation… I told her about Floyd and Void's fate.

*COUGH* *COUGH*

Wynn had been drinking milk when I told her (not the best time for breaking bad news), and was now coughing forcefully to clear her airway. "I'm… I'm sorry… *cough* …Could you… could you repeat that, please?"

Her reaction only confirmed my fears. A leader wouldn't have gotten anyone killed. It was my fault they were dead.

Hesitantly, I explained about the deal between us and Attila for information on the Endward Cult. How I had accepted the deal, even after completing my mission, just to glean a bit more intel. How Soul had charged off after the cultists in a blind fury. How we followed… and were crushed by Teal_Larkspur. How she murdered Void and how Floyd somehow distracted the Lieutenant enough for Soul and I to escape… at the cost of his life.

Wynn's face grew graver as my explanation continued. Particularly around the parts about Floyd's death. Her lips were a thin line and her brow creased. Her amber eyes dulled, losing focus.

It only got worse when I told her about Cobb. "He knows?" She questioned with a gasp.

I nodded grimly. "When I told him about Floyd—" I let out a bitter laugh, full of self-loathing. "I didn't even tell him. I had to have Soul do it, I'm so pathetic—He burst into the room, asking where his friend was and I couldn't even think. I couldn't even face him."

Wynn closed her eyes, her mouth a conflicted frown. She mumbled something inaudible to herself, before speaking louder. "He shouted at you, didn't he?"

I nodded, my eyes fixed on the half-eaten cake between us.

"He blamed you, didn't he?"

Another nod, which elicited a frustrated sigh from the Captain. "He must feel horrible. Floyd was a good friend of his."

I remained silent, not daring to speak up or take anymore cake or milk. I still had to ask her my question, but it sounded like she needed a moment to handle the bad news. I didn't know she'd react like that for Floyd; It was more likely for Cobb. The two must have bonded since leaving them in Daymonte. Telling her a friend of her friend had died…

 _Just another_ person _that hates me._ I thought miserably.

The waiter, unfortunately, took our silence as a signal that we were done with our meal. He zoomed back over and reached to clean up the milk and the cake, only for Wynn to stop his hand. "We're not done yet." She warned, causing the waiter to retract his hand and back away slowly.

Once he was gone, Wynn took a steadying breath and fixed me with her amber stare. "You still haven't told me what you wanted to ask?"

This was it. The burning question I wanted to ask. The answer which would either save me from my guilt, or doom me to forever wallow in self-loathing.

"What I wanted to ask… is what you would have done?"

Wynn looked nonplussed. "Excuse me?"

I swallowed thickly before repeating myself. "What I mean to ask is, if you were me on the Nitebane mission, what would you have done?"

Wynn was a capable, experienced Captain, with countless missions under her belt. She had journeyed to other Kingdoms as a diplomat, and fought criminals and enemies of Ringwood for who knows how long. If anyone knew how to successfully lead a mission… or analyze all the mistakes I made in failing it... it was her.

Wynn folded her arms, frowned slightly. "I still don't understand the question?" She shook her head, helping herself to another slice of cake.

"Wha—huh?"

Wynn shrugged. "I don't understand the question. You're asking me what I would have done without acknowledging that one cannot just replace themselves in any given situation." She gestured around her. "What would this café have done if it was just a restaurant? Would it still serve us food? Or would it have served us with a bit more class and presentation." She shook her head. "Background, experience, personal drive—those all affect the missions you accept. You can't just interchange them."

I groaned in exasperation, feeling a lot of tension draining out of me. "I know _that_. I just… Hypothetically, if you had accepted my mission, what would you have done differently?"

Wynn paused to take a sip of milk, pondering the question. "Well, if we're working in hypotheticals, after completing the initial mission, I would have ignored Attila's offer, taken my troops, and left Nitebane without a second thought."

My heart sank at her blunt words, but still she continued.

"Nitebane is a dangerous Kingdom known for its violent Griefers and mysterious Hackers. Infiltrating enemy territory of that nature requires a specially trained stealth team, prepared for any and all risks. Leading a four-man team, where only one of them knows the terrain, and on a first mission for most of them," I sank deeper into my seat, "it's just foolhardy. For a mission like that, it'd be better to prioritize the lives of your men, rather than risk them for a bit of intel."

"…Yeah…" I mumbled into my tank top, averting my eyes. "That sounds about right."

I had hoped her words would make me feel even a little better… but I was foolish. With how obviously she listed my mistakes, it was clear there was no optimistic way of putting it.

I fucked up.

 _Wynn was right. I should have never made that deal with Attila. I made stupid mistake after stupid mistake and got people killed! It's all my fault! If Wynn had been leading things would have been different. They would have been—_

"But that's only if it were the current me in your place." Wynn's voice cut through my depression, causing me to slowly tilt my head back up. "If it were my _first_ mission, I wouldn't have stopped at two casualties. I would have kept going until all of my men were dead."

My mouth hung agape at the Captain's words. _What…? She… what?_ I thought, fearing I misheard her. Hadn't she just got done telling me to prioritize the lives of my men?

And yet now she was saying she would have led them all to their deaths!? Which was it!? Why even bother listing all my faults?

Just when I thought she couldn't confuse me anymore, she cleared her throat.

"You look confused, so I'll explain." She interlocked her fingers and rested her chin atop them. "When I was younger—well, you've already heard me talk about my overenthusiastic arrests." She chuckled sadly. "Back then, the only thought flitting through my mind was how best I could serve my King. How I could commit my own life to help the man who had saved it."

Wynn's eyes took on a reminiscent gleam as she remembered. "I rose through the ranks, arresting any criminals I could. And it paid off. The day I became Captain was one of the best moments of my life. I felt acknowledged. Accomplished. Like I had begun to pay back the staggering debt I owed His Eminence." She shook her head. "But I owed him more. Much more. And that was the same mindset I took going into my first mission as a Captain.

"It was my first time leading guards. Ten of them in all. We were tasked with tracking a large group of bandits terrorizing Ringwood's villages. We only needed to track their movements. Once we discovered their hideout, we just had to alert a waiting battalion of guards who'd then rush in and finish off the bandits. We didn't even need to fight."

Wynn closed her eyes, her face expressionless. "But I got greedy. Ambitious… Reckless. So badly did I want to impress His Eminence on my first mission. I was so eager for his praise, that I—" She cut off, covering the action with a sip of milk before continuing. "I ordered my men to charge into the bandits' hideout."

My eyes widened in horror, transfixed by the story the Captain was retelling.

"I remember all I was thinking was testing out my new rapier. Thinking back, it was incredibly stupid. We were horribly outnumbered… a fact that anyone with half a brain cell could have deduced." She lowered her arms, resting her head on the table. "But not me. So, I got to watch as all my men were slaughtered."

I looked down in disgust at what I had heard. Her first mission made mine sound like it had gone perfectly. It was hard to imagine the upright, experienced Captain before me was once an overzealous trainee.

One who had made a horrifying mistake.

"In the aftermath, I felt many of the same things you've told me." Wynn continued. "Regret. Horror. Shame. Self-loathing—when there wasn't enough being directed at me from the friends and spouses of those fallen guards. The only difference was that there was no bright-side to it—Apologies, that came out insensitive." She backtracked, rethinking her words. "What I mean to say is I had failed so spectacularly, that only His Eminence, a man of infinite goodness, could find it in his heart to comfort me.

"But you, Cara," she reached across the table to hold my hand, "you dragged Soul back. You saved a life. That's more than I can say for my first mission." She shook her head. "I wanted to resign from my position, right then and there, but His Eminence wouldn't allow it. He told me—and I'll never forget these words—'The only way to learn, is through experience.'"

"Experience?" I questioned, glancing at the levels on my arm.

Wynn nodded. "Anyone can warn you not to touch a burning kettle. They can explain it to you in big diagrams, with research, and multiple sources. They can bring in hundreds of people who've burned themselves from the hot metal. But when it comes down to it, touching the kettle yourself and feeling your flesh sear is a better teacher than what anyone else can teach you. Because you yourself know what it feels like."

I blinked at those words of wisdom before realizing the deeper meaning. "So… what you're saying is… even if you had warned me to be careful on my first mission, I still would have messed up. That it was _necessary_ to mess up. That I had to go through that so… so I wouldn't mess up again!?"

"Precisely."

"But… but that's—" I shook my head angrily. "What if I don't want to experience that?" I shouted. "What if I wanted my first mission to go perfectly, with no casualties, and everyone back home, smiling and laughing, and… and—!" Damn it, I was crying. I tried to reach up to cover my face, but Wynn reached across the table with her other hand and held firm, pinning mine to the table.

"Don't shirk away from this, Cara." Wynn advised. "It's a horrible truth, but us leaders will continue to make mistakes because there's so many things that can go wrong! I myself made the mistake a week ago to tackle a Hacker single-handedly in order to spare my guards. It was a mistake opposite the one I made on my first mission and it would have gotten me killed had it not been for a good friend. It taught me that tackling a problem alone will only cause more trouble."

"Then what lesson am I supposed to pull from this!?" I shouted, the tears pooling in my eyes. "Quit while you're ahead? Never chase cultists? Avoid giggling blue-haired psychos at all costs!?"

"Whatever lessons you learn are yours alone." Wynn replied. "They're taken from _your_ experiences so of course nobody else will be able to tell you." She leaned forward, piercing my aquamarine eyes with her amber ones. "If you hate yourself now more than you've ever had because of a mistake you made, then you better believe you'd never make that mistake again! _That's_ learning from your mistakes."

My struggles to extricate my hands calmed down until I was sitting motionlessly in my seat. Wynn slowly released my hands, freeing them, but I didn't immediately wipe my face of tears.

I tried to recall the way I felt in Nitebane. How powerless I was to stop Teal. How afraid I was.

"I…" I whispered tentatively. "I want to get stronger."

I remembered what I felt returning to Ringwood. All the guilt and shame eating away at my insides. For Void and Floyd.

"I… don't want to let my men die anymore."

I remembered Cobb, his face full of fury and grief as he rounded on me, cursing me as I rightfully deserved.

I looked up to Wynn with a quivering lip and determined face. "I want to beg Cobb for forgiveness!" I sniffed. "I want to be able to promise him I can lead again! I-I want to learn from this failure!"

Wynn smiled supportively. "That's just what I said to His Eminence."

I wiped my tears away with my arm, ignoring the looks the other patrons of the café were shooting our way. The waiter came back around. "Er… can I get you the bill—"

"Can't you see I'm having a moment!?" I burst out, causing the waiter to jump and flee from our table. Wynn let out a light laugh at the sight, helping to raise my spirits.

Actually, talking with the Captain had worked better than I thought it would. I still hated myself for my mistake. But hating that hate wouldn't make me grow as a person. Learning from it would.

A sudden realization crossed my mind. There was someone else hurting over Floyd's death. Probably more than me.

"Will Cobb learn anything from this experience?" I asked Wynn who was in the middle of another slice of cake.

She frowned to herself, her brow creased with worry. "He has to. Accepting loss is important to growing. It won't be easy though, especially to someone as innocent as him, but to do otherwise would be dangerous. He's probably isolated himself since hearing the news."

"Is that normal?"

She nodded. "Most people isolate themselves during the first stages of grief. Taking sullen walks by themselves or just huddling in a secluded corner."

"Yes, but for three days?" Wynn went deathly still. "I can't imagine him grieving by himself for that long. Captain Wynn?"

I looked up to face her, only to question the look of confusion and worry etched across her features. "You… what did you say?"

I blinked in surprise. "Just that… I don't think Cobb would be by himself for three days—Wah!"

Wynn sprung up, slamming her hands on the table and toppling her bucket of milk in the process. Her face, before only mildly worried, was now downright anxious. Dread was etched across her face along with a deeper sense of concern. And her pupils were quivering in fear.

"When did you arrive back in Ringwood?" She demanded, barely keeping her voice under control. She leaned forward, grabbing me by the shoulder and clutching painfully. "When did you tell Cobb about Floyd? Was it yesterday!?"

"Wha… No… I…" I tried to pry her hands off me, but they wouldn't budge. "We got back three days ago! That's when Cobb came over! He was devastated! Ran right out before I had the chance to—!"

But Wynn was no longer listening. She let go of me and steadied herself on the table before her eyes darted as if remembering some past event. "Three days ago… that would have been…" She mumbled under her breath, her face growing paler by the second. "The outhouse…" She mumbled breathlessly. "He isolated himself… he knew all along and _lied_ …"

I didn't understand any of what she was muttering. "Captain? What's wrong?"

"His reaction to the burglars… it all makes sense… and now he's…" Suddenly, Wynn's amber eyes shot back up and narrowed dangerously. " _That son of a bitch._ "

Before I could question her remark, Wynn bolted from the table, leaping over the café's railing, and sprinted back towards the Northern District with reckless abandon. I watched in shock as she downed an electric blue potion and sped off at an inhuman speed. Crafters threw themselves out of the way to avoid getting run over.

"H-hey!" I shouted after the moment of shock wore off. "Wait up!"

I left the table and jumped over the railing before realizing we had left the café without paying. I hopped back over, fishing some emeralds out of my pocket without counting them and chucked them onto the table before running after the ivory-haired Captain.

 _I don't know what I said, but whatever it is has her upset._

* * *

[Wynn]

 _That little, lying idiot!_ I thought with a furious growl as I rounded the plateau under the effects of my Potion of Swiftness. I didn't bother darting around Crafters, instead downing a Potion of Leaping to jump over them.

Nothing was going to keep me from finding that asinine fisherman.

 _The nerve of him!_ I internally screamed. _Pretending to be fine… keeping his pain from me—As if I couldn't understand! Who does he think he is!?_

All of my speed suddenly came to a stop in front of the Northern District's gate as I offered a short word to the two shocked guards before continuing my sprint before they could utter a word.

 _He thinks he's so clever, keeping secrets from me! Thinks I can't figure it out for myself—I_ knew _something was wrong with him!_ I thought with mounting frustration. _Ooooh, when I get a hold of him, I'll teach him to bottle up his grief!_

Through the mansion-lined streets I sped, only then realizing I hadn't paid for the food at the café. Normally I'd be more worried about committing what was technically a crime, but I was far too angry to care.

When I finally reached my home, I didn't so much as open the door as kick it down. Erin let out a small shriek, throwing the raw meat she was preparing up into the air and clutching her chest in unbridled terror.

"COBB! LENZ!" I screamed into the mansion. "WHERE ARE YOU!?"

There was a small noise coming from upstairs that my ears immediately zeroed in on. Before Erin could ask what was wrong, I zoomed up the stairs in a whirlwind of ivory-haired fury, rushed down the hallway, and busted into the guest bedroom, where a wide-eyed Lenz was kneeling near the bed.

"Capta—?" The engineer tried before I rushed over and roughly grabbed him by his shirt. I lifted him off the ground like a kitten and forced him against the wall. He clutched at his shirt, and through his tinted glasses I could see a definite look of fear.

Good.

"Where's Cobb?" I growled, my hands holding him steady. My amber eyes were burning furiously, demanding the answer from him.

"I… I…" The engineer stuttered, at a loss for words at the sight before him. "I thought he was with his friend—"

I lifted him off the wall and slammed back into a window. The glass cracked dangerously. "Don't lie to me, Lenz!" I hissed through clenched teeth. "If you know where he is, you tell me now or so help me _I will hang you by your ankles out this window._ "

To emphasize my point, I broke the window and pushed him out so that only his head was outside. "Comparators! Have you lost your mind!?" He shrieked fearfully.

"Cobb isn't with his friend!" I growled lowly. "He has no reason to go see him! Who else would he tell besides you?" I jostled him roughly, eliciting another panicked yell. "You _must_ know where he is!"

"Miss Whispers!" Erin screamed from the doorway. "What are you doing!?" A moment later, Cara was beside her, gasping for air and clutching a stitch in her side.

"What'd… I… miss?" She panted out, looking from me to the terrified Lenz.

Seeing Erin's frightened expression was enough to slap me out of my angered state. With a sideways glance at the engineer, I pulled him back inside and released him. Without my support he slid down the wall, shaking, before coming to rest on the floor.

"I-I-I do not know where he is…" Lenz spoke shakily. His tinted glasses were askew and he was looking right into my seething face. "Why… if he is not with his friend… you said he had no reason to see him?"

The confusion in his tone was genuine. He truly had no idea where that idiot had run off to. Which meant Cobb didn't tell anyone where he was really going. And for someone coping with the death of a friend, that was a really bad sign.

"That _idiot_ …" I snapped as I fell back onto the bed. Those tears he shed in that outhouse. They were the fresh signs of his grief. Probably the lowest Cobb had ever felt since hearing the news. And even then he managed to come up with an excuse to fool me.

But why fool me—why fool everyone close to him? Terrifying thoughts as to what Cobb could be doing crossed my mind. Would he… would he be saddened enough to… to take his own—

"Can someone please explain why Wynn rushed back here?" Cara interrupted my thoughts, sounding out of breath. "She blew right past those gates."

"Cobb never told us that he learned of Floyd's death three days ago." I explained curtly, to Erin's shocked gasp. "This whole time, he's been keeping it to himself, pretending that Floyd and Cara hadn't gotten back yet."

"Oh… my God…" Erin sobbed. "I never realized he was…"

Cara looked stricken over the news. To hear that she had indirectly caused the fisherman enough pain for him to isolate himself from everyone.

"We need to find him." I stated resolutely. "Not just to punish him for thinking his grief isn't worth sharing with us. I'm worried about what he might do. To himself or to others."

Lenz lifted his glasses, his expression somber, yet with a look of dawning comprehension. "The TNT…"

"What was that?" I snapped, eager for any clue as to the fisherman's location.

Lenz looked up nervously. "I do not know if it will help, but… the other day, Cobbert expressed an interest in crafting a TNT cannon. I purchased the TNT, but the next morning it was stolen along with all my redstone." Lenz looked down, thinking to himself. "Cobbert was the only one who knew of it, and would not bother stealing anything else."

"How much TNT did you have?" I demanded.

"…A stack." Lenz admitted, looking pale. "I… I wanted to impress him… He must have had it in his Inventory before leaving yesterday."

I cursed, running a hand through my hair. Did that mean he planned to blow himself up? Was he already gone? Was I too late?

No. No, he… he wouldn't need so much TNT. One block would suffice to… carry out the action. Taking more would have been overkill. He wouldn't need so much redstone either.

I clung to that argument, desperately hoping I was right. Praying I wouldn't search the woods and stumble upon his scattered gear beside a smoking crater, his Head staring blankly at me with dead eyes…

"He's going after the Endward Cult."

Cara spoke those words, her face pale. She looked to be thinking to herself very fast.

"If he's armed with that much TNT and redstone," Cara continued in a hushed tone, "and he's heard that a cultist killed Floyd… he might just be stupid enough to try it—"

My blood froze. This was Cobb we were talking about! Of _course_ he'd be stupid enough to try something like that! This was the same guy who fought off Hackers with fishing rods!

There was also his behavior during the burglary to consider. He had been a wild beast then, but only when Lenz was threatened. He didn't want to lose another friend. And afterwards, didn't he ask if the Endward Cult deserved mercy? That would have probably been when he decided to attack the cult.

"We've got to find him." I repeated, but more urgently. I leapt off the bed, feeling the lingering effects of my two potions. "Cara. You're with the Silver Intent. Where would you go if you were looking for the closest cultist base to blow up?"

Before Cara could answer, Lenz interjected. "He will not be able to blow up anything." Lenz's face was etched with concern, but his glasses had been replaced with his tinted goggles as he thought to himself. "To detonate any structure, it takes more than just redstone and TNT. It would have to be spread to the foundations of the structure… but Cobbert does not know that, for a redstone signal to reach widespread TNT, it would require redstone repeaters placed at intervals along the redstone." He shook his head gravely. "He did not bother taking any of my repeaters. Without them, the signal will never reach further away. He has no chance of blowing up anything."

"You can't be serious." I said incredulously before clutching my head. "Did he think _anything_ through? Cara, give me a location. Anything! Where would Cobb go?"

Cara thought to herself, her eyes darting. "Well… Brett always suspected the cult's Northern Division was hidden within the Kingdom… But there are also a number of outposts they could be operating out of. I don't know which one is the closest, though."

"Find out." I ordered before turning to face Erin. "Take Lenz and ask around if anybody has seen him. Go to all his usual hang-outs. Check the toll gates to see if he's passed recently. Anywhere you can think of." The housekeeper nodded determinedly before beckoning Lenz to follow. "I'll gather the guards and round up a search party for him. Here." I reached into my Inventory and pulled out a set of green fireworks which I passed around to Cara, Lenz, Erin, and myself. Normally they would be used to designate apprehended criminals. "If you see or hear anything about his location, use these. I'll be there shortly. And if you find him… I'll be there shortly to give him hell."

And with that last grim comment, I dashed out of the room. I took the stairs two at a time before rushing out the door towards the barracks.

Hoping I'd be able to stop the fisherman before he did something stupid… and paid for it.

* * *

[Cobb]

Numb.

That was all I felt when my eyes fluttered open. The world looked blurry as indescribably shapes spun above me. Lush greens interspersed with blinding light that all just melted together before my eyes.

My ears were my most reliable sense. The sound of running water came from both sides, and I felt a cool wetness along my back.

I tried to push myself up, but the instant my head lifted a foot off the ground, I felt a sick. The world spun faster before my eyes, dizzying me, and sending me crashing back into the wet ground. I barely had enough time to extricate the Creeper mask constricting my face before the contents of my stomach came up. My body shook as I struggled to keep my face out of it.

I didn't have to worry much, though. Running water was already washing the vomit away. I had been laying in a watery run-off. And judging by how damp my back was, I had been there for a while.

I clutched at my stomach as the last disgusting spasm passed, then I rolled back onto my back, my eyes firmly shut to block out the harsh sunlight streaming through the trees.

 _…_ _Last night was a mistake._

The second that thought crossed my muddled mind, I felt a throbbing pain in my forehead and ankle.

I reached a hand up and gingerly touched the spot throbbing with pain, just above my right eye. _Oh, right._ I thought hazily. _I cracked my head on the cliff._

After waiting for several minutes, the haziness began to clear. The world was in sharper focus, but so too was the pain. My ankle felt like it was on fire and I couldn't feel my toes. Meanwhile, my head throbbed with pain, getting worse by the minute.

I weakly lifted my arm to check my Health and felt sick at the sight. I was on one Heart. And my Hunger Meter had never looked so empty. Slowly, I got up into a sitting position, propped up against a tree, and reached into my backpack for some food before I starved to death.

Thinking better on using rotten flesh when I was already sick, I took small nibbles on pumpkin pies and cooked mutton until my Hunger was full. It was then that my Health Meter began to slowly regenerate.

While that went to work, I tried to recall everything that happened, and how long I had been out.

My 'Blow Up The Endward Cult Outpost' plan had backfired spectacularly. It had been one screw-up after the other. The TNT never went off. I had been running away from cultists. I don't think I even killed one of them. They shot me, my ankle broke, I fell off the mountain… I fell off the mountain?

Looking up to verify, I saw the towering mass that was Mt. Mur. I was near the base, even though the outpost had been at cloud level. How had I gotten down when the fall should have killed me?

As I readjusted myself against the tree, I felt the cool trickle of water flow against my broken ankle. It felt soothing, and it reminded me of what I had done seconds after falling off the cliff.

I had placed water. It cushioned that first fall and continued to flow down, carrying me with it. My head must have struck the cliff, but I had miraculously flowed down to safety.

I glanced down at my black-dyed leather armor. Maybe it too had a part in sparing me damage. Those cultists had shot a lot of arrows into me, after all—

 _The cultists!_ I realized with a start, glancing around the woods. _They could have followed me…_

My clock told me it was noon. Which meant I had been knocked out for half the day. The cultists would have had no trouble following the flowing water right to me. So why didn't they?

All the same, it probably wasn't safe to stay where I was. My head already felt back to normal—

Brain: _Did anyone get the number of that cliff that hit us?_

—mostly normal, but my ankle still hurt to put pressure on. It was the first time I had ever broken a bone. Would it… would it ever heal properly? Was there a Potion of Bone Mending I needed? I could only hope that it would heal when my Health Meter reached full.

Still, it wouldn't help to be so close to the water that carried me down. I needed a better hiding spot.

While I couldn't stand on my ankle, I found that I was able to crawl with great difficulty. I dragged myself away from the flowing water and into a large bundle of trees growing close together, with low leaves. They formed a sort of cage, but there was enough foliage to conceal me.

As I dragged myself to it, I heard a soft rustling coming from the left. My eyes darted to the side, but didn't immediately pick up on anything.

Then, from between two tall oaks, I spotted a pair of bright orange eyes peeking at me. They seemed to glow in the shade of the two oaks. They blinked at me, before vanishing in another soft rustle of leaves.

"Hello?" I called out hesitantly, stopped my crawling. "Is… is someone there? Can you help me?"

But there was no reply. There was no more rustling either. The woods became silent once more.

"…I think I have a concussion." I reasoned, clutching my head again. "Either that or I'm seeing things… or someone's spying on me." I continued my crawl towards the trees, nestling myself in the center so that I was obscured from view. My eyes strayed back to the twin oaks where I had seen those eyes.

 _…_ _Maybe it was a Mob…_

A minute or two of silence passed before I heard several loud splashes coming from the base of the mountain.

Peering through gaps in the leaves, I spotted seven cultists, all armed to the teeth and surrounding the area where the water flowed. One of them bent low to examine something while the others talked.

"Gone! He got away, that little Creeper-faced—"

"You can hardly blame him." Another one commented. "Would _you_ wait here to get hunted down?"

"I still say it was a female." A female cultist piped up, causing her fellows to roll their eyes. "What? It could have been!"

"Oh, please. People heard him grunt in pain. In a _masculine_ voice."

"Puberty acts in mysterious ways." The female cultist defended. "I've heard of men with high-pitched voices. Why can't the reverse be true?"

"Okay, but what about his chest? He was flat as a pancake!"

"Could have been an A-Cup."

"Oh, brother. Can we just focus on finding him or her before 4Blite gets back."

That name made me tense up. 4Blite was that Lieutenant from the wanted posters. His bounty spoke of how dangerous he was.

"We also gotta find that other mystery intruder." A different cultist chimed in. "He was wearing Franky's Head… poor guy."

 _Another intruder?_ I thought to myself. _Had someone else invaded the outpost at the same time as me? That seems really unlikely…_

"He's in a better place." The female cultist comforted before turning her attention to the ground. "Hey, look at this."

The other cultists gathered around her and I had to lean forward to see what they were pointing at. When they lifted it up, I felt my heart drop.

It was my Creeper mask. I forgot to pick it back up after taking it off.

"Looks like our mystery Creeper-man was here." One of the cultists commented grimly, his eyes already roving across the forest to find me. I remained frozen; worried I'd make a noticeable sound. "The rest of his gear isn't strewn about, so I can only assume he survived the fall."

"A shame." Another cultist commented, raising a menacing iron blade. "It would have been painless for him had he just let death take him."

While I was busy trying to keep my shit together, my Health was ticking back up. It was nearly full, and my ankle already felt loads better. I just had to wait for the cultists to pass, and then I could sneak away—

"Hey, maybe we should check that bundle of trees over there."

 _Damnit!_ I internally cursed as one of them pointed at the very bundle of trees I was hiding amongst. _No. Don't check over here. There's nothing to see._

"He could be anywhere in these woods, Daton." The female reasoned. "What makes you think he or she is in those trees?"

 _Yes! Listen to her. She's talking sense._

"I just have this feeling…" The man named Daton continued. "Like we're being watched or something."

 _That's a stupid reason to go checking trees! Go away!_

"Also… I think I see a boot poking out from under there."

My eyes widened and I looked down to see that the toe of my boot was in fact poking out from amongst the foliage. I quickly pulled it back in, but it was too late. The damage was already done.

At once, the cultists armed themselves and advanced slowly on the bundle of trees, surrounding it in a half-circle. I had mere moments to act before they trapped me. But my Health wasn't full yet.

Desperate for time, I did the only thing I could think of.

"Halt mortals!" I boomed in my most commanding voice, which, amazingly, caused the cultists to stop dead in their tracks.

"Who dares disturb the slumber of the Vegetable King!?" I called out, mentally shrugging at the absurdity of it all.

The cultists looked at each other, perplexed, before turning their attention back to the trees. "Are you serious right now?"

"For eons my kind has lived in this forest!" I continued, watching as my Health was half-a-Heart to full. "And yet you meat bags traipse around, cutting my brethren down, and feasting upon them!"

"Trees aren't even vegetables." The female cultist spoke flatly.

"Are too!"

"Really, they're not."

"Insolent meat bag! Bring me a virgin sacrifice to appease me!"

"Are… are we sure this is the same guy that broke into our outpost?" Another cultist asked. "And not just some crazy tree person?"

"Oh, yeah, I saw that guy! The one with the Creeper-mask, right?" I called out in the same booming voice. "Real handsome guy. And likeable. You totally shouldn't kill him!"

"Well if the _Vegetable King_ says we shouldn't," a cultist droned sarcastically, "then we'd better—get him!"

At once, the cultists raised their weapons and leapt forward, cutting away at the foliage and trees that concealed me.

"No! Do not anger the Vegetable King!" I cried out desperately while nestling myself further into the trees. "The King's flaming fury will be the end of you!" I raised my flint and steel and began setting fire to the leaves in front of me. They quickly spread, causing confusion and panic amongst the cultists. While they backed off, I slipped out the back and took off running into the woods.

"After him!" A voice cried out behind before two arrows lodged themselves in trees inches from where my head would have been. I rushed past them, hurrying deeper into the woods.

 _Which way is Ringwood!?_ I internally screamed as I whipped out Brett's map and tried to track my white blip. I was running East with Mt. Mur on my right. I needed to turn left, but the cultists looked to be fanning out in that direction.

They were keeping me penned against the mountain.

* * *

[Cara]

I ran at a sprint, reaching the Granger Barn in no time. I passed a few Silver Intent members mulling about, but it was Brett's home that I was running to. Cobb's safety was on the line.

"Cara?" The gruff voice of Soul caught my ear as I rushed past. "Hey, Cara, wait. I said wait!"

But I didn't wait. I didn't want to hear Soul insult me for my incompetence as a leader. I didn't want to hear him blame me for Floyd and Void's deaths. I was busy trying to save a life.

I burst through Brett's front door to see the silver-haired man mulling over a map. At my arrival, he quickly stowed it away and glanced at me calmly. "Cara? Is there something I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact, there is." I marched inside, controlling the hatred I felt for the man who disregarded Floyd and Void's deaths. "I need the locations of nearby Endward Cult outposts and bases. Anything you have."

"My my, how unexpected." Brett drawled as he crossed his room to stand before me. "And what do you plan to do with this information?"

"That doesn't matter right now. Do you have the information or not?"

"Oh, I probably have it lying around somewhere," he commented off-handedly, "though I seem to remember you specifically resigning from leading missions." He tapped his chin in mock consideration. "Could it be you've had a change of heart? Because only a leader can be given this kind of info—"

"Fine!" I shouted angrily. "I'll lead! Whatever! Just give me the information! Cobb's life is on the line!"

Brett smiled before nodding. "That's all I needed to here. I'm glad you've come to see how important your leadership responsibilities are." I clenched my fists in frustration. He was wasting time! "Oh, but what is this I hear about Cobb's life?"

It was then that Soul entered the room, lured by all my shouting. "Cobb's missing and I think he intends on blowing up an Endward Cult base. He wants revenge for Floyd. Has he been here at all?" Soul made an involuntary movement out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it.

"Why would he show up here?" Brett asked carefully.

"He kept telling Wynn and his friends that he was coming here to see if Floyd came back." I explained in a tumble of words. "I'm just checking everywhere he _might_ have been, since we're currently clueless."

"Well I assure you, Cara," Brett spoke clearly, "Cobb has not visited here to my knowledge."

I hadn't expected him to have seen him and I was already opening my mouth to demand the outpost locations when a voice spoke behind me.

"You're lying."

I turned on the spot to see Soul's face knitted into a scowl. He had spoken those words and he was looking straight at Brett, who had gone chalk white.

"Whatever do you mean, Soul?" Brett asked calmly. "I speak the truth. Cobb hasn't—"

"I saw Cobb leave the barn two nights ago." Soul continued gruffly, causing Brett's face to go paler still. "From my house's window, I saw him leave in a hurry… and then I saw some other guy in a checkered hoodie enter the barn. Only I didn't see _him_ come back out."

Brett glanced away at a loss for words.

And in the absence of words, I was free to glare at him. "What did you talk with Cobb about?" I growled, not caring about any checkered hoodie guy. "And why did you feel the need to lie about it?"

Brett fidgeted on the spot, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Cobb had me swear not to tell anyone what he was doing. He didn't want any of you to get in the way."

"Get in the way of what? His death!?" I marched forward, getting right up into Brett's face.

"He won't die." Brett argued back. "Do you have any idea what that Crafter has done? He killed a Hacker. A _Hacker_! Surely an outpost full of cultists will be no match for—"

"He's really going after an outpost?" Soul asked, sounding both shocked and impressed. "He'd… go that far for Floyd?"

"Of course he would." Brett dismissed with a shake of his head. "He is a brave Crafter who would go to any lengths when it came to avenging his fallen friend. It's admirable."

"And I'm sure you were all too happy to let him kill himself trying to take out an outpost." I spat in disgust towards the silver-haired man. I knew his manipulative nature. He didn't care whether Cobb lived or died. "Which outpost did you send him to?" I demanded before he could say anything.

"I… why would you need to know?" He countered a bit defensively.

"So I can make sure he doesn't get himself killed!"

"Oh, how mature." Brett spoke sarcastically. "After all this time, _now_ you feel like saving lives?"

I stumbled back as if slapped.

Brett pounced on my moment of weakness. "You've had plenty of time to save lives, but you didn't in order to gain more information against our enemies. And now you expect any of us to believe you would selflessly throw yourself into harm's way just to save a single Crafter. One that doesn't even need saving, mind you."

His words cut deep into me, playing on my fears and guilt.

"You think Cobb wants to see you at all? He _despises_ you. He's in this current situation only because _you_ failed to bring back his friend. And you think if he's in trouble, that you, the woman who caused it all, arriving would somehow benefit him? Ha! If anything, you rushing in to save him will cause more pain!"

"I know that!" I cried out, even while Soul reached a hand to my shoulder. I shrugged it off though. "I know I made a mistake! But… even though facing Cobb will cause more pain, not doing anything will be an even bigger mistake. One I'll forever regret. Especially if he dies—Floyd would never forgive me!"

I breathed heavily in great pants while glaring at the silver-haired man. He fixed me with his impassive eyes, and just when I thought he's call me a fool, he tossed me the map he had been poring over.

"Cobb has a copy of that map." Brett muttered as he turned away from us. "He went for the outpost on Mt. Mur, but his blip is moving east. I still say the Hacker-slayer can handle a couple hundred cultists, but if you really want to check on him, be my guest."

True to his words for once, the map did show a blip hurrying along to the east. That meant Cobb was still alive… or that someone else had his map.

No! He had to be alive. I didn't bother saying anything more to Brett as I turned and left his home. However, I did stop to address Soul.

"Cara, I…"

"No. Let me talk first, and then you can insult me." I stopped him, wanting to speak. "I… I can imagine that you hate me much like Cobb does. And if you don't then you should. I was a fool to value cultist information more than your lives—"

"We all knew the risks, Cara." Soul spoke softly, grabbing me by my shoulders. "Void and Floyd… they weren't there because they thought it would be a safe, cushy mission. We were all prepared for the worst. I still am."

"Even so," I continued, "it shouldn't have been the worst. _I_ had the power to get everyone back alive. I made so many mistakes on my first mission." My eyes were misting over, but I stayed strong. "I know I haven't given you much reason to trust my leadership skills, but… but if you would allow me another chance to lead… I… I promise that everyone will come back alive."

Soul fixed his crimson eyes onto my own. "We're going to get Cobb back, right?"

I nodded.

"Then lead on." Soul gestured forward and it was the unconditional faith in his tone which caused the smile that spread across my face. He truly believed in my leadership, despite my faults. I threw my arms around the axe-wielder, causing him to go rigid for a second before he returned it awkwardly. His arms were strong, yet gentle, enveloping me in a warm hug. One that easily comforted me.

Once we released each other, we packed up our gear and I fired Wynn's fireworks into the sky. At the same time, I saw a green firework shoot up near the Northern District. But we didn't have time to check it out. Cobb's blip on the map was still moving steadily east, as if he was running from something.

So, with a quick word to a Silver Intent member about relaying Cobb's location to Wynn when she arrived, Soul and I rushed to the Eastern District's toll gate, intending on bringing the fisherman back alive.

* * *

[Endward Cult Outpost]

4Blite was furious upon his arrival to one of the most well-fortified Endward Cult outposts of the Northern Division. Because, as he came to understand, 'heavily fortified' did not mean 'a porous, sorry-excuse for a base that had been infiltrated.' Naturally, he was quite mad.

A cultist screamed in terror as 4Blite's diamond axe cut him down. The two remaining cultists cowered in fear, wondering which of them would be next to face the Lieutenant's fury.

"A week." He spoke coldly, pacing back and forth. "I leave for a week to further my plan, and what do I come back to?" He swung his axe so that it stuck into the wooden table. "An outpost on high alert. Talks of an intruder. A spy? What is the meaning of this?"

"…Lieutenant 4Blite, sir, w-we…" The smaller cultist gulped fearfully. "It… it was nothing major—"

" _Nothing major?_ "

"No—what I mean to say is… wait, please! AUGH!" The cultist grunted in pain as the diamond axe cleaved across his stomach, tearing off a good portion of Health.

"Security here is _everything_!" He hissed. "Everything. If Ember ever got wind of this… I've had to work hard these past months to gain her trust. To prove myself to the cult. And you incompetent buffoons jeopardize my hard work by letting an intruder strut within these walls? And why hasn't he been apprehended? Where is his disembodied Head?"

"Please sir, we sent cultists after him." The other one spoke up while his fellow recovered. "We would have sent them sooner, but we had to call them back to deal with the second intruder—Oops."

As soon as he said those words, he knew he had slipped up. 4Blite rounded on him, his eyes like chips of ice. " _Two intruders? You let two intruders into this outpost?_ "

But 4Blite didn't wait for an answer before he crushed the cultist beneath his axe. He died in a shower of gear, causing the remaining one to cower twice over.

"Who were they?" 4Blite asked coldly while picking up the Heads of those that brought him the bad news.

"Uh… ah… one of them wore a Creeper mask and black leather. Th-the other one wore the Head of one of our own… Franky… but we did notice him wearing a checkered hoodie."

"Tch. That could be anyone." 4Blite began to pace again, his diamond axe held at his side, ready to claim another life. "What concerns me most is what they may have learned during their visit."

"S-Sir?"

4Blite turned his attention to the small cultist. "Did they go into the Map Room? Did they see my plans laid out? Do they know what we have planned for Ringwood?" His voice rose as he yearned to know the truth.

"I-in all likelihood, sir," the cultist trembled, "th-they may have seen your plans."

4Blite cursed to himself, but he did not strike down the last cultist. He needed him to relay his message to the rest of the outpost.

"If they know our plans… then we have no choice but to act." He nodded to himself. "Ringwood won't have time to respond, but only if we act now. Spread the word that Phase Two is commencing today." 4Blite commanded coldly to which the shaking cultist nodded before hurrying out of the room.

Alone, 4Blite ran his fingers along the edge of his diamond axe. "I will not be outdone by that woman again. By the end of today, _I'll_ be Ember's favored Lieutenant. Not her."

* * *

[Cobb]

"People actually run in their spare time!?" I panted as arrows whizzed past my head. "What are they, masochists!?"

I weaved between trees as the cultists continued to chase me. An arrow nicked my leg before I slid behind a cluster of trees and hastily placed a few blocks of TNT before lighting them. I heard the approaching footsteps and darted out to the left, causing the cultists to point and shout towards me.

I looked behind just in time to see one of the cultists get a little too close to my TNT when it went off. His gear scattered across the forest floor, shocking his companions momentarily before they continued tracking me like bloodhounds. Their black leather caps darted through the trees and arrows kept finding me whenever I paused to take a breath.

 _Why did I do this on my own!?_ I internally cursed as an arrow caught me in the hip. I withdrew my golden sword and hid behind a tree, listening carefully for any sign of movement.

There was a faint rustle getting closer and closer, and I carefully peeked my head out to get an idea of where they were coming from.

Just as the cultist passed the tree, I swung at him, earning a satisfying slash across his torso. He cried out, but was able to block my next strike on his own sword. It was all the time he needed for one of the other pursuing cultists to fire an arrow at me.

I leapt back to dodge it, only to receive a hard shoulder to the back. I was sent tumbling to the side where I recovered by latching onto a set of trees before propping myself up. I was rewarded with a face-full of splash potion that demolished four of my Hearts, followed by a heavy slash across my torso that obliterated my leather tunic.

 _So much for Unbreaking…_

Through slightly burning eyes, I watched as the six cultists advanced. I tried to back up, only to bump up against the rocky cliff of Mt. Mur. So they _had_ been corralling me towards it.

The cultists had triumphant looks on their faces now. They knew I was trapped with nowhere to go. All I had for armor were the leather pants and boots, and what could they possibly do when I was outnumbered?

It was as Bitters had warned me. I was useless on my own. And every step of my quest to avenge Floyd had made that painfully obvious.

There was only one thing left to do.

I reached back to grab what little TNT I had left. If I lured all the cultists in close, I could detonate it all at once. Maybe tackle a few of them to keep them from running away. I would die like a Creeper, but it was a hell of a lot better than waiting for them to kill me.

However, my hand stilled upon reaching my backpack. For in the trees, just above the cultists, were those same bright orange eyes I had seen before.

They regarded me curiously, tilting slightly, before blinking and vanishing from sight. The next moment, an orange and black clad figure descended from the foliage and landed with a crash on two of the cultists before rolling to her feet and rushing towards me.

I immediately panicked, taking a step back from what could only be described as a ninja. She wore a skintight black jumpsuit with orange designs, her mouth was covered by some kind of face mask, and her hair was the same bright orange as her eyes. I barely registered the name hovering over her head—Creation's_Spark—before she grabbed the hand trying to pull out TNT and held it there.

While the cultists raised their weapons and helped out their prone fellows, the ninja girl slipped behind me and grabbed hold of my leather pants before yanking down.

I let out a startled 'eep' and covered my crotch despite the fact I had my jeans on underneath. Creation's_Spark ignored my cries as she proceeded to take off my dyed leather boots as well. When all my armor was gone, she grabbed my arm and pulled me close to her before withdrawing a light gray splash potion.

"Stop them!" One of the cultists called out in alarm, apparently knowing what potion the ninja was using.

The ninja held it aloft long enough to turn to me and press a finger to the face mask where her lips would have been in a shushing motion before she threw it at our feet.

I let out an involuntary gasp as my arms, legs, torso, and other body parts vanished without a trace. Creation's_Spark disappeared in much the same way, though I felt her hand gripping mine with a vice-like tightness. An odd sensation overcame me. My body felt pleasantly cool and relaxed, despite the cultists desperately searching for us.

"Find them!" One of them exclaimed, narrowing his eyes to see better while also spreading his hands out before him. Much like a blind man groping in the darkness for something to touch. The other cultists did the same, waving their swords where we once were standing.

But we weren't standing there anymore. I felt the ninja pull me along, keeping her hold on me as we weaved between the frantic cultists and back into the safety of the woods. Remembering what she had told me, I kept quiet. And while I didn't know who she was or why she was helping me, I wasn't one to look a gift ninja in the mouth. It was clear that she didn't want to see me get killed by a bunch of cultists. And that was enough for me.

As we left the cultists, I heard one of them utter one last shout. "4Blite will kill us if we don't find them! Keep looking!"

After several minutes of silent walking, I felt Creation's_Spark stop. From out of nowhere, a bucket of milk materialized before me and tipped over. I heard a gulping sound before the ninja slowly reappeared in front of me. She smiled before raising her mask back up and handing me a separate milk bucket.

I raised my eyebrow at it before remembering that milk cured any potion effect. I took it into my hands and gulped it down, returning her the bucket while the Invisibility effect and sensation left me.

And there we were. The two of us standing in the middle of the woods.

"Uh… thanks a lot." I nodded while scratching my head sheepishly. "If you hadn't have helped me back there—Oh."

She was handing me back my leather pants and boots along with a quickly written book. Bemusedly I accepted the tome and flipped it open to the first page.

 **[HELLO! MY NAME IS CREATION'S_SPARK. BUT MOST PEOPLE CALL ME SPARK.]**

I looked up to her with another raised eyebrow. She smiled with her eyes and waved lightly before making a 'turn the page' motion with her hands. I complied and read aloud:

 **[SORRY I PANTSED YOU.]**

 **[;P]**

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 2 Pumpkin Pies, 21 Steak, 39 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 63 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 19]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 36 Redstone, 64 TNT, 64 TNT, 3 Firework Rockets { _Flight Duration: 3, Burst, Green, Twinkle_ }, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 27 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: Hello, Spark. The first viewer OC ever introduced. How's it hanging?**

 **This Chapter had so much going on as everyone worked together to find out just what Cobb was up to. I think my favorite part of this Chapter was Wynn's talk with Cara... and then Wynn's subsequent 'furious with Cobb' moment. Poor Lenz, having to deal with an enraged Wynn_Whispers is like handling an enraged sabre-tooth tiger. The two share sabres in common.**

 **But so many characters are moving about and growing. Cobb, Wynn, Cara, Erin, Soul, Lenz, Brett, Spark, 4Blite. But what is it all leading up to? Well, you'll have to stay tuned to see.**

 **Hopefully I'll be able to publish on a weekly schedule now that it's summer. To make up for the three week wait, I tried to make the Chapters longer, but I don't think that was working out quite as well.**

 **Hope you're all looking forward to enjoying your summer. I'm... not actually sure what the age demographic is for this. Hmm. I can't exactly survey it because that seems like a personal question. Whatever. It's a decent story whether you enjoy Minecraft or not. Unlike that _other_ story with the sparkling vampires. Bleh.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	76. Words

**AN: I don't like this Chapter. It makes me frown.**

 **:(**

 **Even the Chapter title is bad.**

 **But you're not here to hear me whine about my own incapable writing. You're here for the riddles. The answer to last week's riddle: A match! Congrats to JohnRyan117 Esp (damn, that's a mouthful) for guessing it correctly. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Puzzle: What has a single eye but cannot see?**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add collapsing trees.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 76

 **Words**

[Cobb]

"So…" I ventured, walking beside the orange and black ninja. "Do you… always speak in book?"

Creation's_Spark considered that for a moment before shaking her head. I thought she'd follow up with a spoken word, but she was as silent as ever.

"…Right."

As soon as we had gotten away from that first group of cultists, I tried to head back south to climb up Mt. Mur again. As disastrous as my first attempt at destroying that outpost had been, I wasn't ready to give up. It was with thoughts of Floyd that I began climbing those steep slopes.

Spark had been quick to tell me that was a stupid idea. Or rather she kept _writing_ how terrible an idea it was and offering me her words. The messages were the same, so I stopped reading after the first couple of books. I think that annoyed her though, since she then abandoned her polite book offers in favor of prodding my side painfully with the spine, demanding I read them.

She climbed along with me too. Even when I warned her about the cultists, she was right there with me, constantly nudging a newly written book into my side. She certainly made up for her silence with her determination.

So there I was, hiking up Mt. Mur with a mysterious ninja poking my side with a book. Just when I thought a bruise was about to form, I paused. Voices could be heard from higher up the mountain. Angry voices. I ducked behind some rocks and Spark mimicked my actions… though the occasional bump told me she was still nudging me with her book.

Up ahead, three black-capped cultists emerged. They looked irritated and sullen, armed with weapons and leading a precession of cats. They marched along the mountain, glancing down towards our cover as if spotting something, only to shrug and continue. They vanished behind a ridge of rocks, and their angry voices slowly faded.

...

It took a while for my mind to register that those cultists were leading a precession of cats. Black and white. Orange with stripes. Grey with dark speckles. They had quite the variety. But before I could wonder why a group of cultists were leading so many cats, I felt another sharp nudge into my side.

Something in me snapped and I quickly snatched the offending book and tore it open, just to read what was so damn important it had to be driven into my side across several miles of hiking!

 **[READ ME.]**

My eyebrow twitched at the two words. _That was it!?_ Spark looked pleased with herself that I finally read her book and quickly took it from my stunned hands, scribbling down something else before holding it open for me to read.

 **[WHY ARE YOU GOING BACK UP?]**

Still angry at her first message, I decided to ignore her. This time more firmly. I wasn't going to let her book nudging get to me again.

I made to stand up, only to throw myself back down when another group of cultists emerged from around a bend. They, like the first group, were armed and were leading cats in their wake.

 _What's with all the cats?_ I thought to myself. _Are they just walking their pets today?_

Frustrated that I couldn't advance with so many armed cultists up ahead, I reluctantly sat back down. Spark took the initiative to hold up another book for me to read.

 **[ARE YOU TRYING TO DIE?]**

I read the words carefully, though I pretended not to. Of course I wasn't trying to die. I was trying to avenge my friend. To make up for the guilt I was feeling for not having been there to save him in Nitebane. It was my fault he was dead. The fault was mine… and the Endward Cult's. So they were the ones that had to pay.

 **[ARE YOU IGNORING ME?]**

I didn't respond to the ninja's newest words. If she couldn't figure it out by now, I wasn't going to tell her.

Irritated at my silence, Spark taped her chin with her quill before her eyes lit with an idea. She turned her back on me and leaned over her book, shielding me from the text. Then she scratched out her previous words and began scribbling something down furiously. It seemed the book would burst from all the writing she was filling it with. It was enough to make me raise an inquisitive eyebrow and make me subtly lean to the left to try and glimpse it.

But, as if responding to my clandestine glimpse, the ninja girl shifted her body to the left, obscuring the book once more. She paused a few times, hastily erasing some poorly chosen words in favor of vocabulary more deserving of the space.

 _What is she writing, a novel?_

Curiosity getting the better of me, I tried to lean to the right to peer over her shoulder. Spark then shifted to the right, acting like it was a natural movement though I caught the mischievous glimmer in her eye.

 _She's just screwing with me._ I realized with a frown, leaning back in a show of giving up. _Well who cares. It's probably nothing important anyway._

A few moments later, Spark finished her writing with an elegant flourish and jabbed the page in what I assumed was a period. Then she closed the book and set it down before her before getting to her feet and, while still under cover from the cultists above, slinked away.

I stared at her as she disappeared from sight. It looked like she was heading back down the mountain. Then my gaze slid to the book lying before me. It sat there innocently, the sun shining upon its leather-bound cover.

 _What could she have written down?_ I wondered to myself while staring at the book. _Was it some parting advice?_ _Or maybe a way to get down the mountain? Or maybe some epic tale about her tragic backstory? The secret to her mute silence, perhaps?_

Carefully, I raised my hand and leaned forward so that it was hovering over the smooth leather surface. I gripped it and pulled it into my hands, where pried it open and read the words she had labored on for so—

 **[YOU SHOULDN'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE TRYING TO IGNORE ME.]**

While my brain was struggling between feeling angry and feeling like an idiot, I felt a hand on my shoulder and a face with bright orange eyes popped up beside me. Spark had returned; she never really left. Her body was shaking in a fit of silent giggles as she saw the look on my face after reading the book.

"…I hate you." I whispered, trying to sound furious but failing. Even I could appreciate the humor in her action. She had played on my curiosity, pretending to write something important when it was really just another attempt at breaking the ice.

Only this time, it worked.

"Thanks for saving me." I spoke softly, not wanting the cultists above to hear me. "I know I said it before, but—"

I was cut off as she handed me the book. I looked at it confusedly. It still had the same message on it. She then mimed a writing action and it was then I noticed the quill.

 _Oooh…_ I realized, writing down a message of my own.

 **[Thanks for saving me before. Sorry I've been ignoring you.]**

I handed the book back and watched her read it before she smiled with her eyes and jotted down a response.

 **[NO PROBLEM. IT'S WHAT I DO. THOUGH I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HELP YOU SOONER WHEN YOU ASKED.]**

I read over her message, pausing at the last bit before remembering those orange eyes after I fell off the mountain.

 **[So that** ** _was_** **you! Why didn't you help drag me to safety?]**

 **[I WASN'T SURE WHO YOU WERE. YOU WERE WEARING THE ENDWARD CULT'S COLORS, AFTER ALL.]** She gestured to the black-dyed leather armor at my belt. **[ONCE THE** ** _REAL_** **CULTISTS SHOWED UP, HOWEVER, I KNEW YOU WERE A GOOD GUY. OR AT LEAST THEIR ENEMY.]**

 **[And then you pantsed me.]**

 **[AND THEN I PANTSED YOU, YES.]** Her bright orange eyes smiled again. **[I FIGURED YOU WERE IGNORING ME BECAUSE YOU FELT EMBARASSED ABOUT BEING SAVED.]**

I flinched reading that and glanced aside. Spark took notice and I suddenly wished we were exchanging books between closed rooms. It was easier to keep emotion out of writing.

 **[I wasn't embarrassed.]** I started to write something else, but then I crossed it out. That was another good thing about writing. You could choose your words more carefully and hesitation wouldn't show. **[I guess I just wish** ** _I_** **had gotten myself out of there.]**

 **[BECAUSE…?]**

 **[Because I wanted to know I could do it by myself.]**

Spark raised an eyebrow at that. **[REALLY? BECAUSE IT LOOKED TO ME YOU WERE ABOUT TO BLOW YOURSELF UP.]**

 **[That was my backup plan.]**

 **[WHAT WAS YOUR** ** _BACKUP_** **BACKUP PLAN, THEN?]**

I wisely chose not to answer that one. **[What were you even doing out here anyway? Just wandering around near cult bases?]**

 **[I ALREADY SAID IT'S WHAT I DO. CULTISTS ALWAYS TRY AND PICK OFF INEXPERIENCED CRAFTERS IN THE ORIGIN FOREST. THOUGH USUALLY NOT ON** ** _THIS_** **SIDE OF MT. MUR.]**

 **[I'm** ** _not_** **inexperienced.]** I put unnecessary pressure on the quill as I wrote. **[Nobody is. Everyone has something to impart.]**

She noticed the pressure I used in my writing and eyed me carefully. **[YEAH. YOUR GEAR IS A BIT TOO ADVANCED TO BE FRESH FROM THE ORIGIN. WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU?]**

I shook my head before writing out my response.

 **[I wish people would stop asking that.]**

Spark held up her hands in a calming gesture. **[OKAY, TOUCHY SUBJECT.]**

 **[I'm not touchy about it!]** Rereading my own words, I quickly went back and erased the exclamation point. **[I'm not touchy. I'm just tired of people thinking they know what I'm capable of as soon as they hear how many digits are in my number. It's the same with everybody. And it's not like having more or less numbers makes you any better than anyone else.]**

Spark chuckled silently to herself. **[I COMPLETELY AGREE. IN FACT, WOULD YOU BELIEVE I KNEW A GUY THAT HAD SUCH A BIG NUMBER, AND—WAIT FOR IT—HE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO SAVE THE WORLD?]**

I raised an eyebrow at that. **[REALLY?]**

She nodded. **[FUNNILY ENOUGH, I ACTUALLY BELIEVED HIM. HE WAS NICE LIKE THAT. REALLY INNOCENT AND CHARMING. HAD A REAL WAY WITH WORDS.]** She paused her writing, raising her head as if reminiscing, before diving back into it. **[SO, YEAH, ANYONE CAN DO ANYTHING. ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN THEM.]**

I blinked at her words, remembering another event. **[…Would you believe a ten-digit Crafter like myself killed a Hacker?]**

I saw her eyes go as wide as saucers. In her hands, the quill flew across the paper, eager to get her message down.

 **[YOU'RE PULLING MY LEG!]**

I shook my head, smiling. **[Swear to God. It was in Halstatt.]**

 **[BUT THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE! AND BY A TEN-DIGIT—]** She abruptly paused, glancing over her last words before hastily writing something else. **[NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH TEN-DIGITS! TEN-DIGITS ARE GREAT! IN FACT, OUR HANDS HAVE TEN DIGITS! TEN-DIGITS FOR LIFE!]**

 **[Alright, alright, enough of that.]** I waved off her attempts at rectifying her slip-up. I really wasn't as offended as she seemed to think. **[But yeah, I killed a Hacker.]** I glanced up Mt. Mur, watching the cultists pass and sighed wearily. **[And yet I couldn't destroy a stupid Endward Cult base. How lame is that?]**

Spark tilted her head to gaze at me. **[DID YOU HAVE ANY HELP WITH THE HACKER?]**

I nodded.

 **[DID YOU HAVE ANY HELP WITH THE CULT?]**

I wiggled my hand in a 'sort-of' motion. That brought on a look of disapproval from the ninja.

 **[DID YOU HAVE ANY HELP WITH THE CULT?]** She shoved the same message in my face to which I reluctantly shook my head. **[WELL THEN THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM! YOU THINK A SINGLE PERSON CAN TAKE ON A SMALL ARMY OF CULTISTS? I MEAN, SURE, THE 'ANGEL OF DEATH' COULD DO IT, BUT I THINK EVEN** ** _SHE_** **HAD HELP FROM HER GUILD. YOU GOT FRIENDS, DON'T YOU? WHY NOT ASK** ** _THEM_** **FOR HELP?]**

The word Angel of Death jarred something in my memory, but I kept up my writing. **[Well, what if I didn't want my friends to get hurt?]**

 **[WHAT IF YOUR FRIENDS DIDN'T WANT** ** _YOU_** **TO GET HURT?]** She shot back, silencing me as I struggled to find a good argument.

I settled on, **[One of my friends already got hurt. Forever.]**

This time, Spark was the one silenced, in both words and quill. I didn't feel at all satisfied by it, though.

At once, all my grief began to flow onto the paper. **[If I had committed, if I had chosen to side with him against the cult, I may have been there to save his life. By his side was where I needed to be, but instead I was off doing stupid, pointless junk elsewhere.]**

The cultists above had long since passed so I was allowed to safely speak, but I still used the book, feeling it was easier.

 **[So what I saved a village. So what I drove off a Griefer army. So what I killed a Hacker. All of that is meaningless—]**

At once, Spark kicked the book out of my hand. The leather-bound tome tumbled through the air before going over a cliff. I watched it vanish from sight before turning back to the ninja, who was now holding a new book and was furiously writing in it. She shoved it into my face and made sure I read it thoroughly.

 **[IT'S NOT MEANINGLESS!]**

 **[THINK OF ALL THE CRAFTERS YOU SAVED! THANKS TO YOU, THEY GET TO LIVE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT LONGER. THEY GET TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR LOVED ONES OR FORM NEW BONDS WITH OTHERS.]**

I remembered Cosmic and Lucas. Leslie and Oswald. The Testificates and Villagers of Halstatt. Wynn and Lenz and the guards that stayed to defend it.

 **[THINK OF ALL THE GRIEFERS YOU STOPPED. THINK OF THE HACKER YOU THWARTED. BECAUSE OF YOU, THEY CAN NO LONGER HURT OR TERRORIZE ANYONE EVER AGAIN.]**

That's right. Alec and Burke and LeShui. They were laying waste to so many villages. Nothing was stopping them until I showed up.

 **[IT WASN'T POINTLESS JUNK, WHAT YOU DID. IT WASN'T A MISTAKE.]**

Those words stirred up something in my memory…

 _'_ _How could saving someone ever be a mistake?'_

I was the one that said those words… to Floyd… after he saved my life from those cultists.

He did that for me back then… he would have done the same for Halstatt if he were there. He wouldn't be worrying about where he should or shouldn't have been.

But…

"It was my fault he died." I whispered, watching drops of tears fall onto the pages. "I wasn't there to save him…"

Spark paused in her writing, watching my sobs mount as I began to break down for the first since the outhouse. I had been so stupid thinking I could absolve my guilt simply by destroying an outpost or two. And there I was, about to throw my life at the cultists for the second time, thinking it was what Floyd would have wanted.

But that wasn't true. He wouldn't have wanted that. He would've wanted me to live.

I felt Spark's hand on my shoulder, rubbing it in soothing circles. The small gesture was all the invitation I needed to let go of my grief. To cry it out.

And so, that's what I did.

* * *

[Luis]

 _Where is he?_ I thought with slight worry as I tapped my foot.

I was safely in the Inn we had designated as our hideout. It was virtually untraceable, and it was unlikely any cultists would discover that two members of the Paragons were residing there.

Unless, of course, one of residents was an idiot whom, when tasked to tail a certain target, vanished without a trace with the exception of leaving a vague note reading:

[Found a lead. Be back sometime.]

[-Wing]

I mean, what kind of message was that anyway? 'Be back sometime'? Why not just write be back between now and whenever? I tapped my foot impatiently at the Inn, awaiting Wing's arrival (if he would arrive at all) while perusing some of the documents and information I had managed to glean on my end regarding the mysterious King_Cobb.

Apparently, he had more of a reputation than previously thought.

For instance, his number at the Hall of Records was one billion; the first ten-digit Crafter. And while that painted a picture of an inept and inexperienced newb, his achievements described the exact opposite.

Guards had attested that he had slain the criminal Carys_Angel with a fishing rod. That one was an obvious lie, given that Carys had sent the letter informing us of tailing him and his companion Floyd (still yet to be seen). Also Carys was… well… _Carys_. The idea that she was killed by another was ludicrous. No, it was most probably a lie, fabricated to impress others. But if it got Ringwood to take down the wanted posters of her, I was certain she wouldn't complain.

Moving on to the more believable achievements of the target, several bars across Ringwood had been graced by traveling minstrels and bards. A few of them had described an interesting tale, in which a Crafter managed to repel an army of Griefers led by a _Hacker_.

And the Crafter was called the Billionth.

Even if minstrels and bards were known to play up events to be more epic, they usually held a ring of truth. Meaning that the Billionth, as he was called, had had a hand in stopping an army of Griefers and a Hacker. And since nobody in their right mind would admit to being numbered one billion, that meant it had to have been Cobb.

The story would have to be investigated further, but I was fairly certain I had discovered why Carys was so interested in tracking Cobb. As unskilled as he appeared, there was clearly something more to him.

And it was all going into the report.

Floyd's number was also at the Hall of Records, but he had yet to make an appearance at Cobb's side. The other guy, Lenzington, was also a person of interest as per Carys' instructions to find out more about Cobb's friends.

As I pondered to myself, the door to the room burst open. I jumped from my seat and raised my sword, expecting attackers.

"I am a detective MASTER!" The boisterous voice of Wing called out as he strutted into the room, grinning from ear to ear. His checkered hoodie billowed behind him as he shut the door and stood before me, looking pleased with himself. "You will not _believe_ what I've been doing!"

"A little louder, please." I grumbled, returning my weapon to my belt. "I don't think the people across the hall heard you."

But it appeared my biting remark could do little to dampen his spirit. "I've just been in an Endward Cult outpost!" He exclaimed gleefully, causing my face to go pale.

"You _what_?"

He nodded eagerly as he reached into his backpack and began withdrawing several books and maps from its depths. "The other day, when I was following King_Cobb (oh, he dealt with those thugs we tipped off by the way—anyway!) He walked into this barn over in the Eastern District and, wouldn't you know it, there was a secret base hidden beneath the hay bales! The _hay bales_! But, below, there was this silver-haired old guy and he was making an Invisibility Potion. So I grabbed it, made myself invisible, and asked him why Cobb had been there and what he knew about the Endward Cult."

Wing paused, giving a satisfied chuckle at my spellbound expression.

"Turns out, he knew a lot more than I would have figured. He was named Brett… or was it Brent, I couldn't remember it… but anyway, he was in charge of an anti-cult organization known as the Silver Intent. And he told me quite a few interesting things…"

Wing trailed off enigmatically, no doubt enjoying the bits of information he was withholding from me.

"But most importantly, he told me that Cobb planned to assault an Endward Cult outpost soon. He pointed it out on the map for me, and I decided to let him live since the more people fighting the cult the better, yeah?"

"So then… these books and maps." I gestured to the documents Wing continued to pile onto the table. "Brett gave you them?"

"Wrong!" Wing smiled. "When Cobb attacked that outpost—on his own like a badass lone gunman— _I_ masterfully followed him inside and used his attack as a distraction to find some choice information on the cult." He beamed proudly as he opened a few of the books he had grabbed. "I found notes detailing Ringwood villages the cultists are using as bases to harvest Heads. And I found several outposts marked on these maps! Carys is gonna _flip_ when she sees this!"

"I bet she will." I nodded, impressed with my friend's efforts. "And nobody saw you?"

"Oh, they saw me." Wing smirked confidently. "But only the first guy saw my name. I killed him and wore his Head so nobody else would identify my name. Between the frantic goose-chase looking for Cobb, and I guess some explosions and a fire he started, I had no trouble making my escape."

I nodded. "Good. The last thing we want is to be identified. Our anonymity is our greatest weapon right now." I shifted through a bit of the books and notes Wing had brought. "Was Cobb able to get out okay?"

At those words, Wing froze. His eyes darted a bit, but he quickly closed them, feigning calm. "Yyyyeaaaah… Probably…"

I looked up from the notes with a slight frown. "You do realize that he's our mission, right? You did well to gather this, and I'm sure Carys will be impressed, but she asked us to follow him. It was a mission that took precedence over our involvement in Operation: Overshadow—"

"Hey, give me a break!" Wing protested, gesturing to all the documents he collected as if that were enough to justify forgetting about Cobb. "Documents, Luis! _Documents_! Eh? Eh? With this we can gather the Paragons and rid the cult of their Northern Division!"

"Is that so?" I asked lightly, double-checking the documents again. "There isn't anything here about the Northern Division's Headquarters."

"Why must you focus on everything I _didn't_ do?" Wing grumbled with folded arms. "They didn't have _anything_ about their major Headquarters. I got the impression that that was information too important to have lying around."

Shifting through the books and maps, I spotted something that piqued my interest. "Hmm. That's odd."

"What? Did I get something good?" Wing was instantly at my side, squashing his face next to mine to read what I was perusing. "Eh? It's just a list of inventory. Stuff the cult has stock of."

I turned to the brown-haired man, looking at him evenly. "So you don't notice anything odd about this?" He frowned, his face scrunched in concentration as he eyed the book. "Particularly regarding the cats?"

"The cats?" He sounded skeptical. "What? They're decent pets. Why would that be odd?"

"Because the inventory says they have close to five-hundred of them." I deadpanned, causing Wing's eyes to snap open. "Not only is that a questionable amount of pets, but it has no reason to be included in this list unless it mattered to the cult." I rubbed my chin as I looked more closely at the list. "Where did you find this anyway?"

"Uh… oh! It was in this map room, only the map was three-dimensional instead of on a flat piece of paper. It had mountains and villages marked and some Creeper Heads—"

"Creeper Heads?" My ears perked up.

"Yeah, I don't know why they bothered putting them on the map though." Wing frowned, thinking back. "Maybe it was to mark Mob sightings or something?"

I hummed in thought, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his theory. I had one of my own to explain the cats and Creeper Heads. The Endward Cult had already proven the lengths they would go to kill Crafters in Nitebane. But I hoped my theory was wrong.

Because if I was right, then Ringwood was in serious danger.

* * *

[Cobb]

After I had a good, long cry (which I made Spark swear never to reveal to anyone) the silent ninja persuaded me to forget about the outpost. With Mt. Mur at our backs, the two of us carefully made our way back down, picking through rocks and cliffs until we arrived at the base. From there, we walked in silence, my internal organs occasionally commenting on important matters.

Brain: _Cobb, ask her the question._

Heart: _That hardly seems appropriate!_

Brain: _It's a legitimate question! I wanna know if a mute makes a sound when they sneeze._

Lungs: _W-we don't even know if she's mute by choice or injury._

Brain: _A choice? Since when is being mute like being vegan? And you make it sound like I'm asking an offensive question._

Heart: _For all you know, it could be._

Brain: _Just think about it: How many times does a sneaking person do something noisy like sneeze or yawn or stub their toe and wince in pain at the_ worst _possible time? But Creation's_Spark—if she really is mute—might not be able to do any of that. She's like the perfect ninja! Just replace her books with scrolls and give her some throwing stars and boom we got a kunoichi!_

Heart: _Brain. Shut up._

Brain: _You're just jealous because I'm asking the_ real _questions!_

Heart: _No, I'm annoyed because what you're asking is of no importance._

Brain: _…Cobb, ask her if she has any kunai knives._

 _Ugh, fine._

"Hey, Spark." The ninja turned to me, eyebrows lifted questioningly. "Do you… have any kunai knives?" Her eyebrows rose higher and she tilted her head in confusion.

"I mean… you look like a ninja and all…" Why did I ever listen to brain? Now I looked so stupid. "So… is that a no on the kunai?"

Spark nodded her head slowly, not even bothering to spare her book to reply to such a silly question.

"Sorry." I apologized while rubbing my head sheepishly. "I guess I had kunai on the brain."

Brain: _Not funny!_

"I guess you don't have throwing stars either." I commented aloud, only to pause when I looked back to her.

My mouth hung open in surprise as I saw, held up on display and between her fingers, palm-sized metal shuriken.

Brain: _YES! Damn, I'm good! I better switch my cell phone carrier so I can get more minutes because I'm calling things left, right, and center!_

 _…_ _What's a cell phone?_

"Is that a Tinker's weapon?" I asked the Spark, to which she nodded proudly. She started to scribble something down in her book, only for an earsplitting scream to catch our attention.

It was so full of terror and desperation that Spark didn't even hesitate to drop the book and sprint towards the source. She pulled a potion from her belt and the look in her eyes was full of concern.

I didn't have to follow her. She was going to try and save whoever screamed. She said that was what she did. But she also said that saving people wasn't meaningless. And I agreed.

 _It's what Floyd would do._ I nodded as I followed Spark's trail. The scream had sounded close, so I figured I wouldn't have to go very far.

I was right. Just ahead, in a small clearing, Spark stood with potion in hand. The clearing had a large tree in the middle, atop which several Crafters were hanging. Some were shouting in alarm while others put on brave faces. Others still were unconscious and being held up by their fellows.

And at the base of the tree, a green-haired Crafter was facing off against a small group of Spiders and Skeletons.

"Jade, look out!" One of the Crafters above warned as a Skeleton shot at the green-haired… woman?

Jade quickly spun around, gracefully evading the arrow by an inch only for a Spider to dive atop her. She struggled with the Mob, its pincers hissing madly as it tried to tear out her throat.

"No!" My hands flew to my backpack, pulling out my stone pickaxe, and I chucked it at the Spider atop the Crafter. The handle caught the oversized arachnid on its left-most eyes, stunning it long enough for Jade to kick it off. The Spider struggled for a bit, but I quickly finished it with a slash of my sword.

The other Spiders were climbing up the tree, trying to get at the other Crafters. Even though Spiders were neutral during the day, the shade of the trees was making them hostile. The shade was also enough to shield the Skeletons from burning in the sun.

It seemed like the Crafters had been traveling when they were suddenly attacked by Mobs. But there was about fifteen Crafters hiding in that tree. Were they so inexperienced that they didn't know how to fight them? The only one attempting to fight was the green-haired woman. Speaking of which…

"Thanks for the save." The green-haired woman, Jade, massaged her arm where the Spider had nicked her. "Another second and… I… I…"

The woman paused as she looked into my eyes, her voice trailing off as she seemed mystified by something.

She wasn't the only one ogling. For the first time, I saw her face. As in really _saw_ her face. She was beautiful; She was fair-skinned, with shoulder-length, lush green hair that billowed forth like a curtain revealing a beautiful work of art. Her purple eyes locked onto mine and I saw something glimmer within.

"I… uh… I…" She hesitated, her eyes glancing away.

The moment was abruptly broken when an arrow hit her in the side, causing her to stumble away. Snapped out of whatever weird trance I was in, I looked to the offending Skeleton and quickly charged it, sidestepping every time it tried to shoot me. When I was close enough, I lashed out with my sword and killed it in three hits.

"You still alive back there?" I called before glancing at Jade again. Her eyes were still locked on me for whatever reason, as if I was the only thing in the clearing. There was something about the look she gave me that almost made me pause again, but I knew now wasn't the time for that. There were Mobs to deal with.

As I turned to deflect another arrow aimed at me, I felt a different projectile nail me in the head. I clutched my head and muffled a curse into my hand before checking the offending object. It was another one of Spark's books. The ninja was waving over at me and miming opening up a set of pages.

I snatched the book from the ground and opened it as she… mimed…

[TELL THE CRAFTERS TO CUT THE LEAVES!]

 _Cut the leaves?_ I thought in confusion. _What'll that…! Oh!_

"Hey! Everyone!" I shouted out to the terrified Crafters kicking at the climbing Spiders or cowering behind branches. "If you can't fight, get rid of the leaves in that tree!"

"What'll that do!?" One of the Crafters cried out in terror.

"You want us to risk our lives landscaping!?" Another asked incredulously.

"You want to live, don't you!?" I called up, barely batting aside a Spider that almost scratched a still mystified Jade. Why wasn't she moving at all? And why was she still looking at me? "Just do it!"

Seeing no other choice aside from waiting for the Spiders and Skeletons to kill them, the Crafters in the trees began breaking the leaves shielding the Mobs below from the sun.

Slowly, the tree grew barer and barer as thick branches once flush with green were stripped bare. A Spider pounced on me from behind, but Jade snapped out of her trance and pulled it off. I couldn't see Spark anymore as the Mobs closed in around me.

But, as the Skeletons grew nearer and nearer to Jade and I, the leaves were broken enough to allow the first ray of sunlight to stream through.

The effect was immediate. The hostile Spiders calmed down at once, their multiple eyes that were narrowed in hatred, slowly relaxed, gazing at the pair of us in mild curiosity. Meanwhile, the Skeletons hit by the light spontaneously burst into flames, flailing their boney limbs about wildly. They tried to find shade at the base of the tree, but the Crafters above had caught on. They used sticks and other on-hand tools to hack away the leaves more efficiently, and soon, the whole tree was bare, and the Mobs below were reduced to slightly smoldering piles of bones and docile Spiders.

"We did it!" One of the Crafters above shouted happily.

"We're amazing!"

"No you're not." Jade deadpanned as she stalked up to the tree and gave it a good kick. The vibrations sent seven Crafters falling to the ground. "Where were most of you when I was fighting off Mobs?"

"We were… er… keeping a high vantage point to… uh…" One of the Crafters began hesitantly.

"…To spot incoming dangers before they got to you!" Another finished for his fellow.

Jade glared at them, unimpressed by their explanation. "I suppose I should have figured as much, dealing with ten-digits."

"You're all ten-digits?" I asked while helping one Crafter hand down one of the unconscious.

Jade spun to face me, her cheeks growing red. "N-not all of us… I stumbled upon these guys at the Origin Zone—they're freshly spawned—and they asked me to help them to the nearest Kingdom."

"Really?" Another helpful Crafter like Spark? "That's pretty cool of you."

"Well, I _am_ pretty great." She boasted proudly, puffing out her chest. "And we know how hopeless ten-digits can be when it comes to fighting."

"I'm actually a ten-digit too."

"Though who am I to say they're hopeless?" Jade immediately backtracked. "After all, they followed your brilliant plan to the letter."

"Oh, it wasn't my plan. It was…" I turned to search for Creation's_Spark, but the ninja was still nowhere to be seen. "Where'd she go?"

"Well whoever's plan it was, I can't thank you enough for helping us." Jade reached out a hand and shook mine firmly. "You should come with us to Ringwood. I could sure use the help keeping this lot out of trouble." Her purple eyes were captivating as she glimmered in the sunlight.

"Thanks, but," my eyes strayed to the last place I saw Spark, "I'm not ready to head back into the Kingdom. Not yet, anyway."

"Then maybe I can keep you company?" She tried instead, stepping into my personal space. "It's dangerous to be out here alone."

"What about those Crafters you were escorting?"

"Yeah, what about us?" A Crafter from the trees asked as he climbed down.

"They'll be fine." Jade dismissed with an exaggerated wave. "They're quite resourceful at climbing trees."

"Oh, don't blow us off!" Another Crafter protested angrily. "Come on, AceOfJades."

The green-haired woman shot the Crafter a displeased glare, making me realize that had to be her full name. AceOfJades.

"Can't you see I'm having a conversation with…" She took a moment to glance above my head. "King_Cobb."

"That's nice of you, Jade, but you really should go with them." I spoke, looking upon the fifteen Crafters. A few of them were regaining consciousness, but they looked timid and afraid of the new world Minecraftia was. Just like I had been. "They need someone to look to."

"Ugh… you're right." She conceded, pulling a dejected face before perking up slightly. "Maybe I'll see you around in Ringwood?"

"Maybe." I replied evasively, still uncertain as to why Jade interested me. Or why she was trying so hard to come with me. "It'll be hard to forget a face as pretty as yours."

 _Wait… why the hell did I say that!?_ I internally screamed, while Jade, caught by surprise, hid her face with a light giggle.

Brain: _Aw shit! Hormones! We got hormones! Code red! Code red!_

Heart: _I feel so… happy!_

 _What's happening!?_

Brain: _Heart is taking over vital thought patterns! We gotta shut down immediately before I'm compromised with lovey-dovey thoughts! Bladder! Hit the kill switch!_

Bladder: _I don't know… I think I… I think I enjoy feeling happy…_

Brain: _Bladder? Bladder!? Blast, we lost Bladder! They're dropping like lovesick teenagers! Must compartmentalize thoughts! Think manly things! Monster trucks! Wrestling! Knitting fluffy sweaters—! Oh, dear God it's happening to_ me _now!_

"I'll see you around then, Cobb." Jade shook my hand once more while my thoughts raged on and led the other Crafters out of the clearing in the direction of Ringwood.

As I watched them go, I slowly rested my back against the leaf-barren tree questioning the lingering feeling in my chest.

Brain: _Stomach! Don't you die on me!_

Stomach: _I can't help it… I feel butterflies…_

Brain: _NO! Stay away from the light! Just think about food!_

Liver: _I-I'm still immune to the effects of love…_

Brain: _Liver, I don't give a damn about you. If you're not gonna be useful as a love-shield then zip it!_

Liver: _Waaaaaaaaah!_

Lungs: _*SIGH*_

Brain: _Of course I'm taking this seriously!_

While that was going on, I spotted a book resting nearby. I'm pretty sure it was one of Spark's, but there was one surefire way to check.

 **[YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'VE GOT THINGS HANDLED. THANKS FOR HELPING SAVE THOSE CRAFTERS.]**

 **[I'M SORRY ABOUT YOUR FRIEND, BUT JUST REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU SAVED TODAY. YOU ALLOWED THEM TO LIVE THEIR LIVES. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT.]**

 **[I'M HEADING BACK TO MY HOUSE. IT'S ON MT. MUR (BURN AFTER READING). JUST PROMISE NOT TO GO ATTACKING ANY CULT BASES.]**

 **[^_0]**

 **[BUT ENDEARING WINKING FACES ASIDE… SERIOUSLY. DON'T GO ATTACKING ANY MORE CULT BASES. IT'S REALLY STUPID.]**

I couldn't help but agree with the ninja's words. She was still a mystery, but she seemed nice. And she saved my life.

Not to mention, yeah, attacking an Endward Cult outpost by myself was pretty stupid.

Brain: _Cobb. We must never meet that woman again._

 _What? Why? Spark was really nice and helped—_

Brain: _Not her!_ Jade! _I barely managed to keep the other organs from going all heart-eyed towards her._

 _But she seems nice too… and pretty…_

Brain: _No! Bad thoughts! I refuse to let myself be swayed by your hormones!_

I rolled my eyes at my overreacting Brain. Though, honestly, Ringwood was a big Kingdom. The odds I would see Jade again were probably pretty low.

And if Spark was safely returning home, there was nothing left to do but head back to Ringwood. Wynn and Erin were probably worried sick... though a small part of my brain told me that, for some reason, telling Erin about Jade was a bad idea.

A _very_ bad idea.

Though Wynn would probably kill me after hearing how I almost died to the Endward Cult.

But I wasn't ready to head back yet. I still felt like spending some time to myself to think about Spark's advice… and about what happened to Floyd.

I still needed time to accept it.

So, after burning Spark's books per her instructions (probably to keep her home's location a secret) I set out into the forest again, munching thoughtfully on some cooked mutton.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 2 Pumpkin Pies, 21 Steak, 34 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 63 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 36 Redstone, 64 TNT, 64 TNT, 3 Firework Rockets { _Flight Duration: 3, Burst, Green, Twinkle_ }, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 27 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: I remember when I had a consistent, weekly schedule. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.**

 **I'm a tad dissapointed in this Chapter because it's kind of a filler Chapter. Compared with next Chapter, I felt this one was just to get the character from point A to point B.**

 **Nothing important really happened. It's short.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 2)

Kalmarin let out a resigned sigh as he accepted the position he was facing.

Behind him, the combined forces of Teams Alpha, Beta, and Delta awaited his orders. Ahead of him, the broken skyscrapers of Nitebane climbed into the sky. From what Jillian had gathered, several of them contained communities of Crafters trying to make a life in the Griefer populated Kingdom.

Griefers…. Those were the opponents they were facing and the ones he was least worried about. The Paragons backing him could handle as much. It was the Hackers that worried him more.

Hackers. Plural. Carys had always said that Operation: Overshadow would pit the Paragons against the strongest beings in Minecraftia. A lesser man would be terrified, but Carys was no lesser man. She was a greater woman, one that had been twitching in anticipation, eager to sink her newest weapon into the Hackers' bodies.

While Kalmarin never considered himself to be among the strongest beings in Minecraftia, he couldn't deny that the Hackers he had seen were powerful. Level 3 Hackers were in a class of their own. He was only a Level 2. If the Hackers Carys was facing were Level 2 or higher…

He shook his head. Carys wouldn't die so easily. Tonight's events would be the culmination of months of preparation. Contrary to her eager recklessness, she had a plan for those Hackers. And if the two she had prepared for were the only ones there, then the Griefers would be of little importance.

What worried Kalmarin the most, however, was if he had to face a Hacker himself. Unlike most Hackers, he didn't enjoy using his powers. It made the others look at him fearfully—the fear had always been there considering his reputation as a Hacker—but seeing it in action made others shrink away. The dark smoke surrounding him and seeping from his eyes was always a menacing sight. He hoped he wouldn't need to resort to that tonight.

Carys never looked at him like that. She respected his power. And he respected her infinitely more. To the point where it frustrated her in spars when he refused to use his powers. It was a personal choice.

But if using them was necessary, he wouldn't hesitate. Tonight was too important to be ruined by his own insecurities.

He took another bracing sigh, before turning to the Paragons on horseback.

"Tonight, we drive the Griefer scum out of Nitebane forever." He didn't even have to yell the audience was so captivated. "Make the Paragons proud."

The army roared in agreement and, as Kalmarin spurred his horse forward and the Paragons followed in his wake, he felt ready to face whatever darkness resided in that ruined Kingdom. The very same darkness that gave him power.

He was ready to snuff it out.

* * *

 **AN: Back to the Omakes. So much more important stuff is happening with the Paragons elsewhere.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	77. Blame

**AN: Congrats to Laner13 for guessing last week's riddle correctly. The answer: A needle! And, yeah, you could argue it could be other things, but the answer I was looking for was needle. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **This next puzzle is sooooooooo easy, that it's simply a matter of who reads this first.**

 **Puzzle: You can see me in water, but I never get wet.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add alarm blocks.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 77

 **Blame**

[Soul]

"I have half a mind to let the cultists have him for the trouble we're going through." I spat as I chopped through some underbrush blocking our way. The trees were closer to the ground here, making it difficult to navigate.

"Don't joke about that." Cara reprimanded. "If the cultists find Cobb before we do, there won't be anything left of him."

"Maybe he should have thought about that before rushing after them. I mean, how reckless can one guy be?"

"Kind of reminds me of another Crafter I know." Cara muttered under her breath, no doubt aiming the insult at me. I had a retort ready regarding her failure in Nitebane, but I bit back and swallowed my words because she was still coping with it.

Plus… it wasn't really her failure. _I_ was the one who screwed up. When I saw those cultists burn down Attila's community, I forgot about everything and focused solely on making the bastards _pay_.

Then Teal curb-stomped me into the dirt.

 _That_ had been a wake-up call. Not only about how much stronger I still needed to get, but also of how much I had left to learn. Caution, patience, control. If I had an ounce of any of those qualities, Floyd and Void might not have had to die.

And now, Cobb was facing the same situation with us rescuing him. For Cara's sake, I hoped it wouldn't turn out the same with the rescuer's sacrificing themselves to save the Crafter in peril.

He had balls though. Going after an Endward Cult outpost by himself. It was a level of recklessness beyond what I had thought Cobb was capable of. He always seemed so awkward and noodle-armed. Hardly cultist-killing material.

But Brett had called him a Hacker killer. That was supposed to be impossible… Hacker's were always spoken of with a sort of trepidation, as if merely uttering the word would unleash their fury upon you. Everything I heard told me that no Hacker had ever been killed by a normal Crafter.

So then how did Cobb do it?

 _I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious._

As we continued through the forest, Cara sporadically looking to the map in her hands, we came across a clearing with a large tree in the middle—or at least the remnants of one. The leaves were all stripped clean, leaving a bare oak tree. Spiders were swarming around the base, but they were docile with the sunlight streaming onto them.

"He was here a second ago…" Cara muttered, double-checking the map again. She let out an irritated huff. "First he goes to the mountain, then he goes towards Ringwood, then back to the mountain, then Ringwood, and now the mountain again? Why can't he make up his mind!?"

"Maybe he's being followed." I suggested, looking over the clearing. There were arrows embedded in the ground. Had there been a fight?

"You think the cultists are still chasing him?"

"Maybe. If he really attacked their base, I wouldn't put it past them to dog his steps relentlessly." Those words spurred Cara to quicken her pace towards the other white blip on the map. I matched her pace effortlessly.

"So… say we find him, and he's okay." I began, watching Cara carefully. "How are we going to bring him back to Ringwood?"

"What do you mean?" Cara kept her eyes locked on the map, prompting Soul to push her out of the way before she collided with a tree. "He's probably exhausted. Why wouldn't he want to—?"

"We don't know what he wants." I cut her off, causing her to jerk her head towards me. "What do we really know about the guy? He was more Floyd's friend than ours. From what you told me, Wynn_Whispers was a good friend of his too, and even she didn't know where he had gone or what was going through his head. So how could we possibly guess where his mind is right now?"

Cara sighed. "We'll convince him to come back with us then."

"You think he'll want to talk with either of us?" I asked skeptically. "He probably blames us for Floyd's death just as much as the cult. What if he doesn't listen? What if he attacks us? I mean," I scoffed, "I'll obviously fight him back if he does. Heck, I'll knock him out and drag him back to Ringwood if you give the order. But still, he's not gonna be happy to see us."

"…I know that." Cara gritted out between clenched teeth. "Truth be told, I'm hoping that facing him, the words will just come rushing out. And if there's time," she turned her eyes back to the map, "I pray he'll listen to me beg for his forgiveness."

"It wasn't your fault—"

"Please don't say I'm blameless, Soul." Cara pleaded, frowning slightly. "Don't ever accuse me of being innocent of all this. I'd rather you insult me than claim I made no mistakes that day. The empty space beside us where a blue-haired Crafter should be standing is proof enough… of… my…"

Cara trailed off, stopping cold in her tracks. Her aquamarine eyes were fixed ahead, quivering slightly. I followed her gaze and kept my expression neutral as I saw the Crafter staring back at us, a look of apprehension on his face.

It was Cobb.

* * *

[Wynn]

I had been at the Palace organizing a search party when the fireworks went off. One of them went off in the Northern District, the other in the Eastern District.

Both Erin and Cara had discovered something worth telling me, but I couldn't be in two places at once. So I decided to go to the Northern District first, where Erin and Lenz went.

A second firework was launched into the air, aiding my search for the housekeeper and the engineer. The two of them were waiting beside the Northern toll gate, a guard standing tensely beside them.

"What did you find? Anything about Cobb?" I was firing off questions like arrows, demanding some progress towards finding the fisherman. Erin nodded tremulously.

"Th-the guard said that a Crafter with brown-hair, green eyes like emeralds, a handsome face, chiseled arms, a smile that could light up—" Lenz coughed loudly startling Erin to continue with more pressing information. "…Sorry, er, it fit Cobb's description." She hid her blush well.

"It was just yesterday he was passing through." The guard informed. "I only remember him because he had a Silk Touch shovel and a load of TNT on him. Claimed he was going mining in a chasm, I believe."

"And you believed that?" I questioned, stepping into the guard's personal space. He shrunk in upon himself under my accusing gaze. "Couldn't you tell such an amount was dangerous? Why didn't you confiscate it? _Why didn't you detain the Crafter in question?_ "

The guard was floored. "I… they…" He tried to come up with something to say, but was at a loss for words.

I pressed my advantage. "Because you neglected your duties, a citizen of Ringwood might be _dead_! I hope you understand the gravity of your mistake—"

"Miss Whispers, stop!" Erin stepped me and the guard, holding her hands out to keep me from strangling him for his ineptitude. "You're taking your frustrations out on this unlucky guard and you know it." Erin's words snapped me back to some semblance of composure. "We're not going to find Cobb like this. We need to keep calm."

Slowly, with my eyes sliding from the nervous guard to Lenz and then finally Erin, I relented. "You're right. Sorry, I… I lost my head for a second." Indeed, it was best I save my anger for Cobb rather than the poor guards that failed to stop him.

 _I can punish and scream at him all I want…_ after _I make sure he's alive and well._

"So where did he go?" I asked, though the nervous guard had slipped away, apparently giving us all the information he had.

"We do not know." Lenz pointed out while adjusting his tinted glasses. "Logically speaking, if he exited through the northernmost toll gate, we should assume his destination is north of Ringwood—"

"But this is Cobb we're talking about." I interjected. "He doesn't do things logically. For all we know he could have left out this gate then doubled back south or east or west. All we really know is that he came through here with your TNT—"

"And that his target lies outside Ringwood's walls." Lenz finished succinctly.

That ruled out an attack on the cult's Northern Headquarters, but not one of their outposts. After hearing the amount of TNT he was carrying, I was one hundred percent certain Cobb planned to destroy one. The only question was which one.

A question that, hopefully, Cara would be able to fill-in. "Cara set off some fireworks in the Eastern District. She probably has some information."

"Then go." Erin gestured to the Potions of Swiftness at my belt. "You're the fastest one here. Lenz and I will go check Cobb's usual hang-outs and the toll gates. Maybe someone else saw him."

I nodded at the housekeeper's plan before turning towards the engineer. "Watch out for her, okay?" I waited for his nod of agreement before downing a Potion of Swiftness and rushing towards the Eastern District.

Even after running all over Ringwood, I was amazed at how tireless I was.

I guess that old saying was true: 'Fury makes the legs run faster.'

* * *

[Soul]

Welp…

There he was.

The elusive Cobb was crouched beside a dirt hill, looking towards us like a deer caught in the headlights. He looked apprehensive at the sight of us, but seemed to be perfectly healthy.

"Cobb…" Cara whispered again, taking a half step forward and reaching her hand out. But when Cobb's eyes darted to it, she shrunk back, unsure of how to proceed.

I had no such hesitance. "Looks like we caught you before you attacked the outpost."

Cobb's stare shifted to me. "I sort of already did that." He spoke offhandedly, causing Cara to stiffen.

"Oh yeah?" I tried not to sound too impressed. That outpost had been a heavily fortified fortress bringing forth no end of trouble to Crafters. "How'd it go?"

"Did Brett give her that?" Cobb diverted, pointing to the map resting in Cara's hands. The fact that he was changing the subject told me his outpost attack had been a shit show. "I guess he told you what I was doing… I knew I couldn't trust him."

"For what it's worth, Brett tried to keep it a secret." Soul defended. "I _saw_ you leave Granger's farm. That's how I knew that Brett knew. And he's not the only one."

Cobb frowned at the two of us before turning his back, digging at the dirt hill with his bare hands. "What do you want?"

I looked to Cara, and saw how nervous she was at how to begin. Cobb was uncharacteristically sullen and distant, a far cry from how he had acted when Floyd was still around.

I gestured her to talk to the fisherman, prompting her to take a shaky step forward. "Cobb… we're… we're here to take you back. Back to Ringwood, where… well, it's not safe out here."

Cobb remained silent, not even taking his eyes off his work of digging into the dirt hill. I had the impression he was looking for something.

"It's not safe out here… for you." Cara continued, putting on a strong face and edging closer. "We don't want… we're worried you might… do something you'll regret." She skirted around the dark subject. "Wynn and Erin and Lenz. They're all worried too—"

"Then why aren't _they_ out here?" Cobb asked, digging his hands deeper into the dirt hill. "Why are you two the ones sent to look for me?"

"We alerted Wynn of where you might be." Cara argued, not put out by Cobb's curt tone. "Everyone's looking for you because they're worried. What were you thinking trying to blow up an Endward Cult outpost?"

A dirt block broke under Cobb's efforts.

"I was thinking I had to blame someone for Floyd's death."

At once, the color drained from Cara's face and she stumbled back as if punched. "I… I…"

"Don't say anything." Cobb whispered, though Cara and I had no trouble hearing it. "Just go."

Cara looked at a loss for words, desperately trying to put something together. To buy her some time, I stepped up.

"We're not leaving here without you, Cobb." Soul warned, his hand already moving to the axe at his belt. "You think anyone's going to be pleased if we come back without a certain fisherman in tow?"

"Then tell them I'll come back when I'm ready." Cobb replied, struggling to keep the annoyance out of his tone. "Tell them I don't want any of them to come traipsing through the forest looking for me and dying in my hare-brained schemes! Can you do that for me?"

"Tell them yourself! Or better yet, don't plan hare-brained schemes that risk your life so nobody else has to throw theirs away to save your sorry ass!"

"Oh, so you came to save my sorry ass, eh?" Cobb stood up from his work and turned, looking incensed. "I don't recall asking for either of your help. We were never friends either. All you ever did was insult me."

"Only because you were easy to insult! Naïve and stupid! Just like a Newb!"

"Then why are you here at all!?" He shouted so that it echoed through the trees. "Why are you of all people looking to bring me back? Why care what happens to a stupid Newb?"

"Because it was what Floyd would have done!"

I was breathing heavily as if I had just run a marathon. My fists, which had been clenched tight, had suddenly relaxed upon my exclamation. Cobb looked to have calmed down too. He eyes me carefully, waiting for me to say more.

"Floyd saved your life. He didn't know you, but he saved you anyway." I continued, hoping Cara would find a time to cut in. "I couldn't… I couldn't let his only other friend die, okay!"

The words had been pulled out of me, but they were the truth. Floyd wouldn't have wanted Cobb to die avenging him. Just like I didn't want Floyd to sacrifice himself to save me. Or how I didn't want Silent to have died protecting the both of us.

I was always the one being saved when it counted. I always survived where others died. And I hated it.

"Cobb," Cara began, finally having thought of what to say. "I… you're doing this because you want to avenge Floyd. But don't you see? You have nothing to avenge. It wasn't your fault—"

"Stop talking." He warned, stepping away.

"—It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was the leader that promised you I'd keep him safe—"

"I said stop!"

"—And even without the promise, it was my duty to protect them all." Cara shook her head, ignoring the pained expression on Cobb's face. "I'm… I'm so sorry." She fell to her knees, resting her head in the grass. "I'm so sorry and ashamed for what I did." Tears were dripping off her face, but she kept her voice strong. "I beg you to forgive me, but I refuse to give up being a leader. I want to keep learning so that this never happens again!" She didn't let Cobb get another word in, her apology was so belligerent. "I know you must despise me, but—"

"I DO!" Cobb shouted at her, causing her to flinch at the sheer volume in his voice. His face was twisted in fury and some deeper emotion I couldn't place. "I HATE YOU! I _DESPISE_ YOU! I-I LOATHE YOU!" Now it was him who was breathing heavily as he looked down on Cara in disgust. "You keep taking the blame! You just don't stop! And you-you-you've accepted it, haven't you!?"

Confusion flitted across Cara's face. "W-what are you—"

"You think I didn't want to blame it on anyone else!? You think shouldering the blame was the first thing I tried!? WELL IT WASN'T!" He boomed, grabbing fistfuls of his own hair. "I didn't even think twice about pinning it all on you! I was eager—desperate to throw someone else under the blame train! It was too convenient to blame the bawling leader bearing the bad news! And then you just… just… accepted it! Said it should have been _you_ who should have died so Floyd could live, when really it should have been _me_! AND I HATED THAT!"

All at once, Cobb sunk to his knees and grabbed fistfuls of grass. "I… I was so quick to blame you…" his voice had gone hoarse from all the yelling. "I was so quick to blame you, because… because I didn't want to blame the real person responsible. The one who wasn't there to save him." His green eyes watered significantly before he obscured his tears by shoving his face into the grass. "I didn't want to blame myself."

He let out a choked sob into the grass, allowing more tears to flow freely. Cara was in the same state, though with her head raised, as she gazed at the crumpled fisherman.

"I was ashamed." He mumbled. "Ashamed of what I said to you in my haste to blame. Ashamed of how I acted when I knew perfectly well how you must have been feeling. Your leadership issues, your insecurity… I wanted to care, really" he almost begged, "But… but all I felt was grief and hatred. You were just the scapegoat I directed it at. I'm… I'm sorry…"

Cara's arms were around Cobb before he could register them. She was crying into his shoulder, but was somehow able to smile through it. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Cobb. It really wasn't your fault."

"How… how can you say that?" His voice trembled as he reached out his arms to weakly try and push her away. "I said I hated you… I tried to blame you for Floyd's death. I was horrible to you! You shouldn't be able to stand the sight of me. So why… why are you forgiving me?"

"I told you, already." Cara laughed lightly. "It wasn't your fault. There's nothing to forgive, at least on your end. It's I who should be begging for your forgiveness."

"N-no." He sniffled. " _I'm_ begging _your_ forgiveness."

"I beg your forgiveness more."

"I beg your forgiveness times infinity."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"What are you two talking about?"

I interrupted their heartfelt apology because I had something to say myself. They both looked up with tear-stained faces and bleary eyes. Utter confusion could be seen in their eyes.

"It wasn't either of your fault's Floyd died." I began, feeling some slight trepidation. "Cara, I kept telling you it wasn't your fault. And Cobb, you weren't even there!"

"Exactly!" He sniffled, letting go of Cara to stand up. "I wasn't there to save him. If I had been there, things would have been different—"

"What are you, kidding?" Soul scoffed. "If you were there, Teal would have played a tune with your broken bones! If anything it's _my_ fault Floyd's dead!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah! What, did you think I was exempt from the blame train?" I looked from Cara to Cobb. "Well listen to this: I abandoned the group to go after those cultists, which led to the group rushing to save me, and Floyd to sacrifice himself for us. Therefore, I'm more to blame than either of you."

"Hang on!" Cara got up, sounding indignant of all things. "I was leading that mission—"

"I went against your orders—"

"Then that reflects badly on the leader—me—so that means _I'm_ the one at fault. Not you."

"What kind of bullshit logic is that?" Cobb asked. "That's like saying if you rent a horse and it kicks someone in the face, you're responsible for kicking that someone in the face."

"Are you comparing me to a horse?"

"Cobb, don't take this away from me." Cara warned, jabbing Cobb in the chest. "I went through a pep-talk with Wynn and had to deal with days' worth of emotional trauma before accepting it was my fault. You can't just jump in and say—"

"Excuse me," Cobb interjected, sounding offended, "but _I've_ been an emotional wreck this whole week! I was stupid enough to attack an outpost! Now would someone not responsible for a friend's death do that? Hmm?"

Somehow, the argument had devolved into a blame contest with each of us trying to attain full culpability for Floyd and Void's deaths. It was about as farfetched as you could imagine.

"I ran in to attack the cultists!"

"I wasn't there to help!"

"I was the leader!"

"Yeah, well…" I faltered, thinking of something before my eyes lit up. "Floyd was only there because I made him feel guilty!" I exclaimed triumphantly. "He wouldn't have even joined the Silver Intent if he didn't think it could repair our friendship."

"Oh, yeah?" Cobb countered. "Well Floyd wouldn't have even tried to repair your friendship if I hadn't have urged him to!"

"I—wait, really?" I looked, with genuine surprise towards the fisherman who only just now realized what he revealed. "You… you told Floyd to make amends?"

"Well… yeah." Cobb shrugged, looking away. "He looked so down that you turned him away… I told him a friendship that took effort to repair would be even stronger, but only if he kept trying."

"I… I never knew that." I was struck by those words. So Floyd joined the Silver Intent… because Cobb told him to keep trying. It was such a meaningful gesture that Cobb would urge his own friend to make more.

And it was something someone as innocent as Cobb would do.

"So… yeah…" Cobb finished lamely. "It's my fault Floyd died. I made him go back to you."

"But he only did that because he was guilty over running away." I commented. "Because a cultist attacked us and killed Silent."

"The same people that killed Floyd." Cobb sighed. "It all comes back to the Endward Cult, I guess."

It was then that Cara let out a faint chuckle that slowly grew into a hysterical laugh. Cobb and I glanced at her warily, wondering if she actually lost her mind.

"What's so funny?" I asked the leader.

"Us!" She exclaimed, giggling to herself. "This whole time, we've all been carrying guilt over the same death!" The three of us exchanged looks to one another. "We all thought ourselves to blame and had to suffer three times the grief, when really, there is only _one_ thing to blame."

It took a moment before I understood what she meant, and judging by the grim nod Cobb offered, he knew it too.

The Endward Cult.

They were the true ones to blame for Floyd's and Void's death… and of how many countless others. How odd that the killers were the last ones we chose to blame for the deaths. We were too busy blaming ourselves.

Cara was right. It _was_ kind of funny.

"I think I'm all cried out now." Cobb spoke loudly, breaking the ice.

"You might want to hold off on saying that until _after_ Wynn gets a hold of you." The fisherman froze in terror at Cara's words. "She was pretty mad when she heard how reckless you were being."

"…How mad?"

Cara laughed. "Try 'nearly tossing Lenz out a window' mad."

Cobb fidgeted, looking smaller and frailer than ever. He tilted his head towards Mt. Mur and hummed to himself. "Is it too late to give myself up to the cultists?"

"Smart." Soul chuckled. "I assume death would be the least threatening thing Wynn has planned for you."

"…Yeah." Cobb rubbed his head, as if he could already feel an oncoming bruise courtesy of Wynn's fist. He also absentmindedly shielded his crotch, expecting some other kind of attack. "I guess I deserve it for worrying everyone."

"You're damn right you do." Cara leaned against a tree. "Does that mean you're ready to come back with us?"

Cobb let out a resigned sigh before nodding. "Best to get it over quick. I wouldn't want them to come out looking for me—"

The fisherman stopped abruptly as a sudden noise settled over us. It was something foreign to the forest sounds that surrounded us; a loud ringing with alternating notes that almost seemed to echo. It was almost like an alarm, and it sounded like it was coming from…

Ringwood.

In the direction of Ringwood, the alarm was blaring from across a great distance. From our position, we could just make out the edges of the stone and wood walls surrounding the Kingdom. A second later, jet black fireworks were launching up from behind the high walls. Ten fireworks at a time. Each one exploding in the form of a Creeper face that stuck out in sharp contrast to the placid, blue sky.

"Fireworks? Is there an occasion or something?" I asked turning to my companions. Cobb looked just as bewildered, cupping his ears to hear the blaring noise better.

But Cara looked absolutely horrified.

She stood, transfixed by the black fireworks that ceaselessly lit up the sky.

"Cara, what is it?" I asked urgently. "Is this for celebrating the Bounty Day? What's that noise for?"

But Cara was speechless. The only sign that something was definitely wrong was the look of terror in her eyes.

And seeing Cara look that worried and shaken… really made _me_ feel worried and shaken.

* * *

[Lenz]

"Comparators! What is that racket!?" I shouted over the clamor issuing from the plateau. Even from our position in the Eastern District, the sound carried so well it required us to cover our ears.

It sounded like several hundred note blocks were being activated at the same time and set on a loop, creating a noise that could alert everyone in the Kingdom to drop everything they were doing and look towards the Palace.

If that was not enough, black fireworks in the likeness of Creeper faces were being jettisoned into the sky. It was quite chilling to see the gaunt expression peering down upon Erin and I.

Speaking of Erin, the housekeeper was handling the noise far better than I was. She did not even have to cover her ears… though she looked horrified nonetheless.

"Erin!" I shouted over the noise. "For Jeb's sake, when is this noise going to stop!? What is it, even?"

Erin shook her head, quivering slightly, but refusing to take her eyes off the fireworks. She said something, but I could not hear her, nor read her lips.

The noise went on for another minute before finally stopping. The fireworks, however, did not.

Tentatively, I unclasped my hands from my ears, hoping the noise would not resume. "What was that? I did not think Ringwood had the redstone capacity to utilize note blocks—Hey!"

Erin pulled at my shirt, urging me to move. "We have to find shelter!" She exclaimed, looking around with wild eyes. It was only then that I noticed other bystanders adopt the same attitude. They jostled us as they ran to farms, small homes, or any shelter available in the Eastern District. All of them were as wide-eyed and panicked as Erin was.

"Erin, what is going on?" I asked, demanding some kind of answer. "Why is everyone running? What was that noise?"

"It's an alarm!" Erin explained, pulling my hand harder and harder. "A Stage 4 Emergency Alarm! They only sound one off if there's something dangerous and Kingdom-threatening about to occur. A Stage 3 is a large-scale fire, while a Stage 5 is reserved for whenever a Hacker attacks!"

I felt the color drain from my face. A Stage 4… that would imply something between a fire and a Hacker, but what could possibly fit that description?

"We need to find shelter _now_!" Erin urged. "The guards will be mobilizing soon. Whatever's coming, it's _dangerous_!"

"But… but we still do not know where Cobbert is!" I argued. "We still have yet to find where Cara set off that firework! If either of them are caught up in this—"

The rest of my words were drowned out as the alarm sounded again. It was like it was reminding us to get out of harm's way.

But, as Erin began to pull me away towards a safe shelter, I worried whether or not Cobb or Cara was in harm's way too.

* * *

[Wynn]

 _Of all the worst times…_

I tried to be angry, but I was too worried. A Stage 4 Emergency… just shy of a Hacker attack or some other ungodly catastrophe reminiscent of what occurred in Nitebane all those years ago. The alarm and fireworks had been set up to mitigate the damage and alert Crafters about the potential danger.

And of course, Cobb was outside the walls, probably with no idea as to what the noise even was. I never told him about the alarms or of the five stages of emergency.

Stage 1: Wanted Criminal on a rampage through the streets.

Stage 2: Violent thunderstorms.

Stage 3: Large-scale fire or flooding.

Stage 4: Invading army or Griefer/Cultist attack.

Stage 5: Hacker sighting within the walls. Worst kinds of crises.

And, with a pang, I realized that he wasn't the only one out there. The guards defending the railway project under construction. Cara, Erin, and Lenz. They were all at risk.

I was at the plateau when the alarms sounded, effectively turning my eardrums to paste. Some of the more experienced guards, who knew of the alarm system, sprung into action. They gathered swords and potions, armor and food, and began marching down the steps, Captain Iron_Lung leading them with shouts that could only faintly be heard over the noise. Other guards, inexperienced with alarms, simply followed what everyone else was doing.

The search party I had collected for Cobb (consisting of Solara, Noah, Liam, Spencer, and several other guards) followed me as I rushed to the Palace's fireworks alarm as it continued to spew forth jet black Creeper faces into the sky.

Climbing the steps two at a time, I burst into the alarm room, just as a lull in the note blocks occurred.

"What's the state of emergency?" I demanded of the guards overlooking the alarm. "Report."

"Ma'am!" The guard saluted before gesturing outside. "The guards on the walls and from the lookouts have spotted an oncoming assault against our Kingdom. They… they've never seen anything like it!"

"What assault?"

"It's coming from around Mt. Mur!" The other guard chimed in. "Both the Eastern and Southern toll gates are in their path!"

"Whose path? What's the emergency?" Couldn't they see they were making things worse by _not_ telling me?

"They're… they're just so many of them—"

"What is it!?" I shouted, grabbing a fistful of the guard's shirt. "What's coming to attack us!? Is it an army or…" I trailed off, watching the guard point out the window towards the Southern toll gate.

I followed his gaze and nearly fell over in shock. The guard's shirt slipped from my unresponsive fingers.

The search party of guards that had followed me were equally alarmed by the sight before us. Many of them gasped in horror while others tried to shield their eyes.

Except for the ones that had accompanied me on my mission to Daymonte. Solara, Noah, Liam, Spencer. They were taking the sight far better than the others.

Because they had witnessed such an alarming sight before.

* * *

[Cobb]

I helped Cara up as we climbed the side of Mt. Mur. Soul was further up, but he had the unfair advantage of upper body strength. We didn't need to climb too high; Cara only wanted to see if she could get a glimpse at whatever was causing the emergency alarm to go off.

By the time we reached the same ledge as Soul, the axe-wielder was already staring out towards the Kingdom with a grim expression. I turned to have a look and let out a startled gasp.

Creepers.

Thousands of them.

Some of them charged with crackles of electricity, even though it was a clear sky.

Their distinctive green color was a lighter shade than the greenery of the forest below, making them easy to spot. But what was so alarming was how they almost seemed to _bleed_ out from beneath the brush, gushing forward like flowing blood through an open cut.

Unlike other Mobs, they were immune to the sunlight. Indeed, they seemed to be basking in it as they made their way towards Ringwood in a tireless march.

"Those… those are the same Creepers from the basin!" I realized, remembering the long gaggle of Creepers that we only barely managed to cross. Cara and Soul seemed to remember that day too. Those Creepers had been traveling North, then… what had possibly made them loop back to Mt. Mur? What possessed them to move towards the Kingdom? Why were they so concentrated now when they where only wide enough to fill out a basin?

The ugly blotches of green that flowed from around the mountain and towards Ringwood's Eastern and Southern toll gates made me sick to watch. Even now, they were still emanating from around the mountain.

How would the Kingdom function with a gaggle of Creepers at their doorstep? Sealing the walls wouldn't do much good if one of them exploded. They'd seep into Ringwood and turn it into a minefield!

Watching all those Creepers trekking through the forest, around the mountain and towards Ringwood… reminded me of another instance of Creepers. Or at least Creeper Heads. It was in the cult outpost, when I found that map of theirs. And they had marked a path from behind the mountain to Ringwood's gates...

"It was them…" I realized angrily. "The Endward Cult… they did this! They planned this!" They had probably planned it since the first time those Creepers migrated through the basin. Wynn had even mentioned how unusual it was. Who else would have bothered to gather so many suicidal Mobs other than the accursed Endward Cult!

They were at it again. It wasn't enough that they harassed newly-spawned Crafters, or that they killed Silent and caused Floyd and Soul no end of pain, or that they killed Floyd himself and set up outposts to hunt Crafters down. They only desired one thing: The destruction of all Crafters. And they wouldn't stop.

And now they were aimed towards Ringwood, the Kingdom that was my home. The place where my friends lived…

My eyes narrowed dangerously.

 _They're not taking any more friends from me._

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 19 Steak, 31 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 63 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 36 Redstone, 64 TNT, 64 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 27 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: I had this planned since Chapter 29. Nearly fifty Chapters ago, and I planned it this far ahead. Some of you predicted it, what with the hints I dropped over the course of three or four Chapters. But still, I _planned_ this. Let that sink in.**

 **Creeper Invasion.**

 **And what's worse is that everyone is separated. Cobb, Cara, and Soul are outside while Wynn, Lenz, and Erin are inside.**

 **4Blite doesn't fuck around when he plans things.**

 **The emotional bit of this Chapter had to be in the Cobb, Cara, Soul scene. Just the idea that three people could blame themselves for the same person dying, and yet refuse to accept that anyone else was to blame but themselves. It was comical in a sort of way... sort of...**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 3)

"Sounds like Kal's begun the distraction."

High above Nitebane flew the Asmodeus. Standing in the bridge were team leaders Baltic and Jillian. The former was at the helm, steering the great airship between ruined skyscrapers with practiced ease. The latter was staring down below, watching hordes of Griefers meet Kalmarin's troops head on.

"Let's just hope they make it out safe." Baltic chimed up as he stepped atop a wooden pressure plate on his left and flicked a lever on a control panel. As soon as he did, the airship turned sharply to the left, prompting Jillian to brace herself against the wall. "Our men are down there too."

" _Half_ of _my_ men." Jillian clarified. The other half were in the loading deck below. Though Carys had specified they'd be far from the action, she saw fit to leave the Team Delta leader half her men. It spoke of how cautious she was towards Jillian's role in the plan.

"They're all Paragons. Just because they're not in my Team doesn't mean I care any less for them." Baltic continued, sparing the blonde woman a serious look. "Regardless of any victory we obtain today, I'd rather we all stay alive."

Jillian cast her eyes downward, guilty that, unlike Baltic, she didn't spare a single thought towards the men fighting down there that weren't her own. Baltic had a way of making everyone around him seem petty and selfish by comparison. He was just that noble and kind.

How he wound up in a guild full of cult-killing avengers boggled her mind.

Jillian walked up to the helm, careful not to step on the pressure plates that guided the airship's steering. She looked over Baltic's shoulder and her eyes widened.

"That skyscraper…" She pointed forward out the window to a burned and half-destroyed building. The damage looked recent. "That was supposed to be a community site…"

Baltic's eyes creased in concern. "…There doesn't look to be much left." He commented somberly. "You think the Griefers did that?"

Jillian shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. I received word not two weeks ago that this community was still alive. And my information is never wrong."

Just to be sure, Baltic guided the airship to circle around the remains of the skyscraper community. It was awful. There were signs of TNT and craters that splintered apart the building. Glass windows were hovering suspended from wooden walls—a clear indication of fire damage.

Worse was that there were parts still recognizable. One room was filled with beds. Half-destroyed mushroom farms were peeking out amidst cracked stone. Water was flowing down the side like blood.

"Let's move on." Jillian finally decided, looking away from the building's remains. "Please, Baltic."

Baltic was already steering the airship away. Jillian looked up only when the skyscraper was safely behind them.

She took a few calming breaths before standing beside the pilot and pointing elsewhere. "There are several other skyscraper communities… Some good ones in that direction. Let's just hope they're still standing."

It would be disastrous if Jillian's information was wrong, and the skyscraper communities were all destroyed. Those contained a good amount of Crafters, some of them Nitebane's inhabitants before the Tragedy. Their desperation to oppose the Griefers choking what was left of their Kingdom was necessary for Operation: Overshadow to work. If they were all dead, then—

Jillian let out a short gasp, but it wasn't one of horror this time. The skyscraper community she had spotted had bits of light filtering through stone bricks. Crafters could be seen navigating the structure or else shooting down Griefers trying to nerdpole up. It was still alive.

"You better get down there." Baltic commented, gesturing his head to the ladder behind them. "You're the one they need to see."

"R-right…" Jillian tried to steel herself, but ended up deflating. "Oh, Notch, I can't believe Carys has me doing this."

"Relax." Baltic soothed, barely needing to pay attention to steer the Asmodeus down. "You were a Captain in Zeppil, weren't you? I would think you'd be used to this."

" _This_ is a big step-up from being a Captain." Jillian reasoned, wringing her hands in a desperate attempt to calm down. "Carys wants me to look like a leader. She wants me to look commanding to these people, but this is beyond anything I could have—"

"Jillian." Baltic guided the Asmodeus beside the skyscraper and flipped a lever to let it hover there. While in docking mode, Jillian and her team would be able to walk across from the loading bay. With that done, he left the helm and turned to fully grasp Jillian in his arms.

"Carys knows of your experience." Baltic reasoned calmly. "She knows you're a diplomat, and that you're level-headed. She wouldn't have you doing this if she didn't think you were up to it."

Jillian was nodding along, clutching at the compliments he was giving her.

"You've been the Captain of a Kingdom gripped by the Endward Cult." Baltic continued, fixing the blonde with a proud smile. "You know what it's like—what it surely must be like for these people—to be the best person to talk with them. To guide them. You just need to be yourself."

Jillian looked into Baltic's eyes for any doubt and saw none. He was good like that. What with his unquestionable faith in people. Hell, the guy could probably give a motivational speech to vagabonds.

That was probably why Carys had sent him with her.

Also because he could fly an airship.

"Thanks, Baltic." Jillian nodded, all signs of her anxiety gone. She turned to face the ladder, determination shining in her eyes.

* * *

Jillian and her men crossed over from the Asmodeus onto the solid ground that was the skyscraper. Ahead of her, several dozen emaciated Crafters stood weary, yet ready for a fight. They had makeshift weapons—anything they could grab—and were tense. They also looked like a small wind might knock them over.

These were people losing food, friends, and hope, living out their miserable lives atop a ruined skyscraper, whether for themselves or for others. But they were still a community. This was still their home. And they were determined to protect it for anything.

Jillian saw all this in their eyes, and decided what the best course of action would be. She stepped forward, slightly ahead of her men who looked on worried. None of them had their weapons drawn, per her orders. There was no sense in scaring these people when they probably couldn't even fight.

"Who are you people?" One of the emaciated Crafters yelled in a raspy voice. It was unfriendly, as if expecting hostility of some kind. Jillian saw she would have to build some trust first.

"We're not here to harm any of you." Jillian replied, making sure to keep her voice steady and loud. She needed to appear in charge at every opportunity, per Carys' orders. "We're here to talk. None of my men will even cross me."

She stood between the two groups of Crafters, arms held wide in a peaceful showing. Some of the emaciated Crafters—those too weak to hold up their 'weapons'—let their arms fall to the side, relaxing slightly. Others weren't so quick to trust.

"There's nothing for us to talk about." The Crafter who had to be the leader shouted. "None of us know you. You're clearly not from around here if that flying machine behind you is any indication."

"Yes. You're right." Jillian nodded. "We're not from around here, and you don't know us… but I'm very familiar with the situation plaguing this Kingdom."

One of the emaciated Crafters let out a derisive laugh. " _Kingdom_? If you're familiar with our situation, you _must_ know that this is no Kingdom. Not anymore!"

"The Griefers own this land." Another Crafter chimed in, to the murmured assent of those around her. "It's no better than the wastelands."

"I know about the Griefers." Jillian continued, hoping she had prepared a good enough speech. "I know what it's like to live without hope, where you're constantly surrounded by things that want to kill you. I lived in Zeppil when the Endward Cult had a major hold in it."

There were some hushed whispers at her revelation as a few more emaciated Crafters let their weapons fall to their sides. They were listening to her.

"People were dying." She continued. "Friends and families were being torn apart. Nobody knew who they could trust—whether a cultist was standing beside you in secret, waiting to kill you in your sleep—so they eventually stopped trusting each other. Zeppil got to a state where I thought it would disappear."

She had the emaciated Crafters spellbound by her tale.

"But then the Paragons arrived." She looked to the Crafters who nodded in understanding. "The Paragons showed up and destroyed the cult's Southern Division. Before, when I looked at my Kingdom's streets, all I saw were people wasting away, much like all of you." At her words, a few emaciated Crafters glanced at the half-empty Hunger Meters on their arms. "But the Angel of Death—as ridiculous as it sounds—brought it all back to life! She rid us of the darkness choking us. Now, I look upon the streets of Zeppil to see bustling Crafters, talking and laughing with one another. Others going to work or… or deciding what they want for dinner. Mindless topics like that!

"Cultists were no longer a thing to fear anymore. People could talk with one another without having to bring them up. The only thing they had to worry about was if they could pay their rents on time, or if they could propose to the woman they loved, or… or if they would want to visit the theater or go for a swim or read a book! It was life! Life free from terror!"

Jillian looked to the emaciated Crafters before her. They were no longer tense, their weapons lay forgotten at their sides.

"You all remember a time like that, right?" Jillian appealed to them. "A time where Nitebane wasn't spoken of with sympathy, but with _envy_. Of where people all over the world looked up to this Kingdom—yes, _Kingdom_ —as a place of advanced learning. Of the EXP Factories that brought wealth to its inhabitants. Or of the common events of life that made it a great place to live!" She could see the emaciated Crafters' eyes take on a reminiscent glimmer. Some were beginning to cry, having forgotten in their misery what Nitebane used to be. "Don't you all want to go back to that?"

"Of course we do…" The community leader spoke in a hushed whisper. "But… but the chances that the Paragons—"

" _Forget the Paragons_!" Jillian exclaimed, to the shock of the emaciated Crafters. The men behind her made no comment about how they _were_ the Paragons. That was also on Carys' orders. "I'm here to tell you I brought my own group of people to save this Kingdom. To return it to its former glory. As we speak, my men are engaging the Griefers below, rushing Lunar Castle to drag out their Hacker leaders and slay them in the streets!"

The emaciated Crafters let out startled gasps and appreciative comments.

"I'm doing this because I hate to watch Kingdoms fall to such darkness and corruption." Jillian spoke with conviction. This was the moment of her big finish. "I want to see life return to these streets, just as they returned to mine. I want to be the Angel of Death for Nitebane!" She looked out to all the Crafters before her. More had gathered, hearing her speech midway, but were nonetheless floored.

"But I can only do it with your help." She held out a hand to the community leader. "All of you—all of us—working together. We can bring this Kingdom back. I know it. The time to run those Griefers out of our Kingdom is now! Together, with the other communities and my men, there's no limit to what we can accomplish. I only ask that you people find the courage and strength, after years of hopeless struggle, to take my hand."

That was it. That was all she had. Her speech had filled the air with words and without it, a silence took hold of every Crafter there. For one brief moment, she worried she had failed, and that the community would turn their backs on her or else claim it was a hopeless plan.

The cheers they shouted instead were deafening.

They seemed to swell with life, regaining their vigor and looking ready to leap into action at any moment. The leader of the community actually leapt forward and shook her hand. She returned it firmly, wanting to appear strong to these people to the very end.

A few more skyscraper Crafters came up, with word that Griefers were falling back from their attempts to climb up. They spoke of Crafters on horseback driving them off towards Lunar Castle and Jillian knew it was Kal.

The news emboldened the community in joining Jillian, offering their support in any way, whether with whatever paltry food they could scrounge up or else meager weapons or shelter. Jillian waved it all off, instead calling her men to bring forth food and cargo stored in the airship for the communities. The skyscraper Crafters' jaws dropped to the floor at the sight of steak, porkchops, apples, and every other food in creation, stating that Jillian should have led with that.

They gratefully accepted the food and asked Jillian what they needed to do. She simply told them to wait for her men to finish up the Griefers and Hackers. They seemed concerned that her men would have to face Hackers, but she assured them it would be no problem.

Carys was the one facing them after all.

Jillian promised to stay connected with the community and to alert the other skyscraper communities as well. A few of the emaciated Crafters said they would work to spread the word about Jillian and her men driving off the Griefers and returning Nitebane to its former glory.

It would save Jillian a lot of time.

After saying their goodbyes and handing over a decent amount of food so that the community would be full and ready to fight, Jillian and her men boarded back onto the Asmodeus and Baltic flew it off towards the next community.

"So," Baltic began when Jillian climbed back up to the bridge to guide him towards the next skyscraper, "how'd it go?"

A soft smile spread across Jillian's face. "One community down, several dozen more to go."

* * *

 **AN: The Omakes will pretty much be the Paragons for a while.**

 **IMPORTANT : I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite _My Craft_ characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.**


	78. Herd

**AN: Sorry for being late... again... I will take pride, however small it is, that I managed to update it on a Wednesday.**

 **Not only was this chapter boring to write, but it also conflicted with my work schedule. By the time I'm done, I'm too sore and tired to type (or otherwise looking up funny cat videos).**

 **That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.**

 **In other news... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY CRAFT! TWO YEARS OLD! It's practically a teenager now. Soon it'll be off driving cars, drinking booze, and maybe - just _maybe_ \- it'll become an M rated story.**

 **And geez, it's almost at 1000 reviews too. Probably has more words than the Harry Potter series too.**

 **Congrats to Ari-Dexel13 for guessing last we - er... last _Chapter's_ riddle correctly. The answer was reflection. ****Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.**

 **(::)**

 **What else... what else... Oh! Right! The popularity contest I wouldn't shut up about for the past several Chapters. I'm calling it now, so here are the results of which characters are most liked.**

 **1st Place: Cobb ("I mean, who else would be winning? Wynn? Pshh!")**

 **2nd Place: Wynn ("What is this!? Who voted for _him_ over me!? I swear to Notch I'll stab him!")**

 **2nd Place: Spark (";D")**

 **3rd Place: Floyd ("Wait? I had to _die_ for people to like me? That's... actually pretty depressing...")**

 **4th Place: Noman ("Still looking for artifacts. Thanks for thinking of me.")**

 **4th Place: Carys ("That pigkiller got first? _First!?_ How dare you assholes like me less! I'll kill you all!")**

 **4th Place: Lenz ("Hmm. I must have won people over with my redstone expletives. People _love_ redstone expletives.")**

 **4th Place: Cara ("You know what this calls for? Celebratory arson! Where's that orphanage and puppy farm.")**

 **4th Place: Veronica ("I wouldn't mind being crowded in this place if a certain ivory-haired Captain was beside me. Wink wink, nudge nudge, be my girlfriend, Wynn.")**

 **4th Place: Marble ("Looks like I won't get my Most Popular in a Random Group of Schmuck's Badge this time... Oh well, on to my Leatherwork Badge!")**

 **5th Place: King Miles ("Haha! I'm lovably oblivious!")**

 **5th Place: Erin ("Th-thank you for c-considering me.)**

 **5th Place: Soul ("Meh.")**

 **5th Place: Spring ("Proving once again that bastards get votes on principle alone. Suck it!")**

 **5th Place: Leslie the Iron Golem ("LESLIE WANTS BETTER PLACE THAN WIMPY FIFTH!")**

 **5th Place: Billy ("Thanks for remembering me... and my sacrifice for Halstatt...")**

 **And that's the contest done. Some of the results were surprising while others... well... I have no doubt in my mind which people voted for Veronica. (Their names rhyme with WaxMelix and Shaded Azure.) And I'm sure if Teal or the internal organs were an option, a few of you would have voted for them.**

 **Puzzle: You will always find me in the past. I can be created in the present, but the future can never taint me.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add oysters and pearls.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 78

 **Herd**

[Outside of Ringwood]

4Blite watched the Creepers march with barely suppressed triumph. The makings of a smirk were already beginning to form on his face, and it was with great effort for him to appear passive and calculating. On the inside, he was already patting himself on the back for a job well done.

The execution had been sloppy, of course. The Creepers gathered in the valley had not reached full saturation. The attack was also planned to commence at night, when visibility was lowest; the guards wouldn't have seen the Creepers until they were at their gates. But it was necessary for the plan to be rushed. Either one of those intruders could have caught on to the Creeper herd, warned Ringwood, and ruined months' worth of planning.

Ember would have been displeased. 4Blite would have been disgraced. And that _accursed_ Lieutenant would have looked upon his shame with smug satisfaction.

His knuckles tightened reflexively just thinking about that damn woman. Oh, how he longed to surpass her. To knock her down a peg. To show up the so-called 'Ember's favorite.'

And he'd do it too.

After today, his resourcefulness and cunning would never again be questioned. Ember would see that ruthlessness and intimidation was the key to garnering respect from one's underlings. That it was the _only_ way to produce results.

The Creepers were already at Ringwood's walls. He could see from afar. His cultists—keeping hidden with the use of Potions of Invisibility—were herding the Creepers in a widespread cone with Ringwood at the center. The green sea of volatile Mobs lapped at the high stone and wooden walls before spreading out around it. They touched upon the Southern and Eastern gates first.

A few guards had attempted to shoot them. How laughable. They at least had the sense—or rather some Captain had the sense to order them to retreat behind the walls and stay away from the Creepers closing in. The Mobs wouldn't explode unless a Crafter got too close, making the Kingdom's high walls its best defense.

But 4Blite wasn't a fool. He had considered the walls in his planning… and he already had several willing martyrs ready to take care of it.

"Remi. Armand. Emeka." He turned around and watched with satisfaction as the three cultists kneeled before him. "I trust you know what must be done?"

"Yes, 4Blite." They all spoke with unquestionable resolve. They had ender pearls ready and were willing to lay their lives on the line to further his—the Endward Cult's ends.

"You will forever be remembered after today." He assured. "When any of us look upon this Kingdom pockmarked with explosions… we will remember you three, and the noble sacrifice you made to steer Minecraftia towards a brighter path."

"Thank you, sir!" They shouted, ready to act.

"May you all enjoy a better life on the other side." He nodded solemnly, signaling them to get a move on. As one, they hefted their pearls towards Ringwood with grim determination set upon their faces.

It wasn't easy finding such devout cultists within his subdivision. Most cultists followed orders not out of faith, but because nobody else would accept them. Killers and thieves shunned from the populace. Their continued service for the cult was tied to self-preservation. Not like those three, though. They were ready to lay their lives on the line in the hopes of attaining their mythical 'better life.'

Whether or not there was a 'better life' after one died mattered little to 4Blite. As did whether or not those three fools would find it. All that mattered was their use to him. None of the other cultists volunteered for taking out Ringwood's toll gates for obvious reasons. And that annoying Spring_Fever had wormed his way out of the task, opting instead to help herd. Talented or not, 4Blite would have thoroughly enjoyed watching that man die after the insults he spewed at the Gathering. It was truly a shame Ember had stepped in.

No matter. Spring would learn respect in time. And if not, well, perhaps the 'next life' would be kinder to him.

4Blite internally smiled at the thought while watching his Creepers amass around Ringwood's walls.

 _After today, Ember will finally see how useful I am. And my subdivision will have enough Heads to fulfill our quotas for the next fifty years._

* * *

[Wynn]

"Clear the gates!" I shouted amidst the panic and confusion of citizens and guards alike. "Get behind the walls NOW!"

The southern toll gate had always been a bustling area of commerce. Many Crafters passed merchandise and items for inspection here since the Southern District was the busiest and most densely populated. There was no better place to unload goods.

And that's what made it a prime target.

"Let us in, damnit!"

New Crafters waiting in line to pass through the gates and gain citizenship were scrabbling desperately to get around the guards. They didn't have time to get searched or pay fees when over a thousand Creepers were bearing down on them.

"We can pay the toll later with interest!" Another panicked Crafter screamed. "Don't lock us out with those things! _Please_!"

The guards were petrified by the sheer amount of suicidal Mobs in one place. Their swords were half-raised as if they were stuck between wanting to fight and wanting to stay away from a potential sea of explosions. It was only my harsh bark of orders that snapped them back to reality.

"Fall back!" I kept shouting to the guards that were approaching the tide of Creepers with swords drawn. " _Fall back_! One wrong move and this toll gate becomes a crater!"

Warily, the guards followed my orders, backing away from the Mobs at arm's length. The Creepers kept marching forward, their prey in sight. With all the Crafters there, it was too good to resist.

"Everyone keep away from them!" I shouted out in case any stupid guards got any ideas. "They'll only blow up if they get close to anyone. And would you let those Crafters in!"

"But ma'am!" A guard by the toll gate argued. "One of them could be a smuggler or a—"

"We can worry about smugglers and criminals when there is still a Kingdom to defend!" I roared, silencing the idiotic guard. "This is no time to turn them away! Let them through so we can all hide behind our walls!" There was a great whoop of thanks from the Crafters at the gates before the guards reluctantly let them all enter.

True, a criminal could enter sneakily in the chaos, but this wasn't the time to start doubting people. Right now, every Crafter was a possible landmine if ever they got too close to a Creeper. So for the sake of Ringwood, all Crafters had to be let in. No exceptions.

I just had to trust that the Crafters would value their own lives enough not to poke the explosive Mobs.

For some reason an image of Cobb flashed through my mind during that thought and I had to bite back a groan. If there was anyone that didn't value their life, it was the guy that threw himself at cultists.

I darted around the now deserted clearing in front of the toll gate, looking for any stragglers that might trigger the Creepers. The Mobs were still getting closer, but they only had one consistent speed. Anyone could outrun them, even without a Potion of Swiftness.

But with so many…

When my eyes glanced over the clearing for the fourth time, I let out a gasp. There, by a dinky stand, was a female Crafter, cowering in terror at the approaching Mobs. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was shivering so badly she couldn't move.

"Archers! Get on the walls and cover me!" I shouted before I sprinted forward toward the female Crafter. Behind me, I saw the Creepers branch off and stretch across a gap so that I was cut off from the gates.

I kept my distance from the Mobs and kept even further away from the light blue ones crackling with electricity. If they were capable of killing Hackers, I didn't want to even think what they could do to a Crafter.

One of the Creepers was about to reach the terrified female and she screamed helplessly. A quick arrow from above pierced the Mob's head and spared the female an explosive demise. Finally, I got close enough and wrapped an arm around her before easily lifting her to her feet and dragging her back to the gates.

They were everywhere, closing in on us. Even with the archers picking them off from the wall, there were far too many. The gates weren't close enough. Forcing our way through would just result in our deaths. I couldn't even use Cobb's method of blocking the explosions with a sword since the only blade I had was my rapier and the female Crafter looked unarmed. Soon, the Creepers circled us.

There was one thing I could do… One thing I could do to clear a path to the toll gates… but it was pretty risky. We could both die.

…

Though we were about to die anyway.

Ignoring my senses screaming that this was a bad idea, I walked up to the wall of Creepers standing between me and the toll gate. My legs were tensed to jump back to the female Crafter at any second.

One of the Creepers began to flash white and hiss. I waited until it was ready to burst before I jumped back and gathered the female Crafter in my arms. By that time, the Creeper had exploded, either killing or scaring off the Mobs barring my path.

I didn't give them the chance to regroup. I rushed through, knocking Creepers aside with my rapier before skidding to the toll gates and banging on iron doors. "Open up! NOW!" I shouted, pressing the injured Crafter against it.

I spun around, whipping my rapier against another Creeper or two before spotting another Crafter further back. This one, however, made my blood run cold.

He was wearing a black leather cap and had an ender pearl tucked under his arm.

Before I could call him out, I was pulled through the iron doors by the scruff of my blouse. The green hair and loud voice of Iron_Lung filled my senses and the injured female Crafter was helped away by the guards.

"OI! WYNN! YOU OKAY!?" Iron_Lung yelled in his usual tone.

"Cultist…" I mumbled, realization dawning on me. "It's the Endward Cult, Iron_Lung! They're the ones behind these Creepers! There's one out there right now… _watching_!"

"WHAT!? THOSE COWARDLY—"

But whatever insult Iron_Lung had was drowned out by an eerie voice coming from the other side of the sealed toll gates.

"For the Endward Cult!" The voice screamed in triumph before several loud hissings made me go white as chalk.

"Move!" I shouted, pushing as many guards and Iron_Lung away from the toll gate as I could.

The explosion was more deafening than Iron_Lung's voice could ever be and it rocketed everyone off their feet and crashing back into the ground nearly ten meters away. The toll gate was nothing more than smoke, rubble, and crumbling walls. For one hanging second, it seemed as if time had stopped. Nobody dared to breathe, keeping their attention fixed on the broken walls.

The moment was broken when the first Creeper climbed through the rubble, its face as horrible as ever.

The other Creepers clambered after it, and soon they all were pouring into Ringwood, walking over downed Crafters and stunned guards and blowing them up with little to no mercy.

I was briefly aware of Iron_Lung and Spencer hoisting me to my feet and pulling me back to the line of houses and buildings. The other guards helped as many as they could, whether it was picking up immobile Crafters or wielding bows against the suicidal menace.

It was pointless though. There were too many. At least twenty Creepers to an archer, and that ratio only got larger the more Creepers poured in.

That cultist—the one that I saw—had given his life to destroy the toll gate. He had thrown his life away to crack open Ringwood's defenses and lead the Mobs towards innocent Crafters. How many other cultists were doing the same to the other toll gates? How long had they planned such an invasion of Mobs? How many had to die to fulfill their twisted goals!?

I couldn't let that happen. Not just to stop the cult and their plans, but because Ringwood was _my_ Kingdom. The home I defended against killers and criminals and thieves. And I wasn't about to let it fall to something as pathetic as a herd of Creepers!

Reclaiming control of my senses through sheer fury at the Endward Cult, I wrenched myself free from Iron_Lung and Spencer.

"Spencer, give me a sword."

Spencer looked bewildered at my latest request. "But… but don't you have your rapier—?"

"Did I stutter?" I challenged the guard, glaring at him with burning amber eyes. "Or did I ask you for a _sword_?"

"Er… yes Captain!" Spencer nodded before handing over one of his iron blades. I wordlessly snatched it before clearing my throat.

"Everyone!" I called out, grabbing the attention of the guards and terrified Crafters not already running for their lives. "We're stopping these Creepers here!"

"What?"

"How?"

"Are you _nuts_!?"

"Stop _that_!? There's no way!"

I ignored them all, holding the sword defensively before the approaching Creepers, just as Cobb taught me…

"Just watch me."

The Creeper hissed and exploded, creating a smoking crater and dispersing its fellow Mobs, but sparing me all of the damage.

"Oh… Oh yeah!" Spencer shouted in realization, pulling out a sword of his own and joining me on the left. He blocked two Creepers, smirking widely as the damage failed to touch him. "Like riding a bicycle!"

Liam and Noah joined in with swords of their own while Solara sniped with the archers. "Don't you know?" Noah spoke to the awestruck guards and Crafters watching behind them. "Swords can block Creeper explosions!"

They fanned out to my right, holding their swords defensively to block the damage that came to them. The ground before us was riddled with explosions, but still we stood strong.

"WHOA!" Iron_Lung shouted in amazement. "LET ME TRY THAT!" He scrambled forward, whipping his sword out in his haste and held it defensively just as a Creeper approached him. It hissed. It exploded. But Iron_Lung took it without batting an eye. "HAHA! INCREDIBLE!"

The other guards were muttering to themselves, hesitantly holding up their own swords before them as if they couldn't believe the tools to have such power. They were much like my guards had been the day we stumbled upon the Creepers in that basin… and didn't _that_ explain where these Creepers had come from. The cult must have been stockpiling them since that day.

Slowly at first, the guards joined us, forming a wall of defensive swords. They flinched as the Creepers hissed right before them, but gained confidence when the first explosions didn't reduce them to piles of gear. By the fourth explosion, they had no qualms about facing the Mobs.

The Crafters took longer to convince, but after watching us block explosion after explosion, the craters forming a divisive chasm in the street, they joined in with crafted swords of their own.

"It's only swords that work!" I shouted back, dissuading Crafters from defending with axes or shovels. "Block with your swords! Swap out if they start to lose durability! Spread out! We're not letting them cross us!"

The archers standing at the rooftops focused their arrows at the source of the Creepers, funneling their attacks to try and stem the herd. It helped control it to an extent, but there were still too many. Other Crafters and guards, now armed with swords, fanned out to form a semicircle around the broken toll gates. They were containing the Creepers before they could spread.

"It doesn't work on the Charged Creepers!" Solara called out from her sniping position. "Blocking doesn't work against Charged Creepers! Focus your fire on them! Arrows only!"

The electric blue Creepers that dotted the incoming herd were systematically shot and killed; put down before they could get close to us.

This was all we could do.

We had to weather this attack, somehow push the Mobs back through the wall, and patch it up. The other toll gates were probably facing similar problems, only they had no idea about this strategy against Creepers.

The strategy that Cobb had imparted unto us in his determination all those days ago.

It was one thing to get through a Creeper herd. It was another to force it back.

"PUSH FORWARD!" Iron_Lung screamed, signaling the adjacent Crafters and guards to walk forward in their defensive positions. Slowly, the semicircle closed against the Creepers while the archers rained deadly projectiles on them all.

It wasn't going to work, though.

Pushing forward wasn't an option, not when there was a chasm of craters where the Creepers had exploded. We could only stop at the edge, allowing the Creepers below to explode and explode until the chasm was too steep for them to climb up.

It was like we had inadvertently formed a moat against them. The Creepers kept falling into it, packing themselves tightly against one another and writhing in silent discomfort. If only we had some lava lying around.

"GUARDS!" Iron_Lung commanded, but with more calm after seeing we had the situation somewhat under control. "I WANT A SECOND MOAT DUG HERE TEN MINUTES AGO!" The guards scrambled to fetch shovels and picks. "MAKE A THIRD MOAT TOO! WE CAN'T RISK THESE CREEPERS GETTING THROUGH. ARCHERS! IF YOU SEE ANY BLACK-CAPPED CULTISTS, SHOOT THEM IN THEIR COWARDLY FACES!"

The archers nodded grimly before fanning out amongst the rooftops to search.

"Spencer, Liam, Noah." I beckoned the three guards over and spoke to them in a hurried whisper. "The Cobb search party is postponed until this crisis is averted. I want each of you to go to the other toll gates and assess the situation. If Creepers have passed in, try and convince as many guards and Crafters as you can that you can block them with swords. Show them if you have to, but know that you _must_ stop them. Even a single Creeper can puncture the wall and unleash the rest upon us."

"Yes, Captain." They saluted determinedly before rushing back down the main street.

I tried to remain calm, to assure myself that the Mobs hadn't breached any other toll gate, but the distant explosions that punctuated the air made it pretty difficult. Somewhere, Creepers were exploding, ripping buildings or walls, or people apart. And nobody seemed to have any idea how the Endward Cult was involved or how they were herding them towards Ringwood.

Our only defense was the knowledge that swords could block them. Cobb had said he read about it, but—but there was no guarantee he had anymore safeguards against the Mobs, even if he was within the Kingdom.

We needed to contain things as much as we could. The Kingdom would be shut down, obviously, but as long as the citizens were safe…

As guards and Captains, that was our highest priority.

* * *

[Cobb]

Standing on the rocky base of Mt. Mur beside Cara and Soul, watching the Creepers surround the Kingdom, the first thing to come to mind was…

 _This is bad._

Brain: _No._ Bad _would be forgetting to pack a fishing rod. This is… is… what's a word worse than horrible?_

Heart: _Unholy?_

Stomach: _Abhorrent?_

Liver: _Grim?_

 _…_ _Wait! Shit, I_ did _forget to pack a fishing rod!_ I realized, remembering I left mine with the enchanter.

Bladder: _I think the word you're looking for is plutonic._

 _…_ _What?_

Brain: _Yes! That's the word! Plutonic! This whole situation is a great big plutonic mess._

Heart: _…I don't even think that's a word._

Brain: _Who's the Brain here? Hmm?_

Heart: _Sometimes I wonder…_

Brain: _I can have Bladder check the dictionary right now. I bet you fifty bucks it's a word. Plutonic. Look it up._

Heart: _I don't—_

Stomach: _I'll take a piece of that action. Thirty bucks it's not a word._

Brain: _There. Stomach's showing his guts. Any other takers? Going once? Going twice?_

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Brain: _Of course it's a real word. Look, the way I see it, there are enough weirdoes with nothing better to do than come up with crazy-ass words. If platonic is taken, then plutonic_ must _be—_

 _I don't care about words, shut up about words, stop talking! Stop!_ I internally screamed, silencing the organs. _There's a gaggle of Creepers down there and it's only a matter of time before one of them—_

A distant explosion cut me off before I could finish. Ah, that would be the southern toll gate going up in smoke.

…Plutonic.

Brain: _It's catching on already. It's only a matter of time before it trends…_

"You're sure the Endward Cult is doing this?" Soul asked sharply, nudging my shoulder while his crimson eyes were fixed upon the Kingdom. "It's not just… I don't know… migration patterns?"

"There's migration patterns, and then there's mass exodus!" Cara exclaimed, her voice cracking hysterically. " _This_ is mass exodus!"

"The cult had a map of Ringwood with Creeper Heads decorating it." I explained. "If that's not foreshadowing this, then I don't know what would."

"But _how_ are they doing this?" Cara questioned as another distant explosion went off near the eastern toll gates, cracking open the Kingdom to a fresh wave of Creepers. "Even if they're triggering the Creepers at the gates, how were they even able to gather this many? They should've blown themselves up long before reaching this size!"

"Why don't we ask them the next time we see them?" Soul replied sarcastically. "Right now, the Silver Intent is at risk. We gotta get back to help."

Soul was right. We needed to get back into Ringwood and find out what they needed. Wynn and Iron_Lung would probably be rallying the guards, but what could they possibly do against so many Creepers? And what about Lenz and Erin?

But Cara had a point too. How did the cultists herd so many Creepers to Ringwood's gates? Mobs wouldn't just swarm a Kingdom like that. I kept trying to recall something from Herobrine's first book about the Creepers, but I couldn't think of anything that would apply.

The only thing I had was that swords could block Creeper explosions from damaging people. It worked at the basin so it would work now… only the basin was a natural formation rather than a Kingdom full of shops and homes and people. Even with enough people blocking the Creepers, the explosions would still rip apart the surroundings. Ringwood wouldn't be left standing.

Still it was the only idea I had. I'd get into Ringwood and convince enough people— _show_ enough people—that swords could block Creepers and then… and then hopefully everything would settle itself out.

…Yeah.

I was already taking the first step back down to the forest floor when a voice stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going?"

It was Cara who asked that, but there was no puzzlement or confusion in her tone. Just annoyance and exasperation. _Annoyance and exasperation_! As if she couldn't fathom why I was preparing to run back to Ringwood. As if I was doing something incredibly stupid. Just when I thought we had understood one another…

I whirled around, ready to tell the woman _exactly_ where I was going, only for the biting words to die on my lips. She wasn't looking at me.

She was looking at Soul.

Like me, he had taken a step towards the base of the mountain, his axe drawn and a scowl on his face. "If the Endward Cult is behind this, it's our duty as members of the Silver Intent to stop and kill them." His answer was brimming with killing intent towards the black-capped bastards and I couldn't agree more with wanting them dead.

But I had other reasons to fight. People I needed to protect. "My friends are down there, Cara." I matched Soul's tone. "They're down there and I can't just stand here worrying and wondering whether they'll make it out alright. I have to do something—"

"Oh, like what? Like maybe charging an Endward Cult outpost by yourself? I hear that plan works wonders." She added, making me balk, before turning her glare on Soul. "Or perhaps running away with your anger right into the arms of a game-happy Lieutenant? Sound familiar?" Soul gritted his teeth, but found no way to argue. "The both of you just… just… Ugh! You'd think either of you would actually _learn_ something, but here you are, ready to fall into the same holes again!" Cara sounded like she was tired of our shit, which made her irritated tone prior make a lot more sense.

"But… but we—"

"If we could just—"

"No!" Cara practically screamed out her rejection. "You can't make decisions without thinking. You want to get killed? Because let me tell you, running into Ringwood through that Creeper herd _will_ kill you! So unless you suggest something better than throwing yourselves at them, shut up and hear me out!"

I clenched my fists in frustration, biting my lower lip as I conceded her point. I could only block an explosion from one side and there were _thousands_ of Creepers down there. Even as we spoke, Creepers were filling in through the broken toll gates and forcing Crafters to retreat. Trying to get into Ringwood through all that was suicide.

"Then _you_ lead us." Soul prompted, gesturing to Cara with an expectant look on his face. "You want to be a leader so badly, well here's your chance. Tell us how to win."

If Cara was surprised by the command, she hid it well. She seemed to draw strength from the axe-wielder's words, as if it were a challenge. But before making any attempts at a plan, she turned to me, her eyes asking I allow her one more chance.

My reluctance was only for a second before I nodded for her to continue. Even though the last mission she led had been a failure… she looked to be rising to the occasion now. She was the most level-headed out of the three of us, and therefore had the right to lead.

Bolstered by our support, she scanned the sea of Creepers, looking for a weak point. Something to capitalize upon. Her eyes swept across before tracing the source of the Creepers to a valley between two mountains to our right. Creepers flowed freely from there without signs of stopping.

"We can't stop the Creepers surrounding Ringwood." Cara deduced, ignoring our signs of protest. "They're already in the Kingdom or surrounding it. We can't change that. So we'll leave it to the guards to handle. What we _can_ do," she gestured to the valley to the right, "is bottle-neck the source. There's no telling how many Creepers the cult stored in the mountains. But I'm betting they don't want us to block their way."

"Which is why we should be doing just that." Soul smirked. "I like the sound of that."

"How are we going to block them though?" I asked while peering at the valley. "Even if it's between the mountains, that space isn't small. It's probably a mile wide."

It was Cara who smirked this time. "Have you forgotten you're talking to a professional arsonist here?" She asked while brandishing a flint and steel. "I'd love to see those Creepers try and cross the swathe of flames I have planned."

"Setting fire? In a forest?" I asked skeptically. "Is that really the best plan you have?"

"The fire won't spread." She assured with a wave.

"How do you figure that?"

"Because I'm going to burn the other trees before the fire can spread to them."

"…Is that really the best plan you have?"

Soul just shrugged. "Hey, if the Endward Cult is somewhere nearby coaxing those Creepers, maybe burning the forest down isn't such a bad idea."

"I'm pretty sure the 'when in doubt, arson' plan won't work in this situation!"

She rolled her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, but it only _sounds_ worse than it actually is. I'm going for a backfire."

"Well no problem there because I can imagine this plan backfiring pretty easily."

"Backfire as in setting one fire to burn into the other one." Cara clarified. "Fire can't burn what's already burned."

"…You can do that!?" I shouted in surprise. That actually sounded pretty damn cool. And here I thought fighting fire with fire resulted in bigger fires.

"Not on my own." She rummaged in her backpack and tossed Soul a spare flint and steel. "I need both of you to set fires at certain points and try to create gaps in the trees. We need to keep the fire as contained to that valley as possible. Otherwise we might make Ringwood's situation worse."

I nodded at her reasoning and pulled out my weakened flint and steel. "I can probably make some gaps in the trees with my leftover TNT. It'll be a lot more useful than what I brought it for." I mumbled the last bit to myself, but Cara wasn't listening. She was too busy talking to Soul.

"I'll take the side furthest away. I'll have to run across, but I'm the only one—"

"You're _not_ crossing that herd of Creepers." Soul argued. "It's just like you said, it'd be suicide. And if the Endward Cult catches you…"

" _Someone_ has to run across to get in position! If we just burn one side, the Creepers will break off to the east and then circle back. It has to be me."

Soul scowled at the arsonist's words, but couldn't find a way to talk her out of it. She was committed. "…Fine. You still have Brett's map on you?" Cara answered by holding up the aforementioned paper with the white blips. "Good. I'll stay with Cobb since he has the other one. Just point out where you want us to light fires and make gaps and we'll do it, but… but _please_ be careful."

Cara smirked. "What? Don't think I'm tough enough to handle a few Creepers and some cultists?"

Soul's expression softened. "I've seen what you can bounce back from. You're tougher than the whole Silver Intent combined. I… I just don't want you to meet something tougher than that. It's… it's scary… fighting someone stronger…"

The pointed look he gave Cara and the way she reacted made me think they were remembering the Lieutenant from Nitebane. The same one that killed Floyd. _Teal_.

And with that came the very real possibility that another Lieutenant was spearheading the Creeper attack now. That we might actually have to face one.

That was their biggest worry too. It was scary… thinking that things might go bad the same way they did before. The outpost had nearly killed me and now I was prepared to impede a gaggle of Creepers.

But my friends were in danger. All of Ringwood was in danger. If nothing else, we would at least be buying them a little more time to deal with the explosive Mobs.

And that was a plan I could get behind.

 _I just hope Lenz and the others are okay._

* * *

[Lenz]

"Great merciful hoppers!" I shouted in alarm as I saw the sea of Creepers approach from out of the destroyed rubble of the eastern toll gate. Someone must have triggered a handful of them at once to make a hole that big.

The guards stationed there were either knocked out, stunned, or in full retreat after witnessing the sheer amount of Mobs pouring into the Kingdom. Several of them were injured badly, unable to escape the surge of suicidal Creepers. They screamed for help and barely clawed away before the Creepers descended upon them. One or two would start flashing white, prompting the other Creepers to scamper off, and then…

*BOOM*

*BOOM* *BOOM*

Explosions ripped apart the earth, killing guards and citizens alike, and widening the wall's breach even further. The Creepers kept fanning out as well, making it impossible to keep track of them all. They were wandering past fences and trotting across farmland, their faces split into sickly frowns, as they searched for their next victims.

"Oh, Notch no…" Erin whispered, horrified at the sight before her. "We… we need to go, Lenz…" She whimpered, tugging my hand as hard as she could manage amidst the chaos. People were running past us with reckless abandon, buffeting us aside in their haste to live. "We… we need to get h-help…"

 _…_ _Help._

 _Help?_

That was the word I never considered before. Whenever people called for help, I was the last person expected to do anything. I mean, why would I be? I was a redstone nerd. It was always the stronger people before…

"Help!" I vaguely heard someone cry out and my eyes followed to a guard supporting a limping Crafter while wildly swinging a sword to keep the Creepers away. It was a last-ditch defense, only permitting the pair to retreat without killing any Creepers. And they were soon to be backed against a fence.

"Somebody help us!" The injured Crafter cried out again, looking around for someone… _anyone_!

That was right. I _was_ a redstone nerd.

But I was also an archer.

Without even thinking about it, I whipped out my bow and shot two of the Creepers advancing upon the guard and the limping Crafter. The Creepers died in a shower of gunpowder and allowed the pair more room to breathe. The limping Crafter shot me a grateful look and it was then that I moved my legs.

"Lenz!" Erin cried out as I pulled her along with me. "Lenz, what are you doing!?"

"I am helping." I answered back without looking at her as I switched my tinted glasses for my tinted goggles. I let loose three more arrows at the advancing Creepers, keeping them away from the pair, before placing some cobblestone beside a fence to enable me to clamber over it. "Get over the fence!" I shouted in what I hoped was a confident tone towards the pair of Crafters.

They looked behind them as if noticing the fence for the first time and quickly followed my instructions. The injured one dug out some gravel and replaced it at the base of the fence while the guard helped them both up and over before breaking the gravel with their boot.

The Creepers pressed up against the fence, but lacked the capabilities of breaking it without someone to trigger them. Erin and I ran over to the pair of Crafters and watched as the Mobs pressed in against the fence, their soulless eyes and saddened mouths pointed at us in every direction.

"Thanks for the save." The injured Crafter grimaced as he leaned down to touch his leg. "I don't suppose any of you have a Potion of Healing?"

Both Erin and I shook our heads, though Erin was kind enough to share some food with the man. I looked around the fenced-in farmland, scanning it for breaches. My eyes narrowed upon spotting a gap made by the initial Mob explosions near the wall. Creepers were already trudging in, though they had not spotted us yet. "We need to get out of here."

"Where are we supposed to go?" I flinched as four more Crafters approached us, apparently having copied our strategy to avoid the Mobs. They were slightly out of breath, but were looking to us for assurance or safety.

Though why were their gazes directed at me? Come to think of it, why was everyone looking at me!? Could they not see that there was a guard who would surely have more experience in such a situation than I? All I said was jump over the fence!

"We need to… to get indoors." The guard reasoned slowly as if remembering some safety protocol for such emergencies. "Creepers can't open doors. We just need to stay away from them."

That sounded like a reasonable strategy, but one of the new Crafters had an argument ready. "Even if we find shelter, what then? These Creepers won't clear themselves out! We'll run out of food long before they die. I say we get out of this Kingdom as fast as friggen possible!"

"In case you haven't noticed, we're on a farm." The guard argued back, looking disgusted that the Crafter would even think about fleeing the Kingdom, leaving tens of thousands to die. "We can grow wheat for days, but we can't make a break for an exit when there's half-a-million Creepers in the way."

"Um… excuse me…" I spoke up, noticing the Creepers finding their way into our fenced in farm and making their way towards us. "We might want to move—"

"Have you ever considered I don't want to eat bread twenty-four seven?" The Crafter continued, not having heard me. "All those carbs will make me fat!"

"You're arguing about a little body weight?" The guard countered incredulously. "What do you do when a Hacker invades? Swap beauty tips?"

"Er… fellows?" I tried again urgently. The Creepers were getting closer and their argument was getting nowhere.

"I'll have you know I'm a gorgeous eight-and-a-half out of ten! My beauty tips are infallible! Not that they would help you in the slightest." The Crafter eyed the guard disdainfully. "Please tell me your atrocious horse-kicked-you-in-the-face look is not on purpose, and merely the result of a horse kicking you in the face."

"I'll have _you_ know that my wife _loves_ this face!"

"That's not what she said in bed last night…"

" _Why you…!_ "

"Fellows!" I exclaimed, startling the two out of their argument and directing them towards the Creepers trampling crops to get at us. I loaded my bow with arrows and shot into the herd again and again. But for every one I forced back, twenty more advanced. They were too spread out; I needed to narrow them more.

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream filled the air before it was cut-off in a series of explosions. My head whipped back as I saw the fences behind us give way and more Creepers pour forth. The whole farmland was filling up with Mobs faster than a chest attached to a hopper.

"We're surrounded!" One of the Crafters shouted, backing up towards the farmhouse and water tower.

The water tower!

"Climb!" I shouted, waving towards the wooden water tower. "Quickly!"

As the six Crafters and Erin scrambled towards the water tower, I kept shooting arrows into the herd, thinning out as many of them as I could. None of the others could help without a long-distance weapon like my bow. They would have only blown themselves up.

By the time Erin and the others reached the base of the tower, the Creepers pouring in from both sides of the fence had merged into a united front, cornering us towards the farmhouse. My arrows kept flying, killing Creepers occasionally, but doing nothing to stem the herd.

On my latest shot, I heard the familiar, soul-crushing _snap_ of my bow breaking. The durability had run out.

"Repeaters!" I cursed as I dug in my backpack for some bow materials. The sticks and string were barely at my fingertips before I realized how close the Creepers were. Two of them were already in front of me, flashing white.

I jumped back and covered myself as best I could before the explosion blew me off my feet and into the dirt and crops. The farmlands' wheat collapsed under my weight, filling my Inventory or scattering about. Even through the pain of the explosion, I knew I had to keep moving. The pain was proof I was still alive.

I got onto my hands and knees and began crawling towards the water tower. It was pointless to check my Health; if a single Creeper exploded right on top of me I would be dead.

The water tower was only a few meters away. The ladder was in sight. It was so close…

But the Creepers were closer.

I heard the tell-tale hissing before I rolled myself over and backed away by the heels of my hands, helpless. If I had a bow I could have shot the thing. Instead, all I could do was watch as it flashed white, ready to explode and kill me…

Just when I thought I was going to that great big redstone convention in the sky, a dozen eggs sprayed down upon the Creepers near me, sending the flashing one back just enough for it to explode without outright killing me.

I was still blasted off the ground, however, and sent surging into the ladder. I impacted it roughly and already started to slide down before I threw out an arm and caught a rung by my elbow, nearly breaking my arm in the process.

"Hurry, Lenz!" Erin cried from above before throwing down another volley of eggs at the approaching Creepers. The other Crafters were with her, looking fearfully down below, and as unhelpful as ever.

"Don't let them get close to you!" One of them warned as if it already was not obvious.

I climbed as fast as I could, clinging to the ladder for dear life. Below, the Creepers pooled around the tower's foundations and I prayed to Jeb that they could not climb.

Once I neared the top, I was helped up by the other Crafters. The roof of the water tower was slanted, making it incredibly difficult to stand on, but the eight of us somehow managed to fit without buffeting anyone off. We huddled together, watching the sea of Creepers that surrounded us.

"Great plan…" One of the Crafters muttered sarcastically. "Climb the water tower… well we're set now, aren't we?"

His words made everyone realize the present situation. Stranded atop a tower in the midst of a crisis. We had nowhere to run unless someone rescued us. And who knew how long that would take.

"We did not have a choice." I commented, placing my Crafting Table down now that I had the time and crafting a bow. "We would have died if we stayed down there."

"Well now we're gonna die up here!" The same Crafter panicked, staring around wide-eyed. "Look at us! We're screwed! Doomed to starve up here!"

"We'll think of something." The guard assured, though he himself did not sound so confident. "We can… we can build a sky bridge…"

"Oh yeah?" The panicked Crafter asked skeptically, a note of hysteria in his voice. "You happen to have a ton of building materials on you? Because otherwise there's no way we'll reach the wall _or_ the plateau."

While the group bickered, I was busy thinking, laying some of my Inventory on the table. My tinted goggles were fixed over my eyes, showing that I was putting the utmost focus into my actions.

 _I have redstone... TNT… some odds and ends… my bow… what can I make with that?_

If I had some slime blocks, I could probably make one of those self-pushing platforms. I had never made one before, but I grasped the concept well enough. It was used in the monorails of Daymonte. A piston would push or pull a slime block, which would then stick and push adjacent blocks, before resetting and repeating, creating a moving platform.

But of course, I did not have any slime blocks. Most of them I had used in fixing the outhouse.

The sky bridge the guard had suggested was an option. It only required building block after block, precariously, so that someone could make a floating surface. It was very dangerous though. The fall was just as deadly as the Creepers. One wrong move and you could slip off. We would have to dismantle the bridge behind us as we built it just to have enough resources to get anywhere. And if we failed to grab the blocks as we broke them, we would end up stranded in the sky.

A cobblestone generator would be more pragmatic, utilizing flowing lava and cooling water to make an infinite source of building materials. Of course, I would need lava and water…

 _…_ _Water._

We were standing on a water tower, after all. Maybe… maybe there was a way to use that with the TNT.

"I… I may have an idea…" I began tentatively, looking at the Crafters gathered before me. "I think I can get us all out of here alive. But I need you all to listen and do exactly as I say."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 19 Steak, 31 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 63 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 36 Redstone, 64 TNT, 64 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 27 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

* * *

 **AN: Not much happening. Just setup really.**

 **Leave a review, fav, follow, or what have you.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 4)

"Sounds like it's kicking off." Anibal grinned as shouts, clashing swords, and other similar noises of warfare reached her ears. Kalmarin_the_Prophet was doing his job well.

"Which means it's time for us to move." Carys spoke in a commanding tone. She already had her Wither Skeleton mask on, signaling the rest of her covert band to follow suit. From within backpacks and belts, every accompanying Paragon withdrew Mob Heads or the Heads of fallen Crafters to conceal both their faces and their names. Carys had been explicit with that order. No one was ever to know that the Paragons had a hand in Overshadow.

There wasn't much room to move around while perched on the side of Nitebane's cliffs, but it was the only way to enter Lunar Castle undetected. Kalmarin had all of the Griefers' attention on him, allowing Carys and the others to handle their part of the plan.

Anibal covered herself with a Skeleton Head, making sure her dark hair was tucked in. Z7 was motionless only for a moment before she donned her disguise: the Head of a fallen Crafter. It fit rather tightly on her head, most of the space being taken up by her voluminous purple hair.

Anibal and Z7's respective teams did the same, and, after checking their disguises, pulled out shiny ender pearls from their backpacks.

Carys already had her pearl drawn and reared her arm back to throw it across the cliffs towards Lunar Castle. The target was the wall above the ramparts.

She narrowed her eyes, judging the distance as best she could, comparing it to the hundreds of times she threw an ender pearl in the past, all in an instant.

Then, she let it go.

The other Paragons did the same, causing over a hundred ender pearls to soar across the night like sparkling meteorites.

Seconds before it hit, Carys pulled out her new scythe and held it before her, ready to strike down. Anibal had her Sharpness V, Looting III Diamond sword and Z7 had her daggers held loosely.

The next instant, Carys vanished in a warping sound that sent her hurtling through space to appear at the castle's battlements. Her pearl struck true, materializing her along the side of a wall, where gravity was quick to take hold. Below her, she could spot a dozen Griefers crowding along the side to glimpse Kalmarin's distraction.

As she fell along the wall, she angled herself and kicked off, hurtling herself towards the unsuspecting Griefers. Her scythe was already poised to carve into them, the diamond edge shimmering in the moonlight.

With a swift swing, her scythe sliced into seven of them. They cried out in pain while the others cried out in alarm at the sight of a female Crafter concealed by a dark skull mask that could only be...

"The Angel of Dea—!?"

That was all he managed to scream before Carys' scythe tore across his neck, both silencing him and sending him over the towering battlements where the fall would surely finish the job. A few other Griefers saved her the trouble by leaping off themselves, certain that the fall would be more merciful than her.

They were right.

Thankfully, not all of the Griefers were as cowardly. A few had begun to draw swords and bows, looking terrified yet determined.

A few seconds against the Angel could change that easily enough.

As one of the Griefers raised their sword to attack, Carys swept at his feet before bringing the scythe down on his head. He was stunned enough for her to shift her attention to the arrows coming in on both sides. She rolled beneath them before jumping back up to crack the handle of her weapon on the nearest skull. She jabbed her scythe into another attacker's gut before pulling back and spinning with her scythe held out as far as she could manage. The diamond-edged whirlwind of her attack batted aside swords and bows and stymied the Griefers.

It was no great accomplishment, however. Griefers were unskilled, focusing most of their time on watching others suffer. They were only ever a threat when they banded together or behind a Hacker. But facing only a dozen?

She wasn't even breaking a sweat. Even while testing her new weapon out.

Again and again the Griefers fell. Some tried to escape, only to encounter the other recently teleported Paragons who were watching from the sidelines. Anibal spat out a laugh as her sword sheared into a Griefer, killing him. Her team, Gamma, was doing just as well to the fleeing and newly arriving Griefers.

None of them could be allowed to live.

Out of the corner of her eye, Carys spotted a female Griefer watch from the battlements in horror as her fellow Griefers were slain. She saw her frightened eyes through her mask and watched as the Griefer backed away in terror before turning on her heel.

Carys was about to pursue when a few small projectiles shot past her face. The next instant, she saw two iron daggers bury themselves in the fleeing Griefer's calves, causing the girl to stumble over in pain. She clutched at her legs, but the next second, her head was pulled back by Z7, who yanked one of the daggers out of her target's calf and sliced it across her throat.

She never even saw the assassin's face.

Z7 picked up her other dagger and darted down a ladder out of sight, with the rest of her team, Epsilon, following. Anibal took her team through a door leading deeper into the castle. Carys decided following them would be the quickest means of locating the throne room.

They were inside now. Inside Lunar Castle. Now it was only a matter of clearing it out…

And finding the Hackers hidden somewhere within.

* * *

 **AN: Is Carys ready to take on the Hackers?**


	79. Natural Enemies

**AN: Hello again.**

 **It's been a while...**

 **...**

 **Yeah...**

 **I'm not sure if anyone wants to hear me make excuses for why I haven't been publishing... But if you _do_ , read below. If not, skip right past the disclaimer.**

 **...**

 **This month just has been unusually stressful and distracting. The current Arc I'm writing wasn't as planned out as I wanted it to be. The interactions and scenes weren't as good as I wanted them to be compared with the next Arc which will have _so_ many good scenes and events.**

 **And I just don't have the time. I work on the weekdays, Sunday I'm occupied, and Saturday I'm playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Now, some of you may argue a video game is _not_ a valid excuse for not publishing a chapter... but I would then make the _counterargument_ that Breath of the Wild is _more_ than just a mortal video game. And the Nintendo Switch is a tool crafted by the gaming gods, _for_ the gaming gods. (You can plug it into a TV AND play with it in the car!? Shut up and take my money!)**

 **But, besides that, yeah, I prioritize work that earns valuable money rather than this story I started for fun. I enjoy your reviews and am amazed at how many people enjoy the story, but I can't devote all my time to it. And I'm not -ing this because the quality isn't worthmore than the elegant tales other authors are weaving.**

 **I'm still typing this story, make no mistake, and I'm sorry I haven't been making many Chapters. The only reason I'm pushing myself to publish this today is that I refuse to have a month where I've only published one Chapter.**

 **It may be an empty promise, but once I have the planning for next Arc more organized, I will publish _five_ Chapters in one week to make up for the lack of content. Don't quote me on that.**

 **Congrats to colesate for getting last w - _Chapter's_ riddle correct. The answer: History! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd have blank maps be made out of just paper.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 79

 **Natural Enemies**

[Cobb]

*Crick*

"Cheap-ass flint and steel! Bah!" I shouted as I threw my hands up in the air. My one and only fire-starting tool had just disintegrated. I probably should have felt lucky it had lasted me so long; I couldn't even remember when I had crafted it.

Soul and I were following Cara's parting instructions to the letter, burning specific spots and chopping trees down in the valley that made up the mountain pass. The same one Creepers were still streaming through to Ringwood.

Cara had claimed it would cut off the other half of the Creeper gaggle, but the results we were getting weren't promising. Although the fires we were starting were contained and focused, and they succeeded in burning the explosive Mobs or otherwise forcing them to move east, it didn't completely stop them from moving north.

From across the treetops, we spotted several billowing fires that just had to be Cara's work. One look at my map and the frantically moving white blip verified her location. She was working a lot faster than us, but, according to Soul, she was a professional arsonist and this was nowhere near the level of _fire_ power she was capable of.

I wanted to punch him for that deliberately bad pun, even if it was unintentional, and I would've too… if I wasn't sure he'd punch me in the face afterwards.

Anyway Cara's fires were pushing the Mobs west and we were trying our best to bottleneck the Mobs, but it was a slow-going process. There were only three of us covering a mile-wide pass. It might have been different if we started a fire right in the middle and let it spread to the sides… but that would require leaping into the heart of that Creeper gaggle. We'd have to wait for them to thin out.

"Ugh. Soul! Got an iron ingot?" I couldn't make a flint and steel without one.

"I did… before I made this compass." He deadpanned, holding up the direction-bearing metal device. "Or this axe. Or this chestplate—"

"Ugh, that's just terrific…" I groaned into my hand. "Can I make fires any other way? Like rubbing two sticks together or…" I trailed off, but Soul just shook his head.

"I don't know. Cara once told me about an item called a [FIRE CHARGE], but I have no idea how to craft one."

"…Guess that means I'm on tree-chopping duty—Oh!" Soul had just tossed me his flint and steel. "Uh… thanks."

"Don't mention it." Soul replied with a shrug. "If anyone should be on tree-chopping duty, it should be me." He swung his axe as if to bolster his point.

I chuckled. "Yeah, well, if you ever need someone for fishing rod-distraction duty, I'm your guy."

"Sounds like a pretty niche field." He chuckled back.

We continued to work in silence, overcome with the tenseness of the situation. We were trying to save lives. I understood how important that was.

But… but I kept thinking about Wynn and Lenz. Wynn was a Captain and Lenz had already proved himself in Halstatt. But against this… what if they weren't strong enough.

"You thinking about your friends?"

I turned my attention away from the latest burning oak to look at the axe-wielder. He wasn't paying attention with his eyes, focusing most of his efforts on thinning the dense brush, but his ears were perked in my direction.

"Aren't you?" I replied.

He shook his head. "Most of my friends are either dead or out here with me. If it weren't for Cara I think I'd be completely indifferent to all this."

His words were simultaneously the saddest and most callous thing I have ever heard. "You mean Ringwood and its citizens don't matter to you?"

"I hate the Endward Cult more than I love the billion or so Crafters I've never shared a conversation with." He answered curtly. "A hero would, but a hero I am not. Maybe if it was someone I got to know…" He paused a moment, thinking back, only to dismiss a thought with a shake of his head. "Nah. I'm just doing this to stop the cult. I'm sure even the infamous 'Angel of Death' cared less about the people she was saving than she did the harm she was inflicting on those black-capped bastards."

His words almost made me drop my flint and steel. A cold sense of dread began to permeate my chest. "The… Angel of Death, you say?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me you've never heard of her."

"No, no I'm…" I paled a bit, remembering a dark-haired woman with blood-red eyes. "I've definitely heard of her. Just… uh… not her accomplishments."

Soul huffed in annoyance, as if the idea of not knowing who she was was a crime. "She's a total badass. Strong. Feared. Intimidating."

"Rides a pig."

"Rides a… don't make stuff up." Soul scowled, thinking I was joking. "She's declared war on the Endward Cult ever since she and her Paragons attacked their Southern Division."

"…I see."

"Her identity is a mystery, but her guild is one of the three most powerful factions in all of Minecraftia. I hear all of them are expertly trained and outfitted with rare gear and enchantments. Acceptance into such a guild is next to impossible. Nobody's closer to finishing off the cult than her."

"…I see."

 _Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!_

Brain: _Angel of Death? Hmm… Hey, wasn't that what Carys kept calling herself when she was trying to kill us?_

 _Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!_

Brain: _Oh… Ooooh… Ooooooooooh, yeah, we fucked up there._

Yes. Carys_Angel. The most un-angelic, terrifying, crap-my-pants scary Crafter I've ever seen. The same one who had tried to kill me for accidentally killing and eating her pet pig in front of her.

The same woman who Floyd threw into lava, dead. The same woman who was a wanted criminal in Ringwood.

And apparently… the same woman who led a guild of super-powerful, and probably equally-scary, Crafters against the Endward Cult.

Brain: _Yeah, we reeeeally fucked up there._

That was putting it nicely. She wasn't just a psychotic woman hell-bent on revenge… she was a psychotic woman hell-bent on revenge against the Endward Cult. This was that thing called a double-standard. It was bad when she was coming after Floyd and me, but perfectly reasonable for her to slaughter cultists.

But by killing her… hadn't we inadvertently aided the cult? If she was their greatest enemy, and we killed her… didn't that make us the cult's allies, in a way?

It wasn't intentional, but like it or not, we forced Minecraftia to take a huge step backward in its war against the Endward Cult.

 _Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu—_

"Oi! Cobb! Quit getting distracted, you're lighting yourself on fire there."

 _—_ _uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!_

I didn't even bother to notice the flames burning my skin; Too lost was I in cursing fate and for following my base instinct of hunger all those years ago when it was just me and a deadly woman's pet pig. Fuck! Fuck! _Fuck!_

Heart: _Cobb, it's… it's not as bad as it sounds—_

 _Don't sugarcoat it you patronizing organ! I fucked up! Oh, Notch, did I fuck up! I helped a group of murderers by taking out their most vicious enemy! This… this is… there's not a word for how bad this—PLUTONIC! I'm using it! This is fucking plutonic times infinity!_

Brain: _…Told you it'd catch on._

 _And the worst part is how?_ How _was I able to do that? How could I do what an entire Division of cultists couldn't… and not even realize until now the weight of such an act!? Why, if I had known who she was at the time—_

Stomach: _You would have let her live?_

 _No! Carys was trying to kill us! I still wouldn't have saved her, but damn, I would have felt a little guiltier about it! Maybe I would have thought twice. I'm practically a bad guy now!_

Bladder: _Does this mean we get a volcano lair and get to sit in a revolving chair with a contemptuous cat in our lap?_

 _Sure! Bust out the eye patch too while you're at it, because I'm the worst kind of scum!_

"But anyway, I didn't mean to bring up the Angel of Death." Soul continued through my mental self-berating. "I meant to tell you your friends are fine. You've got nothing to worry about."

I frowned at the axe-wielder wondering how he could suggest such a thing. Was he just trying to calm me down by lying? "How can you be so sure? There's a gaggle of Creepers at those gates and more are swarming the Kingdom as we speak. Why shouldn't I be worried?"

"Well," Soul began carefully, "from what Cara told me, your friends were pretty worried about you when you went off to destroy that outpost. Sounded like they were terrified to think you might get yourself killed." All at once, my irritation turned to shame. I had thought not telling them would have been easier for them. At least then, they wouldn't have to grieve for Floyd like me. They didn't have to waste their time fretting over my supposed emotional stability.

I saw that I had been wrong.

"They were terrified for you, just like you're terrified for them." Soul continued, using his axe to topple another tree. "But you were fine. You didn't get killed. So I'm betting your friends will come out fine too. Just like you."

"Just because I got lucky doesn't mean they will." I shot back, glancing towards the Kingdom and feeling my nerves rattle with every distant explosion. "They're not me."

"All the more reason they'll be fine." Soul graced me with a rare smile. "They don't have the level of stupidity you have." He let out a bark of laughter at my annoyed face. "Don't worry about them. They're your friends, right? If they've been with you for so long, they probably learned how to pull solutions out of their ass."

"…Floyd didn't."

Soul's smile fell from his face, making me instantly regret bringing it up. I was about to apologize, but the axe-wielder beat me to it.

"I'm… I'm sorry about Floyd." He spoke softly. "If I had been nicer to him... if I had forgiven him… maybe he would have never needed to be with us that day."

"So why didn't you forgive him?"

"I was stupid, alright." Soul sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just lost Silent and… and I was angry at my own weakness, but it was easier to blame Floyd for his cowardice just like you blamed Cara for her bad leadership. I guess… in the end, neither of us wanted to blame ourselves."

I paused in burning a tall oak to focus on the sullen axe-wielder, looking lost and alone. His name did him justice: Lost_Soul.

"Well then," I shrugged, "I guess we're both stupid like that."

Soul let out a chuckle. "Yeah. Between us half-wits, we can just about make one whole-wit." He paused in his tree destroying to turn towards me. "Hey…"

"Yeah?"

"…No matter what happens… I've got your back out here."

I stared at the axe-wielder unflinchingly before slowly nodding. "Same here."

"Good!" He broke off awkwardly, turning aside so that I wouldn't see his flush face. "Just wanted to throw that out there." He mumbled while furiously resuming his work.

Oddly enough, his tough façade and the effort he put in to maintain it… made his words more genuine. He was telling the truth.

We were once rivals, each of us with two different ideologies. He knew of loss and acted mercilessly towards his enemies, sparing none. I was sheltered and saved by the kindness of others and acted out of mercy.

We both had a friend we wanted to draw to our own side through force or choice. But in our metaphorical tug-of-war, we tore Floyd apart. And now he was…

…

But we had both changed.

Lost_Soul could control his anger and grudge against the cult, at least too an extent. And I… I learned how to Creeper Flail! Oh—and—something about not running off by myself… maybe. Alright, as painful as it was to admit… I really was useless on my own.

Losing Floyd had been so painful… even more painful than cracking my head on that cliff or taking on those cultists. But fighting on my own achieved nothing. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

So either I go alone and die, or I bring my friends with me and feel worse than dead should one of them die.

Heads, you're screwed. Tails, you're fucked.

And now, here I was with Soul. A Crafter who had my back. Did that make us friends? I didn't like the idea of him dying so I guess that was as close as I could get, at least without knowing more about him.

A small smile grew across my face. _I guess I could give it a try. Floyd would want that…_

*Meow*

I stood straight and whipped my head around, scanning for the source of the noise. Soul did the same, his axe at the ready. Our talking had made us forget that there could be enemies in the forest. Mobs, cultists, deadly…

My gaze slid down the base of a tree before stopping at a lazy tail swaying in the air.

*Meow*

It was a… cat.

"Christ, scared the piss out of me." Soul grimaced as he relaxed his shoulders. It was a black and white feline with green eyes. It rubbed itself innocently along the tree before padding towards us.

I tried to relax my own shoulders, but there was something niggling in the back of my mind. "What's a cat doing out here?" I asked the axe-wielder who was paying the creature no mind.

"Beats me." Soul shrugged, hacking away at a stalwart oak. "They're animals like cows and pigs. Maybe they just spawn naturally. Anyway, if you have time to look at animals, you have time to burn down forests." He paused mid-swing. "Never thought I'd say that."

Soul was right. We had Creepers to stop. But there was just something about the cat that struck me as odd. I didn't want to turn my back to it.

I watched the feline pad over towards Soul. It made it about halfway before it suddenly stopped and sat down. Its eyes were attentive, staring at something I couldn't see. Maybe there were mice in Minecraftia?

Though… if that were the case… why was its stare angled up instead of towards the underbrush. Wouldn't it have flattened out if it was hunting something? Come to think of it, no prey would fail to see a cat sitting in the middle of a freshly cut clearing.

I didn't like the way it was staring towards Soul.

"…Have you ever seen a cat in a forest?" I asked, subconsciously taking a few steps towards the busy Crafter. I was trying to get between him and the cat.

"No." He grunted, clearly annoyed by the distraction. "I haven't. Hey, why don't you hold off on all your cat-related questions until _after_ we've averted a crisis!"

I knew he was right. But… No matter how much I wanted to disregard the feline, the sight of it staring unblinkingly towards Soul had my hackles raised.

Maybe it was nothing though. Maybe I was just allergic to cats. I never had a chance to see any up close.

Unless you counted the time earlier today. When I saw that procession of cats being led around by culti—

My eyes widened just as a razor-sharp sword suddenly appeared out of thin air, suspended, and poised to strike. The cat was staring directly at the blade before it came down towards Soul's exposed back.

I was already running at him before I could cry out a warning.

"Oof!" He grunted as I tackled him out of the way. Behind me I heard the blade crash uselessly into the ground. "Cobb!? What the hell are you doing!?"

"Sword!" I cried out, doing a poor job of explaining the issue. I looked over my shoulder, just in time to see a flicker of the sword before it vanished into the same thin air it came from. "There's an invisible enemy!"

I rolled off the axe-wielder and pulled out my golden sword. My eyes flickered across the clearing, catching burning embers or splotches of Creeper greens. But no sign of our attacker.

"Are you sure?" Soul asked, arming himself with his axe. His eyes were diligently scanning just as mine were.

"I know what I saw." My head twitched as I heard a faint rustling from my left. Instinctively, I slashed left, only to whiff completely. Then, before I could I could return to my defensive stance, a sword materialized right in front of me and slashed me across the torso.

"Cobb!" Soul shouted, all doubts vanquished upon spotting an iron sword hovering in the air. He leapt forward and brought his axe crashing down where the sword had been hovering only to break a dirt block and nothing more. The sword was gone again.

"Gah!" Soul exclaimed when the sword reappeared, slicing towards his face. His iron helmet deflected the worse of it, but he still took damage. He twisted his axe into his trademark reverse grip before hacking wildly through the air around him. It was pointless. I could almost see the attacker taking a full step back to watch Soul tire himself out before countering. The attacker did just that, shearing a large portion of Health from Soul's knee.

He let out a frustrated groan. "This tactical shit's getting _really_ old!"

"It's got to be the Endward Cult." I grunted as I got up and stood back-to-back with Soul. "They were leading cats down from Mt. Mur."

"So that black cat is Mr. Invisi-dick's, eh?" Soul grumbled as he furiously scanned the clearing. "Damnit, we don't have time for this!"

He was right. Cara was counting on us for her backfire. We had to stop the Creepers… so it made sense that the cultists had to stop _us_.

But fighting an invisible enemy… no wonder Spark had no trouble ambushing those cultists. It was impossible to tell where the attacker was. The sword was still visible, but only when the attacker pulled it out. Other items would probably have a similar effect. Armor too. Hadn't Spark taken off my armor first thing before making me invisible?

Maybe we could use that.

"Soul, I got an idea." I muttered under my breath as I reached into my backpack and pulled out a handful of emeralds. "Get your axe ready."

Soul seemed perplexed, but he nodded along, raising his axe to attack.

"Ready… NOW!"

I tossed the fistful of emeralds into the air like confetti, scattering them around us. One or two made their way back into my Inventory, a few fell into Soul's…

And three of them were sucked into thin air before they were suddenly suspended in the Invisible attacker's hand.

"There!" I pointed towards the hovering emerald long enough for Soul to dart around me in a heavy two-handed slash. Soul let out a roar of triumph.

But the attacker was a step ahead. The emerald was there for a second before suddenly vanishing, losing the axe-wielder his target. With nothing to make contact with, all the force he put into his swing spun him around and threw him off balance.

The attacker took the opportunity to punish Soul's mistake, and the sword appeared for a second before crashing into Soul's back. The axe-wielder was then kicked or punched (I couldn't tell) towards me where we both collapsed onto the ground. When I finally managed to push Soul off of me, the sword was gone yet again.

"We're fighting more than one guy, right?" Soul groaned, using his axe to push himself up. "Otherwise I don't think my pride can survive this."

"I don't think _we're_ going to survive this." My head whipped around, nervously taking in the seemingly harmless forest. So much for the Filled Inventory Plan. The attacker must have had experience (and the backpack space) to switch out held items. He probably kept watch on how many empty slots he had at all times. If he ever got too full, he could easily retreat behind a tree and dump it before returning with a vengeance.

The good news was he couldn't wear armor without giving up his Invisibility advantage. He also couldn't hold his weapon at all times, just before he was ready to strike. Meanwhile, we had armor and could take hits… but not forever.

"Gah! This is so _frustrating_!" Soul cursed as he started to raise his voice. "Hey, Invisi-bitch!" He practically howled. "Show yourself! Fight me fair and square! None of this cowardly shit!"

 _Yeah, right. Like he's going to respond to tha—huh?_

Up ahead, next to the patiently waiting cat, the iron sword materialized again and pointed towards us.

"The Endward Cult isn't here to fight fair." A deep voice drawled from the sword's position. "Why do you think we're getting Creepers to fight our battles? So long as there are Crafters clinging to life, the Endward Cult will do whatever it takes to liberate them. And right now, 'whatever it takes' is killing meddlesome fools like you!"

And just like that, the sword vanished, leaving behind a deadly silence. I felt anxious, every nerve in my body awaiting an attack like millions of coiled springs. My mind was whirring with thoughts of where the attacker was coming from next.

There was a soft rustle from the right. Then a soft rustle from the left. They could have been nothing. They could have been something. My breathing was picking up in uneven gasps. I was hyperventilating.

How much time even passed? A minute? Two minutes? Why wasn't the guy attacking? Why was everything so quiet when inside my nerves were _screaming_ for me to run away?

Brain: _Run, bitch!_

It was getting maddening. I wished the guy would just do something already! It was better than all the waiting!

 _Smack!_

I staggered as I felt something slap me in the face. It stung, but it wasn't the invisible cultist's sword.

It was Soul who had done it. "Calm down, Cobb. You're freaking yourself out." I rubbed the spot on my face while looking back at him. "This Invisi-bastard _wants_ us to panic. So take a deep breath real quick and get back up. Ugh!"

Soul winced as a sword appeared and slashed him across the forearm. He ignored the pain, however, and threw a hand out to grab the unseen cultist. His hand fumbled on something, but whatever it was swatted his hand aside before the sword too vanished from sight.

"You got to help me, Cobb." Soul groaned while rubbing his damaged arm. "Didn't you say you'd cover my back? Then get off your ass and cover it."

 _…_ _Damnit._

I followed the axe-wielder's advice and took a deep breath before getting to my feet. My golden sword was held before me and I was staring down the surroundings while my mind worked furiously in figuring a way around this enemy.

Soul was the same way with his back pressed against mine. "I have experience with potions. They have a time limit." He whispered under his breath. "We just need to wait the Invisi-bastard out."

"How long are you going to incorporate 'Invisi' into your insults?"

"However long it Invisi-takes."

"By the by," the cultist's voice drawled, echoing across the forest. "If you're hoping to wait me out, you'll have to wait a while. I'm stocked with seven more Potions of Invisibility… Visi-bitches."

"It's bad enough he's trying to kill us, but now he's stealing my clever insults!? I'll kill him!" Soul raged, downing a Potion of Strength before randomly swinging his axe in the direction the voice had come from.

 _What is he doing?_ I wondered, watching the axe-wielder's rage. _He must know that won't work._

I was distracted long enough for the cultist to attack with his sword, knocking both me and Soul back into a set of trees. Before we could pick ourselves up, a blood-chilling hissing caught our ears and we flung ourselves to the side seconds before a Creeper explosion could kill us.

In all the confusion, we had lost track of the invisible cultist. "Grrr! I hate this!" Soul exclaimed, gripping his axe in frustration. "If I could just hit him once, I _know_ I could kill him!"

His words were more than just empty boasts. I had seen his skill with an axe coupled with one of his Potions of Strength. Since the cultist had no armor, he probably _would_ die in one hit. But finding him was just…

…

 _Wait! Can't I just locate him with the map?_

I pulled out Brett's map of the area, searching for any white blips. I found two. One was to the east of the valley in which Creepers were pouring. That one was Cara. The other was to the west, near a small river. That one was me.

But how come Soul and the invisible cultist weren't showing up?

Soul was right near me, but even so I couldn't find a second blip. And on the Ringwood part of the map there should have been _millions_ of white blips for all the citizens and guards. But there were none.

"How come I can only see Cara and myself on this map?" I asked aloud.

Soul had the answer as he looked over my shoulder. "The blips only apply with map copies. Placing one on an item frame sets a green blip, but Crafters holding copies will show up as white blips. That's why we gave Cara one."

Something he said made my brain come up with an idea. "…And how do you make map copies?"

"You'd need a blank map: A compass with paper surrounding it. But could you stop looking at that thing and help me find this—COBB! Where are you going!?"

I wasn't listening as I ran down a slanting hill towards the tiny river outlined by the map. There was more than one way to catch the cultist off-guard…

Kind of like me when the sword materialized in front of my face.

It came up high and dented my helmet, causing me to stumble and roll the rest of the way down into the river. Or was it a stream? It was pretty small, dotted with lily pads and sugar cane and shallow enough to only come up to my waist. That is, unless I was lying face-down in it.

I coughed up water as I crawled over to the edge, sword armed. Behind me I heard a distinctive splash that sounded too big to be an item or small animal. I spun on the spot and found the displaced water before swinging my sword upon the space.

"Agh!" The deep voice cried out as I felt my sword hit something. I tried to dish out one more hit, but the displaced water quickly moved away to the river bank. He had extinguished all signs of his presence.

"Clever. Very clever." The voice drawled, pretending to be calm while holding in a wince. After all, it was a Sharpness I sword I had hit him with and he had no armor. "Lured me into the water to see me. Well that won't work twice, I'm afraid."

"Afraid THIS!" Soul yelled, swinging his axe down where he thought he heard the voice. Judging by his scowl, I could tell he missed. The next instant, the sword materialized behind him and jabbed him in the back before batting him aside. Soul grit his teeth to endure it, but none of his counterattacks were hitting.

While he distracted the cultist, I paddled over to the opposite riverbank and knocked over some [SUGAR CANE]. It was a yellow-green, reedy substance, like a bundle of bamboo shoots, but I didn't have time to admire it. I quickly wrenched out my Crafting Table and arranged the sugar cane into a row of three to make…

Paper!

Just how the hell anyone figured out to make paper from sugar cane instead of paper cane was beyond me. Hell, I always thought paper grew on trees. But I had the nine pieces of paper and I just needed one more thing.

"Soul!" I called out. "Your compass!" The one he had told me about. "I need it!"

In between his frantic battle with an invisible foe, Soul somehow managed to withdraw the metal tool and throw it across the water like a skipping stone before I clasped it in my hand. I added it to the table with the paper, just as Soul told me, and found myself holding an [EMPTY MAP].

 _Great!... Now what?_ I looked between the empty map and my current map, shrugged, and just pressed them atop one another like I was stamping a seal. After a few seconds, I peeled them off of one another and let out a pleased cheer at the perfect copy I had just made.

 _Okay. Time to see if this works._ I thought as I looked back towards Soul. The axe-wielder was still trying to hit the air with his strength-infused body, but was failing miserably. He was at least smart enough to jump into the river, figuring the cultist would have a harder time sneaking up on him.

"Hey, Invisi-Loser!" I called out, praying he would take the bait. "I've been thinking… are you invisible all the time because you're ugly? If so, then thanks for being considerate because I wouldn't want to look at someone with a gnarled foot for a face—Ow!"

That did it. The sword had struck me across the face with such force that the invisible wielder just had to have been offended by my latest comment. He followed up by trying to slice up my face, but my sword managed to catch the blow. I could feel his hot breath washing over me.

"Uh-oh. Was it something I said?" I forced a laugh despite the strength being put behind his sword. He was bearing down, forcing me to one knee. Just when my guard was about to break, he let up and retreated.

 _Damn! Missed my chance._ I cursed as I sheathed my sword and stood crouched on the riverbank. "Soul, get ready with your axe!" I shouted without taking my eyes off of the surroundings. "We're ending this now."

"Is that so?" The deep voice drawled. "I'd like to see you worms try."

I reached into my backpack and grabbed a fistful of Inventory, holding it at the ready. This would determine the victor.

As I looked around, my eyes caught something dark by the trees on the opposite riverbank: The cat.

It was staring with its green feline eyes, but it was tracking something further downstream than either me or Soul.

 _…_ _Can it actually see him?_ The cat was the cultist's. It was his pet. So did that mean it could see through his invisibility? Or did cats have some kind of animal sense for it? Either way, it was good news for me.

Not wanting to tip off the cultist, I turned away from the cat, pretending I heard a noise elsewhere, and slowly backed up towards the direction the cat was staring. Just as slowly as I was moving, the cat's stare was sliding as its master crept towards me.

I had my back to him. It was the perfect bait. But a few more words couldn't hurt.

"You must be a really bad cultist since both of us are still alive." I taunted, knowing the enemy was mere feet behind me. "I hope you don't get demoted."

The cat's eyes flashed as it saw something I couldn't. Soul's eyes widened as he saw what had to be a sword materializing behind me. His mouth was already opening to warn me…

But this time, _I_ was a step ahead.

A threw the fistful of my Inventory behind me, catching the cultist with a face-full of emeralds before the sword blindly waved around, catching my shoulder. I fell back into the river with a splash while nearby I heard Soul surge forward towards the emeralds suspended in the air by the invisible cultist.

The next second, they were tossed onto the ground. Soul stilled as he lost his target.

"How many times do I have to out-think you numbskulls?" The deep voice drawled. I glanced down to the object in my hand and glanced over to where the cat was staring to confirm my suspicions. "I've been preparing for this day. All of us were trained to fight with invisibility. I can even throw my voice to confuse you! But thanks for the emeralds. I'll be sure to buy something nice… after I've killed you! Hahaha—!"

"Soul! Swing left!"

"Haha—huh? GAH!"

The invisible cultist's voice was punctuated by a cry of agony as Soul's axe whipped to the left, slicing into something very much solid and very much asking for it.

"What the… how did you—"

"He's trying to circle around! Look forward and throw a straight punch!"

"OOF!" I heard the cultist's breath explode out of his lungs as Soul used his enhanced strength to nail him in the gut. The axe-wielder, seeing that listening to me rewarded him with strikes upon the smug cultist, was following my commands to a tee, a vicious grin playing upon his face.

"What… my-my invisibility should be perfect… how are you—"

"He's behind you! Roundhouse kick!"

It was honestly like playing a video game character as the axe-wielder performed a passable roundhouse that connected to the cultist's face if the sharp sound of his teeth clacking together was any indication. I heard him hit the dirt and saw the disrupted grass as he leaned beside a tree.

"You…" he hissed, and I could only assume he was looking at me when he said it. "How can you tell where I am!? Where did I possibly slip up!?"

It was then that he probably saw the map I was looking over. The map I was giving my undivided attention. The map which now showed three white blips. Cara's, mine, and the cultist's after I tossed him the map copy along with those emeralds. I could only imagine his eyes widening as I heard an audible gasp of realization.

He probably tried to dig through his Inventory for the damning piece of paper, but he was too late.

"Soul! Slash the tree in front of you! Full power!"

"YAH!" The axe-wielder shouted to the heavens as he lunged towards the tree and sliced it clean in two. A log was broken and the two tree halves hung suspended before a shower of gear erupted from thin air. Several light gray bottles of liquid, an iron sword, the map copy, and the Head of the slain cultist were among the scattered bits.

Soul was breathing heavily, his eyes darting around in a restless haze. He was probably hopped up on adrenaline. After a few seconds of silence it began to wear off and he was finally able to calm down, axe back at his belt.

"He's dead." He commented needlessly. He even gestured to the fallen cultist's gear as if I needed proof.

"I can see that." I replied. "Uh… good job."

"Right. Yeah." He responded for lack of anything better to say. "Good instructions. The ones you gave me. They were good."

"What—Oh! Thanks…"

"Yeah… I… ugh." His face fell into his hands. "This is awkward."

"I know, right?" I let out a sigh of relief, happy he had broken the train wreck of 'verbal quips' our victory entitled us to. "I don't usually kill cultists… so…" I rubbed my head awkwardly. "I'm not sure what we should even say or do."

"I know what you mean." The axe-wielder nodded. "Usually there's no time to celebrate a victory since there's usually a crap-ton of enemies still around. I… I think I prefer that way more than this way."

"Is this the part where we come up with clever one-liners? Victory high-five?"

"Screw that. We almost _died_ fighting this guy." Soul pointed to the discarded gear. "I'm not wasting my time coming up with catchphrases."

I fidgeted on the spot. "Can we at least do a victory high-five?"

Soul looked at me flatly, closed his eyes, took a deep breath through his nose, and then opened his eyes. "Sure. Just one." He raised his hand up high and I immediately leapt up to smack it with a resounding clap. I smiled victoriously and Soul smirked indulgently.

Then… it was back to awkward silence.

"So then… should we just go back to what we were doing?"

"I guess…?" He rubbed his head. "A little anti-climactic, but… yeah—Wait! We can loot him!" His eyes widened and he pointed eagerly at the cultist's gear. "I've never gotten to do that before! Then we can go back to the fires."

Shrugging in acceptance, I crept over to the gear with Soul by my side. I steered clear of the disembodied Head, finding them sickening, but Soul had no trouble picking it up and reading the name.

"Hugh_Mann… Oh, I get it." He deadpanned before turning the Head over and recoiling. "Eugh. No wonder he stayed invisible. Sure wasn't winning any beauty contests." He tossed it away indifferently.

"These might come in handy." I spoke aloud, catching Soul's attention. I showed him several of the light grey bottles. Potions of Invisibility.

"Only if we come across any more cultists. In that case, I'll take _that_." He grabbed the map copy I made. "This way, you, me, and Cara can see each other at all times, even _if_ we're invisible. Good thinking on that, by the way."

"You did most of the fighting though." I conceded, not wanting to take all the credit. If it had been just me, that cultist would have ended the fight ages ago. And it was impossible to fight and look at a map at the same time; I would have only tipped him off.

Things really were easier when fighting together.

"That's all we're going to get out of this guy." Soul surmised, stuffing his belt with as many Potions of Invisibility as he could. I did the same, cursing how they couldn't stack and took up needless Inventory space. I grabbed the iron sword too. If there were any other cultists in the woods, they'd probably be just as prepared as Hugh_Mann. "Maybe this is how they're slipping past those Creepers?"

"Maybe…" I thought aloud. It would be easier to move around in this gaggle without having to worry about Creepers seeing you. That still didn't explain how they had been able to gather so many of the explosive Mobs. "I guess cats must be the exception."

"Hm?"

"The cat, the cultist's cat. It could see Hugh_Mann even though he was invisible." I turned to point out the feline, but paused upon realizing it was missing. "Hey, where—"

"Whoa!" Soul let out a yelp and I instantly raised my golden sword, expecting a fight.

Yet again, it was just the cat. Although this time it was rubbing against the back of Soul's leg, purring loudly. I couldn't help but snicker at the axe-wielder's shocked surprise.

"I think it likes you."

"Freaking cat." Soul wrinkled his nose, nudging the feline away with his leg. "Go on. Get out of here." But the cat didn't get the hint. Even when Soul managed to push it away, it would return on his other side, pressing its head against his leg and meowing softly. "Scat!"

While Soul struggled with the cat, I turned to look down both ends of the riverbank. We were pretty out in the open. Anything that wanted us dead wouldn't hesitate to ambush us now. Creepers or cultists… which one was worse again?

"We should get in back into the forest." I jerked my head away from the river and was already climbing up the bank. Soul followed behind me.

"Seriously, go away cat!"

The cat followed behind him.

* * *

[Lenz]

This was the single greatest idea I had ever come up with.

"No. Damn. Way."

So then why was everyone so against it?

"L-Lenz…" Erin laughed nervously. "P-please tell me you're not serious… surely, there must be other options…"

I sighed for what had to be the umpteenth time. "You people just are not seeing it. It is basic redstone." I pointed to the exposed water tower, the roof of which the eight of us tore up. They had no trouble doing the part of the plan I barely told them about. It was only when I told them the latter half of the details that they all got cold feet. "What part of my plan sounds like madness?"

"Not sure." One of the Crafters spoke in an odd tone. "Why don't you start from the top and I'll let you know?"

"Very well." I straightened my scarf and cleared my throat. "My plan is to use the explosive propulsion of TNT—"

"I'm out."

"Pass."

"—to-to fire the eight of us off like human cannonballs—"

"Oh, honey, you can't do this."

"—well, why not? _Why not_?" I stressed under the doubtful glares of those around me. "It is the same basic concept behind a TNT cannon. Setting off TNT in an enclosed watery space and taking advantage of the propulsion to—"

"Save the technological mumbo jumbo!" The same Crafter dismissed with a growl. "Look at the situation we're in. We need _good_ ideas not mad ravings."

"I can see the situation we are in, thank you." I countered coolly. "All of us are desperate and stranded, but my plan is not the frantic ranting of a man who has lost all hope. It is not an empty ploy to appear as a capable individual. It is a plan grounded in science and tried-and-true logic. It will work because it has worked before… just under different circumstances."

"Lenz…" Erin raised a hand, but did not seem to know how to dissuade me. "Couldn't we just…"

"Say we go along with this madness." The injured guard spoke up, eyeing me carefully. "We—how did you put it?—we load this water tower with TNT… and… and we set it off all at once?"

"Precisely!" I nodded, hanging on to his interest. "The water should minimize the damage. Blocking with our swords might also help mitigate the blast—"

"Or blow us all up!" That same disruptive Crafter argued. "No way am I risking my life on some crackpot theory!"

"You think I would be proposing such a risky plan when I myself will be subject to those same risks?" I reasoned. "Our lives are tied together. This will work… I am sure of it."

The disruptive Crafter opened his mouth to argue, but a different Crafter beat him to it. "Even if the explosion doesn't kill us, the fall sure will. And even if we survive the explosion _and_ the fall… we'll be up to our necks in Creepers." He gestured to the writhing sea of green below. "It's a contest for worst death."

I smiled confidently. "Not quite. For you see, gentlemen… and ladies, I am not just an expert redstone engineer. I am also an expert archer."

"Oooh, I get it." A Crafter nodded with that same odd tone I now recognized as sarcasm. "So you can shoot us _before_ we hit the ground."

"No. But I _can_ shoot us in the right direction." I held out my hands and framed the landscape of the Eastern District. "Just like firing an arrow, I can adjust the propulsion, the bearing, the hang-time… simple!"

"Yeah, great, you can shoot us at the nearest wall. Make us eight nice smears…"

How morbid. And inaccurate since Crafters had no bodily fluids to smear.

My eyes flashed behind my goggles as I framed our intended destination. "I will be aiming towards that." I pointed to the bundle of trees that made up the Eastern District's park. "There is a pond in there that can cushion the blow. The Creepers have not gotten that far either. If we land there, we will most definitely survive. From there we can run to the plateau."

I waited for further arguments only to be pleasantly surprised to hear none. _Little do they know how difficult it will be for me to account for a Crafter's size and weight… given that TNT was the only thing I have fired. Not to mention, there is another problem with my plan…_

"So… so you're s-sure this will w-work?" Erin asked timidly.

I hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "It will. I will make sure of it. But first I need to—"

"Hey! Jerry! What are you doing!?"

I was startled at the sheer amount of panic in the guard's voice. Looking down I gasped at the sight of the disruptive Crafter, now known as Jerry, climbing down the water tower.

"No way!" He shouted in a mix of fear and anger. "No way I'm risking my life in some crazy cannon! I'll take my chances with the Creepers!"

"Jerry, get back here you idiot!"

"It's too dangerous!"

But our protests fell on deaf ears. Jerry had already leapt upon the swarm of Creepers and was valiantly trying to knock them away with his sword.

He did not last ten seconds before five Creepers blew him up.

The explosion was so violent it shook the tower, demolishing several support beams. The structure remained floating (since Minecraftia), but three of us were shook from our precarious footing and sent tumbling down the tower. Erin was among them.

"Erin!" I shouted, lunging forward to grab her hand before she fell off completely. I was successful in grabbing her, only to realize my nerdy constitution had no hope of supporting another human being. With a startled yelp, we both slid over the side.

The next instant, the air was driven from my lungs as my gut impacted a wooden beam. Despite the pain, I wrapped my free arm around the wood and clung firm to Erin's hand with the other. The explosions below let me know of the fate that had befallen the two dislodged Crafters.

The same thing would happen if I let go of either the beam or Erin.

"Erin… try to climb up…" I clenched my teeth, feeling my arm tear itself apart. The housekeeper gulped, her eyes locked onto the Creepers below. "Erin… look away from them… just climb!"

Snapping out of her terror, Erin reached out a shaky hand and clung to my sleeve before pulling herself up. My arm screamed in protest, but I focused my mind on other things.

 _Redstone… Pistons… Comparators… Repeaters… Dispensers… time-delayed loops… ugh…_

Finally, the housekeeper managed to pull herself up to a stable beam. She helped me balance myself and together we climbed back up the remnants of the water tower.

When we got there, the remaining three Crafters were more agreeable to my proposed plan. "Damnit, Jerry…" The guard mumbled, looking down upon the fresh craters. "What do you need to make this cannon work?"

I massaged my arm, trying to regain feeling in it. "First, I will need to set up a regular TNT cannon to thin those trees." I looked back to the park's dense foliage standing between us and the safety of that pond. "It will also help calibrate the cannon. Show us how far we need to be propelled."

"Won't you need a lot of TNT for that?" One Crafter pointed out.

I dumped the two stacks of TNT out and watched everyone's eyes widen.

"I should have enough."

* * *

[Cobb]

"Soul! What the heck!?" I cursed as I rushed towards a group of burning trees. Soul had neglected to chop down their neighbors and the fire was threatening to burn north towards Ringwood. I barely bashed them down with my new iron sword. "Cara said we need to _control_ this fire."

"Don't look at me! It's this damn cat's fault. It's distracting me." Soul lifted his leg up, displaying the cat clinging affectionately to it.

"You can't ignore a cat?" I asked, my voice heavy with skepticism.

"Not when it's meowing and purring and hugging my leg, no." Soul grumbled, giving his leg a shake to try and dislodge the feline. "Hey! Off! We're busy committing arson, here. Also endangering wildlife and trees… but it's to stop bad guys, so it's okay!"

He shook his leg frantically, but the cat remained fastened to him, no doubt through the use of its claws. It might have been funny had we not been in a hurry.

"Seriously, you little cat-face, get the fuck out of here! Go catch chickens or something!"

"You know that cat saved our lives." I reminded, walking up to the axe-wielder to help remove the animal from his leg. "I wouldn't have known a cultist was nearby, otherwise. And it helped me locate Hugh."

"And I'm happy for that. That asshole deserved what he got, but now his pet is just bugging me!" He argued before turning his glare upon the cat. "Hey! We killed your master so leave us alone. We don't have any food for you!"

I hummed in thought. "You know… that may be why it's clinging to you."

"Huh?"

"Well, we agree this cat was Hugh's, right? It was his pet? He tamed it or something?" I rubbed my chin in thought. "And you were the one to deal the killing blow. Maybe the laws of pet ownership include an exchange of masters after killing the old one."

"Well, great, I guess, but _what am I supposed to do with this thing_!" Soul seethed, getting further frustrated by how tightly the cat was clinging to him.

"Well… whatever Hugh was doing with it, I guess…"

When I finally managed to pull the cat off of him, Soul grabbed it from me and proceeded to chuck it across the forest. The cat flailed in the air, twisting its body… yet somehow was able to land perfectly on its feet.

The next instant, Soul hefted me over one shoulder and carried me through the woods as fast as he could, away from the affectionate feline. Part of me saw the comedic irony in a toughened Crafter fleeing from a simple house-cat, but I kept it to myself.

Once it seemed like we were a suitable distance away, Soul dropped me unceremoniously onto the ground where my crotch hit a rock and began to take greedy gulps of air. Once my whimpering subsided, he was back on his feet.

"Okay... I think we lost it…" He breathed out, tilting his head in the direction we had run from.

"Um… Soul?"

"Yeah?"

I pointed down to his feet. He followed my gaze and didn't even react when he saw the same feline purring and rubbing its face all over him.

"…Well, there's only one thing left to do." Soul spoke in an expressionless tone. His eyes looked detached as he pulled out his iron axe.

"Soul…!" I moved forward and held back his arm before he could decapitate the poor feline.

"Cobb, get off!" He growled as he tried to wrench his arm free. Meanwhile, the cat began to lick itself, apparently uninterested in the irate axe-wielder trying to kill it.

"Soul, this cat saved our lives! We're already doing enough damage with burning down forests and endangering wildlife without heaping animal cruelty onto the list!"

The cat kept its eyes on Soul, meowing serenely.

"The cat must die!"

"Hugh is that you?"

At once, Soul and I froze mid-struggle. Our eyes darted to each other, conveying the same thought.

 _That voice wasn't ours…_

We turned towards the rustling trees and watched as two Crafters stepped into sight. Both of them wore black leather caps and both of their eyes narrowed upon realizing we weren't the fellow cultist they were asking for.

They were also two people I recognized… and who recognized me.

"Well, well, well…" Spring_Fever spoke pleasantly, eyeing the two of us. "The people you find in the middle of the woods."

Spring_Fever… the same guy who had attacked Floyd and me the first time we met. He looked happy to see us and I had a feeling it wasn't because there was a Crafter jamboree going on. And just like before, he wasn't alone. Beside him stood Parallel_Parker, the other Crafter who had pursued us that day. His bow was drawn and his umber-colored hair was as shaggy as I remembered it.

And at their feet… were a pair of orange-striped cats.

 _Seriously, what's with all the cats today!?_

"Cobby, it's been a while. How the heck are you?" Spring called over cheerfully, his orange hair reflecting off his drawn blade. His eyes slid over me before resting on Soul, and there was a definite gleam of familiarity there. "And Lost_Soul too? This is some reunion!"

He chuckled to himself while beside me, Soul's fists shook. His red eyes were full of murder as he looked upon Spring. He looked to be a second away from murdering him.

Spring, unbothered by Soul's murderous aura, peered over our heads as if looking for someone else. "All we're missing is Flawwed_Floyd and we'll have the entire 'escaped corpse' triune."

"You…" Soul hissed through his teeth. He took an imposing step towards the cultists, his axe held in a death-grip, and it was clear he was going to kill the orange-haired man even if it killed him.

But that wasn't why we were there.

"Soul, don't." I warned, reaching out to grab the axe-wielder's arm. Soul stopped abruptly, his hands shaking worse than ever. His breathing was coming out uneven and he looked to be struggling internally over something.

I looked between the cultists and Soul, watching their movements. "How do you know each other?" I asked Soul, though someone else beat him to the answer.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Spring continued casually. "I figured, since you and Floyd were a thing and Floyd and Soul… and _Silent_Game_ were a thing…"

Spring ducked as Soul's axe embedded itself in a tree right where his head had been. The axe-wielder was beside himself with fury. "DON'T!" He bellowed at the smirking cultist. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK OF HIM!"

"Guess that's a bit of a sore spot." Spring laughed, working Soul's axe out of the tree and taking the time to examine it. He slid it back to the angry Crafter, daring him to attack with it.

It was like a light bulb had gone off in my head. These two… they were the ones that killed Floyd and Soul's friend. They were the ones who caused a rift in their friendship, that forced Soul to adopt his visceral position on strength. The same ones who pushed Floyd to join the Silver Intent. They were the root of it all.

Meanwhile, Parker scanned the two of us, the flint and steel in my hands, and the burning trees in the distance.

His eyes narrowed. "I see you're trying to stop the Creeper herd."

"Gaggle." I couldn't help but contradict.

"But it's all for naught." Parker continued, ignoring my word. "The Creepers are already in Ringwood. Even if you somehow block the valley, that's still _millions_ inside. All the panic and Mobs behind tight walls. It's a powder keg ready to burst."

"Then Ringwood will just have to block with a sword." I shot back, confusing the pair. "But if you say what we're doing is all for naught, you'll have no problem with letting us go, right?"

"Oooh, close." Spring winced in mock sympathy. "No, we're just going to kill you anyway."

"…Figures."

"Well, what did you expect? We're the Endward Cu—" Spring cut off as his eyes zeroed in on the cat purring beside Soul's leg. His eyes turned to slits. "That's Hugh's cat."

"It _was_ Hugh's cat." Soul corrected, scooping up the bundle of fur and—in an action completely contradictory to how he first acted—petting it warmly. "Before I killed him, I mean." He continued, relishing in the way Spring's face twisted in annoyance. "I just _loooove_ this cat." He finished, rubbing his own face along the cat's flank. At that point, I was damn sure he was lying just to piss off Spring. And to great effect.

"So…" Spring straightened out, pointing his sword at us. "You figured it out, haven't you?"

"…Figured out what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Figured out how we're pushing the Creepers towards Ringwood, obviously!"

…

 _...Huh?_

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't play dumb!" Spring continued, ignoring Parker's pleas to stop talking. "You've _clearly_ figured out why we've got cats accompanying us through Creeper infested forests!"

"Um… We haven't…"

"You've _clearly_ realized how we've gotten so many Creepers to Ringwood's doorstep! Go ahead! Try and deny it!"

"…Okay?"

"It's obvious that you now know the truth! I can see it in your eyes." Spring continued, breaking free when Parker tried to clamp a hand over his mouth. "I can see that you figured out the lesser known tidbit that _Creepers are terrified of cats_!"

Blank shock appeared on Soul's face and I imagine I looked the same. Was the cultist serious? Was he serious in _telling_ us that too? My eyes flitted to his partner and saw him facepalm in apparent discomfiture. There could only be one reason for that reaction.

The idiot had unknowingly revealed to us crucial information.

"Spring…" Parker whined, his hand still covering his face. "I don't think they knew that until you told them."

"…What?" Spring asked with a hint of worry before he tried to recompose himself. "D-don't be ridiculous. Of course they knew. Why else bring the cat with them?"

"Yeah, we had no idea." Soul remarked flatly. "You're a dumbass." He added and I couldn't help but laugh at the orange-haired man's humiliation.

So that was how the cult herded so many Creepers. With cats! They probably spread out with the felines in tow and netted any Creepers they could find. The Mobs would fee in terror, unaware of the cult's true motives. With enough manpower and catpower… they could have pushed an entire group of Creepers in any direction. They must have pooled them all in an enclosed space in the valley, preparing for this moment. And when it was finally time to push them towards Ringwood, they had the felines ready to help.

As crazy as it sounded, the Creepers were scaredy cats towards cats.

 _Even the Mob book didn't know that._ I thought to myself, remembering the detailed tome. There was nothing about cats in the Creeper section. _Is it possible Herobrine overlooked it? Or had he never known it at all?_

"Ugh. Okay… I'm man enough to admit when I've made a mistake." Spring raised his hand up in the air. "That's my bad. My bad on that one."

"Somehow I don't think 'my bad' will quite appease 4Blite." Parker replied flatly.

The orange-haired cultist paled. "Crap you're right. Well, then we'll just have to kill them."

"Right, because you weren't going to kill us before." Soul muttered sarcastically.

"Stop talking!"

Spring lunged forward, his iron sword slashing down. Soul's axe came up and deflected it in a shower of sparks. The next instant, Spring twirled around aiming a slash from the right. Soul barely knocked it aside before the cultist twirled again, this time going for a left slash. Soul braced his axe for the hit…

Only to let out a pained yelp as a Splash Potion of Harming caught him in the eye. Spring had switched in a potion amidst his spins.

The cultist let out a triumphant laugh before my iron sword stabbed into his side, staggering him back. He chucked a potion at me, but I dropped to the ground quick enough for the brew to sail right over me.

It left me wide open for one of Parker's arrows to pierce my shoulder, just as Soul struck a devastating axe into Spring's midsection, sending him skidding back to his partner. Spring and I scrabbled back to our feet and resumed our defensive positions.

"Huh…" Spring remarked with a pained expression. His hand was held at his side and he looked out of breath. "You're both stronger than I remember."

"Maybe you're just weaker."

"Well," Spring began, his face full of malice. "I wouldn't have killed your friend if I was weak, right?"

"Why you…!"

"Soul, hang on." I gripped his shoulder, whispering under my breath. "He's just trying to bait you. They want us to stay here. They _want_ to waste our time."

The longer we waited, the more Crafters would fall to Creepers. If cats could truly repel the suicidal Mobs, we needed to get that information to Wynn or Iron_Lung as soon as possible. It was possibly their only chance for survival.

"We need to break away from these two and get back into the Kingdom." I glanced behind us to the cat still pressing its face against Soul's leg. "We need the cat too. You can kill these guys when Ringwood isn't in danger."

"Ngh… _Fine_!" Soul relented, taking a step away from the two cultists. "We're leaving, now. Follow us and you're dead."

"Really?" Spring challenged tauntingly. "I think it should be more like, follow you and _you're_ dead."

"What? You think the two of you can stop me... and Cobb?"

"Why the pause on my name?"

"Oh, I _know_ we can stop you." Spring smirked, looking at the two of us expectantly.

"Yeah? You and what armmmmm—" I hastily closed my mouth, not wanting to finish that sentence. My brain was screaming warnings at me.

Brain: _Are you fucking stupid!? You_ never _ask 'You and what army!' That's like… that's like up and asking for an army to show up!_

Lungs: _*SIGH*_

Brain: _I know! That's what_ I _said!_

"—mmmmmistice!" I finished.

Flat silence settled over the four of us for ten seconds before Soul's head fell into his hands.

"…What?"

"Yeah… armistice… you know, like an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop war for a certain time; a truce."

I definitely didn't quote Bladder's definition for 'armistice' word for word.

"Synonyms: truce, ceasefire, peace…"

"By any chance…" Parker raised a hand, catching my attention. "Were you about to ask, 'You and what army?'"

"Um… Noooooo…" I looked away, whistling innocently.

"You sure?" Spring chimed in. "Because it would really set up our latest big reveal. Like, _the_ perfect cue for what we're about to show you."

"Well, it's a shame, but I guess you won't be able to reveal any of what you were about to reveal." I nodded sagely before shrugging. "Tough break."

"Damn, he's right!" Spring cursed before turning around. "Okay, guys! You can forget about coming out! He's not going to say it!"

There were several whines of disappointment before eight cultists emerged timidly from the trees, bows and swords hung limply at their sides as if they were children forced to stop playing to return home. They were all flanked by cats as well.

"… _This_ is the group I sword vengeance on?" Soul asked in disbelief. Parker shared the sentiment.

"Spring… we can still reveal them. We're killing them anyway, who cares?"

"…Oh yeah!" Spring slapped his head in realization. "Cultists! Kill them… please."

Immediately, the cultists readied their weapons and closed in on us. Soul and I did the same.

"Ten on one? Ha! I've faced worse!" Soul taunted.

"…Again you're not counting me?"

His bravado was cut short, however, when all the cultists took out light grey bottles and upended them into their mouths. In an instant, the ten cultists circling us vanished, only to be replaced by hovering swords and hastily stowed away black leather caps.

"…Run?" I suggested.

"Run." Soul agreed.

The two of us sprinted into the woods, having no way of knowing if our pursuers were barely keeping up or right on our heels.

 _Invisibility is so damn, cheap!_

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 19 Steak, 31 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00},1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 36 Redstone, 64 TNT, 64 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 27 Steak, 8 Cooked Mutton, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 29 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: Soul's officially part of the Inventory List.**

 **Action! Laughs! Cats! Truly this chapter makes up for the lack of content for over 25 Days, right?**

 **...**

 **Right.**

 **Omake below.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 5)

Carys_Angel was pleasantly surprised.

In the initial planning of Overshadow, the invasion of Lunar Castle and the subsequent search of the commanding Hackers were supposed to take an hour or so. The reason for that being, with the enormity of the castle's grounds, finding two Hackers required caution and patience. Either one of them could spring on an unsuspecting Paragon and effortlessly kill them. With the exception of Carys (and maybe Z7), none of the Paragons could kill a Hacker one on one.

The teams were in close-knit groups, hunting for Griefers and searching for Crafters. The formations were designed to respond to aggressive threats instantly, ensuring the minimum loss of life.

But the search was cut short when, surprisingly, Carys stumbled upon her quarry in the first place she had planned to look: The throne room.

It was a vast hall with pillars built from solid emerald blocks. In the back, there was a golden throne with dark wood along the armrests and soft carpet along the seat. The throne was set before a crescent moon crafted from diamond blocks and inlaid with gold and emerald. Blue moonlight streamed through the blue stained glass windows along the walls, bathing the entire room in an ethereal sapphire.

It was clear that the previous owners of the castle spared no expense when displaying their opulence and class. Emeralds, gold, diamonds. The trinity of rare resources. Small stone carvings of wolves flanked Carys as she approached the throne.

Sitting atop it, looking indifferently upon her, was the Hacker currently ruling Nitebane: OcanDecagon. He fit the description Jillian had provided. Red hair, blue eyes, a simple t-shirt with a golden decagon on the front. Beside him was his beefy Hacker buddy, UrsonThePerson. She knew by his appearance. Built like a bear, tanned skin, bald, and eyes the color of honey.

They both had Hacker marks stretched over their eyes.

"Well, it appears something entertaining has shown up." Ocan remarked, not bothering to get up from the throne he sat lazily upon. Urson seemed tense, but he made no move to attack.

 _Smart guy._

"I do hope you'll be more engaging than the last clown we brought in here." Ocan grimaced as if remembering something disgusting. "I told him to juggle for us, but he stopped halfway, begging me to to spare his life. The nerve of—"

"If you're trying to make me want to kill you more you better save it." Carys called out uncaringly, taking pleasure in how it ruffled the Hacker's feathers. "I don't care about some begging clown. I don't care about any of the people you killed or plan on killing. I don't even care enough to listen to you prattle on for hours on end." She held out her diamond scythe and pointed it at the pair of Hackers. "I came here to kill you two, and no amount of talking, reasoning, begging, crying, or defecating yourselves is going to change my mind. Now are we going to fight or what?"

"Why you… how you dare…" Ocan's face flushed with anger, but Urson stepped forward.

"You are the Angel of Death." He spoke in a deep, rich voice.

"Yes I am."

"Then that would make the forces attacking our Griefers… your Paragons?"

"Right again."

"And you stand before us, talking of our deaths, as if it's a feat you are capable of accomplishing?" He narrowed his eyes. "Such arrogance."

"More like confidence. I'm prepared, after all." I gave a haughty smirk. "I'm not alone, either, not that it matters." At that moment, Carys' strike team burst into the throne room.

"Angel!" Anibal exclaimed while pointing at the throne. "I found the Hackers!"

"…Thank you for that." Carys spoke flatly.

Ocan and Urson looked unimpressed with the latest additions to her forces. "Ha! Even with all your Paragons, your chances at killing us are slim to none!"

"Oh, they're not here to fight." She commented offhandedly. "They're here to make sure neither of you run away after I start mopping the throne room with you." She glanced appraisingly at the two Hackers. "Urson is bigger so I suppose I should start with him."

"Hmph." The beefy Hacker scoffed before both his and Ocan's eyes changed. The whites of their eyes changed to a midnight black. Smoke encompassed them like an aura of death.

Carys smirked challengingly.

Hacks weren't anything she hadn't seen before. Kal underwent the same change whenever he manned up to face a worthy opponent… not that he ever did that with her.

"You seem to know who we are." Ocan stood up from his throne and glared at the masked harbinger of death. "But are you aware that we are not your average Hackers? That we are—"

"Level 2 Hackers? Yes, I'm aware." Ocan's mouth hung open in blatant shock. "In fact, I even know the Hacks both of you possess. And let me tell you, they won't make a difference." This time Urson showed a modicum of shock before he schooled his face back to calm.

"You… you can't be serious… you're mad!" Ocan countered with a shaky laugh. "Won't make a difference? We're Gods! Griefers and Crafters look upon us with awe and fear!... _You_ should be looking upon us with awe and fear—bowing before us, even!"

"Bow? To you two?" Carys let out a dark chuckle. "You aren't Gods. You're weak nothings relying on powers to lord over other weak nothings. I bet neither of you have ever faced a challenge in your life." Her voice took on a steely edge. "As for me, if I backed away from every challenge I ever faced just because I thought I might die, I would be just like the millions of nameless weaklings populating Minecraftia."

"Yeah! You tell them, Angel!" Anibal whooped.

"…Thank you for that."

"Well then," Urson began, now cloaked in the dark Hacker smoke. He took out a diamond sword and pointed it at Carys' heart. "Perhaps you need a reminder of the power us Hackers possess."

Carys' smirked challengingly. "Perhaps you should come over here and remind me."

"Ooooh! Trash talk is going down!" Anibal cheered.

"…Thank you for that."

* * *

 **AN: Carys vs Hackers. Who will win?**

 **Leave a Review or Fav or Follow.**


	80. A Bigger Mess

**AN: Hey. Can't talk now. Piggybacking wi-fi off a Starbucks just to publish this.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add telephones.

Beta: ?

* * *

Chapter 80

 **A Bigger Mess**

[Cobb]

"Cobb! You're moving too slow!"

"So much… running…" I gasped as I struggled to keep up with Soul. "Lungs… burning…"

Bladder: _Lungs! Stop drop and roll!_

Lungs: * _GASP_ *

"Heart… palpitations… skipping…"

Brain: _Don't you die on me, you son of a bitch! Beat, darn you!_ _Keep pumping oxygen-rich blood into this noodle body or we're all dead!_

Heart: _I… I can't…_

Brain: _Like hell you can't! Bladder, fetch me 50 cc of 'kick in the pants' and 40 cc of 'less gasping, more dashing'! Stat!_

Bladder: _Right away, sir!_

"Cobb!" Soul growled, reaching back to drag me along by my arm. "Hurry! Those cultists are right behind us." He glanced over my shoulder and squinted his eyes. "I think." He added.

Really. How the hell were we supposed to tell where _invisible_ pursuers were? We needed one of them to say something.

I took a greedy gulp of air before cupping my hands over my mouth and mustering enough to shout out, "Marco!"

"Polo." Came a small voice to our left, followed by a "Wait…"

Soul's axe cleaved through the space to our left, eliciting a pained shriek as it connected with a cultist.

Brain: _Ha! Nobody can resist a good game of Marco Polo!_

 _Yeah! Now if I only knew what that game actually was…_

"It's pretty embarrassing how stupid these guys are." Soul mumbled before yanking me further forward. "And you, Cobb, how are you so slow?" Soul glanced down at his feet. "Even little Cat-Face is keeping up with us!"

 _Cat-Face?_ I internally questioned since my lungs didn't have the capacity to answer aloud. Just as Soul had said, the black and white cat was padding along, keeping up with our pace, and occasionally winding between the axe-wielder's legs.

"Move!" Soul warned, shoving me roughly aside as a sword nearly sliced off my head. I staggered sideways, exhausted, before falling onto my back and backpack. Like a helpless turtle, I rolled to and fro to dislodge myself, all while gasping for breath.

To my left I heard the metallic clangs of crossed blades ending in a grunt and an explosion of gear. Any terror that Soul had been killed vanished when I felt his strong grip lift me by my hoodie and back to my feet.

"Oh my God, you're like a baby rabbit! Get up and on your feet!"

"It's… it's not my fault!" I argued in between labored breaths. "I've… been up since… yesterday! Running… and doing more running… and ender pearl-ing… and sneaking… and _more_ running… and falling… and then—in a surprising change— _more fucking running!_ " I massaged my chest to try and filter in more oxygen. "Then I was burning… and fighting… and running _again_ —"

"Wasn't that only because you attacked that outpost alone?"

"You know what, that's enough talking. Let's go back to running." I shouted in half-exasperation before cupping my hands over my mouth again. "MARCO!"

"Polo—Fuck, I'm bad at this!"

I whipped out my golden sword and struck the invisible source of the noise. Judging by the masculine cry of agony, I may have hit crotch.

Soul and I surged forward through dense trees, sneaking glances at our maps just to have some idea of where we were in relation to the Creeper gaggle and where Cara wanted us to light fires.

After a while, however, it was clear that the only running I was doing was on fumes. Unconsciousness was no substitute for a good night's rest, and I hadn't had one since I set out against that outpost. With all the crisis and drama, I had forgotten how tired I was. But now that that had worn off, there was no way I could keep going.

"Soul…" I gasped as I supported myself on an oak. "I can't… I can't run anymore… you gotta… you gotta—"

"If you tell me to leave you behind and save myself, I will hit you." He growled, taking cover behind a tree and glancing back for any visible signs of our pursuers. "I'm getting you out of here, even if I have to carry you."

I shook my head, falling to my knees, and then to my palms. "I… I seriously… I can't…" Every breath had my lungs fighting for more. It didn't matter if they felt like balloons about to burst, I needed air damnit! I needed food damnit! I needed rest damnit!

I was just going to drag Soul down.

"Just eat up and catch your breath." He advised before suddenly turning his head east. His ears were perked, but whatever he heard was lost on me; drowned out by heavy breaths and ears pumping with blood.

I weakly tried to eat some cooked mutton, but the delicious meat merely slapped against my face before sliding to the ground. _Why you no work, food?_

"I hear explosions…" Soul spoke, glancing between trees to the east. "We're really close to the herd. I can see them just up ahead."

"Has… has the cult been… been corralling us here?" I pushed myself to my knees, clutching a stitch in my side. What better way to kill us than to corner us and let the Mobs do it for them.

"No idea," Soul shrugged, "but it doesn't matter. We need to cross that herd anyway." He cracked his neck and refilled his Hunger Meter with steaks.

"Wh-huh?" I questioned aloud, looking between the trees to see the vast expanse of light-green death before us.

He nodded. "This might be our only chance to block the valley." He looked over his map carefully. "Cara's on the other side, burning trees down like wildfire. We need to hold up our end."

"But… but we… we haven't *cough* hit all the spots yet." I tried to eat the mutton again, only for it to slip between my weak fingers and hit the ground with a wet slap. My groan went unnoticed.

"To hell with controlled backfires." Soul jerked his head as if caution was an annoying fly. "We're burning a straight inferno right across this valley." He pointed forward. "Right through there. Cutting the Creepers off completely."

That sounded like a terrible idea. "If we do that, we'll burn… everything down!"

"Yeah, we will." He spoke with his eyes still set towards the east. "But it'll cut the Creepers in half, at least."

"Not to mention destroy… thousands of acres of wildlife!"

"Meh, what has wildlife ever done for me recently?"

"This is crazy!" I argued. "What happened to the plan!?"

"Our plan never included the Endward Cult getting in the way. And not just the ones chasing us either." Soul turned to look at me. "This whole forest is probably teeming with the bastards and like that Invisi-Bitch said, they're all doing whatever they can to destroy Ringwood and mess everything up." There was a mad gleam in his eye that made me wary. "And to that I say: When things are a mess… just make a bigger mess."

"…Soul, you're scaring me."

"No, just think about it!" He argued earnestly. "Burning down the forest is bad for everyone, Creepers and cultists included. They'd never want a fire to hinder their herd of Mobs. And they'd never be able to get around with all the flames licking at them. Their Invisibility would be useless."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was crazy. Insane! And yet…

If it were me in a burning forest, I'd want to get out as soon as possible. Death by fiery bushfire of bushy, fiery, death didn't sound very appealing… or grammatically correct. Surely the cultists would retreat… right?

Suddenly, a voice disrupted our argument. It was from afar and it sounded like Spring.

"Marco!"

"P—!" The irresistible reply to the cultist's shout was smothered by Soul's hand pressed over my mouth. I looked up to do the same to him, but he already had his mouth covered with his other hand.

 _Smart._

Those cultists were getting craftier. And closer, by the sounds of it.

Slowly, Soul removed his hand from my mouth and did the same with his other hand. "Burning down the whole forest is the best way to drive them out—actually scratch that. It's the most desperate method of driving them out, but it's also all we've got to ensure Ringwood deal with their half of the herd."

I let out an agonized groan, finally shoving some cooked mutton down my throat. "…Wynn is going to kill me." My breathing was still heavy, but the stitch in my side had faded.

"Not like she isn't already going to kill you for the outpost."

"Can we just get it over with already and stop talking about whose fault it was I went to that outpost?"

"It was _your_ fault and most everyone knows it."

I muffled a whine into my arms before recollecting myself. "I take it we're going to test out the cat's defense?"

"Its name is Cat-Face." Soul admonished before his eyes widened and he coughed into his fist. "That is… I mean… I don't care what you call it. It's just a cat." Cat-Face rubbed its face against Soul's leg, causing the axe-wielder to almost smile before forcing it into a grimace. "I hope what those cultists said about cats was true. Otherwise we'll look pretty stupid before we die." He picked up the cat by its front legs and dangled it off the ground, where it gave a disinterested meow.

"So just to be clear," I began. "You and I," I pointed to both of us in turn before pausing, "and Cat-Face, are going to run across this valley, burning any trees we come across in a long swathe of flames, and pray that it doesn't spread to Ringwood and make the situation there a thousand times worse?"

"Not quite." Soul corrected, balancing the cat upon his head… before he grabbed my hand and threw me over his shoulder. "Wow, your noodle body is actually really light."

"What the—!" I squawked in outrage. "Hey! I'm not a sack of potatoes!"

"No, because sacks of potatoes don't complain." He remarked with an arrogant laugh. "But neither of you can run across this valley at your level of hunger. So I'm going to carry you. Now get your flint and steel ready, because we're going for it!"

I groaned into my hands. Just what kind of heroic position was this? Lugged over someone's shoulder like a carcass with my carrier having a cat on his head. If saving Ringwood was supposed to be an epic feat, I didn't want it to be remembered like this. Not like this!

Maybe if there was some embellishing here and there, with the cat being a dragon and Soul being a robotic steed, but this just looked ridiculous!

"On the count of three." Soul began before cutting straight to "THREE!"

* * *

[Wynn]

Almost everything was a mess.

The guards and citizens had been quick to follow Iron_Lungs' orders in digging out trenches and moats to keep the Creepers a safe distance away from the undamaged buildings, but that was forcing them to demolish the buildings _already_ destroyed by Creepers. Furthermore, while my lava suggestion had just been me thinking out loud, several guards had followed through, pouring buckets of the burning rock into the first trenches where the Mobs were quickly set ablaze and killed.

The problem? It was creating a molten mess of the Southern District.

Flowing lava. Deep gouges in the dirt and roads. A ceaseless tide of Creepers buffeting themselves into molten death. Buildings and structures in rubble.

It was a nightmare.

And yet somehow, the Southern District was the one faring the best. Solara, from her high vantage point, could tell that the other districts were being beset by Creepers of their own (the Western and Eastern Districts the worst off). My guards hadn't been quick enough in their warnings. Creepers were getting into the Kingdom. I needed to get to the other districts to help, but I couldn't just—

"WYNN!" A scream caught my attention and I turned to see Iron_Lungs waving me off. "GO HELP THE OTHER GATES! I GOT THINGS UNDER CONTROL HERE!"

I hesitated for a second. "You're certain?" I called back, wanting to do more elsewhere, but unsure whether the Captain could keep so many Creepers in check.

"DOES THIS SOUND _UNSURE_ TO YOU!?"

I looked to the veteran Captain before glancing towards the Western District. It was a shady place, but the Crafters living there were still Ringwood's. And the guards there needed someone to assess the situation and spearhead damage control.

I needed to be there.

"I'll come back as soon as I can!" I called back to my fellow Captain, grateful that he was freeing me up to help others. I shot a glance to the roof of one of the buildings. "Solara! I'll need your help too, let's—"

"Uh… Captain?" Solara began carefully, her eyes squinting as she looked out over Ringwood's wall. "There's… something you need to see."

"What is it?" I asked urgently, already scaling up the building. "More cultists? Are they preparing another attack? Is there another wave to this?"

"…Well…" Solara tilted her head as if to get a better look at something and then rubbed her eyes as if whatever she was seeing was a figment of her imagination. "I don't really know how to explain this but… I see Cobb out there by the valley."

My eyes widened. "You do!?" I nearly pushed the archer out of the way as I craned my neck to get a better look. "What's he doing out there? Is he okay? Is he staying away from the Creepers?"

"Well…" Again, she sounded unsure. "He's… not _voluntarily_ avoiding the Creepers…"

What? What did that even mean? I squinted my eyes to get a better look, but the only thing that caught my attention, besides the massive amount of Mobs, was a trail of flames cutting through the herd and woods like wildfire.

"Alright, but where's—" I began to ask, but stopped myself almost immediately. One didn't have to look long to realize _Cobb_ was the literal trailblazer to such an inferno. As far away as he was, it was hard to miss his trademark black and white hoodie. A measly speck, making its way across a sea of green… with burning orange in its wake.

He was running through the Creeper herd. Burning so much wildlife in the process.

Did he have any idea how many trees would have to be planted to repair the damage his inferno was causing? How about all the animals and lumber that could no longer be a stable resource?

The only consolation for him was that, like Solara said, he wasn't doing it voluntarily, but even that was pretty weak. Someone else was carrying him. Someone who looked remarkably like he had a cat for a head had Cobb over his shoulder while he ignited tree after tree.

He was still burning Ringwood's forest. A forest that Ringwood was practically named after, and would soon be renamed Ring-Ash if the fire continued unabated.

So, in about ten seconds, I went from hopeful, to relieved, to confused, to shocked, to horrified, to angry, to worried, and then back to angry. On the one hand, Cobb was unhurt and doing everything in his power to slow down the herd. On the other, he was doing it by burning down forests and was only out there because he was stupidly trying to enact vengeance on his own.

It was a whirlwind of emotions, but eventually I settled on a compromise.

I would be worried for Cobb until he got back safe.

 _Then_ I would kill him for making me worry so much! And for being stupid. And selfish.

But first, I had to find out how to get to him. Or at least how to get him back to Ringwood in one piece.

Cobb and the person with him were just charging right through that herd, burning trees, and not seeming to care for the danger. They were right in the thick of those Mobs, and yet… they weren't exploding.

They… weren't exploding?

No, it wasn't that they weren't exploding. It was that they were _diving out of the way_.

The Creepers were throwing themselves out of their path, keeping clear of Cobb and his cat-headed companion. They never got closer than a set radius, never bothered to close in on the two or the gaps they made until _after_ they'd pass.

Why?

What about them was scaring off the Creepers?

If I only knew… if I knew what it was… I could do the same to scare off the Creepers in Ringwood.

But what about them was doing it?

"Captain!" A voice from below snagged my attention and I quickly peered down to find a haggard guard. "The Creepers are advancing through the Eastern District! The councilmen are suggesting we use fire to slow them—"

"The councilmen aren't out here right now. I am." I spoke firmly, leaping down with practiced ease and standing face-to-face with the out-of-breath guard. "The Kingdom's crops are in that District, we can't afford to raze it."

Additionally, the Cross-Kingdom Railway was under construction there. Connecting the Kingdoms was a diplomatic priority that couldn't suffer any setbacks.

"Ma'am, the councilmen understand the risk… but… but it is their belief—their words, not mine—that if we don't stop the Creepers, they'll pool into the other districts and surround us!"

I bit my lip. He was right. The councilmen were right too. For a Kingdom, the _people_ were the priority. That was what King Mann had said, and I followed his words like a mantra. It made sense to burn away territory if it meant saving Crafters from Mobs.

But, at the same time, destroying crops would hurt Ringwood in the long run. Crafters would drop like flies without the food to sustain themselves. And burning a district had no guarantee of killing all the Creepers. We were surrounded, after all.

We were surrounded… and running out of time.

"…So?" The guard asked and it took me a moment to realize he was waiting for an answer. "What should we do, Captain? Should we go through with burning the Eastern District?"

I frowned in thought before my eyes darted towards the wall, behind which a forest was currently burning.

"Captain? I need an answ—"

"Tell them to wait." I spoke back hesitantly. "Tell them… tell them there might be a solution. One that doesn't involve incinerating any property." My eyes looked back towards that wall where Cobb was burning beyond. "But we can't implement the solution. Not at this moment. We need to wait."

"What!?" The guard's eyes crinkled in confusion. "Captain! We can't wait! People are dying! If you have a plan then—!"

"I don't have a plan!" I hissed under my breath. "I don't know how to drive out these Creepers, but…" My thoughts turned to Cobb running through that herd with all the Creepers avoiding him like the plague. Then they turned to the Endward Cult, who had surely planned such an attack and coaxed the Creepers to our front door. "…But there is a way. Of that I'm certain."

The guard could only shake his head. "I can't tell the councilmen that! 'There's a way to stop them but I don't know what it is.' With all due respect, that is _exactly_ as vague as it sounds!"

"We just need a little more time." I spoke carefully, hoping the guard would understand. It was a gamble, one that I wasn't entirely comfortable with, but right now it was also our only chance. "Have the guards build up trenches and let them all know about blocking Creeper explosions with swords. Tell them to impede the Creepers however they can, and, if necessary, retreat to the plateau. That's all we can do."

"Ngh… yes Ma'am." The guard nodded begrudgingly and hurried to spread the word, telling two guards at a time.

"That's all we can do…" I murmured to myself, feeling frustrated by it all. I clenched my fist and slammed it against the nearest wall, nearly breaking the block.

There I was, a Captain of Ringwood, without any answers on how to protect the people I swore my life to. I felt so useless.

Just like in Halstatt, I was powerless. Forced to be protected by someone less experienced and less prepared than myself. Again, I had to put my faith in Cobb and hope for the best.

He knew how to stop the Creepers. It must have been a tip he picked up out of that accursed Mob book. It instructed him on how to defend against Creeper explosions. Didn't he say as much back at the basin?

As unfortunate as it was, the fate of Ringwood now rested in how soon Cobb could return to relay that information. I had to get the guards to hold out as long as possible.

Because if he couldn't, and they didn't…

There wouldn't be a Ringwood left to save anymore.

* * *

[Lenz]

"Alright." I spoke with a calm certainty. "Is everyone ready?"

"No." Came the four hesitant replies, one of which being stuttered.

"Then I will begin clearing away the trees." I ignored their worries, telling myself it was just a minor case of nerves.

I mean, theoretically speaking, if you have never been fired from a cannon, how would you know whether or not it is an unpleasant experience?

I set up the TNT cannon, made from bits and pieces of the water tower, and adjusted it so that it was aimed towards the park. Accounting for the distance and propulsion needed, I filled the cannon to the brim with TNT, making sure it was positioned above the water and adjacent to redstone dust.

Once that was done, I pressed the two buttons, with a short pause in between to account for the distance, and huddled next to the other four Crafters with my hands over my ears.

There was a loud explosion that forced the five of us against the rim of the exposed water tower and a primed block of TNT was launched forward, arcing high over the herd of Creepers. It sailed a good distance and was right on target as it exploded amongst the foliage of the park.

"Success!" I shouted with my fists raised in triumph. While the TNT had only dented the thick foliage, it made it easier to spot the crystal blue water of the pond nestled deep within. A few more shots of TNT would expose it completely and allow the Crafter ammunition to be fired next.

I worked feverishly while the four Crafters behind could only watch in confusion. None of them knew redstone like I did. I was the only one qualified to operate such a cannon.

Several TNT blasts later, I finally managed to enlarge the gap in the trees to a passable size. Our target, the pond, was within sight and still free from Creepers. When that was done, I gnawed on some steak and mutton and passed a little to the other four Crafters. Erin accepted hers with trembling hands, and then, in an act that betrayed her timid appearance, tore at the meat with ravenous abandon for manners.

"Alright, we are set." I beckoned the Crafters over after they finished their meal and guided the first one, Coombes, to the launching point. He was hesitant as he stepped down into waist-length water with several blocks of TNT behind him.

"Uh… shouldn't—shouldn't you test this out first?" Coombes asked. "You know to… safely show us how it works?"

"Negative." I dismissed quickly. "If I went first, I would be leaving further operation of the cannon in your inexperienced hands. That would only risk one or more of you blowing up."

"…Oh." Coombes muttered, going white. "Blowing up…" He mumbled under his breath before his eyes darted to the TNT and to the Creepers below. "Remind me why I'm doing this first?"

"We played for it, Coombes." The guard replied. "But if you'd rather watch someone else test out this deathtrap, I'll go first."

The guard stepped up, fully prepared for the off chance that my calculations and calibrations were wrong, but Coombes hastily waved him off, biting his lip.

"No, I…" His eyes darted back to the TNT before fixating on the guard. "I'll do it, I'll do it. Just… you sure I won't blow up?"

"No." I replied honestly, causing Coombes to start shaking in anxiety and prompting the guard to punch me in the shoulder. "I mean—You will not blow up." I spoke with a straight face, though it did little to alleviate Coombes' fears.

Well, I tried to be tactful.

"Anyway," I soldiered on, adjusting Coombes for launch, "you need to be facing the TNT with a sword out and held defensively." He quickly took out his sword, but found he could not steady it within his trembling hands. "Firmly grasp it. There. Just like that." I attempted to help before shrugging at the final product.

 _Looks safe to me._

"Now, I will ignite these TNT and you will block them with your sword." I pointed towards the pond, tracing the path back to our water tower. "Do not flail or jerk around too much upon your descent—"

"What? Why? What'll happen?" He shot out in quick succession.

"Nothing. Just any unnecessary movement on your part might alter the trajectory of the—"

"I thought you said you could launch us safely!" Coombes accused, nearly jumping off the launching point.

"I am an archer." I spoke with contained patience. "The arrows I fire do not writhe around in mid-air. They stay firm and true. So long as you do the same, there should be no problem."

Coombes slowly lowered himself back onto the platform. "Okay. Okay… I'm calm. I can do this. I can be firm and true. Firm and true." He mumbled to himself like a mantra, his sword held defensively before him.

"Yes. Firm and true." I repeated like him before shooing away the other three Crafters. "Get ready to be fired." I backed up and had my hand hovering over the button that would prime the TNT. "Firing in three… two…"

"On second thought, maybe the guard can go first, just so I can see how it's—"

"THREE TWO ONE LAUNCH!" I shouted in exasperation as I slammed a fist against the button. The TNT all primed and flashing white.

"Oh, dear God!" Coombes screeched, fumbling with his sword before finally holding it in a defensive stance towards the TNT. His eyes were screwed shut as the final seconds of the TNT ticked away.

*BOOM*

The explosion was as deafening as ever. The force of it was so tremendous that it propelled Coombes in an instant. The sight was comical. One second he was there. The next, he was sent blasting off, screaming like crazy.

Over the Creepers he sailed. We all watched as he reached the zenith of his launch and began to descend towards the park. He kept as still as he could, opting to invest all his energy into his screaming.

Just like I had predicted, he sailed through the sizable gap in the trees and splashed into the pond. He stayed under for a few seconds before his head burst from the water, sputtering and gasping for breath. He turned his head this way and that, taking in his surroundings and marveling at his own safety, before swimming towards the pond's edge.

 _Comparators, I am good!_ I congratulated with a mental pat on the back. _If only the students at the Redstone College could see me now!_

With my hands on my hips, I turned to look at the remaining three Crafters. Despite Coombes' safe landing, they still seemed hesitant to step forward. It was probably all the screaming he did.

"So," I asked with a small smile, "who wants to go next?"

* * *

[Soul]

"They following us!?" I shouted to the Crafter over my shoulder.

There was a pause in his fire lighting as he looked over the sea of Creepers. "I see some gaps in the gaggle!" He answered back. "They're still invisible, but the cats are helping them through!"

"Then keep lighting!" I answered as I continued running forward with Cat-Face perched atop my head. He wasn't doing anything particularly intimidating, but, as absurd as it was, the Creepers were scared of him.

Like a protective talisman, Cat-Face's mere presence was enough to cause the Creepers to shirk away in terror. As I ran forward, the suicidal Mobs would jump out of the way or scamper around us. They wanted to be anywhere Cat-Face wasn't.

No wonder the cultists had no trouble moving around the herd. Just having a cat with us was like Creeper repellent!

I glanced at the map held before me and saw Cara ahead of us, lighting more fires no doubt. Cobb was doing the same on my back, creating a swathe of flames that cut through the valley. Soon it would burn through the trees and block further Creepers from passing through the valley.

But more importantly, the cultists would have a harder time navigating a burning forest. If the cats burned and died, they'd be defenseless against the Creepers. And even if they were invisible, they would catch fire and give away their position.

 _They'd have to be insane to stay out here now._ I thought confidently. Sure, the forest would burn down a bit, but if it scared off the cultists, it was worth it.

Trees could be replanted anyway.

"Soul!" Cobb shouted over my shoulder, taking a break from burning to refill his low Hunger Meter. "Dere thurning bagg!"

"Could you try saying that without stuffing your face with food?" I called over a shoulder.

Cobb gulped down a mouthful of steak, nearly choking, before pointing behind us. "They're turning back! Or at least the gaps in the Creepers are turning back!"

I looked over my shoulder and was pleased to see Cobb was right. The gaps in the Creepers were retreating back to the safety of the unburned woods. The fires were too intense for them to chase us through. They couldn't risk it.

"Ha! Suck it cultists!" I called out as I turned back ahead, grinning. I could almost see the edge of the herd. The side of the forest Cara was on. "Yes! We're gonna make it!

Saying that, I was pretty much asking for the arrow that sunk into my leg.

I let out a yelp as my leg gave out and I fell face first into the dirt. Cobb was flung from my shoulder, but Cat-Face was spared that fate by digging his claws into my hair.

 _Ow._

Cobb was in trouble though and I knew it. If Cat-Face was with me, he had no protection against the herd. And he was flung pretty far. I looked up and spotted a black and white hoodie falling into a sea of green before several hissings and flashings made my heart stop.

"COBB!" I shouted over the explosions that ripped apart the trees and dirt. Seven Creepers had detonated. By the time the smoke had cleared, there was no sign of any black and white hoodie.

Just a sea of Creepers that quickly cascaded over the scarred land.

I could only look upon it in shock. It took a few seconds for it to set in, the time in which Parker and Spring sprinted towards me, their Invisibility wearing off and their cats marching alongside them to protect them from the herd. They were the only ones brave enough to pursue us through the flames now engulfing most of the surrounding woods.

Parker had been the one that shot my leg.

I clenched my fists into the dirt, feeling rage building up in my being. First Silent. Then Floyd. And now, after finally befriending him…

Spring took advantage of my prone form, bringing his sword around to carve at my back. Parker took a few shots too, hitting me in my shoulders.

The cultists took _everything_!

I whirled around, my axe whipped out so fast it could have been instantaneous. As Spring raised his sword to attack again, my axe caught him in the hip and dug deep. He gasped in pain, giving me the opportunity to down a Potion of Strength.

With the additional strength and rage fueling me, I lifted Spring off his feet by my axe and chucked him into a tree where he impacted hard and slid to the ground, clutching his side.

I turned on Parker next, rushing the cultist and bellowing my fury. Parker kicked his own cat aside, expanding the radius of protection from the herd before ducking under my heavy swing.

 _How dare he!?_

I cocked back a fist and punched with all my might. I smirked cruelly at the sound of it connecting with Parker's jaw, but I wasn't done yet.

I abandoned my axe and grabbed Parker's stunned face with both hands before bringing it down into my knee. His head jerked back so fast, I was sure I broke his nose.

When I grabbed a fistful of his clothes, fist raised to hurt him even more, Spring cut in with his sword, shearing into my arm and forcing me back. He then flung his hand towards me and I cried out in agony as a Splash Potion of Poison caught me in the eye.

I fell to one knee, trying desperately to clear my sight, but Spring wasn't letting up. I felt him kick me in the gut before stabbing me in the neck and forcing me onto me back. Cat-Face scampered off me and over to the side. I rolled around in a blind pain, but I was still roaring in defiance. I was no better than a wounded animal, calling for their blood.

"4Blite's gonna be pissed." Spring panted as he approached. I felt his boot stomp down on my chest, pinning me painfully. He had to be raising his sword. "But at least we got a Head out of it. And it's certainly been a long time coming."

I tried to wrench his foot off me, but it impossible to do while blinded and poisoned.

This… this was the end?

Still, I fought for any chance of killing the two cultists that caused me so much pain.

And, remarkably, I felt the pressure on my chest lift.

"ARGH!" Spring shrieked as he fell off of me. Something had cut him. But what? Was Cara out here now?

I rubbed my eyes a bit more and looked on. Even though it burned, I could see a bit. My savior had been…

My axe?

I rubbed my eyes again and looked, just to be sure I wasn't seeing things. My axe was still there, hovering in midair, and fighting off Spring.

Someone invisible was using it. But the only other person that had an Invisibility Potion that wasn't trying to kill me was…!

"Cobb?" I called out tentatively, earning a short 'Yes, I'm Cobb!' coming from the hovering axe. I almost sagged with relief. He was alive. He was still alive.

He must have slipped away from the Creepers or blocked them with a sword before downing one of Hugh's Potions of Invisibility. No wonder I couldn't see any sign of him. He had even stripped off all his armor, using the cultist's own techniques against them.

"Could really use some help here, Soul!" Cobb called back. Spring reared forward, sword raised to attack the location of the axe, but Cobb was faster. He tossed the axe backward towards me, wiping out any signs of his location. Spring paused for a fraction of a second, lost on where to attack.

That was all the opportunity I needed to surge forward, catching my axe with my good hand, and bringing it down roughly onto Spring's shoulder. He screamed in agony before hastily throwing a bright red potion down at our feet. The hearts on my Health Meter filled up instantly. It was a Splash Potion of Healing, and it was clear that if he hadn't thrown that down, he would have been killed.

"You…" he winced as he brought up his sword and batted aside my axe. "You've… gotten stronger… I'll give you that…" He was tottering, physically spent and exhausted. "But if you think I'll just roll over and die—"

His words were cut short as a hovering iron sword swung around, denting Spring in his face and sending him skidding to rest beside Parker. The cultists looked at us with hatred, but knew they were too injured to attack without first healing.

"Invisibility is a lot better when _I_ can abuse its cheapness." Cobb marveled as he waved his sword around. "I could get used to this."

I raised my axe, moving towards the two downed cultists. This was my chance. The chance to avenge Silent. Their cats and mine were spread out, making a spacious area where the Creepers never dared to enter. The fires were spreading nicely too. Cara would be proud.

 _So, with our mission effectively complete, Cobb wouldn't begrudge me killing these two, right?_

I gazed upon the two cultists with a cold desire to kill them. They looked back with defiant glares of their own... but then their eyes suddenly widened. The hatred vanished in an instant, to be replaced with a combination of hope… and fear.

They were also looking elsewhere. Their gazes were directed past me and past Cobb's invisible sword…

And over to a dark-skinned cultist emerging from the Creepers.

How did I know he was a cultist? It wasn't the cat that he had beside him. It wasn't the black leather cap covering his snow-white hair. It wasn't how he seemed unbothered strolling through a burning and Creeper-filled forest.

It was that he matched his wanted poster to a tee.

Lieutenant 4Blite marched towards us, an enchanted diamond axe hefted over his shoulder by an arm with the sleeve torn off. His dark purple irises gazed upon me, the floating sword that was Cobb, the cats making up the perimeter, and finally the two cultists lying in a heap.

"Well?" 4Blite asked, his voice as cold and calm as his eyes. He looked to me as he asked, "Are you going to kill those failures or do I have to do it?"

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 14 Steak, 30 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00},1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 21]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Steak, 2 Cooked Mutton, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 27 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: So much for the 'Don't run into a Lieutenant ' plan. Better go with the 'Run away like little babies' plan.**

 **I actually finished this Chapter earlier last week, but I wanted someone besides me to proofread it. Void of Shining Darkness hasn't proofread for me in a while since I'm usually too late to ask him to proofread. Not this time though!**

 **...Or so I thought. Turns out I can't contact him. It's been three or four days... hopefully he's okay.**

 **So... I might need a new Beta. Any takers? And don't say 'yes' just to read a Chapter early, but also don't say 'no' because you hate my guts or something. I'm trying to publish as fast as I can! (T_T)**

 **Also, I think the Omake below is actually better than the Chapter. Tell me what you think.**

 **Leave a fav, follow, review, PM, or what have you.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 6)

A diamond sword smashed into the ground where Carys had been. The masked angel flipped away, keeping her distance from the Hacking brute.

Urson growled as he pulled the blade from the ground and lumbered in Carys' direction, smoke still billowing freely from his eyes and being.

Carys narrowed her eyes, before pulling out her Infinity, Flame Bow. She took aim at Urson, but was forced back as a hail of arrows pelted towards her. And she used the word 'hail' literally.

"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!" Ocan shrieked with increasing volume, every word punctuated by the firing of five arrows. His Hacker powers were on full display, the smoke encompassing him as it did his brutish ally, both of their sclerae a midnight black.

Carys kept low to the ground as she rushed forward, dodging the endless stream of arrows following her. She suspected Ocan had an Infinity Enchantment helping with the ammo, but the rate of fire was entirely his Hack. Not even the fastest archer could fire five arrows per second.

She weaved in between the throne room's pillars while her Paragons took cover by the door, following her orders to make sure nobody escaped from or intervened in their fight.

"Ha! What's wrong Angel of Death? Lost your touch—Agh!" Ocan's taunt was cut short as Carys sent two burning arrows into his chest. The Hacker caught fire and whined in distress, but was otherwise ignored by the other combatants.

Urson stepped up next, trying to corner Carys from behind her pillar. He slowly crept forward before lunging around with sword raised…

Only to find nothing.

A short whistle caught the Hacker's attention, causing him to whirl around in time for a burning arrow to stick into his forehead. Urson clutched at his head as fiery agony assaulted him, all while Carys leaned leisurely against the opposite pillar, lightly tossing an Ender Pearl and catching it in her hand.

"Gah!" Ocan finally managed to put himself out and pointed his bow at the cocky angel, firing another infinite stream of arrows. Carys dove behind a new pillar, listening as the arrows drummed rhythmically against the stone.

"I thought you wanted a fight, Angel! I thought you said you were prepared to fight us!" Ocan crowed from his position on the throne. "If that's the case, why run from Urson? Stand and face him like a warrior!"

But Carys didn't move from her cover. Though she was prone to hot-headed decisions when angered, she wasn't stupid enough to fall for an obvious trap. Fight Urson head-on?

She'd be dead in an instant.

She knew this because Jillian's information regarding the two Hackers was incredibly thorough. They were both Level 2, and she knew the Hacks they possessed.

First off, Kal had explained to her the finer points of Hackers, being a Hacker himself. Hacks themselves could be simplified into enhanced attributes. Things that any regular Crafter could do (running, jumping, regenerating), a Hack could bump up to the nth degree. Every Hacker began at Level 1, but they were capable of manifesting more Hacks if their aptitude allowed. The Hacks weren't freely chosen, instead bestowed upon spawning and discovered through training and experience, but they usually reflected the Hacker's personality and fighting style.

For example, Urson was a beefy guy. Not fast, but strongly built. His two Hacks included KillAura, a type of force field that inflicted damage upon any Crafter foolish enough to get close to him, and One-Hit-Kill, which was pretty self explanatory. Both of those Hacks exemplified strength and convinced Carys that close-quarters combat with Urson was a bad idea.

Then there was Ocan. His Hacks suited a long-distance fighter. FastBow was what he used to fire arrows so quickly. His rate of fire was akin to a machine gun. And his other Hack was a common one for most Hackers: Regen. It took a Crafter's standard rate of regeneration and made it instantly refill a Health Meter whenever the Hacker wasn't taking damage.

It was pretty annoying.

So, in summation, Carys had two enemies. One she had to fight long-distance and the other she needed to overcome his insane level of regeneration.

Fortunately, she had come prepared for such.

She pulled out her newest diamond scythe and waited for Urson to approach. It wasn't hard to tell his position. Those lumbering steps of his were all too loud.

When he was close enough to be right around the pillar she was hiding behind, she shot out and slammed her scythe into the ground before him. At that point the scythe's ability activated.

The scythe was designed to harvest crops, much like a farming scythe did. It could mow down an entire area of wheat extending to a certain radius. Tinker's diamond scythe worked much in the same way. Slamming the blade down upon any surface would create a shockwave that would damage anything before it.

Hackers included.

Urson was stymied as an unknown shockwave shook the floor and knocked him off his feet. He checked over himself, glancing at his Health, and wondering how something besides an arrow could have hit him without doing any damage to the Angel.

Carys raised her scythe to repeat the action, only for a stream of arrows to pelt her, striking her armor.

Her _Thorns_ Armor.

Ocan's triumphant cheer was cut short as the Thorns Enchantment damaged him from the arrows he had carelessly fired. He healed up instantly, of course, but he didn't expect hitting his target would cause himself pain.

While he was confused, Carys rushed towards him, intent on bringing the troublesome archer down. Her scythe trailed behind her in a flash of sparkling diamond and she kept low to the ground, dodging arrow after arrow.

Seeing the Angel close in, Ocan swapped out his bow for a sword and swung with the desperation of a dying man. Carys effortlessly ducked beneath the half-assed strike and grabbed Ocan by the ankle before bringing her scythe around to dig into his back. The Hacker squealed like a…

Carys paused a moment, her eyes losing focus, before she angrily wrenched her scythe free and dragged Ocan off the throne. She slammed him into the ground and reached into her belt for the finishing potion.

Even with his Hack regenerating any lost Health, Ocan continued to writhe around, kicking and squealing like a… like a…

Images flashed through Carys' head. Finding a piglet in the Nether. Sharing carrots with the growing animal. Chatting amicably with it. Riding it into battle after battle.

Watching as Cobb killed and ate it…

The throne room started to spin. She felt her blood boil. She had to reach out and save Mr. Piggles. She had to kill Cobb! She had to—

She blinked in confusion when she took a Heart of Damage. Ocan hadn't hit her though. He was still restrained.

She blinked back into focus and saw Urson closing in on her with his sword raised. When had he gotten close enough to…?

"Angel! Move!" Anibal cried out, even as Carys took another Heart of damage from Urson's KillAura.

Carys knew she was right. She had to move. Close combat with Urson was suicide. He only needed to land one solid hit to kill her. But as she prepared to leap back behind the cover of the throne, she felt something grab her leg and hold her.

Ocan was smirking cruelly up at her, his hands wrapped around her leg in a death grip. He was taking damage from Urson's KillAura too, but he was regenerating just as quickly.

She looked back up to see a diamond sword slashing towards her. She couldn't dodge. She needed to block it. But her hand was occupied with a potion. She couldn't swap out her sword in time.

Just as it was about to cleave into her, two iron daggers flew into Urson's arm, forcing him to release the sword. Without him holding it, the weapon clattered uselessly against Carys' shoulder.

Without missing a best, the Angel of Death reached out and grabbed the diamond sword before sinking it into Ocan's neck. He cried out in agony and released the Angel, allowing her to flip back just in time to avoid Urson's kick.

A kick that just barely connected with Ocan's arm.

One-Hit-Kill.

A kick was all it took to overcome Ocan's regeneration and slay the Hacker.

Ocan burst forth in a shower of gear, his Infinity Bow and Head clattering to the floor. Urson was horrified by his mistake, stepping back and looking upon his fellow Hacker's remains with the deepest regret.

Carys, meanwhile, tried to steady her breathing. She forced herself to look composed—even pleased at how the situation turned out.

But on the inside, she was in a panicked frenzy. She had almost died. She had lost focus for an instant, but that was all it had taken. She looked up to her Paragons, still guarding the entrance. Then she looked to Z7 who had her other daggers drawn. She nodded subtly to show that she didn't require thanks for saving the Angel's life. It was _her_ daggers that were thrown into Urson's arm.

If she hadn't intervened when she did…

Carys bit the inside of her cheek and felt her blood boil again. Even when he wasn't there, that accursed Crafter was tripping her up. He'd get his, though. She'd make sure of it.

But first, she needed to end this fight.

Her eyes snapped open, the deepest, blood-red crimson piercing through her Wither Skull mask. She cast aside all thoughts of Mr. Piggles and King_Cobb and focused every ounce of her killing intent on the remaining Hacker before her.

Urson was glaring at her too. His golden eyes glaring dagger at her. "You said your Paragons wouldn't interfere." Urson accused, inclining his head towards Z7.

Carys shook her head. "They weren't supposed to. And they won't anymore." Her message to them was clear. _Intervene again, and you'll pay. This is my fight._

Urson scoffed before his attention was diverted towards Ocan's Head. Though the eyes were blank, Carys watched as a dark smoke began to envelop it. It swirled around faster and faster, lifting the Head into the air and spinning it. Before long, the smoke left the confines of the Head and began to orbit it in larger streaks and arcs before finally shooting up and through the throne room's ceiling. The Head settled back to the floor with no trace of any vapor or smoke clinging to it.

"The Clan will know of what happened here." Urson spoke to himself before turning towards Carys. "Even if you somehow kill me, there won't be a future for any of you Paragons. The Clan will hunt you down to the ends of Minecraftia and slaughter you without mercy."

Carys cracked her neck and held up her scythe challengingly.

"Let them try."

With their words spoken, Carys and Urson squared off, ready to end the fight once and for all.

* * *

 **AN: Should have turned off friendly fire, Urson. One Hacker down, one to go.**


	81. Brothers and Sisters

**AN: Well... here you go.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add tears.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 81

 **Brothers and Sisters**

[Soul]

Damnit.

After all of Cara's insistence for me not to charge into battle and fall into an Endward Cult Lieutenant's lap, what happened?

I fell right into Lieutenant 4Blite's lap.

I wasn't even trying this time and I did it!

Lieutenant 4Blite… it was hard judging how much of a threat he was since the last Lieutenant I encountered _appeared_ as a bubbly woman but was as strong and batshit as a dominatrix Disney Princess.

4Blite, on the other hand, was dark-skinned with snow-white hair, cold purple eyes, and a general air of detachment. It was as if he felt he was far above us, or he believed us to be inferior compared to him. One of his sleeves was ripped and the arm within even more so. He used an axe too, albeit an enchanted diamond one, but I couldn't ignore the weapon similar to my own.

He seemed intimidating enough, what with him being unbothered by the surrounding Creepers, flames, and cultists. The cat at his side did little to damage his imposing image. He looked disdainfully towards us as if we were insects

But what was he saying?

"Please, proceed with bringing down the axe on my incompetent subordinates." He gestured to Spring and Parker. "I saw the fires and came to investigate. I should have known it would be tied to the slothful Spring. Only he could have failed so spectacularly."

"Wh—Hey!" Spring shouted in outrage. "We're on the same side here! If this is about what happened at the Gathering, I—"

"4Blite, sir." Parker cut off his fellow cultist in a desperate appeal to the Lieutenant. "We were just about to execute these interlopers. We haven't failed you yet! If you'd just give us a second we could—"

"But you _have_ failed me." 4Blite drawled coldly, walking along the perimeter of Creepers created by the three cats. He swung his axe off his shoulder like a metronome. "These two Crafters," he pointed at me and the floating sword that was an invisible Cobb, "have eyes and ears, so they can obviously see my brilliance. They have witnessed my use of cats to herd Creepers to Ringwood. They know of the most important factor in my plan. So tell me," he tilted his head towards the two cultists, "who let them live long enough to see this?"

Parker was speechless and 4Blite was about to continue until another voice felt the need to call out.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Cobb asked with genuine confusion.

4Blite paused to glare balefully at the invisible Cobb. "Excuse me?"

"Is this some kind of trick?" Cobb repeated. "You telling us to kill your own men. It's some kind of trick, right?"

4Blite rolled his eyes and held them so that they just stared at the sky. He did this for a solid three seconds before looking back towards Cobb.

"No, this isn't a trick or a ploy." He explained with a hand massaging his temples. "I'd really appreciate it if you killed these failures. I don't want to waste the oxygen or the effort to end their worthless existences."

"…Do we get anything out of it?" Cobb felt the need to ask.

"I'll kill you mercifully. That should be compensation suitable enough."

Even though he was invisible, I could tell Cobb was frowning. "That's a terrible deal!"

"This isn't a negotiation." 4Blite countered. "From the fiery path behind you, I can assume the pair of you is responsible for cutting my herd in half. Yet another mistake my subordinates failed to correct."

" _You_ try stopping flames, asshole!" Spring threatened to Parker's shock. "Some Lieutenant you are, killing off your own men! Ember won't be too happy about that now will she?"

 _Ember? Who was that? Another Lieutenant like 4Blite? Or… someone even higher up? An Executive?_

"Ember will be even less happy knowing you're throwing her name around in the presence of two Crafters." 4Blite countered to Spring's embarrassment. "Although, there _are_ hundreds of Ember's out there. It is quite the common name. And since these two won't last another hour, I suppose there's no harm.

"As for killing you off," the Lieutenant shrugged one shoulder, "all she'll know is that you two bravely sacrificed yourselves to allow the Creepers to enter Ringwood. Ah, martyrdom. The most convenient excuse for incompetent cultists."

"Yeah, starting to think this isn't a trick." Cobb muttered while Spring flipped off 4Blite.

In-fighting aside, 4Blite seemed like a strict, unforgiving boss. At least Teal got along with her cultists… to some extent. She never suggested killing them and she didn't seem like the stringent type. I couldn't help but wonder which of the two showed standard Lieutenant behavior.

"So will you kill them or not?" 4Blite snapped me out of my thoughts as he made his way around the Creeper perimeter. "Go ahead. I won't stop you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then why are you swinging that axe like you're going to use it?" His hand tensed up on the axe and his frown deepened. "You want us all dead anyway. How do I know you won't attack the second I turn my back?"

At this, the white-haired Lieutenant let out an annoyed sigh. He stopped circling the Creeper perimeter and his own cat stopped by his side. He let his head hang with his hair obscuring his eyes and face as we waited with bated breath for whatever he was about to attack us with.

Then, after suddenly jerking his head up, the Lieutenant whipped out his axe in a flash of diamond and swung it into the nearest living thing.

*MREOW!*

It was Spring's cat that was first to feel the brunt of 4Blite's axe. I could tell it was his by the way the cultist screamed out "Mr. Mittens!" The cat was sent hurtling backward in an unnatural way that made me believe the Lieutenant's axe had a Knockback Enchantment.

4Blite didn't stop there, however. He sprinted around the perimeter towards the next nearest cat besides his own. Parker let out a startled gasp of realization and grabbed Spring just before 4Blite sunk his axe into the second cat. It wasn't knocked back, but rather killed instantly.

Parker ignored his dead cat and kept dragging Spring away. "Forget them, Spring." He hissed. "We got to live long enough to get to Ember. She'll protect us and deal with 4Blite."

I didn't understand their urgency until I saw 4Blite charge towards us. I raised my axe to block and I saw Invisible Cobb raise a sword out of the corner of my eye, but 4Blite passed us without a glance. He sped by, ignoring the two of us in favor of targeting—

My eyes widened. "Cat-Face! Run!"

Too late. 4Blite stopped in front of my cat, reared his foot back, and kicked the defenseless animal in the side. The cat snarled and hissed, more out of pain than anger, and scampered away deep into the Creeper herd. The Creeper's dove aside to let the cat pass, but it made me aware of something else.

4Blite had driven away or killed the cats making up our Creeper defense perimeter. His was the only one left.

He returned the diamond axe to his belt and grabbed his own cat by the scruff of its neck, tucking it into his arms. He tilted his head to spare us one last frosty glance before backing into the herd of Creepers. They all moved aside to let him through…

While the Creepers closed in on us.

"Quick! Follow Cat-Face!" A floating sword rushed towards the gap in the herd left in Cat-Face's wake. It was already closing in on itself and so was our perimeter. I moved to follow, only for a sword to crack against the side of my face, knocking me to the ground.

"Do us a solid and slow these Mobs down, would you?" Spring laughed as he and Parker followed their only salvation through the herd. It was a cheap shot and I cursed not killing him when I had the chance, but I didn't have time to be angry. The herd was closing in on all sides.

I scrambled to my feet and sprinted forward. Behind me I saw the Creepers swallow up our perimeter. The pathway ahead was already resealing itself with the suicidal Mobs. Two Creepers got dangerously close and I had to dispatch them with my axe and Strength.

But there were more. So many more. Ahead I saw Spring and Parker weaving between the Mobs before finally reaching the edge of the herd. They then vanished into the trees, likely going to find that Ember person they talked about.

I gnashed my teeth, furious that they had escaped. There was no way I could find them again in those woods. My chance to avenge Silent was wasted.

I lashed out at three more approaching Creepers and my desperation to escape the herd took on a violent edge. I knocked Mobs aside with both weapon and fist, tackling through ever-closing gaps of green, explosive death. Their gaunt faces were upon me. Their soulless eyes eager to blast me to oblivion. A chorus of hisses dogged my footsteps, always a second behind me.

The edges of the herd were within reach. The safe zone. I put on one more burst of speed, waving my axe around like a madman, driving off whatever Mobs dared to approach.

And I was out.

My sprinting turned to stumbling as I put more distance between myself and the herd. The Creepers that broke off to pursue me had trouble navigating the thick woods and eventually turned back. Once I was safely away from them, I fell to my knees in exhaustion.

My Hunger Meter was low, but my Health was still full. I just had to find Cobb and Cara and get back to Ringwood—with a few dozen cats. It wouldn't be hard since they still had their maps on them.

I reached into my belt to withdraw some food and my map, but I soon dropped both of them…

To dodge the diamond axe trying to kill me.

* * *

[Cara]

Who could have predicted the backfire plan would backfire? Not me, that was for sure.

It was going well at first. I was lighting fires, sporting my black goggles, and steadily narrowing the valley in which those Creepers could pass.

Then Soul said, 'Fuck everything!' and decided to run across the valley lighting one big fire. I could tell it was him by my map—which oddly enough had a new white blip. The blips stayed together so I assumed Cobb just figured out how to make a copy.

But—getting off track—Soul and Cobb ran across the valley, burning all the trees, which, let me tell you, makes utilizing backfire _needlessly_ difficult! The whole point of backfire is to stop fire from spreading by using controlled fires to burn into one another and snuff each other out.

This? This was impossible! To control it, I'd have to run across the Creeper herd too (not sure how Soul and Cobb managed _that_ without dying) and create a similar swathe of flames! It was nuts!

Sure, desperate times called for desperate measures and we had to stop the Creepers by any means, but… but these means were pretty mean! I mean, what was Soul thinking!?

I had to make it out alive just to ask him. Just to hear him try and explain himself.

It wouldn't be easy though, given what I was currently facing.

"Come on out girlie!" One of the cultists shouted.

It was naïve thinking nobody would try and stop us. Cultists see fire cropping up and damaging the herd they spent who knows how long gathering, then they'd come to investigate. I was in the middle of lighting a grove of birch trees when I noticed them approaching. They saw me and chased, and more of them showed up to try and corner me.

I was hidden behind a pair of trees atop a sort of knoll. I looked down it and saw five or six cultists creeping around with swords drawn and… cats? Whatever—Cats by their sides. I quickly ducked back under cover just before one of them looked up towards me.

"We know you're here somewhere!" A different cultist screamed. "We'd like to have a friendly chat about why you were out here burning our herd. Maybe _you_ were the one that infiltrated our outpost?"

He was talking about Cobb, but the other things he was saying made no sense. Cobb hadn't told us anything about the herd before we saw it with our own eyes. Any moron could tell it needed to be stopped whether they broke into an outpost or not.

"This isn't good." One of the female cultists chimed in. "The fires are spreading too fast. This whole valley will soon be an inferno. Might even be worse than the Blaze of 420."

"No, nothing could be worse than the Blaze of 420."

"Eh, it'll be close. Anyway, I don't want to be barbecued." The female continued. "We should leave that girl and get out of here—"

"And risk pissing off 4Blite?" A different cultist asked. "Have you heard the guy lately? He keeps gushing about this herd like it's his 'magnum opus'. How many times did he drill into us that 'nothing should disrupt his carefully crafted plan'."

"You sound just like him." A cultist joked. "But you need to act like him too. Try turning your nose up and acting all superior."

The cultist did just that and spoke in a colder tone of voice. "Do not fail me, my cultists, or you shall learn of a wrath colder and crueler than any I have employed before."

"Hahaha! Oh man, that's scary accurate! I'm getting chills!"

"Would you two knock it off!" A different cultist snapped. "This herd is everything for 4Blite, but he only put so much effort into planning and organizing it because he believes if Ringwood falls, Ember might reconsider making him an Executive of the Southern Division."

I froze as my ears picked up this new piece of information. Ember? Executive? Southern Division? I had to hear more.

"4Blite's got a lot riding on this herd." The cultist continued while searching the woods for me. "Even if the Creepers are cut off by that fire, half of them are still inside the Kingdom. They'll do the work for us, so long as we take out the meddling Crafters disrupting things out here."

They meant me. Soul and Cobb, too.

"But what about the fires?"

"Let them burn." Another cultist answered. "Sure, we'll have to retreat, but the fires hurt Ringwood too. Not like they can move the whole Kingdom out of the way of getting burnt. Ha!"

 _Crap!_ The cultist let out a laugh and pointed because he had seen me. I quickly slid down the knoll and ran in the opposite direction. Behind me I heard the footsteps of cultists giving chase. There were six of them with six cats trotting alongside them.

I glanced down at my belt to consider my options. I had a bow, but only eleven arrows. I had a sword, but I wasn't good enough to take on six enemies at once. Maybe Soul or Cobb could handle as much, but not me. I had a damaged flint and steel, a Potion of Regeneration, some food, and some spare blocks. Those were the only useful things.

I checked my map and saw Soul and Cobb had crossed over to my side. They weren't too far away, but not close enough that I could get to them without those cultists catching up to me. I had to fight them on my own.

I had to do this on my own.

I glanced left and right before spotting something that could help. One of my earliest fires. It was now a raging inferno chewing up trees and leaves.

 _Well,_ I thought darkly, _the cultists_ did _say they didn't want to get barbecued_. I reasoned before jumping into the inferno and weaving through burning bark and singed grass. The smoke was thick and suffocating and the heat rolled over my skin in scalding waves, but I grit my teeth and ventured in deeper.

As if to spur me on, an arrow lodged into a tree to my left and several shouts and curses could be heard from behind. The cultists were trying to pursue me through the fire, but having a rougher time with it. The sound of a cat's yowl told me the cultists' odd feline companions were reluctant to follow.

 _Good. Stay out of the fire._ I thought to myself while covering my mouth from the smoke. _Just go away._

"No way I'm going in there!" One of the cultists complained. "Let her burn to death."

"We have to be sure." Another cultist commented. "Todd. Payla. You two surround the fire on that side. The rest of you take left. We'll wait her out. The fire or the interloper. One of them is bound to die out."

 _Of course they_ had _to be smart._ I internally groused. _Why can't they ever just be the buffoonish underlings like in the movies?_

As the cultists spread out, I stamped out a bit of burning grass, cringing at the sensation of burned flesh. Once the fire at my feet was patted out, I got to my knees and began using my hands to dig into the now warm dirt. I got five blocks down before my fingers jammed painfully into stone. I held in a pained whimper and used the dirt I had just dug up to cover my latest hiding spot.

After a few moments, I set down a torch and looked over my map. Judging by my position, I estimated where the cultists were surrounding. After figuring that out, it was only a matter of picking a direction and digging through dirt.

It was a slow process, punctuated by the occasional sound of a cultist overhead, but I finally dug myself to the point where I could resurface without being seen.

I stealthily broke the dirt above my head, softly digging piece by piece until sunlight streamed down into my tunnel. I poked my head up and spotted a cultist on his own. His attention was focused on the burning woods, expecting me to jump out at any second.

The crackling of the flames was loud enough that he didn't even hear me approach. When I got close enough, I withdrew my sword and struck him across the head as hard as I could. He went down like a sack of bricks and a few short stabs later he was reduced to a pile of gear.

I sifted through his Inventory, but clicked my tongue to find nothing good. He didn't have any arrows either.

I lifted my head up and viewed around the burning woods the cultists had surrounded. I could've tried to stealthily take them all out, but…

…

My mission was to stop the Creepers. Not to kill the cultists.

And after all, Soul and Cobb were waiting for me.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, however, an agonized scream rang through the air. My head whipped around trying to locate the source only for a second, louder scream to drown out the first. It was coming from the burning woods those cultists were surrounding.

I looked back in time to see some gear skitter across the ground, followed by a clash of swords. Someone was fighting the cultists? I craned my neck to get a better look and just about dodged an arrow coming from my right.

The three cultists that had gone one way had returned to investigate the screams. Seeing me and the pile of gear that had been their comrade, they were quick to try and kill me. I ran fast, but two arrows found my back before I found cover.

Even then, I craned my neck to try and get a glimpse of whoever else was fighting the cultists. Besides the sounds of crossing swords, I couldn't see anything.

 _Is that Soul? Did he… wait, it couldn't be him. He doesn't use swords. Cobb then?_ I checked my map to see. _No, both blips are South of me. Is it a guard or something?_

"Crap, did she have back-up!?" I heard one of the cultists shout behind me. "Todd's dead! Wendell too! Geiger! Go help Payla! We'll get the girl!"

So they were splitting up? I didn't know who had come to help, but an enemy of the Endward Cult was a friend of mine! And facing two cultists sounded a lot better than six.

I took out my flint and steel and lit a path of flames in the grass. Then I got around the other side of it and swapped in my bow, aiming an arrow at the approaching cultists with the flames between us.

Once they got close enough, I fired two shots. They went through the fire, ignited, and soared towards the two unaware cultists.

One of the cultists reacted fast enough, jumping to the side to avoid the flaming projectile, but the second cultist got a face-full of it, lighting up like a furnace. He rolled around in the dirt, giving me all the time I needed to shoot him with more flaming arrows. He died by the fourth.

I heard another painful scream echo through the burning woods and I worried for a second that it might be someone other than a cultist. That moment of lost focus cost me when the second cultist barreled into me in a strong tackle that drove the breath from my lungs.

We hit the ground in a tangle of limbs and my bow cracked on a burned stump before bouncing off to the side. The flash of iron told me the cultist had his sword drawn, but I quickly grabbed his wrist with both hands and held it off. He tried to grab my neck, but I tilted my head and sunk my teeth into his skin with everything I had.

"Argh!" He winced as he tried to tear either of his hands free. Getting enough air into my lungs, I slipped a knee between his legs and pushed off the ground, rolling us over and down a nearby knoll.

 _Can't let him go!_ I thought determinedly as I bit my teeth deeper into one hand and tightened my grip on the other . _The second I let go, he'll kill me!_

At one point in our roll down the knoll, the unnamed cultist kicked his foot against the ground, propelling us at least a few feet off of it. We bounced once, twice, and then on the third I felt pain explode in my gut from the knee he just buried into it.

We stopped bouncing, but our rolling picked up speed to the point where I was getting dizzy. The whole world was spinning, fiery blurs and the cultist kept trying to free his sword to kill me.

But it was when the fiery oranges melded to sickly greens that I realized where we were rolling towards.

The herd.

Thinking fast with less oxygen than most people would require, I stopped biting on his hand and used my hold on his other like a lever to toss him towards the herd. He let out a squawk of surprise before getting over the dizziness and realizing just how screwed he was.

I threw out one of my arms and managed to snag something before figuring out, with a painful cry, that it was a burning tree.

Still, I clung to it because the alternative was the same explosive death I watched unnamed cultist go through. Guy must have set off twelve Creepers at once since bits of dirt and burning wood reached me as debris.

The burning tree was the only thing holding me up on that grassy knoll of death. And it hurt. Like holding a hand over an open flame, except the open flame was still-burning bark which seared my skin and made me catch fire by extension. My hearts were going down, but still I refused to let go of the lifeline tree.

The Creepers saw me and started to trot up the knoll. They had trouble though because of all the craters caused by unnamed cultist's death. I could pick out his gear and Head amongst the moving bodies and it was starting to get to me. The possibility of death. The idea that I might die the same way; in a fiery Creeper explosion.

When I started to reach my other hand up to further grip the tree, it broke. The fire burnt the block right out of existence and I found myself holding onto nothing but my own burned skin. Of course, cruel gravity set in and I found myself slipping down the slick grass towards my Creeper-faced impending doom.

I pressed myself against the knoll and dragged my boots as much as possible, but it was no use.

 _I'm going to die._

And then I felt something grip my hand and stop my fall in its tracks.

It was…

* * *

[Soul]

"Urgh…"

I held my head, dazed by the latest strike. 4Blite strength's was on par with mine. Even the axe he used reflected my combat style, though he didn't hold it in a reverse-grip.

Not to mention, his axe was definitely enchanted with Knockback. I knew because his latest strike had sent me hurtling through several rows of trees before I slammed against a half-burned oak.

4Blite came marching after me. His pace was brisk and straightforward, but he had a slight frown adorning his face.

I coughed painfully, checking for any broken bones, before I hobbled to my feet. "So you're taking me out?" I asked, causing 4Blite to pause. "What about Spring and Parker? You're gonna let that bastard rat on you to your boss?"

His eyes narrowed. "So you know how to pick up context clues. And you picked up on how much I _loathe_ Spring. I suppose I had better be straightforward, however, just to drive in my point." He raised his axe and brought it down to crush my skull. I quickly raised my own axe to intercept and found myself in a contest of strength with the man.

"No matter how I've treated them," he spoke coldly, "once Ringwood is decimated, Ember will see once-and-for-all that stringent, soldierly methods yield results. Punishment?" He scoffed. "I'll be _rewarded_ for my services to the cult. A thousand times over for crushing a Kingdom through my own means. The times of '4Blite the Lieutenant' will be over, and _then_ …"

His lips tilted up. "Spring's whining will mean less than nothing to her."

"Sounds like a good plan." I winced out as I tried to push his axe up. Even exerting all my strength, I could barely budge the thing. I was even screwing my face up in concentration while 4Blite was able to monologue without losing any amount of power. "You know, we're pretty similar."

"I agree." 4Blite nodded. "We both use axes, we both let our strengths speak for themselves,—"

"—And we both can't stand Spring."

"Quite… though I wonder if that means, were we on the same side, that we would be good friends or bitter rivals." He shrugged. "I suppose we'll never know. Now," he suddenly pressed down with twice as much force and I felt my arm buckle, " _call your friend._ "

"Ggk!" I grit my teeth as his axe began to scrape my skin. "I… I don't know who you mean!"

"You're a terrible liar. That's where we differ. The _invisible_ friend." 4Blite elaborated with a roll of his eyes. "I know he's still out here somewhere and I prefer to kill any loose ends that might make their way back to Ringwood. If the knowledge about the cats ever got back—"

"What makes you think he'd come back?" I choke out despite the axe trying to decapitate me. "Why would my life mean more than all the ones in Ringwood?"

At this, 4Blite raised his brows as if I've asked a question with an obvious answer.

"Because good guys always aspire to be heroes."

Before I could question what the hell he was talking about, I felt the axe lift up before striking at me from the side. The diamond cut deep and the Knockback Enchantment flared to send me flying back towards the herd. I skid to a stop into a clearing just shy of the herd. I struggled to my knees only for a boot to stamp onto my back and pin me there.

"I hope you're watching this, Invisible Crafter!" 4Blite called out to the woods, his cold voice echoing through the air. "Unless you want to watch this young man cut down like the blasted weed that he is, you'll reveal yourself to me!"

My eyes widened. "Don't do it!" I spat out, straining against 4Blite's strength. "He'll kill us both if you—"

4Blite silenced me with another harsh stamp.

"Perhaps you don't believe me." 4Blite commented before raising his diamond axe and leveling it at my neck. "Perhaps you'd like to witness it for yourself."

"Perhaps you should shut the hell up." Came a nearby voice before an iron sword popped into existence and slashed at the Lieutenant. 4Blite tried to block, but Cobb had the element of surprise. The sword struck 4Blite's iron armor and took out a Heart or two before sending him skidding across the dirt.

"Yeah, I really like Invisibility." Cobb commented before he yelped as I kicked him. "Ow! What was that for!? I just saved your life!"

"So you somehow managed to intervene at _just_ the right moment to save my life while being invisible?" He asked skeptically. "You were nowhere close enough to offer help anytime earlier? It could have only been then. Is that right?"

That shut him up. I could just imagine his eyes darting around and a cold sweat breaking across his invisible face. "…Okay so, maaaaaybe I was watching… for, ah, for a little bit, before I decided to, you know, jump in."

"Exactly." I groused before readying my axe. "Next time it looks like I'm losing a fight, jump in sooner."

"I thought you could handle it!"

"He was tossing me like a ragdoll!"

"Well I—" I couldn't catch the rest since 4Blite just launched me across the woods with that damn axe of his. I felt my back creak as it slammed into another tree. I reached to my belt for some food, but froze when I noticed 4Blite lifting his hand up like he was choking an invisible person.

"Invisibility blocks sight, not sound." 4Blite commented before rearing back and slamming his hand into the ground. The distressed choking noise coming from his fist told me he had located Cobb. "You are far too noisy to fully utilize this potion."

I tried to get up to help, but found myself sway on the spot before tumbling to the ground. I was more injured than I thought. I would need time to fill my Hunger Meter and regenerate my Health.

If that wasn't bad enough, Cobb's Invisibility began to wear off. His black and white hoodie materialized first before blossoming out to shape his torso, head, and legs. In a few seconds, he was fully visible, 4Blite's hand still choking the life out of him.

The Lieutenant raised his axe, looking ready to kill Cobb once and for all. His eyes slid over his form before stopping just above his Head. They narrowed slightly, scrutinizing something (perhaps the best way to decapitate him), before all of a sudden, his purple irises widened in an emotion unlike anything he had shown before.

Shock.

"You're…" He spoke softly, looking Cobb up and down. "King_Cobb. The Billionth…"

I saw 4Blite's grip slacken as he looked upon Cobb with an appraising glance. Cobb, grateful for the Lieutenant's crushing grip to be off his neck, took great, greedy gulps of air. The fisherman suffered a slight coughing fit before he finally registered what the Lieutenant had said.

"You… know of me?"

It must have been the wrong thing to say because the next moment, 4Blite had pressed his axe dangerously close to Cobb's neck. The fisherman tilted his head away from the sharp diamond edge, but 4Blite wrenched his face back into place so that the two were looking each other in the eyes.

"…Where is he?" 4Blite asked with what I could only describe as barely restrained excitement.

"Huh?" Cobb replied, trying to pry the blade off his neck.

"Don't play dumb!" 4Blite shouted suddenly, spit flying from his mouth. "The Founder! You know where he is! You must!"

Cobb looked as confused as ever. "I don't… I don't know who you're talking about!"

"LIAR!" 4Blite screeched, grabbing Cobb by the face and grinding it into the ground. He looked demented, completely different from the composed Lieutenant from before. "You _know_ where he is! You were the last thing he warned us about! You must! Know! _Something_!"

The diamond axe kept cutting into Cobb's Health, causing the fisherman to writhe about in discomfort. He didn't have the strength to dislodge the Lieutenant, nor did he have the knowledge to answer his bizarre questions.

After a few moments of getting nowhere, 4Blite relented. He pulled his axe away and glared into the fisherman's terrified eyes.

"…I can't kill you." 4Blite spoke, more to himself than to Cobb. He looked conflicted, as if he was debating an important decision. "Ember warned us not to… tch! Of all the people to interfere!" He groused, stepping off the fisherman only to stomp the breath out of his gut. "Or maybe it's _because_ it's you that you're interfering here now. Either way… I can't let this opportunity pass. You're coming with me."

4Blite reached into his belt, but had to jump back when I hurled my axe at him. He fully revealed a pair of splash potions in his hand that he would have used on Cobb. The fisherman took the opportunity to crawl away.

4Blite glared coldly at me. "You, however, _we don't need_."

4Blite darted forward towards me, diamond axe raised to send me to oblivion. Cobb tried to reach out to stop him, but failed. The dark-skinned man was upon me, his axe slashing strongly towards my torso. I was too weak to dodge and the flash of blue that hurtled towards me…

…

The flash of blue that hurtled towards me wasn't his axe.

It was a blur of blue hair.

My breath caught in my throat.

An iron sword diverted the Lieutenant's attack at the last second before a well-timed kick sent him skittering away. 4Blite glared coldly at the newest interloper.

It was Floyd.

"You…" I mumbled dazedly as I stared upon the blue-nette's strong back. I reached an arm out and grabbed his shoulder, just to verify he was really there. The red fabric of his sweater. His jet black jeans. The name Flawwed_Floyd above his head.

This wasn't a dream.

He was real.

He was alive.

"You…" I repeated, completely at a loss for words. The blue-nette was more than happy to help me out.

"I wasn't able to save Silent or Void." His head was tilted down, as if in shame. "But it looks like I came just in the nick of time." He turned around and flashed me a smirk. "Sorry for taking so long."

I cracked a smile at his words. _How can he say 'sorry' after all the shit I've put him through? I was a total dick to him. And yet…_

He was too good of a bastard. I really didn't deserve him, a schmuck like me. Someone who would think it right to shun a friend for a moment of weakness.

I scoffed. "I didn't miss you _that_ much." I tried to contain the manly tears, but failed when my voice broke. "Though it's great to have you back."

"What is this? An emotional moment?" The cold voice of 4Blite sneered, prompting Floyd to refocus his attention. I stepped up to his side, all signs of fatigue gone. His presence alone was like a second wind for me. With the two of us side-by-side, the prospect of facing a Lieutenant seemed easy.

4Blite took a step forward, hefting his axe over his shoulder. Only to suddenly collapse to his knees with an arrow sticking out of his calf. "Who—!?"

"You bet it's an emotional moment!" Cara called out from her position in the trees. Her bow was notched with an arrow pointed directly at 4Blite. "And you're ruining it!"

Cobb struggled to his feet as well, though he never took his eyes off of Floyd. His self-control was long gone as he began to softly sob at the sight of him. "Floyd… you're…"

4Blite's eyes darted to Cara, Floyd, me, and finally Cobb. He took a few steps towards the fisherman only to pause as Floyd and I closed our ranks around him. The next second, 4Blite had to leap back as one of Cara's arrows almost caught him in the eye.

The dark-skinned man glared coldly at the four of us, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked to be debating whether to take us all on or simply cut his losses. They'd be some pretty hefty losses, however, seeing as how both Cobb and I now knew how to drive away the Creepers. All of his work against Ringwood would be undone if we lived. And yet…

He didn't have a choice.

"…Mission failure." He spoke resentfully, sheathing his axe in his backpack. "Seems like the Billionth is ever-present as the cult's enemy."

Cobb wasn't listening to 4Blite's final words. Too busy was he in gripping Floyd by the sweater to see if he was as real as he seemed.

"What makes you think we're letting you go?" I called out to the Lieutenant. I knew I was pushing it, but he had already acknowledged it as his loss. What harm could a little additional taunting do?

"Whom do you think is letting whom go? Make no mistake, insect. The four of you are _far_ below me in terms of skill." 4Blite spoke coldly. "Your time will come, as will Ringwood's, very soon."

And with his final piece said, 4Blite backed out into the trees, his cold purple eyes glaring at each of us in turn. The underbrush shifted to accept him and he was gone.

After a moment to be certain 4Blite was gone, Cara jumped down from the trees and walked towards us. I met her half-way and grabbed her by the shoulders before hugging her. She seemed surprised for a moment before returning the gesture.

"See? I told you the arson plan would work."

I shook my head. "I'm just relieved you're safe. Did Floyd find you?"

She pulled back with a nod. "He fought off some cultists before pulling me out of an explosive situation. I definitely didn't cry." She added when I gave her a knowing look. "I didn't! I was serious—and, and composed…" She pouted at me when it was obvious I wasn't buying it. " _Fine._ I bawled my eyes out into his sweater."

"That's what I figured." I countered with a half-smile before turning to look towards Floyd and Cobb. "Speaking of people bawling their eyes out…"

Cobb was a hysterical wreck. He was clutching onto Floyd for dear life, sobbing unrestrainedly into his sweater and repeating that he was alive over and over while the blue-nette kept assuring him that, yeah, he was alive.

"You guys thought I was dead?" Floyd asked in mock betrayal. "Geez. Give me a little credit!"

"Y-you were tossed off a c-cl-cliff!" Cobb shouted burying his face into Floyd. "Th-they said they l-look-looked for you… and… and…" He trailed off as he tried and failed to speak between sobs and a face-full of Floyd's sweater.

"Hey, Cobb, easy." Floyd tried to calm him down, gently pulling him off his sweater. He seemed surprised that the fisherman was so worried. "I'm here, okay? I'm alive. And nothing is going to kill me."

Cobb sniffled, but still refused to let go of the blue-nette. "I thought you… you were gone forever… and that it was my fault for n-not being there to s-save you…"

"What? Are you crazy?" Floyd cast off Cobb's worries by grabbing him by the shoulders and giving him a small shake. "You had nothing to do with that. Teal was the one that tried to kill me. Not you. So don't you dare say you had a hand in it!"

"How did you survive anyway?" I asked, walking up to the blue-nette. "Attila said falling off those cliffs was certain death."

"Wow, don't sound so disappointed." Floyd countered sarcastically before he pulled out his iron sword and wedged it between him and Cobb, intending to use it as a crowbar. "I can see what Attila meant, though. Those Guardians swarmed me as soon as I hit the water. They fired laser beams at me and had spikes all over their body. I only managed to get away since I had a Potion of Water Breathing on me." He held up a glass bottle with a small smile.

"It let me breathe underwater where I tried to swim away from those Mobs. When I was climbing into my boat, one of them got a lucky shot and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I had washed to shore on some lonely island surrounded by Guardians. My boat was crushed and there were no trees, so I had a time figuring out how to escape. Luckily, there was an old beach house with a little potted sapling. I planted it with some bone meal and used the wood to make a new boat."

"No wonder we couldn't find you." Cara chimed in, rubbing her chin. "There are a few islands off of Nitebane's coast. You must have floated there."

"…Sorry for that, by the way." I mumbled, looking away from my friend's face.

"Sorry for what?"

"For giving up on you. For being a dick. For thinking you were dead. Take your pick."

"Ugh, don't tell me _you_ were blaming yourself for Teal too." Floyd groaned. "At least Cara wasn't beating herself up about it."

"Are y-you kidding?" Cobb spoke up, wiping away some tears with a small smile on his face. "She was beating herself up the most!"

"Wha—No I wasn't!" Cara defended hotly while Cobb laughed.

"She was questioning her own leadership and drinking herself silly." I spoke to Floyd, not bothering to keep my voice down.

Cara fumed. "Well, I wasn't guilty enough to take on an outpost of cultists like a certain someone."

"What!?" Floyd gasped, looking between Cobb and me. I shook my head and pointed to the fisherman who could only glance away guiltily. "Are you kidding!? Geez, Cobb, badass! What else did I miss?"

"Creepers attacking Ringwood." Cobb answered shortly. "In fact, we got to get back there as soon as possible."

"Sounds like a plan." I nodded. "We can talk about Cobb's screw-ups at the outpost along the way. It'll be fun."

"Hey, Floyd, did you know that die-hard Soul affectionately named his pet Cat-Face? Thoughts?"

"…You little shit." Soul hissed, trapping Cobb in a headlock and rubbing a fist into his head. "How's that feel, huh? You little punk!"

Floyd watched their interaction with a quizzical look. He tilted his head and folded his arms. "Huh. I guess I did miss a lot. Since when have you two been on such good terms?"

"This is what you call good terms?" Cara questioned as Cobb and I stared at them before looking at each other and then back to them.

"I mean, we can go back to hating each other if you want." Cobb suggested, earning a bark of laughter from me. I shoved his head away and he chuckled to himself.

"No, no, it's… I'm happy you two get along." Floyd smiled, looking between his two best friends. "I just never thought I'd see it in my lifetime."

"Crafters live forever though."

"I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime."

"I can't believe I missed you." Cobb grinned, clapping the blue-nette on the shoulder. "Ooh! I got loads to tell you, though! About Lenz, and the secret lab, and the Creeper lady, and the Hacker, and the golden shovel—!"

"Ah… Hacker?" Floyd faltered after hearing that word and seemed uncomfortable repeating it. "What, uh, what do you mean? What happ—"

* _Meow_ *

I let out a manly gasp before rushing over to the cat lying lazily across my axe. "Cat-Face! You're okay!" I picked up the cat and started rubbing my face all over it. "Oh, who's a happy kitty? Who's a happy kitty? That's right, you are!"

"…What am I witnessing right now?" Cara and Floyd asked in unison, sounding sick. Realizing how it must have looked, I quickly pulled Cat-Face off my face and cleared my throat. Then I ambandoned all further dignity by holding the feline by the paws and dangling him off the ground, watching him sway lazily.

"Goood little Cat-Face!"

* _Meow_ *

* _Meow_ *

Before my eyes, more cats began to appear from the woods. At least six of them. At first, I worried they belonged to more cultists. But when I saw them padding over to rub their faces affectionately against Floyd and Cara, I knew they must have been theirs.

"Yeah, for some reason, all the cultists had cats." Cara rubbed her head awkwardly as she assessed the felines. "I guess the rules of pet ownership state that, since we killed their old owners, they're ours now?"

Most of them were all over Floyd, winding their bodies around his legs. The blue-nette looked indifferent about it. He was probably more a dog person.

"They're kind of in the way, though." Floyd commented as he pulled out his sword. "I think I should just kill them or scare them off so they don't follow—"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Cobb and I screamed in unison while waving our arms back and forth. Floyd slowly lowered his sword, fixing us with confused glances.

"Trust us." I shared a knowing look with Cobb. "We'll need those cats."

* * *

[Wynn]

"Miss Whispers!"

Erin sprang forward, running into my arms and giving me a gentle squeeze. I returned it only as a perfunctory action. Instead, I took more interest the people with her.

Lenzington, a guard, and a few Crafters. They were all soaking wet and looked exhausted, but they had somehow escaped the sea of Creepers occupying the Eastern District. Lenzington in particular beamed with pride.

The others were giving him dirty looks however.

"Never again…" One of the Crafters, Coombes, mumbled to himself, looking traumatized.

"Captain Wynn." The guard with them saluted before addressing me further. "I'm sorry to say that the Eastern District is almost completely overrun. With the way things are going… we just might have to burn the district.

I bit my lip in frustration. There was really no more time left. The Creepers were soon to surround us from the east and west. Even if Cobb had a solution for driving off the Creepers, would it even work at this point?

"Er… Captain?" Lenz tugged on my sleeve, adjusting his goggles to see something in the direction of the Eastern District. There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "I believe you will want to see this."

I turned to see what the engineer was pointing to…

And felt my jaw drop.

Four Crafters. Purple, dark-brown, blue, and light-brown sets of hair that cut through the herd of Creepers like a hot knife through butter. They weren't attacking the Mobs, instead only running through them.

And accompanying them were seven cats, spread out like some sort of barrier. The Creepers looked terrified of the felines and jumped aside to let them pass.

 _Huh…_

 _Cats…_

I turned to the guard. "Tell every able-bodied Crafter to scavenge through pet stores and back alleys for every cat they can find. Solara." I pointed to the archer. "Gather as many fishermen as you can and take them to the Ringwood pond. Catch as many fish as you can carry, we'll be using them to breed kittens if we have to."

I was ever-grateful that Solara didn't question my odd request and instead opted to follow orders. "You two." Lenz and Erin looked started at being addressed. "Go find Captain Iron_Lung and tell him that Creepers are afraid of cats. If he doesn't believe you, tell him it's from the same source that told me how to block Creeper explosions."

Lenz was quick to agree, but Erin was more reluctant. "But… but… but that's Cobb out there, isn't it?" Erin whined, jumping up to try and glimpse Cobb's hair over the hundreds of Creepers. "C-can't I wait a little bit until he gets here? Please? I just want to see if he's okay! A-and maybe if he's h-hungry… or… or… if he needs to be more comfortable… or—"

"No." I shot her down coldly before turning her around and pushing her towards Lenz.

A few minutes later, Cobb and his group of companions cleared the herd. That was when Cobb glimpsed me. He froze upon making contact with my amber eyes and he looked… apprehensive.

And he had every right to be. The second he was within stabbing distance I was going to jam my rapier through his bottom and hold him over a fire like a Cobb Kebob! He had no idea how worried I was for him. How he had just disregarded me completely to go on his stupid quest for vengeance. Informing Ringwood about the cats wasn't going to cover all the worry he put me through.

It wouldn't even come close.

I saw Soul and Cara exit the herd next. They each placed an arm over Cobb's shoulder and helped push him toward me. Then, bringing up the rear was…

…

Floyd.

So he had survived. Despite my anger towards the fisherman, I couldn't help but feel elated that he still had his friend beside him. Considering how much it tore at him, finding out he was still alive must have been quite the tear-jerking moment.

I watched like a hawk as Cobb breathed out a resigned sigh and walked towards me. He swayed slightly and looked injured, fatigued, and filthy. Soot from the fires clung to his clothes—oh, yes, the fires he caused. Another problem he heaped onto Ringwood.

 _He better pray it rains tomorrow._

He walked right up to me, but not close enough to invade my personal space. He kept himself an arm length away. he was like a timid deer, poised to flee at the slightest sign of hostility.

"Wynn…" He began, voice heavy with regret. "I… I'm sor—"

"If you want to say sorry," I cut him off, tone stern and unforgiving, "you'll need to tell me what you did wrong. It has to be the _one_ action you took that upset me the most for me to forgive you. And I want to hear why." I added.

Cobb looked at me with his mouth slightly parted, his face lined with shame and fear. He honestly looked a little lost to be asked such a question, almost as if he didn't know where to begin with where he went wrong. He made so many mistakes in such a short amount of time. Was it even possible for him to guess what had hurt me the most?

Cobb searched my face for the answer, but when it was clear he'd have to work it out for himself, he tilted his head down and adopted a contemplative look. His eyes closed as he thought back to the days of his depression and grief. The days in which he tackled an outpost on his own. The days in which he closed himself off from the world. From his friends.

Seconds stretched on into minutes and his three companions fidgeted in place. Still, Cobb took his time. It angered me that he even had to think about what made me most upset. It should have been obvious.

Finally, his eyes slowly opened and he looked back to me, his green eyes as hard as emeralds.

"I'm sorry I felt my pain didn't matter to you."

In one step, my arms were around his back, gripping him in a tight embrace. He twitched apprehensively before settling into the hug, his own arms wrapping around my back and his eyes crinkling with tears.

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled softly into my shoulder as tears started to well up. "I'm so sorry…"

"Why did you do it?" I asked, moving a hand up to cradle his head. Soul, Floyd, and Cara took that as their hint to leave. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"…I don't know." He shook his head, sobbing heavily into my shoulder. "I… I wanted to tell everyone… but… but I would've just been spreading the pain. I would've been… I would've been acknowledging his death." He was having trouble getting the words out. "It… it hurt… s-so much."

"I know."

I patted his head comfortingly, even as his sobs grew in intensity and incoherency.

"I… I knew y-you would have… w-wanted to know…" He continued through a hoarse throat. "You would have w-wa-wanted to know… the second I was feeling b-bad." He shook his head, burying it deeper in my shoulder and clinging tighter to my back. "I… I felt… I felt v-vulnerable… I d-didn't want… want you to s-see me like that. I didn't kn-know how to f-feel… I… I…"

He couldn't finish, so I helped him out a little bit.

"You thought your pain would be a bother to us. That it would be pointless baggage. Am I right?"

I felt him nod against my blouse and I hugged him tighter.

"So instead," I began with a small smile, "you thought taking on an Endward Cult outpost, starting fires in the woods, and leaving the Kingdom without telling anyone would be less of a bother to us. Is that right?"

He let out a sound that was half sob and half embarrassed laugh. "I'm an idiot…"

"I know." I smiled.

Suddenly, all the anger I felt towards him seemed pointless, as if it had all just melted away. It was impossible to stay mad at such a whimpering, tear-stained bundle of innocence.

"I truly consider you a friend, Cobb." I moved away so I could look him in the eyes. His were red and watery, but he had to know what I thought of him. "I worry about you because you're my friend. Even though I pick up on things, I can only ever know something's wrong if you tell me."

He nodded quickly, splashing his hoodie with tears. I quickly wiped them away with some paper in my backpack.

"So please, don't ever close yourself off again." I spoke gently, resting a hand on his cheek. "Because there's nothing more painful than watching a friend suffer."

Cobb nodded again, managing a smile as the tears were finally cleared away. He threw his arms around me once more, saying how sorry he was over and over. I let him continue for a few minutes, patting his head and whispering soothing words into his ear. There was no rush. The guards, Solara, and Iron_Lung would have the situation under control without me. The Creeper herd could wait.

Sure, stabbing Cobb with my rapier would have been warranted after all the turmoil he put his friends through.

But honestly, I didn't mind the two of us hugging it out.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 14 Steak, 30 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00},1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [ _Dyed Black, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Leather Boots [ _Dyed Black, Protection I_ ], 9 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 21]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 13 Cooked Fish, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Steak, 2 Cooked Mutton, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 24 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN:** **That concludes the Creeper Herd Arc (Now you see why I didn't name the Arc at the beginning). The next Arc will be a mini-Arc called the Bounty Day Arc. It'll probably last about two or three chapters.**

 **Anyway, this Chapter was originally going to be called 'Brothers' as in Soul and Floyd, but then I had the Wynn scene at the end so I thought, hey, Brothers AND Sisters AND I can kill off all those Royal Whispers Shippers in one go! SOLD!**

 **The Inventory list has never been bigger as Floyd is still alive. But, I mean, it's not like anyone totally called that. (9_9)**

 **Everyone thank AxeHelix for Beta-ing this Chapter. I had him waiting forever on it. I'm such an ass.**

 **AxeHelix: You really are an ass.**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 7)

The throne room was quieter than it had ever been as the two adversaries circled each other like wolves. Carys had her scythe held loosely behind her while Urson kept a tense grip on his sword.

This was the moment of truth. The moment in which months' worth of preparation and planning would either come to fruition or failure. A pivotal event in the Paragons' history was standing before the Angel, and she'd be damned if she let it slip through her fingers.

Urson watched Carys with the same careful consideration he'd shown at the beginning of the fight. Only now, he acknowledged how powerful she was. For someone to fight on par with a Hacker without any of the same abilities was borderline suicidal. Yet here she was, doing just that.

When Urson circled to a point where he was closest to the throne where Ocan's gear lay scattered, he made his move.

Carys had to duck as Ocan's Head was kicked towards her by the remaining Hacker. It was only meant to be a distraction as Urson charged forward with smoke billowing in his wake. He let out a guttural war cry as he swung his diamond sword down, intending to kill the Angel of Death with his One-Hit-Kill.

Carys wasn't one to be done in so easily, though. She sidestepped the killing strike and retaliated by dragging her scythe across the Hacker's exposed chest. He winced from the blow, but refused to give up ground. Instead he fought through the pain and lashed out with close-range slashes.

Carys, knowing how deadly they were, dodged them all. But being in close proximity to Urson's KillAura was steadily robbing the Angel of her Health. Every time she tried to get some distance, Urson followed. He was belligerent and knew that the longer he fought in close range, the more damage she'd take.

Carys' eyes narrowed through her Wither Skeleton mask as she retaliated with scythe slashes of her own. Each one did as much damage as Urson's KillAura.

This was the final battle. A war of attrition. Both sides were doing just as much damage to each other. There was no time to back off or regroup. It was a bloody, reckless onslaught of damage in which only one of them could win. And there was no way Carys was backing down.

*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*

*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*

Carys' Health was falling fast, but she knew that without even having to glance at her Health Meter. She knew her own body better than those silly tattoos on her arms. It was Urson's Health she kept an eye on. She watched as those deep red hearts turned black and empty and felt herself come one step closer to victory.

*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*

*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*

Urson's eyes were watching her Health too. For the same exact reasons. He knew landing a hit could end the whole thing, but he couldn't for the life of him hit the damn woman!

This battle would be settled by whoever flinched first; Whoever turned chicken at the last second for fear of dying. That would be the moment where everything would be settled.

*SLASH* *SLASH*

*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*

Urson grit his teeth as his Health reached dangerous levels. His eyes darted to Carys, wondering how she could keep attacking without fear. Didn't she have any sense of self-preservation? Why wasn't she backing off? Why wasn't she disengaging!?

Urson's eyes flickered, his Hacker smoke fizzling out for a second. He… he couldn't lose. He was a Hacker! The strongest beings in Minecraftia! The ones that inherited the world! The ones unchallenged by even the strongest of Crafters!

They were superior in every way! He wasn't going to lose! Not when he had every excuse to triumph!

He was the best!

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Urson bellowed, putting all his strength into one final slash towards Carys' torso.

"Those all the final words you can muster?" Carys screamed in response, her crimson eyes dilating. She dropped to her knees fast, dodging Urson's sword the skin of her teeth. Then, with one final burst of energy, she darted beneath Urson's outstretched arms, a flash of diamond aiming high.

Her scythe scored a hit deep into Urson's neck, tearing free the final Hearts of the Hacker's Health. And, in an explosion of gear and smoke the color of night, Urson's Head lay motionless upon the throne room floor.

* * *

Two seconds. One for each Hacker.

That was all the time it had taken for the Griefers to drop everything and flee. They were already losing to Kal's forces, but seeing their invincible Hacker leaders' Heads tossed down from Lunar Castle… that was the final nail in their coffin.

They truly had no honor or purpose in their miserable lives. They only spread destruction and grief when it was on their terms. Like a bunch of schoolyard bullies, they only fled when an adult arrived to break up their fun.

There were stragglers, of course. Some Griefers clung to the shadows of Nitebane's ruined skyscrapers or else hid themselves in sewers like the rats they were. So desperate were they to cling to the one safe haven for them in all of Minecraftia, they failed to realize what Nitebane's citizens would do if they were to find them first. After so many years of occupying their Kingdom and causing untold chaos, the Griefers would be lucky if the Crafters of the skyscraper communities _only_ killed them.

But that was neither here nor there. Only two things mattered to Carys as she gathered her Paragons into Lunar Castle to celebrate their victory and conclude final preparations for Operation: Overshadow.

One: She had stepped into the halls of legends by being the _first_ Crafter to kill a Hacker.

And two: Nitebane now belonged to the Paragons.

* * *

 **AN: Things are wrapping up for the Paragons.**


	82. The World

**AN: Shorter Author's Notes are good. It's not Wednesday, but neither was last week's publish day. So at least I'm consistent in not being consistent.**

 **I'm thankful AxeHelix has the time to Beta these.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add spears.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 82

 **The World**

[Cobb]

"…And that's pretty much everything that happened on my end for the past few weeks. Any questions?"

"Yeah." Floyd's eyebrow twitched. "Only about seven _thousand_! I can't even remember everything you just told me!" He clutched his head like it was about to burst from information overload.

"I can repeat it from the top if you want…?"

"No! No, no. I just…" He sighed. "I can't believe so much happened to you in such a short amount of time."

Brain: _I know, right? It's like he's the protagonist of some shitty story._

"Okay, okay." Floyd closed his eyes and nodded to himself. "I think I have all my questions sorted and ordered, from greatest to least levels of importance."

"Okay, so what's first?"

"…Wynn really asked you if she looked like a lesbian?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You really think _that's_ the most important thing I've recounted?"

He nodded.

"Well good, because it _was_ pretty shocking. And awkward." I then proceeded to launch into the finer details of the event

The two of us were chatting while fixing a badly exploded street with cobblestone. We would've swapped stories at a bar or restaurant, but that would've been tricky.

Since, well, everything was shut down.

To focus attention on relief efforts, every business aside from Inns was shut down and the freed up workers were dispatched to the damaged districts to either A.) Breed cats, B.) Herd the Creepers outside of Ringwood using said cats, C.) Rescue trapped or injured Crafters throughout the Kingdom, or D.) Repair the buildings, roads, and walls blasted apart by the worst Mob Crisis since the Tragedy of Nitebane. (Floyd had filled me in on that tragedy after I overheard some Crafters bringing it up.)

We were all doing our part. Floyd and I had volunteered for rebuilding so we could get a chance to talk. Soul and Cara were helping to push cats out of the Eastern District along with the other Silver Intent members. (I guess they didn't want their Headquarters surrounded by Creepers.) Lenz was… actually I had no idea where he was. I thought he went into the outhouse, but he was in there a long time. Erin was helping to breed cats, apparently finding them to be the **second** most adorable thing she's ever seen. When I asked her what the first most adorable thing was she went real quiet and red-faced. Touchy subject, I guess.

Wynn, Iron_Lung, and all the guards had been split between rescue duty and Creeper herding duty. Their job was probably the hardest since, according to Lenz and his pie chart, the Creepers had occupied a maximum of twenty-five percent of Ringwood at a time. Half of the Eastern District, half of the Western District, and a small sliver of the Southern District. The Northern District went untouched.

Even though that sounded bad, it had its own form of silver lining. While the Creepers had breached the wall on three fronts, most Crafters had enough common sense to run away like hell, which limited a lot of chances for the Mobs to blow up.

The crops in the Eastern District were trampled upon, scattering vegetables everywhere, but the farmland was still intact. Farmers just needed to re-plow the land and plant new crops. They would do so as soon as the Creepers were pushed out.

That was what Wynn told me, anyway.

The Western District… fared pretty badly. It was already run-down, so it was hard to tell where the neglected structures ended and the Creeper explosions began, but the damage was still there. A lot of gear was found in dead-ends and back-alleys, where the Crafters had nowhere to run to escape the suicidal Mobs.

Wynn didn't want to tell me that. I overheard it from Liam and Spencer.

The Southern District was the quickest to respond. Thanks to the command of a certain ivory-haired Captain they were able to block the Creeper explosions using their swords and form a series of lava-filled trenches to dispose of the Mobs. I was so proud of her.

As quick as they were, however, a lot of the buildings closest to the southern toll gates were a wreck. In fact, they were the ones we were currently fixing up.

So, all in all, the inside of Ringwood was badly damaged, but mostly okay.

As for the outside…

It was still on fire.

How 'on fire' you ask?

Well, we were working at night without any torches or lamps, yet we could still see perfectly thanks to the orange glow coming from the other side of an 80-foot high wall.

So… yeah. That 'on fire'.

Buuuut… it was going to rain soon!

…Probably. The rain-dancers thought so.

…

Nope! It wasn't even my problem!

I had told Soul not to dangerously light fires, but he had convinced me to go along with it by lifting me like a sack of potatoes and carrying me while I did it—okay, so maybe it was my problem. But what was I supposed to do!? There were cultists everywhere and they would've just impeded us. That or attack Ringwood in all the confusion.

Even now, the fire was spreading, burning through tree after tree. It was good because it acted as a trash bin for all the Creepers getting pushed out of the Kingdom. It was bad because Ring _wood_ , believe it or not, had a booming lumber industry. Who knew?

In short, their lumber industry wasn't so booming, BUT they had a way to get rid of all the Creepers. You win some, you lose some.

Soul had stepped forward to take full responsibility for the fire (even though it had been Cara's plan at first) and had stood before Wynn with the courage of a man who had no idea what a rapier to the balls felt like. Wynn, however, in a rare show of leniency, spared him. She agreed that, given the circumstances, burning the forest had been the best move for both eliminating the Creepers and limiting the cultists' movements. He would have received jail time nonetheless, since burning down forests was a serious offence, but Wynn covered for him with the council by claiming the Endward Cult had started the fires to further harm the Kingdom. She even asked Solara to keep quiet about seeing us crossing the gaggle with our swathe of flames; all to maintain our story.

It wasn't like piling blame on the Endward Cult mattered. At this point, I doubted there was a single citizen in Ringwood who didn't hate the black-capped killers. Businesses were shut down, Crafters were dead. And what confused me the most was what the cultists were even trying to accomplish. I still had no idea about their motives or goals, and everyone I asked could only answer, with no lack of venom, that the Endward Cult's goal was to kill every Crafter in Minecraftia.

To me, that just made no sense. Weren't they themselves Crafters? Were they intending on killing themselves in the end after everyone else? Why would anyone support such a crazy goal?

Bladder: _Cultist bad. What else do we need to know?_

 _How about_ why _they're bad?_

Brain: _I get what you're saying. But the only one who could really tell us about them is… well… them._

 _…Yeah, that's not going to happen._

Considering Floyd's and my track record with cultists, talking with them probably wasn't the sanest option. That 4Blite guy had been trouble enough. I still couldn't forget his last chilling words…

' _Your time will come, as will Ringwood's, very soon._ '

That suggested that not only were they not discouraged by their Creeper plan failing, but they were also determined to try again. What would they throw at Ringwood next? What _could_ they throw at Ringwood next?

And what had 4Blite been trying to ask me about?

' _The Founder! You know where he is! You must!_ '

' _You_ know _where he is! You were the last thing he warned us about! You must! Know!_ Something _!_ '

He could've killed me… but he didn't. Because he thought I knew something. Something about a Founder…?

It was at this time I finished recounting about the Wynn lesbian incident. I looked up from placing gravel in a broken road to look at my blue-haired friend. "Hey, Floyd."

"Hmm?"

"Did the Silver Intent ever mention the Endward Cult having a Founder? Like, who was the guy who started it all?"

"Not sure why you want to know that. They're killers, no matter who founded them." He thought to himself for a bit. "Well… Nitebane was the cult's birthplace, and apparently the cult's Founder was the one who released a killer Mob on that Kingdom." He rubbed his chin. "I haven't heard a name though. If you really want to know, I can ask Brett for you."

"That would help, thanks." I smiled. The sooner I got a name for the guy, the sooner I could figure out why 4Blite would think I knew him. Maybe I did. Though 4Blite only mentioned anything when he recognized me as the billionth Crafter. What was the story there?

"So…" Floyd began, thinking up more questions for my recount of events. "Halstatt, huh? I actually passed that place on my way back here. They were spreading rumors about the 'Legend of the Billionth,' but I couldn't believe that was you. So it's true then?"

I nodded proudly. "Every word."

"You mean you actually rode down from the heavens on a silver dragon of thunder and lightning—?"

"Okay, _that_ part didn't happen." I amended.

Heart: _Talk about embellishing…_

Brain: _I don't know what you're talking about, that's how_ I _remember it happening._

"Here are the basic facts: Lenz made a massive army-sized trap, killed off most of the army, their leader turned out to be a Hacker, I killed that Hacker, and the rest of the army fled upon seeing their leader dead… hey, that rhymed."

"So… a Hacker, huh?" Floyd asked hesitantly. He was pointedly focusing on the cobblestone instead of me. "How, uh, how was he?"

"…How was he? What do you mean?"

"I—Nothing!" He accidentally dropped the cobblestone before scooping down to pick it up. "I mean… I saw a Hacker in Nitebane and…" He trailed off, unsure of where he was taking the conversation.

That made two of us. "Well, he was a total asshole!" I spoke unashamed. "He gathered an army of Griefers just to intimidate Daymonte into giving him what he wanted. A lot of villages were destroyed because of him. Testificates were taken and Crafters were slain. And he nearly killed Wynn! I won't miss that Alec_Bishop bastard one bit. And according to Wynn, ALL Hackers are like that! Stealing from people and abusing their powers. Jerks, the lot of them."

For some reason, my answer seemed to make Floyd more nervous. "So… you hate Hackers?"

I huffed in affirmation. "Definitely. If I ever see one of them abusing their powers, I won't just stand around and do nothing. I'd Creeper Flail the hell out of them—OH!"

Floyd looked startled at my sudden exclamation. "What? What's wrong?"

"I forgot to pick up my—crap, everything's shut down though!" I slapped a hand to my forehead. "That enchanting guy better have my order ready. I already paid him in advance!"

"Paid who for what… what?" Floyd asked confused before I hastily finished the road and prepared to leave. "Wait, where are you going? We have a road to finish!"

"I know, I know!" I hastily apologized. "Cover for me for a few minutes I just got to check if my order is ready. I'll be back I promise."

"But—"

"Thanks, Floyd!" I cut him off before running towards the 'Falcone the Enchanterer' store. Hopefully, it would still be open.

And I could get my special weapon!

* * *

[Soul]

"And that's about the gist of it." Cara spoke to the silver-haired leader of the Silver Intent. It was clear by her clipped tone that she still felt resentment towards him over what he had said to her. She was only willing to put up with Brett, however, because the Endward Cult was a far bigger problem on their plate.

We had just finished herding Creepers for the day. The three of us were in the Silver Intent Headquarters beneath the Granger Barn, going over everything that had happened during the herd crisis. Cobb. 4Blite. Floyd. Everything.

"So the cult herded Creepers to our front door." Brett mulled over to himself. "As cruel as they are clever. The lengths they'd go to in order to see us fall…" Brett steepled his hands and leaned his chin upon them. "I cannot help but admire their tenacity."

"Forgive me if I don't feel the same." Cara spoke coldly.

"Temper, temper, Cara." Brett waved his hand with a charming smile. "A leader should be more composed, wouldn't you say?"

Cara took an aggressive step towards Brett, but I pulled her back shaking my head that he wasn't worth it. After locking gazes with me, Cara took a deep breath and calmed down. Being aggressive and unreasonable was my thing, not hers.

"Don't mistake my words of respect for words of praise." Brett continued, ignoring Cara's almost-attack-moment. "The cult's actions have severely shaken this Kingdom to its core. I abhor them for this, but I cannot deny their ingenuity in such moments, no more than I can begrudge an opponent a clever move in a game of chess. It is by respecting these moves, and your opponent, that one can avoid underestimating them in the future. Remember that." He spoke the last part to Cara, but she only answered with narrowed eyes. "What worries me, however, is the cult's remarkable response time to all this."

I twitched. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" He slapped down a map on the desk before him. "I sent some Silver Intent members to perform recon on the outpost—"

"You same outpost you sent Cobb to die for?" Cara interjected.

"I'd like to point out that Cobb survived, as I said he would." Brett answered without missing a beat. "Furthermore, Floyd returned alive. So I don't understand why you still detest me so." Brett stared back into Cara's glare before continuing. "As I was saying, I sent a small group to the outpost for recon purposes. Imagine my surprise when they returned to inform me that the place was empty."

"What!?" I shouted, to which Brett nodded solemnly.

"Cleaned out. Completely abandoned. Whatever documents and information the cultists couldn't take was burned and destroyed. They must have vacated it, knowing that Ringwood or another group would retaliate after the Creeper herd failed to kill us." He shuffled through some books in his backpack. "The guys I sent there, however, reported finding a broken Nether Portal in a large room in the center of the outpost."

Cara frowned, rubbing her chin in thought. "That would explain how they escaped so quickly. They used the Nether… but if it was located in a central room…" She trailed off before looking back to Brett. "Did the room have many exits?"

He nodded, causing Cara to think to herself again.

"A room with multiple exits in the center of the compound… that would make it the easiest room to evacuate to. Perfect for emergencies and quick escapes… but also as a mode of transportation." She let out a gasp. "You don't think… through the Nether…?"

"My thoughts exactly." Brett smiled, pleased that Cara was catching on to something I couldn't really follow. "From what we know, the cult has or had Divisions near Ringwood, Zeppil, and Oak Docks. North, South, East, and West. Their bases are in the corners of Minecraftia… and yet they have no trouble staying connected.

"It's just a theory at the moment and we'd need evidence to back it up, but the credibility is high enough to assume that the Endward Cult is able to stay connected through Nether Portals."

"Nether Portals…?" I asked, only remembering vaguely that they were portals to another dimension. A hellish world of fire and lava with rules of its own. "How would that even work?"

"Space in the Nether with relation to Minecraftia is very different." Brett explained. "Moving ten meters in the Nether could be the same as moving thousands of meters in Minecraftia. If the cult connected all of their outposts with Nether Portals, and all those portals connected close to one another in the Nether, they could instantly travel anywhere they wanted. Think of it like a warp gate between hubs in a video game."

That sounded way too convenient. To be able to travel from, say, Ringwood to Oak Docks just by passing through a few portals. But if that was the case…

"How come the Kingdoms don't use that as a mode of transportation?" I asked. "Wouldn't it be better for trade and travel if they had a portal like that in every Kingdom?"

"It would be." Brett nodded. "And it's been attempted, but it never worked out."

"Because…?"

"Because the space in the Nether isn't just different to Minecraftia; it's unpredictable." Cara explained. "A longer distance in Minecraftia could equal a shorter distance in the Nether, but by the same token, a shorter distance in Minecraftia could be a longer distance in the Nether. The space laws relating the two dimensions is still being studied and Crafters still have no idea how to crack it. It's entirely up to chance."

"One time, while I was in the Nether and I lost sight of the entry portal, I had to break the law and make a new one or else get killed by Pigmen." Brett recounted. "The new portal took me to a snowy forest Kingdoms away from where I started."

"Making portals is against the law?" I questioned while internally wondering what Pigmen were and why they would nearly kill Brett.

"Making portals in the Nether is against the law, since you have no idea where they'd end up." Cara filled in. "You could wind up in someone's living room, but the law was enacted mainly because they have a chance of warping you in outside of the Border, killing you instantly."

That was a dark thought. You wouldn't even know what happened, either. Just stepping through the wrong portal could kill you. It was at that point I vowed never to go to the Nether.

"But then the cult can't be doing that, right?" I asked instead. "If it's so risky and unpredictable, they wouldn't want to try it, right?"

"Again, it's just a theory." Brett concluded. "We could just be looking too much into it. The portal could have just been a desperate evacuation method. We'll need to investigate other outposts and cult bases to be sure. We still don't know where in Ringwood the Northern Division is hidden."

"Or if it's even in the Kingdom."

"Oh, it's in the Kingdom alright." Brett took out a separate book and slid it across the table. "I got that little book of info from a Captain that owes me some favors. It details that, despite all the strewn gear of slain Crafters, not a single Head was found among them."

Cara frowned as she perused the book. "So you're saying the cultists got to the Heads first? Even in all the confusion, chaos, and Creepers?"

"They could have been invisible, but yes. That's what I'm saying." Brett scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Again, their response time was too quick. They would have needed to be inside the Kingdom to get to those Heads as fast as they did. The Northern Division is definitely in Ringwood. We just need to find out where…"

"They're hardly going to announce to us their hiding spot." Cara rolled her eyes.

"True, but given the latest Creeper attack, hatred for them will spike." Brett reasoned. "Crafters might just go out of their way to inform the guards if they glimpse a black leather cap. The cult will have to be doubly careful to avoid detection."

"That's great and all, but—" I paused when a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." Brett called out before a small Crafter pushed open the door. "Ah, Takaki. How good it is to see you again." Takaki bowed respectfully, greeting Cara and I in turn before standing before Brett. "What news do you bring?"

"Sir." Takaki began before pulling out a small book and sliding it across the table. "That report details my investigation in an Oceanic Museum robbery near Oak Docks. Witnesses reported seeing a group of Crafters wearing black leather caps fleeing the scene."

"Hmm." Brett flipped through the book, humming to himself at certain parts. "They stole a set of enchanted armor. One suited for deep-sea diving."

"Yes, sir."

"Yet another puzzling theft." Brett mulled over thoughtfully. "First the Looting Sword in Dover Plains. Now this. Only this time no Lieutenants were identified."

"Apologies, sir, but the witnesses claimed none of the cultists stood out as the leader."

"It's quite alright, Sakaki." Brett nodded to the small Crafter before sliding the report into a chest with the others. "Intel is never wasted. Each piece helps to paint a bigger picture for what the cult has planned. Thank you for this."

"If you'll excuse me then, sir," Sakaki bowed, "I only just arrived today. This… Creeper incident has me quite shaken. I must check to see my friends in the Southern District are alright."

"By all means." Brett nodded politely. "Take a few days off. You've earned it after such a long journey. No better time for a vacation than a Bounty Day."

Takaki's shoulders slackened and his mood seemed to lift a little. "That would be nice. Thank you, sir." And with that, the small Crafter turned on his heel and promptly exited the room.

"That was Takaki_Masoya." Brett informed the two of us. "He's been in Oak Docks for a few weeks, keeping an eye out for cultists."

"Was that all the cultist activity he noticed?" I asked skeptically. "One measly theft?"

"As Cara said, they're hardly going to announce their hiding spot." Brett replied coolly. "And I doubt this theft was by any means 'measly'. That armor set had expensive, high-tiered enchantments and was designed for Crafters to easily traverse the ocean floor."

Brett stood up from his seat and walked over to a board containing several signs and a single Wanted Poster of 4Blite. He took out some signs from his backpack and began to write something down. When he was done, he added the signs to the board.

 **[ KNOWN LIEUTENANTS]**

 **[4Blite]**

 **[Teal_Larkspur]**

 **[Leadstripe]**

Three Lieutenants. North, East, and West. Before we had only known of 4Blite's identity. But now, the cultists were getting sloppy. They were losing their anonymity; their biggest advantage.

Or… well third biggest advantage if you counted Teal's crazy battle-strength and mysterious blue-leather cap.

But we were slowly learning who they were. Meaning it would be harder for them to avoid detection or walk around in public.

At the same time though, they were only getting sloppy because they were taking bigger chances. Which meant whatever they were trying to achieve was probably worth such risk. High risk, high reward.

We still had no idea who the other three Lieutenants were. Each Division had two, after all… and one Executive.

Glancing further down the board, I couldn't help but notice the 'Executive' portion was a bit empty. They were holding onto their identities with a vice-like grip. All we had up there was a single name—the one Cobb and I had heard 4Blite and Spring_Fever discussing.

 **[Ember ?]**

But Ember who? What did she even look like? The name was so common that I'd spotted a few walking down the street. RemEmber, EmbersOfLove, Ember_Waves, SaffronEmbergress, Ember_ MacDonald… there were too damn many and any of them could have been the cultist! We'd have to be wary of every Ember we met, which was murder on my nerves.

"Slowly, but surely…" Brett nodded to himself, sparing one last glance at the board. "Slowly, but surely…"

Brett folded his arms behind his back and moved to the map of Minecraftia on the back wall. "You two better get back to herding the Creepers." He ordered without turning to look at us. By his tone, it was clear that our 'meeting' was adjourned.

"Gladly." Cara called back disdainfully before exiting. The rift between the two would probably never mend. But it was none of my business.

Whether she was right or wrong, Cara felt that Brett's callous disregard for the Intent members was unbecoming of a leader. Conversely, Brett believed that results and information were worth sacrificing lives for and that trying to have a war where everyone survived was unrealistic.

As for me? I was kind of in the middle.

 _Although… Cara makes a way better friend than Brett would._

* * *

[Cobb]

I finally had it!

I hummed to myself and practically skipped back to Floyd, ready to work the rest of the day with no complaints, because I had it.

Falcone had pulled through on my order. Even with every business shut down and Creepers being rerouted into a fiery death, he had kept his word. I had the weapon of my dreams safely tucked away in my backpack. It would be a game-changer for sure.

I had picked good Enchantments. Seeing how 4Blite used the same Enchantment to toss Soul around, I had a vague idea of how it worked. Even if it wasn't a standard weapon, it had to have some type of effect.

The biggest problem for the weapon was that it worked great at a distance, but only at a distance. If an opponent got too close, I was screwed. Hopefully, that particular Enchantment would help out.

There was just the matter of naming it. I needed to find an anvil and it would cost me some EXP, but a it deserved a name. I was sure there wasn't another weapon like it in all of Minecraftia. Practical and powerful. It just had to have a name! While I had a few ideas, none of them really stood out for me.

Returning to fix the roads, I passed the time talking with my friend. He seemed hesitant to bring up Halstatt again, but had no trouble venturing into the topic of the lab in Daymonte. He was on the edge of his seat hearing about the labyrinth of the Stronghold and the Silverfish and he recoiled in disgust when I told him about the Creeper-woman in vivid detail.

Thinking back, I couldn't believe how easily I had shrugged it off. I mean, yeah, there was a lot going on with looking for Lenz in the End (Floyd was positively spellbound by that part), but that woman looked so… alone.

She was probably there for years with nobody to talk to, forced to live a life devoid of fresh air and sunlight as that… that creature.

And then we show up… only for her to kill herself.

How long had she been waiting just to die like that?

What… was she?

Floyd didn't seem to have any answers. He did, however, admire Herobrine's Advanced Mob-Slaying book. He even pointed out the Mobs that had attacked him. It was an entry I was already familiar with, having read the book multiple times.

 **[GUARDIAN]**

 **[Description: Sea-green with sharp, retractable orange spikes. With a tail, fins, and gills. Thick scales made up of prismarine shards. Possesses one, large eye with a red pupil. Closest resemblance is that of a puffer fish. The noises they make on land are high-pitched and alien in nature, but I believe it to be a form of sonar or echolocation that sounds differently when traveling through water. Hearing them beneath the water's surface, they sound akin to a ghostly siren, echoing a great distance. Beware. Hearing a symphony of these Guardians' songs can only mean a watery grave.]**

 **[Tips: Guardians are tricky and territorial, with Health exceeding most standard Mobs, about fifteen hearts. They are at home in the water, capable of using their strong tails and fins to propel themselves forwards. They have two methods of attacking. The first involves them extending their orange spikes, much like a pufferfish. While not poisoned, the spikes deal a heart of damage everything they are hit. This attack is mainly used defensively when the Guardian is cornered or when it's out of water, so watch your attacks when the spikes are out.]**

 **[More dangerous than its spikes is its powerful laser. A Guardian will lock onto any Crafter in its sight, and its lone eye will launch a purple beam that will follow a Crafter's every move. Its eye can see through invisibility. When the laser changes from purple to bright yellow, that will be the warning that it is about to fire. Not only does the laser hit you with four-and-a-half hearts worth of damage, but it is strong enough to penetrate through armor to an extent. Only the highest tiered armor would hope to stand a chance against its piercing beam. The laser cannot be dodged, but it can disengage when a Crafter escapes the Guardian's range or finds suitable cover from its gaze.]**

 **[These Mobs keep to the ocean, only spawning above Ocean Monuments. Their spawn rate, however, has progressed to the point that both of Minecraftia's oceans are populated with the aquatic Mobs.]**

 **[In water, they are nigh unstoppable. These Mobs do not suffer the same sluggish movements of a waterlogged Crafter. They can move freely, swimming around a Crafter like bloodthirsty sharks and firing off their powerful laser beams until a Crafter dies. Their scales are resistant to fire. One could never hope to land a hit on them in the open water.]**

 **[So don't.]**

 **[Fight them on the land. Beach them if you're able to and the aquatic Mobs begin to flop around like fish out of water. Their spikes will be fully extended, but it'll be the best time to pounce and do as much damage as you can. They're tough in water, but manageable on land. Just beware the laser they fire at point-blank range.]**

 **[Additionally, since they are pretty much fish, it makes sense that you can catch them just like you would any other fish: with a fishing rod. Snag them hook, line, and sinker and yank them out of the water and onto land. And if you're still wary of the spikes and beams, you can never go wrong with a long-range bow.]**

 **[Weakness: Dry land, fishing rods, bows.]**

"Remind me how you survived falling into an ocean full of these things?" I asked the blue-nette, genuinely impressed he was still standing before me. Anyone else would have died from what the book told me.

Floyd could only shrug. "Just lucky, I guess. I mean… I got knocked out." He rubbed his head as if remembering the feeling. "Maybe my boat obstructed me from their view? Maybe my boat was faster than them? I don't know."

I hummed in thought before closing the book and returning it to my backpack. "Well whatever it was, I'm glad you made it back." He returned my smile and we got back to our work.

Ringwood wasn't going to repair itself.

* * *

My arms were dead tired by the time we finished. Who knew rebuilding a city involved lifting and carrying blocks?

…

Alright, maybe that was rather obvious.

Anyway, I trudged back to Wynn's mansion with Floyd in tow, hoping Erin had a delicious meal planned for us after a hard day of work.

As we walked up the streets of the Northern District, however, I paused when I noticed Wynn leaning against the outside of her home. She spotted me immediately and pushed off to approach.

 _Oh, God. What did I do now?_

"I see that look." Wynn called out with a sigh. "You're not in any trouble. Though I feel I should be insulted that's all I'd come over to talk to you about."

"Eheheh." I rubbed my head sheepishly. "Force of habit. Did you rescue a lot of Crafters?"

"A few." She replied before her eyes slid over to Floyd. "I'm sorry to ask this, but would you mind—"

"Leaving you two a moment to talk?" Floyd guessed to which she nodded. "That depends. Will you invite me in for dinner?" Wynn nodded stiffly. "Then, go right ahead. I'll be inside." He spared me a cautious glance before stepping past Wynn and into her home.

That left Wynn and I standing on the front lawn.

"It's going to rain later." Wynn commented.

"Hmm?"

"The Testificates said it was going to rain later today." She clarified with a flip of her hair. "It'll take care of the fires at least. Hopefully the Creepers will be burned to a crisp by then and we won't need to start any more."

"Again, it was Soul's fault. Not mine."

"I'm not here to talk about that, though." Wynn sat down upon the lawn and motioned for me to do the same. As weary as I was from the day's work, I practically flopped onto my but, wincing at my bruised tailbone. The grass felt nice though. Erin had done a good job tending to it.

"So what's up?"

Wynn closed her eyes, drumming fingers on her arm while contemplating how to proceed.

"…I guess I wanted to know if you were okay." She began, looking aside.

This threw me completely for a loop. I was alive, and so was Floyd, so of course I was okay. Did she think I was traumatized by 4Blite or something?

"I couldn't be better." I replied honestly, though Wynn didn't seem to believe me. "Do you… think there's something wrong with me?"

Wynn bit her lip in hesitance, choosing her words very carefully. "It's about… it's about how you get when you're mad."

"…Huh?"

After those initial words, the rest came tumbling out. Like it had been a steadily growing concern all this time.

"I've seen how you are when one of your friends is in danger. It's because of what happened to Floyd and how you felt responsible." She spoke fast, averting her eyes. "Even though he turned out not to be dead, you can't deny you wouldn't do the same thing if the lives of your friends were in danger.

"You were irrational, self-destructive, and with only a single goal fueling your actions. When those burglars attacked Lenz, I saw in you a reckless bloodlust. You were a beast, overcome with a boiling fury that knew no equal, and if things had gone your way, you would have choked the life out of that burglar."

I briefly remembered the desperate gasps of breath choked out beneath my crushing fingers. I really had done something like that, hadn't I?

"I don't want to see that again. _Ever_." Wynn stressed, holding herself tight. "Not just because it legitimately frightened me to see someone as innocent as you harbor such bloodlust. In that state, your focus narrows and you only see the enemies in front of you instead of the ones at your back. I assume something like that happened at the outpost, right? It's a small miracle you're still alive."

She breathed out a shaky sigh, filled with concern… and weariness.

"All I'm saying is that you need to prepare yourself. You need to _accept_ that your friends may die. If you can't do that, you're only risking yourself when the inevitable happens and you fly off the handle again." She fixed me with those amber orbs of hers. "Your friends wouldn't want to see that."

Silence carried for a few moments as Wynn left me to ponder her words. She occupied herself with admiring the sunlight skimming off the mansions of the Northern District.

This whole time… she had been worried about my mental health. Terrified of how I acted whenever a friend was about to die. But calling me a bloodthirsty beast sounded a bit too far. I couldn't really be like that.

…Could I?

Not that it mattered. Wynn had given me her perspective, so it was time I gave her mine.

"I understand what you're saying, Wynn." I started. "And I can promise you I won't fly off the handle when one of my friends dies."

Wynn breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Cobb. I know this isn't the cheeriest topic to discuss, but the sooner you—"

"I won't fly off the handle because I'd die before one of them dies."

Wynn did a double take.

"…You what? No! Did you even listen to what I—"

"What do you think of when you think of the world?"

"…Excuse me?"

"When you close your eyes and think of the world," I prompted "what comes to mind?"

By her face I could tell she was confused. So I elaborated.

"Most people would probably see buildings or Kingdoms. Landscapes, mountains, plains, flowing rivers, sunsets, that sort of stuff. But for me, it's different. I don't see the world as a map.

"When I first spawned, I had no one. Hell, you could argue _before_ I spawned I had no one. I was just floating in a dark void, completely unaware of the world I would face. I was the same way leaving the Origin Zone. I didn't have the faintest idea where I was going, what I'd be doing, or what I wanted from life. As far as I could tell, the world was a scary place filled with explosive monsters, undead creeps, giant spiders, and ghastly skeletons. I was scared out of my mind. I could die at any time.

"But I went out there… because Helena had mentioned that there were others like me. Other Crafters that spawned into existence before me. People with actual personalities and dreams and goals. I still had yet to find a purpose, so when I heard that," I clenched my fist as if taking hold of the same hope I had sought back then, "I decided it was worth the risk braving a Mob filled world. Just to get a glimpse of somebody besides myself. Just for the possibility to find a friend.

"And then… I ran into Floyd. Quite literally, too." I chuckled, remembering the event fondly. "I was so excited to meet someone that, before I realized it, he ran away. So I followed.

"And that's pretty much how I got to Ringwood. I stuck to Floyd like glue. Not out of survival, but because talking with somebody else made the world seem a little less frightening."

I folded my arms and smiled softly.

"You could say… Floyd became a part of my world."

"And then I met more people in Ringwood. You, for instance, who knocked me unconscious and _hated_ me, and yet… it was thanks to you that I traveled to Daymonte. Whether I was forced to accompany you or not, I clung to you like I clung to Floyd, because I still had no dreams or goals. I was as lost as ever, simply sticking myself to others like a wad of gum.

"And my world got a little bit bigger. A piece at a time."

I began to tick off my fingers. "I met Lenzington and stuck with him in Daymonte. I stuck to Cosmic in Halstatt and defended them from Griefers. And you were there too and I was so _happy_ because I found out that you cared about me as much as I cared about you. We weren't strangers anymore. We were friends."

"And then Soul… and Cara… and Leslie… and Erin… and Iron_Lung… and your guards… and even Bitters…"

My eyes slid shut. "When I close my eyes and think of the world, I can only see all of you. The people I've encountered, the friends I've made. They all mean the world to me."

I laughed bitterly. "I really am the worst. My friends mean more to me than the world. My friends… are my world. I just can't imagine where I'd end up without them.

"To me, the death of one of my friends… it's like a piece of the world getting destroyed. That's what I felt with Floyd, and that's what I know I'd feel with Lenz or Soul or you."

I picked myself up off the grass and dusted myself off. Wynn remained sitting, looking up towards me with wonderment.

"So you don't have to worry about any of them dying." I concluded firmly. "Because for the sake of the world, I'll put my life on the line before any of my friends have to. That's a promise."

Wynn's eyes were crinkled with concern. I was basically telling her my friends meant more to me than my own life. But that was my answer.

After a while, she let out a world-weary sigh. She looked morose, but she picked herself up with the same fierce determination she was known for.

"I think you're wrong, but I know you won't listen to me. What else is new..." It was a confirmed statement rather than a question. "Then go. Protect them all. You just might be naïve and innocent enough to do it. Though, let me tell you one last thing."

She turned so that her back was facing me, but I noticed the edge of a rare smile playing on her lips. She tilted her head so that a single amber eye was watching me over her shoulder.

"Your way of thinking isn't so different from your friends' way of thinking." She spoke. "If they're anything like me, they wouldn't be too happy letting a goofball like you die. So don't be surprised if, when you're taking a bullet for them, they'll kick you out of the way and take it themselves."

And on that note, the Captain entered her home.

Leaving me to hope I'd never face such a scenario where my friends would give their lives for me.

It was fine when _I_ was saying I'd do it. But that's what they invented double standards for.

* * *

After my talk with Wynn, I met back up with Floyd around the dinner table and we talked more about our separate adventures. Erin was busy preparing dinner and Wynn went back to her bedroom for some light reading. The sound of rain pouring was music to everyone's ears, since it meant the fires surrounding the Kingdom would finally be extinguished.

Those rain dances really worked.

At around sunset, the front door was busted open and Soul waltzed right in. "Yo! Floyd here?"

"Eep!" Erin leapt in shock, throwing baked potatoes into the air. I tried to dive to save them, but gravity was a cruel mistress and they all spilled upon the floor. I wept sadly for the shamed spuds. "S-Sorry, Cobb. I'll m-m-make a fresh batch. B-but why is the scary delinquent from the park h-here?"

"Scary delinquent!?" Soul rounded on the housekeeper, startling her further. "I take offense to that! I'm more of a _terrifying_ delinquent than a—"

"Soul?" Wynn's voice rang out coldly from her position on the stairs. Soul had frozen immediately upon feeling the Captain's amber gaze on his back. "Entering my home without permission is one strike. Frightening my housekeeper is another. If you wouldn't mind keeping your voice down in _my_ home, I won't have to show you what happens on the third strike. Am I clear?"

"…Sorry for scaring you." Soul politely apologized and bowed low until the Captain returned to her reading.

Floyd chose that moment to make a comical whipping motion and sound in Soul's direction, to which Soul replied with a rude hand gesture.

"So what's up, Soul?" I asked as the axe-wielder took a seat at the table and kicked his feet up. Then, remembering Wynn's words, he slowly took them off the table and sat in a refined manner. "What brings you to Wynn's mansion."

"The same thing that brought Floyd here."

I gasped in delight. "A friendly conversation!?"

"Pfft. No." He scoffed. "Free food."

"Wha… Floyd didn't come for that! Right, Floyd?" I looked to my companion, only to find him staring fixedly at the ceiling. He winced at the look of betrayal on my face before shrugging.

"Erin's a good cook."

"Yeah, well that doesn't give you the right to eat her delicious cooking!" I accused. "The food she makes is the privilege of those that live under this or the outhouse's roof! And you think you can just waltz in here and—Erin why are you panting heavily?"

"Cobb… Cobb loves my… my cooking…" Erin's eyes were lidded and unfocused and her face was flush. Her breath came out in heavy pants and… moans? Dear God, was she having a stroke!?

"Ugh. Did I really walk through rain to see this?" Soul grumbled before averting his gaze towards the backdoor. He did a double take as someone's face was pressed against the little window. "What the…?"

A second later, Lenz burst through the backdoor, dripping wet. His once tousled dark-grey hair now matted his face, though his large, yellow-tinted glasses shined through.

"It is raining." He announced needlessly before taking notice of the two new guests at the dining room table. "Oh! Er… hello."

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"The ceiling, but I fail to see how that matters." Lenz moved on without noticing Floyd and Soul's confused expression. "Cobbert. There is a problem with the wiring of the outhouse and I need a second person to help verify the issue."

"Sure, Lenz." I sighed, already accepting I'd have to eat a late dinner to help the engineer with whatever redstone thing-a-ma-jig he needed help with. "I'll help with… did you say outhouse _wiring_?"

"Yes, I did." Lenz said. "The lighting is not working properly and it is casting shadows everywhere. I absolutely cannot stand it!"

 _Oh. So he meant the lights in the outhouse._ I thought with a laugh. _Of course, only_ Lenzington _would put in redstone lights for a simple outhouse. Weren't those things supposed to just be wooden boxes with a crap-hole on the bottom?_

"Aren't outhouses supposed to just be wooden boxes with a crap-hole on the bottom?" Soul must've read my mind to voice the same concern.

Brain: _How dare he read me!? How very dare!?_

Lenz, however, seemed offended by the axe-wielder's words. "Perhaps a simple caveman such as yourself would only see an outhouse as that, but us more refined individuals perceive things with a tad more class."

"Oh? You got a lot of nerve calling me a caveman, four-eyes." Soul's eye twitched as he got up from his seat and took a menacing step towards the engineer.

"Ah, the classic 'four-eyes' comment intended to belittle me for wearing glasses." Lenz analyzed shrewdly. "I suppose you schoolyard bullies thought yourselves clever for thinking up _that_ little gem. Was 'nerd' or 'dork' too mainstream for you?"

Brain: _Oooh! Get that ambulance here on the double! Soul's getting some bad third-degree BURNS!_

"How about I just skip to the part where the schoolyard bully steals the lunch money from the annoying nerd!?" Soul raged, running at Lenz only for Floyd to hold him back. "Grah! Let me go! He's asking for it!"

"Soul, leave him alone. He's Cobb's friend."

"No wonder he's so AGGRAVATING!"

"Moving on," I changed the subject, stepping between Soul and Lenz when it looked like the former was going to break free. "I'll help you with the redstone check, but just to get introductions out of the way… Lenzington, this is Flawwed_Floyd and Lost_Soul. One of them is a hot-headed, ill-tempered delinquent and the other has blue hair."

"Say that again when my axe is buried in your face you little—!"

"And this is Lenzington. He's a redstone engineer and an expert shot with a bow. And, contrary to how he looks, he has two women interested in him, which is two more than Soul has."

"GRAH!"

Ah, messing with Soul was the best. Especially when Floyd was holding him back from beating me to a pulp. Such a good friend.

"Alright, we'll be right back." I called over to Erin who had finally recovered from her mini-stroke and was back to making dinner. "Save us some dinner."

As we made our way out into the backyard, the rain fell heavily upon us. Lenz and I were drenched in a manner of seconds. I told myself this was a good thing, though, because it meant the fires surrounding Ringwood would be equally drenched.

When we reached the outhouse, I admired the good job Lenz did on it. Not only had he changed the wood and replaced the door. He had also enlarged it slightly, allowing for more space to do your business or, in our case, sleep.

It was a good thing Floyd and Soul had houses with the Silver Intent. I didn't want them to add to the sleeping arrangement we had going. Three of us would have to share the outhouse every night. That would result in a cramped, uncomfortable slumber.

"Get back here you nerd!" Came Soul's enraged voice as I heard a door slam open, followed by two sets of footsteps. I turned to see Soul charging us with spittle flying from his face. Floyd was in hot pursuit, catching up quick with his superior speed.

Oh, Comparators." Lenz turned, looked aghast at the approaching axe-wielder. He quickly threw open the outhouse door and scurried inside before slamming it closed. I heard a faint *click* coming from inside, but couldn't see anything due to the covered door.

"You can't hide from me, nerd!" Soul taunted menacingly, running up to the outhouse before ripping open the door. "Take your lumps like a… man?"

He paused in his anger as he gazed inside, looking confused. I glanced over his shoulder with Floyd checking over the other, and felt just as bewildered.

The outhouse was empty.

"What the… is he a magician now? Where the hell did he go!?" Soul cursed as he entered the outhouse and double-checked the corners. Floyd looked around the outside, apparently thinking he slipped through and away.

I, however, remembering the clicking sound, turned my attention to the wooden button on the inside. It hadn't been there the last time I went inside. _Did Lenz add it to flush waste or something? Don't tell me he flushed himself away to escape!_

Hesitantly, I reached out a hand and pressed the wooden button while Soul was still examining the inside. It let out a _click_ and suddenly…

…

I was staring down an empty outhouse.

My mouth was parted as I could only stare dumbly at the button, trying to process—

"What just happened?" Floyd popped over to my right looking into the outhouse and whipping his head back and forth. "Hey, where's Soul?"

"Um… I'm not quite sure."

"…What do you mean you're not sure?"

"Hang on… uh… okay!" I turned and gripped Floyd by the shoulders before moving him into the outhouse. "I need you to stand right there. Got it? Good. Now," I pointed to the button, "see that? I need you to press it."

He shot me a questioning look before moving his hand towards the device. "Wait! Let me back up first." He shot me another questioning look as I backed away a fair distance. "Okay, go!"

He raised an eyebrow before pressing the button. There was another _click_ and just like with Soul, Floyd dropped out of existence.

Because the floor beneath him had opened up to swallow him.

I caught the end of Floyd's cry of surprise before the outhouse floor closed back up. There wasn't the slightest change in the dingy structure. It still looked like a regular outhouse.

Gaping at the bizarre outhouse like a fish, I hesitantly entered and closed the door before clicking the button. Like before, the floor opened up and I felt a sense of weightlessness as I fell down.

And down.

And down until I splashed into a shallow pool of water.

I screwed my eyes shut as the sudden brightness was too much for me. When they finally adjusted and I had rubbed water out of my eyes, I finally took in my surroundings.

And my jaw hit the newly refurbished floor.

I found myself in a large, pristine, white room made out of a marble-like substance and lit by a series of redstone lamps along the ceiling. In the center of the room was a sofa made up of wooden stairs and red carpet. There was a small table along with chests, a crafting table, and a shelf containing item frames.

My head whipped to the side to spy a wall positively overflowing with levers, buttons, repeaters, and dispensers. All of them were labeled by signs, indicating their uses.

Over in the corner was a kitchen with an island-counter, ten furnaces, a fridge, a set of brewing stands, and… was that a c-cake button? Yes! That sign was no lie! 'CAKE BUTTON" in big bold letters! My mouth was watering just looking at it.

But wait, no, there was more. So much more! Odd redstone contraptions hung from the ceiling. Towers of bookshelves were arranged in the corner along with some modest reading chairs, an enchanting table and anvil, and little desk lamps. Pictures hung from the sides, adding a homey feel to the décor. Notice boards were posted along the back wall along with a large map of Minecraftia similar to what Brett had. The massive room led out into a small hall with six or seven doors on either side leading to who knows what else.

It was… it was…

"Ulk!"

Boy, it was hard to take everything in over the sound of someone choking.

"Gak!"

…Wait a second!

"Soul, stop choking him! He said he was sorry!" Floyd tried to pull Soul of off Lenz, but the axe-wielder had a good grip.

"Not so smug now, are you, nerd?" Soul taunted while Lenz weakly slapped his hand against his arm. With one final wring of the neck, Lenz was released. The axe-wielder let out a pleased sigh, having gotten the rage out of his system.

It was only then that he took notice of the room he was in.

"Holy crap, where are we?" His eyes lit up as he glanced around the pristine room. "Nether Quartz floors? Carpets? Fancy stuff."

"How are you just realizing this now?" Floyd asked with a shake of the head. He was quick to admire the surroundings, however. "This really is impressive. I had no idea there was a hidden structure underneath that outhouse."

" _Neither did I!_ " I spoke with the biggest forced smile I could manage. " _How did this happen, Lenz?_ " I hissed through my teeth, which is really difficult to do without biting your tongue. " _What did you do, Lenz? Where did all this come from, Lenz? Please tell me you simply made a wish on the construction fairy, Lenz!_ "

"…Construction fairy?"

" _Answer the questions, damnit!_ "

"Well, I did what I said I would." Lenz defended without shame. "I fixed the outhouse."

"Since when did the outhouse have a secret underground bunker!?"

"I admit… I may have gone a tad overboard with that, but I knew I would not feel at home unless I had some strong connection to my redstone roots! So I… fluffed it up a bit."

"A bit!?"

"Just a smidge."

"A SMIDGE!? You completely redecorated everything!" I screamed. "This is way past overboard! This is throwing a passenger off the ship, only to find out an iceberg is about to hit, sending all the passengers overboard! It's _that_ overboard!"

Lenz looked down in shame. "You mean… you do not like it?"

"Fuck no; it's the coolest thing I've ever seen!" I gushed enthusiastically, causing Lenz to preen a little. "Look at this place! It's like a villain's evil lair! All we're missing is a shark tank!"

"I tried for the shark tank, but it was an extra hundred emeralds."

"Aww! We could've had a shark tank!" I complained before shaking my head clear of the distractions. "And emeralds… how much did this cost you?"

"Well, I am paying it in small increments." Lenz explained. "I calculated it all out and our Silk Touch Shovel covers it all and then some."

"I can't… I can't even wrap my head around all this." I gasped when I saw Soul wander over to the kitchen to press the cake button. It actually dispensed a cake into his waiting palm. This place had everything.

"So you had someone build all of this?" Floyd asked in surprise, admiring the brewing stands in the kitchen. "When did they build it?"

"It was completed during the course of a few days. I made the outhouse entry method using slime blocks and sticky pistons. I also made a way of getting back out through the outhouse. That part was tricky." Lenz readily admitted. "The finishing touches were done yesterday. They worked through the night and were gone before Wynn even noticed. It would have been rude disrupting the peace of her home with the noises of—Urk!"

At the mention of Wynn's name, I dragged Lenz down to eye-level and pierced him with an unforgiving gaze. "What made you think Wynn would be okay with this?"

"W-well," Lenz paled a bit, but quickly cleared his throat. "She said it was fine so long as I did not build past the dimensions of the outhouse—"

"But you did!"

"No, I did not!" He defended. "The outhouse above ground is still within the same dimensions. Her immaculate lawn is perfectly preserved."

"That's not the point, you idiot!" I shook him by his collar. "What outhouse dimensions have a damn BUNKER underneath it!?"

"I… I… I was only trying to make a good home." He defended weakly.

"She's not going to care about that!" I pushed the engineer away and began pacing back and forth. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, when Wynn sees this she's going to explode!"

"With happiness?" Lenz hoped.

"No!" I shot down his hopes like a clay pigeon. "Don't you get it!? Right now, Wynn is a ticking pipe bomb poised to trigger the moment she sees any of this! She'll explode and send bits of rapier shrapnel into all our balls!" Lenz and Floyd quickly covered their privates, but Soul was quick to interject.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on! What do you mean 'all our balls'?" He asked with a raised brow. "This was _your_ doing, not ours. Our balls are innocent in all this."

"Says the guy scarfing down 'Cake Button' cake?"

"That's beside the point." Soul replied through a mouthful of dessert, though it sounded more like, "Morfbl, fuff, mmm… Cake."

"Technically, this is all _Lenz's_ fault." Floyd jumped to my defense, the lawyer inside shining through. " _He_ was the one who authorized the builders to make this room. Cobb had nothing to do with it so Wynn can't blame him."

I happily accepted Floyd's airtight defense. That's right! There was no way Wynn could blame me for it! I could just claim I had no idea what Lenz intended to do with the outhouse… which was the truth! Yeah! Telling the truth! It had to work!

"Well, actually, Cobbert _did_ have a role in some of the décor decisions."

My mouth was frozen in a perpetual smile as Lenz's words finally sunk in. "I had a role in what now?" I asked with far more calm than I should have.

"The décor decisions. You remember me asking you, right?" To make matters worse, he pulled out the notebook I definitely remembered him using to jot down my choices. He had evidence, damn it! "You said you preferred oak wood and a door with more privacy—"

"Yeah, because those were normal choices!"

"Nether Quartz floors instead of iron ones, double beds in the bedrooms—"

"We have bedrooms? I mean—I thought you were actually repairing an outhouse!" I protested.

"An outhouse with beds?" Lenz questioned skeptically. "I thought it would be obvious that that was not the case. I was always referring to building this." He glanced back at his book and checked off the last thing. "And reading materials. So I included a library."

"I thought you meant magazines or newsbooks! Augh! I'm a dead man!" I sunk to the floor, beating my fist futilely against the well-furnished nether quartz. Compared with unyielding iron blocks, it was definitely the better decision. But I was too distraught to admit it!

"Yeah, that's a real tear-jerker." Soul spoke indifferently before clapping his hands together. "Welp, about time we leave before Captain Stabby Balls gets here. Just point us in the right direction, nerd, and we'll be on our way."

"Well, it is that way." Lenz pointed to the chute we entered through which I only now noticed had sticky pistons and slime blocks on the inside. "Cobbert, has to help me test out the lights anyway so… oh!"

Lenz pointed up to the top of the chute where a redstone lamp behind red-stained glass lit up. There was also a faint clicking sound coming from above.

"…What does that light mean?" Floyd asked.

"It means you will have to wait to use the chute because someone is coming down."

I looked up to stare owlishly at the engineer. "But… we're all here. So who's left to…?"

The question died on my lips when a Crafter splashed down into the shallow water. The figure seemed disoriented by the sudden fall and even more so by the surroundings. It was only when the figure flipped the long ivory hair out of her face that she finally noticed the four of us.

I had to remind myself that Wynn was my friend and not an enemy just because of the arctic glare she sent our way. The whole left side of her face twitched to the most furious expression I had ever seen. Yet she didn't say a word as she stepped out of the shallow water and dried her boots on the furnished carpet.

None of us dared to say a word. We probably figured if we didn't move or say anything, she wouldn't see us. Had she investigated the outhouse just to call us for dinner?

Wynn's furious gaze felt like a blizzard whipping against my face, freezing my blood. Her amber eyes were unforgiving. It was clear that no matter what excuse I had, she'd already decided on what to do with us.

Her expression darkened as, with a rasp of steel, she pulled out her rapier and pointed it at me. Why was it always me!? Why couldn't it ever be Soul first!?

Involuntarily, Soul took a step back.

"Don't try and run." Wynn whispered harshly, though we were deathly quiet enough to hear her. Her eyes were obscured, but her intent was as sharp as her weapon.

"Wynn… I…" I tried to talk my way out of her ire, but it was tough to concentrate due to the slow, imposing steps she was taking towards us. "Please don't be mad—"

"Mad? I'm not mad. Why would I be mad?" Wynn looked up with the most disarming smile she could muster. It scared the hell out of me. "I only just found out there's a building underneath my home. I'm not mad, Cobb. Not one bit." She spoke with a saccharine tone that I was one-thousand percent certain promised pain. "I just don't want you to run away. No," she tilted her head as she took another imposing step, "I only wish for you to stay where you are so I can _give you all something._ "

As if that wasn't menacing enough, she said it all with that same overly sweet smile and she moved the rapier behind her back to obscure it from view. Was it possible for her rage to increase enough to come around full-circle? I hoped not. I preferred angry Wynn to the all-fake-smiles Wynn.

"Fellows…" Lenz chimed in, not realizing he was the closest to the frightening Captain. "I believe the only thing she wants to present to us is a jab with her weapon.

"No shit, Sherlock."

"It is Lenz, actually. But names are difficult, I know." The engineer fidgeted on the spot before relaxing slightly. "Well… perhaps if we give ourselves up, she will have mercy on us. What do you say, fellows?"

There was a brief pause as every one of us mulled over that option.

And I thought to myself…

…

"Every man for himself!"

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 10 Steak, 30 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 9 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 21]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 9 Cooked Fish, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Steak, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 24 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: Cobb will do anything for his friends... except take a rapier to the balls for them. Being a guy, I can relate.**

 **Cobb's 'World' speech is actually borrowed from a manga I read when I was younger. I thought it was so powerful and moving and it fits Cobb's personality perfectly so I figured to include it. I doubt anyone could guess which manga I referred to, but I challenge you to try!**

 **This Chapter marks the start of a smaller Bounty Day Arc, which will show a bit of the new items brought forth by 1.9.**

 **It also marks the end of Carys' Operation: Overshadow. How does it end, you ask?**

 **Why, just read below, silly! :D**

* * *

Omake: Overshadow (Part 8)

In the days following the deaths of the Hackers and the mass exodus of Griefers, the skyscraper communities of Nitebane were able to set foot onto the ground without fear of being pursued or killed. For the first time in centuries, Nitebane's people were allowed to live—actually _live_ —in their own Kingdom. No longer did they have to scrounge for supplies or consort with shady smugglers. No longer did they have to eat garbage or else suffer the hollow pangs of hunger so that others didn't have to.

Now, they had all of Nitebane to themselves.

It was beyond ruined. Buildings were quite literally split in half. Roads were pockmarked. Water and lava leaked across streets. The EXP Factories needed work. Farmland was barren, livestock was running all over the place, and small bits of Griefers were still lurking around.

But… it was also their home. It was theirs. Not the Griefers'. Not the Hackers'. But theirs.

And, despite the state of it, the citizens of the skyscraper communities shed tears of joy that they could call the ruined Kingdom their home once again. Much like in the skyscraper communities, they shared food, resources, weapons, armor, and anything they could scavenge from the ruined Kingdom. They knew how to survive, and they now had the whole Kingdom to live in.

And they all had their savior to thank for it. The Hacker Slayer that had defeated the two god-like beings in mortal combat. The single person who deserved songs of praise for their bravery and heroics.

Bu who was it who had mustered up the army of Crafters to distract the Griefers? Who had dealt the finishing blow to the tyrants casting dark shadows on Nitebane when countless others had failed for over three centuries?

The citizens were in a frenzy over who the hero now residing in Lunar Castle was and what plans they had for the Kingdom. Were they to become the new ruler? Would there be an election to decide the newest line of kings? Would there even be a Kingdom due to the general state of disrepair? It was a confusing time.

It was the day before the highly anticipated Bounty Day that the citizens got their answer when a grand announcement was to be made in front of Lunar Castle. The citizens that had spent decades living together in the skyscraper communities had become like family to one another, allowing the news to spread rapidly. On the day of the announcement, the outdoor amphitheater of Lunar Castle was packed with Crafters. There were hastily set up stands handing out free food and everyone was abuzz over what announcement was to be made.

High above the crowd was a small stage converted from one of Lunar Castle's balconies. There was a small podium erected atop it that would give whoever was up there a good view of the crowd below, and the crowd below a good view of whoever was up there.

A few minutes after the amphitheater was full of Crafters, a single man stepped out of the inside of the castle and onto the balcony. The Crafters below all immediately took notice and began to quiet down so that, by the time the man had reached the podium, the amphitheater was absolutely silent. You could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.

The man stepped to the podium and cleared his throat before speaking. "Hello, fellow citizens." He began, not having to raise his voice due to the collective silence. "No, I'm not the Hacker Killer, so you don't have to stare in awe of me." He joked, getting a few laughs from parts of the crowd.

"No, I'm not that hero. Though, I can bet a few of you recognize me as the leader of one of the Skyscraper communities." There were a few nods and murmurs of recognition coming from pockets of Crafters. "I'm up here, however, as a favor. I'm here to introduce the person responsible for rescuing us from the dark years of the Hackers' rule." His expression grew somber. "I was there when it happened. When that… that monster was unleashed upon this land."

He looked out towards the ruined skyscrapers, getting a far-off look in his eyes. "The destruction of that day still haunts me. Indeed. The scars of this Kingdom run deeper than any other." The crowd was in silent mourning, as if remembering lost friends or lovers. Fallen comrades or acquaintances. The end of life for them and the beginning of a starved hell full of cruel Griefers and unholy Hackers.

"But we're still here." He began again, looking up to face the crowd. "The darkness was thick and suffocating… but every single one of us here has survived it." His eyes scanned the crowd before him. "We have survived and endured and struggled in the hopes that things would change. Even when things looked horrible, even when life was so cruel that it ripped our loves ones right from our fingertips, we kept on living. Hoping… praying… that things would get better."

"And a few days ago… they did."

The man leaned forward on the podium, his voice gaining a steely edge. "One Crafter, a single face out of so many, arrived. That Crafter brought with her an army to suppress the Griefers. That Crafter alerted the skyscraper communities of a turning point in our fortunes. That Crafter sought to unify us as a single Kingdom and return Nitebane to its former glory. And that Crafter swept into Lunar Castle like a whirlwind of vengeance and KILLED the Hackers that cursed this great land for so many centuries!"

Cheers and shouts of support grew in intensity along with the man's speech so that by the end of it, the amphitheater was positively roaring in tribute to the Hacker Killer.

The man waited for the crowd to die down before he began again.

"So, it is my great honor to introduce to all of you enduring survivors the Crafter who saved us from our dark times. The woman with the strength to slay Hackers and the determination to stand before all of you now with promises to return this Kingdom to its former greatness. The woman with no fear, the woman of great influence—"

"Oi! Just get on with it!" Came a shout from the crowd, followed by several shouts of assent.

The man on the podium quickly cleared his throat. "Forgive me, I, uh, got carried away." he spoke with a light blush. "So, without further ado, I introduce you to the Hacker Killer herself. Our Savior…"

"JILLIAN!"

* * *

Carys_Angel watched with amusement as JillianLikeAVillian stepped onto the balcony and up to the podium amidst a chorus of deafening cheers and praises from the crowd. Carys herself was watching the events unfold from the shadows of one of the ramparts, near the far corners of the amphitheater.

No Kingdom would blindly accept someone to lead them. Kings and rulers established relationships of trust with their people long before arranging for hand-picked heirs to take over. That was why Nitebane was the perfect place to take over. When Darwinism was the only thing dictating who ruled, it was fairly simple to take over. At least to her. Just kill the biggest and baddest dogs in town and become the new top dog.

The problem? She didn't want to be top dog if it meant sticking around Nitebane to drag it out of the gutter. All those people down there were overjoyed to be rid of those Hackers and Griefers. They'd do _anything_ for the savior that ended those fools… or for the savior they _thought_ had ended those fools.

By giving Jillian the credit, Carys didn't have to shackle herself down with the responsibilities of reconstructing a Kingdom and instead focus her attention on spreading her power and influence to other corners of Minecraftia. She was a fighter, not a ruler.

Conversely, Jillian's diplomat background was perfect for the role. The blonde was once a Captain during a time when Zeppil was dominated by Endward Cultists. Nitebane's situation was cut from a similar cloth. She was level-headed and she had connections with high-ranking figures in several Kingdoms through her information network. It was why Carys had ordered _her_ to meet with the leaders of the skyscraper communities first. All to maintain the illusion that she was the savior behind it all.

The blonde could have the credit for killing the Hackers. Carys already had the personal satisfaction of knowing it was her own accomplishment. After all the whining that it was impossible, she had been the first to kill a Hacker. Jillian couldn't take that away and neither could anyone else.

Noticing the sun start to shine through the ramparts, Carys tucked herself deeper into the shadows and continued to watch the assembly Jillian now presided over. She almost laughed at how nervous Jillian looked addressing so many people that thought her a god-slayer.

"Hello… er… thank you, for your praise. Please… please settle down. Yes, you are too kind. Please settle down." It took a while for her words to be heard, since the crowd below was still shouting praises towards her. But once her words were noticed, everyone quieted down immediately. She already had their respect.

"Thank you." She nodded before glancing at them all. She took a deep breath. "Honestly… I didn't think I'd be up here." She began with a nervous laugh. Her eyes then glazed over as if she were remembering something depressing. "In fact you could almost say I had no choice in coming up here. Almost as if this position was… _thrust_ upon me less than an hour ago! Hahaha!" She laughed hollowly, though the crowd thought nothing of it.

Carys couldn't help herself from grinning remembering how suddenly she had broken the news to Jillian.

 _"Hey, Jillian, you doing anything right now?"_

 _"Um… no. Why?"_

 _"I need you to take credit for killing the Hackers."_

 _"…I'm sorry?"_

 _"Oh, and I need you to lead Nitebane on my behalf."_

 _"I'm sorry!?"_

 _"You don't have to apologize. Not like you've screwed anything up… yet. Now hurry up, you're addressing your subjects in thirty minutes."_

 _"I'M SORRY!?"_

Yeah, Carys may have had too much fun with that.

She explained it in finer details, both to Jillian and the rest of the Paragons. Baltic had been against the idea, claiming that putting Jillian on the throne would be like painting a target on her back. The Hackers would be after her blood for killing two of their own, and the Endward Cult would be gunning for her since Nitebane was the cult's birthplace and reclaiming it before the cultists was something like a slap in the face.

But when Carys had asked who else was to be in charge, Baltic went quiet.

The truth was that Carys had already acknowledged that, however Operation: Overshadow went, it would incite conflict from all the major enemies of Minecraftia. Hackers. Cultists. They'd all want revenge against whoever pulled Nitebane out of the darkness. Which is exactly why the Paragons' involvement was kept secret.

If it was known that the Paragons had saved Nitebane, the Endward Cultists would watch for whoever claimed the throne and assume them to be the Angel of Death. If the ruler was male instead of female, the cultists would assume the Angel was ruling Nitebane by proxy and attack to try and lure her out of hiding. Unless the cultists exposed some of their higher-ups in attacks against Nitebane, neither option was favorable. At least in anonymity, Jillian had the chance to help Nitebane. Kalmarin would be guarding her too, so she would be fine… for now.

"So… when I killed those Hackers," Jillian continued, "I didn't imagine everyone clamoring for me to be their leader." She focused her light blue eyes on the crowd before her. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't come here to better Nitebane's condition."

 _You'd also be lying if you said you killed the Hackers._ Carys thought to herself, though she paid attention to Jillian's speech. She was waiting for the end of it especially.

"I don't want to be your ruler forever." Jillian explained. "You deserve a ruler that _you_ want. One that _you've_ chosen. I only want to be in charge for the beginning, so that I can start this Kingdom on the path to recovery. After that, I'll happily step down and let the properly chosen ruler handle the fate of this great land.

"Nitebane's suffered a lot." She continued. "Much of its knowledge and culture and people have been swallowed up by those that just don't care." She shook her head. "Ever since I heard about the Tragedy of Nitebane I thought… what a waste." She closed her eyes. "What a waste for a Kingdom as magnificent as Nitebane to be torn apart by men of cruelty and greed. To be beset by killers and thieves, by bandits and Griefers, to be at the mercy of smugglers and Hackers. It isn't fair!"

She looked over all the Crafters gathered before her. "When I look at all of you, I see hardened, experienced Crafters with a will to live beyond anything I've ever seen. The people of this Kingdom deserve to be proud just to still be here! No one has suffered more than all of you! No one deserves a win more than you do!"

The crowd began to cheer in increasing intensity, just as they had with the man before.

 _She really has a way with words._ Carys admitted. That was why she chose her to lead them.

"I look at you all and I want to see you win!" Jillian continued, leaning over the podium. "I want to see this Kingdom go back to what it once was—no! I want to see it _better_ than what it was! I want it to prosper and thrive like never before so that the future Crafters can look upon our history books and _gasp_ in sheer awe that such a beautiful Kingdom could ever have rebuilt itself from the brink of extinction!" The cheers and shouts were growing louder and louder, forcing Jillian to raise her voice.

"I want to show the other nine Kingdoms how strong the people here truly are! I want to show them how we make up for numbers in sheer tenacity! I want to show them that we can handle ourselves! That we can save ourselves! That we can come back, stronger than ever, without them having to lift so much as a finger to aid us!

"In short, I want to give you all something more to be proud of! Something you can brag about to the other prissy Kingdoms that say they're better, because they've never had the misfortune of having the Endward Cult drop monsters of mass destruction on their doorstep!"

"YEAH!" The crowd screamed in assent, really getting into Jillian's speech. They were applauding and shouting and cheering for Jillian to lead them. To help them help themselves. To begin their recovery at once.

"Farms need to be re-plotted!" Jillian shouted back. "Buildings need to be repaired! EXP Factories need to be up-and-running so that we have exports! Emeralds need to be flowing again! And all of you need to be trained to be able to defend yourself against any Griefers that think they can muscle back into our Kingdom!"

"YEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!"

"And the Endward Cult!" Jillian continued, remembering what Carys had asked her to include in her speech. "They need to pay for what they've done to us!"

"YEAH!"

"Those cultists destroyed everything when their founder released that monster onto our Kingdom!" Jillian continued, voice growing a tad hoarse. "They want to see all of Minecraftia in ruins! They're the ones responsible for our current state, and I'll be damned if I let them be the end of us!"

"YEAH!"

"In fact," Jillian continued, gritting her teeth as if remembering a dark memory, "there was once a time where… where they almost killed me."

The crowd immediately died down to catch Jillian's hushed words. It was amazing how she had them all in the palm of her hand. A true politician.

"Yes. Much like with this Kingdom, the Endward Cult almost killed me too." She wiped away at her eyes as if she was crying. Crocodile tears. Though the crowd just ate it up.

 _Any minute now…_ Carys smirked to herself, unfolding her arms.

"One of their Executives… he cornered me and my comrades deep in the woods. This was a long time ago, mind you. I wasn't quite as strong as I am now." Jillian admitted. "He was incredibly strong. Beyond anything we could ever hope to stand up to at the time. Half of us were killed… just like that." She shook her head while the crowd below listened with rapt attention. "We tried to escape, but then, out of nowhere, a Lieutenant appeared and shot us like dogs!" Jillian screwed her eyes shut and hung her head over the podium. "I… I was the only one that managed to escape."

She paused to allow the story to sink in, garnering sympathy and support from the crowd below. It was quite masterfully done, Carys had to admit. The crowd didn't even bother to question why an Executive and a Lieutenant would be out killing Crafters without any low-grade cultists accompanying them. The crowd was too spellbound to look for plot-holes.

"But that was their mistake!" Jillian suddenly shot up, clenching her fist. "They failed to kill me, just like they failed to kill Nitebane! We're still here!" The crowd cheered in response. "And because I survived that day, I was able to escape with the names of those two cultists!"

Carys leaned forward eagerly. _Here it comes…_

"These cultists may be scum on earth," Jillian spat vehemently, "but I don't want to kill them. I want them alive so that I can force them to scream all about the Endward Cult and live the rest of their lives rotting away in prison cells! Am I being selfish in asking this!?"

"NO!" Came the immediate response of the crowd. All of them were in a frenzy, spouting words of encouragement to the blonde leader.

"Then I want these cultists brought to me alive!" Jillian continued. "And I'm offering a reward of one thousand emeralds for their capture from my own personal savings!" There were a series of shocked gasps emanating from the crowd. "The names of these damned cultists..."

She glanced down at the book Carys had provided her. The one detailing the names of two Crafters at the top of her shit list.

She stepped aside and flicked a lever, causing two curtains of gravel to fall from the sides of the castle and reveal the blown up Snow Prints of a brown-haired Crafter with a dumb expression and a blue-haired Crafter with dark lines over his eyes

"…Are Executive King_Cobb, and Lieutenant Flawwed_Floyd!"

And there it was. Another happy moment of Carys' life. She relished Jillian speaking those names, grinning deviously the whole time.

She had just painted targets on their backs. They weren't cultists, but that hardly mattered. They deserved to be thrown into a pool of lava like they had done to her. While Jillian was speaking over the crowd, their wanted posters were already circulating and being sent to every nearby Kingdom. It was a fair ratio representing my hatred towards them. One thousand emeralds for Cobb, two-hundred for Floyd. And only if they were captured _alive_.

Everyone would be gunning for them. Crafters, bounty hunters, anyone who cared about money more than anything else. There'd be nowhere in Minecraftia left for them to hide. She expected they'd be brought to Nitebane within the month. And she'd be there, waiting with scythe in hand, to happily accept them. Though, why use a scythe when Lunar Castle had a perfectly good set of torture chambers for her to modify? She couldn't help the dangerous smile that stretched across her face.

 _See you soon, Cobb._ She chuckled darkly before slipping back into the shadows of the ramparts, unnoticed by the crowd cheering Jillian's name.

 _See you soon._

* * *

 **AN: Ahhh, I love Carys' character. So diabolical.**

 **Anyway, leave a fav, follow, review, PM, OC, or just recommend to Mojang (or is it Microsoft, now?) that I make a video game of this. Similar to Minecraft story mode... but probably with a lot less cursing and swears.**


	83. Bounty Day

**AN: Another Chapter written. This one I wrote too long, methinks. There was a lot to cover though. Such as the official change from 1.8 to 1.9! The Combat Update!**

 **I was busy too, so I could only send my Omake to be Beta'd. Hopefully there are no major mistakes in my writing. Wishful thinking, I know, but I can dream.**

 **It's been a while since a riddle, so here you go. Guess it correctly to enjoy a delicious (metaphorical) Victory Cookie as well as acknowledgement for being such a smarty pants.**

 **Puzzle: My life can be measured in hours, I serve by being devoured. Thin I am quick. Fat I am slow. Wind is my foe.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add throwable shields.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 83

 **Bounty Day**

[Cobb]

My eyes fluttered open as my senses went through their routine startup that accompanied waking from deep slumber. The unfamiliar polished ceiling threw my brain into a whir of confusion and fear until I realized, with a relieved sigh, where I was. I then settled back into bed, snuggling deeper into the comfy covers.

Even if he constructed it behind our backs, I was grateful to Lenz for our bunker.

I hadn't been yesterday, of course, when Wynn had effortlessly rounded us up and proceeded to dole out swift retribution. The word 'retribution' can be synonymous with 'ball stabbings'. Even while lying in bed, I still felt soreness down there. I assume it was the same for the others. How Floyd and Soul had managed to waddle home in such a state boggled my mind.

But, after listening to our side of the story and reprimanding us, Wynn cooled off. She was still angry, obviously, but less so than when she first found out. It wasn't like she could dismantle the bunker, so she allowed Lenz to keep it, but only because its existence didn't ruin her backyard. As an added condition, however, she requested a monthly rent for the space we were occupying. With our Silk Tough Shovel, money was no object.

A good thing too, because Lenz had spared no expense building our bunker, or as we decided to name it, the Inhouse. How great a name was that! It fit perfectly.

Nobody would ever think a dingy outhouse would hold such a secret. Though the mechanism Lenz built both to enter and leave through the outhouse was complicated enough to make my head spin. He tried explaining how it worked, but couldn't help but state all the complicated problems he had to work around. Something about slime blocks sticking to the walls and jamming the elevator, I had no clue. He could have just built a ladder, but that wasn't the Lenzington redstone way. No, he had to over-complicate it. Let lesser mortals climb.

Maybe Lenz just had a thing for secret bunkers since our adventure in Daymonte, but I couldn't deny how impressed I was in his efforts. Even with the building crew he paid, he did a good job.

He was sleeping in one of the other unoccupied bedrooms, nursing his own injured lower half. He didn't complain about it though, no doubt seeing the Inhouse well worth the emeralds and injury. The same could not be said for Floyd and Soul, who got nothing but pain.

I felt bad for Floyd, and maybe even a little bit for Soul, and promised to make it up to them somehow. Maybe I'd invite them out to eat or something. That would be nice.

As I mulled over my drowsy thoughts, I rolled over in my bed so that I was lying on my side. My eye winked open slightly before I closed it, let out a yawn, and settled deeper into my feathery pillow.

…

My eyes shot open when I realized I had seen someone standing over me. Green eyes that practically glowed in the dark were watching me intently. I leapt out of my skin and my covers and collapsed in a heap at the foot of my bed. I heard a terrified 'Eep!' followed by the person trying to scamper away, only to be tripped by their own two feet and fall on top of me.

Long black hair fell over my eyes, obscuring my view, but I could tell by the weight over my chest that the person was female. I moved my hands to her sides to push her off of me, but found it difficult since, whenever my palms settled upon her hips, she'd wiggle around and whimper. I pulled my hands away instantly, thinking I'd hurt her, but became even more confused when she pressed herself further against me as if craving my touch.

Finally, when I pushed the girl's hair out of my eyes, I saw that it was none other than Erin, cheeks burning and positively quivering with embarrassment. "I w-w-wasn't watching you sleep! I swear!" She exclaimed, simultaneously looking for a place on my body she could rest her hands to push off while also looking unsure of where to touch.

She settled for a handhold on the floor beneath my armpit and used it to roll herself off of me. She then kept rolling away, putting as much distance between us as she could, before hitting the wall with an 'Oof!'

While she clutched her head, whining cutely with her face pressed into the carpet, I got up and rubbed the drowsiness out of my eyes.

 _Time to get up, I guess._ With one last longing look at my bed, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and turned to the housekeeper. "Soooo… why are you here?"

"I w-wasn't watching you sleep! I swear!" Erin repeated, waving her hands before her. "Not at first…" She added under her breath before her face grew several shades darker and she had to cover it with her hands. "UAHHH! No! Forget I said that!"

I groaned into my hand. Erin always got embarrassed whenever she talked to someone. Even when it was a familiar guy like me. What did I have to do you help her get over that?

"Look, Erin, stop hyperventilating. You've got nothing to be embarrassed over." I started out before getting an idea. "Would it help if I looked away?"

Erin peeked through her fingers at my suggestion. "W-well… actually…" She spoke timidly. "If… if you wouldn't mind…" She kicked at the carpet shyly. "Could you… cover your face?"

"…Cover my face?" I asked. "And that'll help?"

"W-well… I-I-I…" she stammered a bit before replying with a small nod.

 _Well, if that's what the lady wants…_

I rummaged through my backpack and extracted the pumpkin I had picked up during my venture in the End. I slid it over my head, feeling my hearing and sight dull, before turning back to the shy housekeeper. "Better?"

The effect was immediate. Her hands fell to her sides, no longer covering her face. She didn't need to since the color had already begun to fade, returning her face to its pale complexion. "Y-Yeah. A lot better." She smiled happily. "Thank you."

"Good." I rubbed my pumpkin awkwardly. "I'm just sorry I have a face you'd rather not look at." I joked.

Apparently Erin couldn't take a joke because she suddenly started freaking out. "N-no, no, no! Your face is perfect! Beautiful, in fact—I-I mean, ah, d-don't worry about… I'm a weird g-girl." She laughed nervously. "I say weird things when I get nervous. Ha ha… ha… ANYWAY!" She stood ramrod straight. "I'm here because Miss Whispers wanted me to wake you up! Because, today's the Bounty Day!" She squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

My eyes widened. Holy crap, it was! I had forgotten in all the confusion and ball stabbings, but today was the day everyone was buzzing about. The introduction of new items and gear that would forever change Minecraftia. Wynn had only mentioned it a thousand times. She was probably more excited than me.

"I'll be right up." I nodded to the housekeeper before scrambling over to my bedside chest and pulling out my gear. Armor, weapons, potions, food. Useless junk. Delicious rotten flesh. All set!

I rushed over to the door where Erin was waiting, but bumped my pumpkin head on the door frame before falling on my back, dazed. "…I can't see so well with this thing." I announced to Erin who reached down to help me up immediately. "Can I take it off?"

"N-not yet." Erin stammered with a blush. "I'm n-n-not yet ready…"

I sighed. "Then I guess I'll need someone with gentle hands to guide me up the elevator."

Erin's face split into a jubilant smile.

"LENZ!" I shouted, earning a muffled clatter from the adjacent bedroom. "Get your gentle hands out here! There's a Bounty Day today and I need you to help me find the exit!"

"Comparators! I forgot!" The engineer exclaimed. "I will be ready in a tick!"

"Problem solved." I turned to Erin, only to see her staring despondently at the floor. "Something wrong?"

"N-no, no." Erin sighed. "Just… wishing the universe would throw me a bone…"

"It's okay, Erin." I comforted. " _I_ can throw you a bone. And then you can catch it. You don't need the universe for that."

"…It's a good thing he's cute."

"What was that?"

"N-nothing!"

* * *

"So… how is this supposed to work, exactly?" I posed to the Captain, pumpkin still on my head. She didn't question it and Erin was content not to fill her in.

We were all stood in the backyard with a crafting table between us. Over to the side was a chest Wynn had stocked with basic materials. The intent was to use them for recipes as soon as the Bounty Day allowed.

"Well, we're not entirely sure." Wynn admitted with a frown. "The Testificates say the last Bounty Day happened five-hundred years ago, so we don't have a precedent to go off of. Supposedly it's just _poof_ , new items."

"Just because the recipes pop into existence, does not mean we will know what they are." Lenz reasoned from my left. "There could be thousands of possible combinations of items and orders. Though, with the amount of people in Ringwood poised to test out recipes, the probability of discovering something new is quite high."

"Actually…" Wynn looked aside in shame, "There's less people than you'd think. I signed an order to have all guards working today. Only the Captains have the day off to enjoy."

I couldn't help but grin cheekily at the Captain. "How underhanded. Who are you and what have you done with Wynn? Owowow, I'm sorry!" I immediately apologized when the Captain twisted my arm. She let it and my arm go with a huff.

"The Kingdom needs guards protecting it at all times. Especially now, while we're still dealing with the aftermath of that herd. This is the weakest Ringwood has ever been." She turned her gaze to the plateau to the south, looking worriedly at the palace. "His Eminence has been suffering nights of unrest since the attack. The cross-Kingdom railway has been delayed until the forest grows back. A quarter of the treasury funds are being allocated to repair the Kingdom's damages. And the people feel unsafe; they're terrified of further cultist attacks." She let out a worried sigh. "Morale has been quite low. I secretly hope this Bounty Day will lift everyone's spirits."

Lenz and I hummed in agreement. If not for the cultists, today might have been more of a joyful holiday. Instead, Ringwood's mood was somber and tense. The only consolation was that the Kingdom now knew about the advantage of cats, and would be prepared for Creeper attacks in the future.

"Things will get better." I comforted the Captain with a supportive smile. The action was half as effective since it was covered by a pumpkin. "I'm sure this Bounty Day will make everyone forget all about the cult."

Wynn smiled sadly. "Are you saying that because you believe it or because you know it's what I want to hear?"

"It's what you want to hear AND I believe it." I countered, making the Captain chuckle. "Really. The people of this Kingdom are strong. Plus, they got a great pair of Captains leading them. The cultists are _stupid_ to think they can destroy all that."

Wynn flashed a genuine smile, all traces of her sad mood gone. "Well, I suppose nobody would recognize stupidity more than a certified fool." She teased good-naturedly. Didn't stop me from pulling a face.

I was about to retort too, when a sudden stillness grabbed my attention. The faint breeze blowing at my back suddenly died out and the sounds of Minecraftia became muted. The others noticed immediately and Wynn had her rapier drawn instinctively to respond to the bizarre phenomenon.

Was this… the Bounty Day?

I glanced up and nearly choked when I saw the normally radiant sun appear dull and flat. The clouds too had lost their fluffy appearance and luster, and had stopped with the breeze, looking more like a break in the sky's color than anything natural.

More disturbing was the silence, though. It would be one type of silence if none of us was talking, which we were. This was like an advanced silence where even the sound of our feet treading on grass became silenced. Nature itself was holding its breath for the Bounty Day.

And then… there was a ripple.

I don't know how else to describe it. A ripple of flowing numbers and signs, dyed in a rainbow hue, fanned towards us from the South. Space seemed to distort upon contact with the ripple, similar to the waves of haziness one sees on a hot summer day. Everything the ripple spread across regained its luster and sound and it went at an ever-increasing pace.

I held up my arms defensively when it was about to reach me and I saw Wynn do the same. The ripple passed, making me feel as if some great oppressive force was blanketing me in its shadow, before moving on. Just as it passed, my head throbbed as if something intrusive had shoved itself into my brain. I clutched my head to steady myself and saw a brief image flash through my mind. I saw it as if from a third-person perspective. It was of myself… with my iron sword in one hand and my golden sword in another. I was wielding them both at the same time.

As soon as the image had come, it was gone. I barely registered what I had just seen before I heard Wynn let out a gasp of shock. She felt the same unknown pressure leave her shoulders and speed off further North. Lenz did the same and Erin collapsed to her knees in fright. All of them clutched their heads, though. All of them looked to have something flit across their minds.

My surroundings returned to life. I whirled around as the breeze and temperature and natural sounds resumed now that it was safe enough. The ripple sped on past other mansions, past the tall walls of Ringwood, and beyond.

It was something indescribable and frightening in how little we knew about it.

That was the precedent we set for the Bounty Day.

"What… what was that?" I was the first to find my voice and speak what was no doubt on all of our minds. Then I thought about what else had been on our minds. "Did anyone else see something? In their… brain?"

"I did." Lenz muttered, clutching his head worriedly. "That vision I saw… it was… where had that come from? I saw myself dipping arrows into potions. Tipped… arrows?" His eyes widened. "Tipped arrows!" He exclaimed breathlessly.

"I-I saw something too." Erin whispered, slowly getting to her feet. "I-It felt weird. Like something was slithering inside my head." She shuddered. "But… but I saw myself making a reddish soup using some kind of fruit—no, a vegetable. A… red vegetable? What was it?" She bit her lip as she tried to recall what it was.

"I saw someone trying to attack me." Wynn muttered while idly tracing her temple with her fingers. "The sword was coming right for me, so I raised my arm and blocked it with a… with a…" She screwed her eyes shut trying to picture the fleeting vision before her eyes snapped open and she rushed to the chest, grabbing a handful of sticks and planks before dumping them on the Crafting Table. She hummed with interest as she changed the arrangement of sticks and planks, trying to unlock the secret item she had seen.

While she was busy doing that, I glanced down at both my hands. Left and right. What I had seen in my vision… if all of us had seen different things, then that meant the rest of Ringwood had undergone a similar feeling. Visions of new things, bestowed upon by the Bounty Day.

Were the visions tied with a Crafter's wants? A housekeeper and cook, Erin saw food. Wynn and I were used to combat so we saw ourselves fighting, and Lenz was an archer so he saw tipped arrows. Was it just a coincidence, or was the Bounty Day purposefully showing us what we ourselves wanted to see?

Well, if it wanted me to see myself wielding two weapons, I was all for trying it out.

I reached one hand up towards my backpack, but then paused. _If I'm going to do it right, I may as well try…_

I reached _both_ arms up and into my backpack, grabbing two sword handles. Instead of only being able to pull out one, I found I was able to slide both of them out of my Inventory.

"Mmm… I can't quite picture what the food was." Erin muttered dejectedly. "C-Cobb, what did you—Oh wow!"

Erin exclaimed in surprise as I managed to withdraw both my iron and golden blades and hold them both before me. The sensation was weird, since I was only ever able to hold one item at a time. To now hold two at the same time…

Wynn and Lenz turned their attention on me and looked awed as I gave the swords a few test swings. "How are you doing that?" Wynn demanded, her amber eyes alight with interest. "Show me."

"I just used both hands." I explained before returning them to my backpack, only to draw them out again, separately. "I can pull them out one at a time. I think it's just given me one extra hand to fight with."

Erin followed my instruction, reaching into her own backpack to withdraw eggs _and_ cooked mutton. "H-Hey, I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" She waved her laden hands excitedly, earning a laugh from me. You'd think she just learned how to make diamonds from coal.

"Amazing…" Lenz marveled at his hands now filled with redstone and repeaters. "With this new skill, I could… I could…" His tinted glasses glinted in the sunlight. "I could wire redstone TWICE as fast!"

Face met palm in the ultimate gesture of exasperation. My eyes slid over Lenz, who was busy reveling in his new, godlike skills, to Wynn, who growled under her breath at the Crafting Table she was working on.

"What are you trying to make?" I asked, wanting to help. However, Wynn shooed me away.

"No. I'm figuring this out myself." She mixed the wooden planks and sticks in the shape of a sideways sign, but let out a dissatisfied grumble when nothing came of it. "I'll get it to work."

* * *

[Noman]

"What did I… just witness?"

I had just been crossing a mesa on horseback when I saw some kind of… ripple approach from the East. I had tried to outpace it, but it was too quick and it had enveloped me and my trusty steed, Carrot.

I felt a pressure—a looming shadow—and then some mental image flitted across my mind. It was so disorienting that I slipped off my horse and into the orange sand.

It was a third-person image of me, wielding an object I hadn't known existed. It looked stalwart and sturdy, though. Capable of enduring the sharp edge of a sword.

The pain in my head dissipated, and I quickly picked myself up. The ripple that had passed continued West and spread out to encompass the entire mesa. I waited until it was out of sight, obscured by the horizon, before I felt safe enough to move.

I returned to my horse, calmed it down, and fed it some sugar before setting down my Crafting Table. I fished out some planks and sticks and tried to make sense of the vision I had. Having a tool like what I had seen could be useful. Even more so since it meant I wouldn't have to resort to violence.

I moved the sticks and planks around and nearly cheered when I thought I had it… only to realize it was just the recipe for signs. Still, I persisted with every combination of planks and sticks I could think of. Still, the tool eluded me.

 _What am I doing wrong?_ I thought to myself, trying to concentrate on the image I had seen.

It was strong.

It was sturdy.

It had wood. I _had_ to have wood.

But then again… could wood stop the force behind an iron sword? That was what my vision had shown me.

Wood was weaker than iron, though. So the only way the tool could ever have a chance of standing up to an iron blade was if…

…

If it was reinforced with iron!

I reached into my backpack and pulled out some iron ingots before adding them to the pile of gear on the Crafting Table. There were a lot more combinations with three items to juggle, but I knew the basic shape they were supposed to form. Crafting only required a little common sense and, at times, creativity.

Still, the tool didn't appear. I tried limiting the amount of sticks and toying around with the wood to iron ratio. The tool didn't need much iron. Just a bit around the edge. Or maybe it did need a lot of iron? Maybe the whole thing had to be made of iron?

It was by accident that I nudged the sticks off the table. I stooped down to pick them up, but paused when the Crafting Table showed I had made something. I glanced down in awe, memorizing the recipe, before I pushed them all together and made the tool.

The thick [SHIELD] fit naturally onto my arm.

It was broad, covering most of my front. I rapped a fist against it and smiled at its sturdiness. It had iron pegs and edges, even though only one ingot had been needed for the recipe. The shape of the planks had been odd, looking nothing like a shield, but I couldn't deny the result when I was holding it on my arm.

Though… how was I supposed to fight lugging the shield around?

It was big enough and strong enough to block swords and arrows, but how was I supposed to retaliate? Did I have switch from shield to sword?

I wish I had a Mob to practice on, but it was still daytime. So instead, I packed up my gear, climbed atop my steed, and rode on to my destination.

The Kingdom of the artifact known as the Bottes Zephyr.

The Kingdom of the Clouds, Zeppil.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Ugh! What is wrong with this stupid recipe?" Wynn practically slammed the materials onto the table, her frustration mounting as she consistently failed. "Shield! Work, already!"

"You're making a shield?" I asked, causing Wynn to click her tongue. "We could work together to figure out the—"

"I told you I can figure it out myself!" Wynn shot back before she returned her attention to the table. Her hands were a blur as she tried out every possible combination of planks and sticks. She wouldn't be satisfied unless she figured it out for herself. "I'm not stupid…"

"Nobody said you were." I tried to calm her down, but I caught Erin shaking her head. She beckoned me over and whispered under her breath.

"When Miss Whispers gets like this, it's best to leave her to it." She explained. "When she struggles with something, she won't let it go until she's mastered it. Why, I once saw her get so worked up over not mastering a fishing—Cooked fish!" She quickly amended. "Y-yes. The recipe for cooked fish. Not a fishing rod. Never a fishing rod." She coughed awkwardly into her fist, but didn't say anything more.

I hummed in thought before getting an idea. "Hey, Wynn." I called over, causing the Captain to whirl around with an irritated frown. "We're gonna try out some other recipes, but that shield item sounds really cool. If anyone can figure it out, it's you. So please let me know as soon as you solve it."

As I predicted, the Captain's frown reversed into a confident smile. Her amber eyes gleamed with determination. "You'll be the first to know. Just you wait." She turned back to the table with razor sharp focus. "Something like this is nothing for me." Her frustration forgotten, Wynn dove back into crafting the shield, this time experimenting with iron ingots and logs in addition to the planks and sticks.

 _Well, that takes care of that._ I thought happily before checking in on what Lenz was working on.

He was taking notes down in his handy-dandy notebook. "Truly fascinating…" He muttered to himself while biting on his quill. "But which theory is more likely?"

"Which item are you trying to figure out?" I asked.

Lenz looked up from his notebook and lifted his tinted glasses. "It has nothing to do with the Bounty Day. I was just wondering about the relationship between Creepers and cats." He frowned as he jotted more notes down. "Why was one afraid of the other? What is their connection? The possibilities and theories are endless… though I think I may have narrowed it down."

"Alright, let's hear it then."

"Right. I have four possible theories."

"Go on." I prompted.

"One: A vicious childhood incident involving a cat and the cat's claws scarred the Creepers for life. Two: Creepers are allergic to cats. Three: Cats are so evil that Creepers fear them. Or four: Cats use their psychic abilities to repel all Creepers." Lenz nodded to himself. "Those are the four most likely cases."

"…No kidding?"

"As serious as the requirement of a repeater every fifteen meters of redstone." He had no idea how high that analogy flew over my head—wait, a second! Shit! _That_ was why the TNT I rigged at the outpost didn't blow!

I felt so stupid for not thinking there was more to redstone than a few bits of dust and a switch. It was much more complicated than it sounded, and it made me appreciate Lenzington for actually studying such a topic.

"Hey, Lenz."

"Yes, Cobbert?"

"You're really smart."

"Ah, so you think I am onto something with my Childhood Incident theory, hm?" He smiled proudly as he jotted some notes down, completely misreading my praise. "I assume the cultists spent quite some time deducing the Creepers' weakness. They are as cruel as they are methodical…"

"Now if only they'd be as _dead_ as they are methodical, we might just have a moment of peace."

The harsh growl could only be the voice of Soul, as both he and Floyd entered the backyard. They were limping slightly with blocks of ice held against their lower halves. It wasn't difficult to imagine why.

"Oh, hey guys." I waved awkwardly before chuckling nervously. "You… uh… still recovering from Wynn's rapier?"

"Yeah, thanks for that." Soul growled. "Remind me to get you rotten flesh for Christmas."

"Sounds delicious!"

"…I just can't win with this guy." The axe-wielder groaned before leaning against the outhouse for support, the ice nestled between his legs.

"We came here to compare visions." Floyd explained. Though he looked quite sullen about it.

"Don't mind him." Soul waved away my concern. "He's just pissed because the vision he got was lame."

Floyd narrowed his eyes. "It isn't fair! I'm passing people in the streets getting excited about visions of new purple blocks and enchantments and what do I get?" He folded his arms. "Brewing stands require blaze powder as fuel. I feel cheated!"

"So did Brett." Soul chuckled. "The guy didn't expect the Bounty Day to _take away_ from items already existing in Minecraftia. He had to convert half of his blaze rod reserves to fuel, which means he's lacking ingredients and has to order more. Never seen him so irked. Cara burst into a laughing fit over it." He added with a smile.

"What did Cara see?"

"Something about beetroot—or is it beetroots?—I don't know." Soul shrugged, even though Erin's ears perked up immediately at the new food source. "I, on the other hand, saw some weird new Mob."

"…A new Mob?" I asked with interest, already taking out Herobrine's Advanced Mob-Slaying and searching the pages.

"Yeah, it had this blocky sort of outer shell, but the inside was a tiny head." Soul furrowed his brow in thought. "I think it shot projectiles or something. The vision wasn't too clear."

A blocky Mob with a shell that shot projectiles. Flipping through the book, I found there was nothing matching Soul's description. Witches, Endermen, Silverfish, Endermites, Guardians, Slimes. None of them were the Mob he talked about.

The only other available space for information was the back of the book, which was written in a strange, undecipherable language.

 **[Lmxv xlmhgifxgvw, gsv Drgsvi droo uozhs yofv zmw tild ozitvi rm hrav. Rm gsrh hgzgv, rg rh fmzyov gl nlev li rmuorxg wznztv, yfg rh zohl rmermxryov. Zmb fmuligfmzgv Xizugvi rm gsv erxrmrgb droo mlgrxv z svzogs yzi uroormt fk zylev rgh svzw. Lmxv rg rh xlnkovgvob uroovw fk, rg droo xivzgv z nzhhrev vckolhrlm drgs rghvou zg gsv xvmgvi, yvuliv iznkztrmt.]**

 **[Gsrh fmslob zylnrmzgrlm zggzxph zmbgsrmt gszg nlevh zmw rh mlg fmwvzw yb urirmt vckolhrev hpfooh uiln rgh gsivv svzwh, dsrxs gizro wzip hnlpv. Rg uorvh zilfmw, hvvprmt erxgrnh, zmw prooh zmbgsrmt. Xizugvih, zmrnzoh, Nlyh. Mlgsrmt zorev rh hzuv.]**

 **[Vevm dlihv, gsv hpfooh rg urivh xzm zuuorxg z gzitvg drgs gsv Drgsvi Hgzgfh Vuuvxg, gsv lmob vuuvxg gszg xzm xlnkovgvob wizrm gsv oruv uiln blf. Gsv Drgsvi Vuuvxg, xszizxgviravw yb yrhgiv hdriormt kzigrxovh, gfimh blfi Svzigh yozxp, nzprmt rg mvziob rnklhhryov gl tzftv blfi ldm svzogs, zmw holdob hfxph zdzb blfi oruv. Ufigsvinliv, gsv Drgsvi Vuuvxg ovvxsvh zdzb dszgvevi svzogs blf olhv zmw svzoh gsv Drgsvi drgs rg.]**

 **[Rg rh rnnfmv gl uriv, ozez, zmw wildmrmt. Rg rh rnnfmv gl klgrlm vuuvxgh vcxvkg uli Szinrmt zmw Svzormt. Orpv lgsvi Fmwvzw Nlyh (Hpvovglmh, Alnyrvh, vgx.) gsvb ziv svzovw yb Szinrmt Klgrlmh zmw szinvw yb Svzormt Klgrlmh.]**

 **[Dsrov rg uorvh gsilfts gsv zri, rg rh gll srts uli hdliwh gl wl zmb tllw. Zmw ru blf'iv gll xolhv, rg'h lmob z nzggvi lu grnv yvuliv blf'iv srg zmw drgsvi zdzb. Yvhg yvg rh gl mzro rg drgs z yld uiln olmt-wrhgzmxv. Pvvk urirmt fmgro rgh svzogs rh szou vnkgb.]**

 **[Gsvm yvtrmh kszhv gdl.]**

All it was good for was giving me a headache, and I couldn't fathom why Herobrine would publish so many paragraphs in an unknown language. Not even the knowledgeable Lenz could read it.

So there was nothing about other Mobs. I frowned at the thought. If the last Bounty Day was over five-hundred years ago, that meant it was before Herobrine and Notch's time. For five-hundred years, Herobrine only studied existing Mobs.

He had no way of studying Mobs that had yet to be conceived.

So then… the Bounty Days had the potential of bringing even more unholy abominations into Minecraftia. Only this time, I wouldn't have Herobrine's tips on how to fight them.

…Unless I discovered them myself.

Yeah… yeah, I could do that! I could write a separate book on all the new Mobs emerging from the Bounty Day! I could catalog them and make notes on their weaknesses, just like Herobrine! It'd be fun! And it would allow me to leave behind knowledge so that the less experienced Crafters could learn and evolve.

The more I thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. I'd find the new Mobs and take notes on them.

All I had to do… was find out where such Mobs would spawn. Hrm…

There was also another matter to take care of. My gaze shifted to Floyd, who was being comforted by Soul. Those two were still members of the Silver Intent, which meant they would still go after the cult if given the chance. They'd actively attempt to thwart any evil, Crafter-killing plans those Lieutenants came up with.

Which put them in danger.

Though considering what the Endward Cult had done, we were all in serious danger. Those guys were persistent enough to gather all those Creepers and they probably had powerful people backing them up. 4Blite had nearly killed Soul and Teal had nearly killed Floyd.

It was obvious the two would still go on missions, though. _Dangerous_ missions that put their lives on the line. Before, I hadn't been sure whether or not I had the conviction to help Floyd fight those guys. But after Halstatt and that outpost—No! Even without those two experiences, I still would've gone with them. Because experience didn't matter to me as much as their lives did.

Plus… well… since I had inadvertently killed the cult's greatest enemy, it seemed only right to try and balance it out. I wouldn't be an Angel of Death, but I could be a Cobb… of Death?

Still working title!

But I could still fight against the Endward Cult in my own way! And while I was at it, why not fight the Hackers too? They were just as terrible as the cultists! Even more so because they went unopposed and thought themselves invincible.

Well, we'd see how invincible they were when facing a Creeper Flail! Hah!

But to take on the Hackers and cultists… and any other cruel assholes out there, I'd need help. Like the Paragons, I needed a specialized team or faction. Like a guild!

And that's where everyone else came in.

"Hey, guys? Can I have your attention?" I called out to Floyd, Lenz, and Soul. They all turned to face me with varying degrees of puzzlement. I cleared my throat and offered my most confident smile.

"I want to form a guild. Want to join?"

"Fuck no."

The answer had been so immediate that I felt my smile break before slipping off my face. Then again, with the pumpkin over my head, the others probably didn't notice.

 _How could Soul be so cruel?_ I thought as I looked to the frowning axe-wielder. _I was even being polite, the bastard!_

"I'm already involved in the Silver Intent, so why would I want to join a guild?" Soul continued as if to justify his curt response. It was more for Floyd's sake than mine.

"Well…" I began, hoping to somehow win over Soul and his superior strength, only for someone else to interject.

"I-I'll join your guild, Cobb!" Erin hopped around excitedly with her hand in the air. "It w-w-would be an honor to work with an adventurer like you."

"Give it a rest, Erin." Wynn called over from afar. "You don't want to be in a guild with Cobb. I've seen him involved in more trouble than Crafters twenty-times his age."

…She wasn't wrong.

"And you." She pointed at me without so much as looking up from her Crafting Table. "Do you even understand the obligations and demands of starting a guild? Or did you just hear about them recently and thought, 'hey, what a neat idea'?"

"Um… a little bit of the second one… maybe?"

Wynn sighed and prepared to explain, but Lenz beat her to it.

"Minecraftia is filled with powerful guilds and factions, Cobbert." The engineer launched into full PowerPoint presentation mode as he addressed his audience. "Guilds have been formed since the beginning of Minecraftia, with the first one being the First 100 whom travelled the world, setting up the land for the ten King—er… _nine_ Kingdoms—we recognize today.

"Today's guilds, however, have more manageable goals than the ones of the past. They recruit amicable, skilled, or outstanding Crafters to swell their ranks and then pool their resources to earn emeralds, slay Mobs, search for powerful gear, or simply help out their community. The guild system serves non-combatants as a service. It is this service that supports the Crafters of any Kingdom!"

"I thought that was the guards' job?" I called over to the expert on guards, an actual Captain.

"The guards handle criminal activity inside a Kingdom." Wynn explained. "They get paid by the taxes levied on the Crafters they've sworn to protect. Guilds can work both inside and outside of a Kingdom, and even _between_ Kingdoms if they had to. Guards don't have that kind of jurisdiction… not unless a Crafter forces our hand."

Judging by the way she was trying not to smile while looking at me, I could tell she was remembering Halstatt. No jurisdiction indeed.

"Not that this isn't _fascinating_ to listen to, but can you hurry it up?" Soul asked sarcastically while leaning against the outhouse. "I want this presentation about guilds to be over with."

"You could always leave if you're bored." I commented.

Soul scoffed, but remained where he was standing. He was just as interested in the guilds as the rest of us. He just didn't want to admit that to Lenz.

"I shall continue, then." Lenz cleared his throat. "There are many guilds existing in Minecraftia. According to a recent guild survey published in the 490's edition of ' _Guild-y Pleasures_ ', there are over seven-hundred guilds, with members ranging from five to eight-thousand."

 _Eight-thousand!?_ I internally winced. _That's way bigger than Alec's Griefer army. They couldn't all be fighters, though. Maybe some of them were support roles, supplying food and potions or else raising horses._

"Then," Lenz announced with a dramatic pause, "there are the Big Three. The largest and most powerful guilds in Minecraftia."

"I'm guessing the Endward Cult is among them… or the Hackers." I thought I saw Floyd flinch, but when I turned it was to see him as nonchalant and attentive as ever.

"No on both accounts." Wynn chimed in. "Guilds need to be publicly recognized to be official. That means they need to be registered to a guild hall and _not_ perform deeds that would label them as criminals."

"Brett mentioned that the Silver Intent couldn't apply for guild status since it mainly works as information gathering." Floyd filled in. "An organization like that needs to be kept secret."

"As an aside, I'll mention that a Hacker _did_ attempt to register herself and her fellow Hackers as a guild, just to see what would happen." Wynn said. "The Crafter at the registration desk had no choice but to approve them, even though it was pointless. Hackers would never be seen as anything more than unstable murderers, so their supposed guild would only involve them making demands of other Crafters and intimidating them into compliance. They were just messing around."

"But not all Hackers are like that, right?"

Everyone looked towards the blue-nette who had uttered those words with a mixture of surprise and disapproval.

"I mean…" Floyd instantly backtracked, trying to reword his argument. "Going so far as to call them all unstable murderers… they can't all be like that, right?"

"What are you saying, Floyd?" Soul asked, pushing off the outhouse and marching over to him. "What the hell are you even saying!? You just got back from frigging Nitebane! You've seen what those Hackers have done with the place! Have you forgotten about Attila?"

"No! But I just… I just thought—"

"And I told you about Alec, didn't I?" I interjected. "I told you about how he attacked villages and gathered Griefers. He terrorized Daymonte! He nearly killed Wynn!"

Floyd, facing opposition on all fronts, was quick to back down. "Y-You're right… I'm sorry." He bowed his head and kept his gaze glued to the ground. "I just thought… no, never mind. I-I wasn't thinking. They're all rotten to the core." There wasn't much emotion to his words.

 _To defend them like that after seeing Nitebane… Did something happen between him and a Hacker?_

"Ahem. Well, as Wynn aptly stated," Lenz continued as if nothing had happened, "Hackers and cultists, while numerous and powerful, are not publicly recognized as guilds. The Big Three, however, are. And their motivation boils down to the three great motivators of all time: Wealth, Revenge, and Satisfaction."

"Hmm. So one of the Big Three guilds work for sex?" Soul questioned. "That's pretty ballsy."

"Not _that_ kind of satisfaction!" Wynn shouted, lobbing a stick at the axe-wielder which he batted aside with, what else, his axe. Wynn, however, lit up at the absence of a stick on her Crafting Table. "Oh… I think I got it!"

"Now, who can tell me the names of the Big Three in the order of motivations I just presented. Anyone?" Lenz looked at us as if we were students required to participate in a lecture. "Anyone at all?" A shaky hand was raised. "Yes, Erin!"

Erin tremulously lowered it. "W-well, I heard about the… the Berserkers? They're the ones that work for money."

"Quite right!" Lenz praised enthusiastically, causing Erin to smile. "The Berserkers are a guild of bounty hunters that chase down wanted criminals from the Kingdoms. They also agree to work for private clients, but only if the pay is too good to refuse. Nowhere do emeralds flow more freely than in the Berserkers' guild.

"Now for the second of the Big—"

"Ooh! Ooh, ooh, ooh! Pick me!" Whether faking it or not, Soul did a good imitation of a know-it-all student with the answer to a question. His hand was stretching to the sky and waving wildly. "Come on, pick me, pick me! Pick me or I'll slash you with my axe!"

"Soul, how about you!" Lenz quickly called him out to avoid pain. "Another of the Big Three is…?"

"The Paragons, duh!"

 _Oh, here we go._

"The Paragons are the coolest guild in Minecraftia!" Soul gushed. "They're full of badasses and they don't take shit from anyone! My kind of guild." He added to himself. "Plus, they're led by my personal hero, the Angel of Death!"

"That is correct!" Lenz congratulated while I took the time to whisper to Floyd who the Angel of Death _really_ was. Then, while Floyd's eyes widened with oh-we-done-fucked-up levels of panic, we silently agreed to never share that information with anyone, _especially_ Soul.

"The Paragons seem kind of scary." Erin muttered from the side. "I know they're trying to help get rid of the cult in their own way, but… but naming their leader the Angel of _Death_ seems like overkill."

"That's because there's no better kill than overkill!" Soul shouted back, frightening the innocent dark-haired girl. "If you think the Paragons are scary, it's only because they've had to claim that image to terrorize the cult! And it worked, because those cultists are running scared, quaking in their boots! I wish _I_ had that level of intimidation!"

"Keep screaming like a lunatic and you're half-way there." Floyd countered, earning a laugh both from Erin and from me.

"So there you have it." Lenz concluded with a clap of his hands. "The Big Three represent what all guilds aspire to be. So, Cobbert, in the interest of forming a guild—"

"Hang on," I counted on my fingers twice before saying, "I think you skipped a guild."

"No I did not." Lenz spoke with a straight face.

"You think we can't count to fucking three?" Soul growled, sounding offended.

"I think you are misusing the word 'fucking' as an adjective instead of a verb." Lenz responded disdainfully.

"Fucking think again you fucking nerd. It's a versatile fucking curse, being an adverb, adjective, noun, or verb. Which means I can utter it however the fuck I fucking want because I'm a fine fucking grammatical genius. Fuck."

* * *

[Noman]

I had to stop to clamp down on my ears. Even though nobody was uttering any profanities—I was the only Crafter for miles—I couldn't help but think someone, somewhere, was swearing like a fiend.

"Language…!"

* * *

[Cobb]

"So fucking tell us what the third guild is!"

"Oh, for the love of redstone!" Lenz exclaimed, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. "The Scouts! The Scouts! The third guild is the Scouts!" He didn't bother hiding the disdain from his tone. "How those foolish Crafters ever managed to become _recognized_ is mind-boggling!"

"The Scouts?" Soul questioned. "Never heard of them."

"Then consider yourself blessed!" The engineer shot back. "For _that_ particular group of Crafters is a chaotic jumble. The Scouts pride themselves on satisfaction, which to them equates to asinine achievements in a perpetual idiot contest! They make no sense!" Lenz breathed in a calming breath, centering his thoughts. "Apologies. I just… really dislike them. They have the numbers and resources, yet fail to use them for anything productive. One big gaggle of idiots."

"Sounds like a guild full of Cobbs." Soul commented, much to my chagrin.

"A guild… full of Cobbs…?" Erin mumbled to herself as she fanned her face. Even though I was wearing the pumpkin, she still went all red-faced. _What did I do this time?_

"I got it!" Wynn exclaimed proudly as she raised her finished item into the air.

It was a shield. A strongly built and sturdy shield, to be sure.

"Amazing!" I gushed, knowing the praise would make her more pleased. Erin recovered from her embarrassment to follow my lead, acting impressed with the Captain's efforts. Even Soul and Floyd took an interest in the new weapon.

"Is that a shield?"

"Can that thing block arrows?"

"H-how did you figure out the recipe?"

Wynn snubbed her nose. "It was quite the challenge, but I cracked the recipe by using only planks and an iron ingot. You need to arrange the wood in a Y-shape, and then put the ingot in the pocket of the 'Y'."

Soul and Floyd gathered around the table to try and make their own shields. Wynn looked over their work, just to see if they were on the right track or not, before properly joining our conversation on guilds

"Berserkers. Paragons. Scouts." Wynn listed. "The best guilds in Minecraftia. They'll be your competition if you decide to form one of your own. I take it this means you've turned down my offer to become a member of the guards?"

"Oh… yeah." I scratched my cheek sheepishly. I had honestly forgotten about that. "I appreciate the offer, but I just think… I just think a guild would give me more freedom to accomplish my goals."

Wynn shook her head with a smile. "I can tell you forgot about my offer. You never planned on forming a guild. You didn't even do your research on them. Why else would you need Lenz and me to _explain_ them to you?"

 _Crap. I've been found out._

"Well, after hearing about guilds, I still think they're the better option." I admitted. "As for my goals…"

"Does it have anything to do with the Endward Cult, Hackers, or both?"

Damn. She could read me like a book. In fact, had she gotten _more_ perceptive since seeing me crying in the outhouse?

"I thought so." Wynn sighed. "Why is it you can't have normal goals like getting rich or earning EXP?"

"Well, the golden shovel already takes care of one of those—"

"Rhetorical question." She cut me off. "If you're going to form a guild, however, you're going to need to register it. And to register, you need a minimum of five members. How many have you got so far?"

"Uh… well…" I fumbled, only to receive a comforting pat on the shoulder from Lenz.

"I hope I am not being presumptuous asking if there is an available spot for an engineer in your guild." He said in what could only be a Lenzington way. "We could use the Inhouse as our base of operations." I was going to ask him to join anyway, but having him volunteer made him seem more reliable. His archery skills would come in handy just as much as his redstone skills.

"I-I-I could join—"

"No you can't." Wynn sighed, dragging Erin away by her dress. "Those idiots intend to fight cultists. Try again when your combat arsenal is more than just hurling eggs."

"B-B-But it's not fair!" Erin whined, flailing her arms around with watery, green eyes.

I felt bad for the housekeeper, but Wynn was right. We were going to be fighting dangerous killers. Even with having myself taking killing blows for the others, Erin would be ten times more vulnerable with her lack of combat experience. She couldn't join our guild.

But that didn't mean I couldn't make her feel important to us.

"It's a good thing we had all those emeralds to pay for our base." I commented loud enough for Erin to overhear. "Without them, we'd be helpless to start a guild. We're so fortunate we had someone to help us fund everything." I nudged Lenz in the arm. "Right?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Erin perk up, her tears long forgotten at my words of praise. She knew how instrumental she was in selling our grass blocks for tons of emeralds. I saw her smile at our acknowledgement. We didn't forget how important she was.

"Oh, quite lucky indeed." The engineer nodded happily, following my lead. "And we have _Cosmic_ to thank for giving us that Silk Touch Shovel."

Erin's smile shattered in seconds flat.

Okay, scratch that. Lenz wasn't following my lead at all. His denseness in catching hints and detecting sarcasm, coupled with his low level of social interaction, was adding to his list of cons.

"No, Lenz! Not Cosmic! _Erin_!" I hissed with a forceful smile. "The girl who sold our grass blocks for us and makes us delicious food!" I jerked my head towards Erin to not-so-subtly tell him to praise her accomplishments.

This time, he caught on. But his praise wasn't needed, since Erin was back to blushing and red-faced over my words. I _think_ it was a good thing, though. She had a pleased smile after all.

"You guys still talking about forming a guild?" Floyd walked into our conversation, brandishing a new shield. Beside him was Soul, holding his newest creation rather awkwardly. "If you need another person, I'll join. I might have to juggle my Silver Intent missions with it, but hey, what are friends for."

I smiled at the offer. Yet another friend I didn't need to ask to join. Even with the Silver Intent on his plate, he was willing to help me out.

Then, there was Soul.

"I still don't see a reason to join." The axe-wielder shrugged with great difficulty, the shield getting in the way. "Brett has solid information about the cult and has us going on missions against them while also investigating possible leads on cultist identities. How could you possibly compare to that?" He asked gruffly. "What do you have to offer that Brett doesn't?"

I had to think carefully. What Soul wanted above all else was to combat the Endward Cult. But Brett had a widespread information network on that specific topic. There was no way I could compete with that. Our guild only had three members so far!

"Well…" I began searchingly, only for Lenz to interject.

"As a member of the guild, you will be adequately compensated." The engineer said. "With the Silk Touch Shovel, I imagine our guild's income will be far greater than whatever this Silver Intent organization provides, even without including payment for services rendered."

Whatever he said looked to be the magic words. Apparently, the Silver Intent didn't pay its members anything. Like the Paragons, its members were working for vengeance alone. But vengeance couldn't pay the bills.

"Sold!" Soul smiled. "Floyd and I will happily join the… whatever your guild is called."

"We don't have a name yet, but it's comforting to know your loyalty can be bought." I said sarcastically.

"Hey, food and armor don't pay for themselves."

"Give it a rest, Soul." Floyd chided. "We both know you would have joined regardless of whether they paid you."

"Don't tell them that!" The axe-wielder hissed. "Even if we're willing to work for free, we should still ask for money. Also some guild perks. Got anything like that?"

"Well, we can allow you to dorm in the Inhouse's spare bedrooms. But that is all." Lenz rubbed his chin in thought. "Soul makes a good point, though. Our guild needs a name—and one other person—before we can register it."

"I-I-I can join!" Erin squeaked. "R-really! I can support you from the—"

"No, Erin." Wynn pulled the housekeeper away before she could make her case. I felt bad for rejecting her from joining, but I ultimately figured it would be for the best. She wasn't a combatant and, let's face it, having her on the team would mean wearing a pumpkin for the rest of my life.

With our testing of new items taken care of, we all moved into the mansion for some breakfast. Or brunch? We were hungry slobs, alright!

"Well, if it's another member we need, I say we look for a female." Soul advised as he sat down at the table, the arm holding his shield having to bend unnaturally to fit. "Because, right now, the guy to girl ratio is looking like a sausage party."

"Sausage party? What do you mean?" Lenz inquired innocently. I was quick to lean over and explain it to him in hushed whispers so Wynn couldn't hear. When I was done, his face wrinkled in disgust. "Oh…"

A smug smile spread across Soul's face over Lenz's reaction. He went to snub his nose at the engineer only to smack his face with the shield still attached to his arm. At that point, Soul had had enough, wrenching the shield off and throwing it onto the floor.

Only for it to bounce back up and bang his chin.

Lenz hid his smile well. "Quid pro quo, Soul?"

"Quid pro go fuck yourself."

"Focus, guys." Floyd snapped his fingers, gathering all our attention. All except for Erin, who heard a rapid knock on the front door and left to go see who it was. "We need a fifth female member for this guild. Our options are Cara and… um…"

I was about to throw out a name, only to realize Floyd had already said it. That was fine though, there was still… um… Erin and Wynn were probably out since one was a housekeeper and the other was a Captain with enough on her plate.

"…Holy crap we don't know any other women do we?"

"No." Lenz held out a hand, thinking back. "No, no." He repeated after a minute of thinking. We waited a few more minutes until his eyes lit up. "Solara! She may be a guard, but she is a she. Why not ask her?"

"Didn't you hear Wynn? Guards have their own responsibilities inside Kingdoms. They can't worry about guilds."

"Oh, brother. This _is_ going to end up like a sausage party isn't it!?" Soul groused. "Are you telling me we can't think of a single woman to join our guild?"

"Well…"

Just as Floyd was about to comment, Erin came shuffling over to Wynn, her face stricken with panic. Every one of us turned in our seats to watch the housekeeper make her way around the table. "M-Miss Whispers, Miss Whispers, Miss Whispers!" She cried out urgently. "There's… th-there's… at the door…"

Another series of rapid knocks came from the front door, drawing our attention for a moment before we snapped back to Wynn.

"What is it, Erin?" The ivory-haired Captain's interest was preoccupied with testing her rapier out on the new shield.

"It's… ah… it's a Code Blonde!"

At the mere utterance of those words, Wynn's eyes went as wide as saucers. She placed her hands on the table and stood up, her body leaning to the side as if a bird poised to fly away. Her eyes darted to the door, where a third series of knocks hammered onto the wood.

"…Cobb, I request the use of your outhouse base."

"It's actually called the Inhouse—"

"I request the use of your Inhouse, then!" She hissed, startling me.

"Uh… sure, I guess."

"Good. As for all of you," she looked around the table, "if she asks, I'm at the Palace."

"If who asks?" Floyd's question went unanswered as Wynn bolted to the back door as quickly and silently as she could. I watched her rush to the outhouse where she slipped inside, pressing the button that took her to the Inhouse underground.

At the same time, Erin approached the door that now sounded like a jackhammer was being taken to it. She paused just in front of the door, took in a deep, calming breath, and tried to appear nonchalant as she opened the door.

She only got a third of the way before it was thrown open, knocking her to the ground and allowing a different Crafter to dramatically somersault into the living room. The hair was a flash of blonde that seemed vaguely familiar.

In another second I realized why.

"Caw caw! The Golden Cro… Hey!" Velocishot, or Veronica as her friends called her, looked around the room with growing displeasure. "Why are there so many ugly dudes in here!? The air reeks of testosterone and overcompensation!"

"Wha…?" Soul, like all of us, was still in shock at Veronica's dramatic entrance. What exactly was she doing here?

"Captain Veronica!" Lenz recovered the fastest, calling the blonde by her title. It made sense since she was the Captain of his home Kingdom. It also saved me the trouble of explaining to Floyd and Soul that, yes, the mysterious blonde burglar was actually a Captain and had the authority to break into homes.

…Probably. I wasn't going to call her out on it.

"Oh, good, a fan." Veronica smiled as she walked up to Lenz. "I seem to be in the wrong mansion. If you could just tell me where Wynn lives I'll be out of your hair."

Lenz tilted his head. "You are not mistaken. This is Wynn's mansion."

"Oh?" Veronica looked around the mansion once more before glancing suspiciously at all of us. "Hmm… Then where is she?"

"Oh, well she's…" Floyd looked over Veronica's shoulder to see a recovered Erin furiously waving her hands and shaking her head. "…she's gone to the Palace. Lot of work to get done. I don't know when she'll be back."

"Well, darn! I wanted her to see my spectacular entrance." Veronica stomped her foot before helping herself to a seat at the table. Erin shuffled over to the kitchen, keeping out of the blonde's view. "Oh, yeah, so, why are four guys in Wynn's home? I didn't think she got along with _males_ …" Her eyes narrowed at those words, eyeing us warily. "Or is this some kind of sausage party for Erin." Soul held back a chuckle, though he leaned forward in his seat, looking at the blonde Captain with newfound interest. "Oh, speak of the devil… Hey, Erin!"

The housekeeper spilled some bottles after being addressed so suddenly. "O-Oh… Miss Veronica... a pleasure t-to see you…" Her body language screamed uncomfortable.

"And a pleasure to see you too!" Veronica cooed, causing Erin to turn away. "Oooh, you're just adorable! I could pinch those cute, chubby cheeks of yours… and I'm not talking about the upper ones."

"Oh… lesbian… that's a shame." Soul went from interest to indifference in the span of six seconds, instead turning his head to stare out the window.

"Oh? And what's so wrong with being a lesbian?" Veronica tilted her head towards the axe-wielder, a hint of irritation in her tone. "What's the shame?"

"It's a shame that you're beautiful, but will never be interested in me."

Veronica smirked. "Good answer." She relaxed, propping her chin up by her palm as she regarded the axe-wielder. "You're not half-bad looking yourself. Maybe if your hair was longer and whiter and that thing between your legs dropped off, I'd give you a shot."

"Hate to break up this incredibly uncomfortable conversation, but do you mind telling us who you are and what you're doing here?" Floyd asked with no small amount of discomfiture.

"Hmph. I could ask you the same thing." Veronica leaned back to prop her legs on the table. "Buuut since I'm waiting for Wynn to get back, I guess I can do story time. It's not a funny, ha-ha story. Or a sad, touchy, feely story. Just a story."

"Can you get on with it?" I bluntly urged, only for an arrow to swiftly embed itself in the wood of the chair I was on. Right above my shoulder.

"Shut it, pumpkin head before I give you an arrow for a nose." Veronica made a show of twirling her bow back into her belt before speaking. "I'm a Captain, the Golden Crow of Daymonte—"

"I thought your moniker was the Golden Hawk. Ah!" Lenz pulled his hand away from the table where an arrow had buried itself between his fingers… without injuring him.

"The Golden _Crow_ of Daymonte." Veronica continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. Lenz seemed more interested than offended, marveling at the accuracy of the shot. "Anyway, I was sent here on an envoy mission to see how the cross-Kingdom railway was going. Imagine my surprise when I hear a swarm of Creepers passed through. I figured I'd talk to Wynn to get a better assessment of what happened. That and to _squeeze_ her close to my generous bosom." She snickered.

 _Yeah, I can see why Wynn needed to hide from her._

"Your turns." Veronica leaned forward to address us. "Why are four guys in Wynn's home? Oh, and that sausage party thing was a joke. No way Wynn would allow that in her home. This is actually the first time she's invited me over."

"Since when does breaking and entering count as being invited—whoa!" I dove aside as that last arrow almost struck me in the center of my pumpkin face.

In my haste, I banged my chin on the table. My pumpkin went askew, teetering slightly, before slipping off my face. My name and face were revealed to the world once again.

Veronica's eyes widened. "Oh, hey! You're that jumpy guy! Wynn's little brother."

I wasn't prepared to hear that title. Little brother? There were no siblings in Minecraftia. Everyone spawned from the same Void. It probably just meant she considered me a good friend. I was practically a little brother with all the questions I asked her.

It was more than that, though. Wynn hadn't seen Veronica since Daymonte. Which meant that, before Halstatt, Wynn had already thought of me as someone she had to care for.

In that moment, I felt a great rush of affection towards the ivory-haired Captain. But not _too_ great. She was my older sister after all.

Anyway, what was Veronica talking about?

"So I guess you're here to visit Wynn too." Veronica tried to make sense of things, turning to each of us. "And you decided to invite your friends too. Is that right?"

"Actually, we live in the ou—here. We live here." Lenz hastily covered his slip-up. Veronica couldn't know that we lived in a secret bunker, because then she would know of said secret bunker and might search it for a certain ivory-haired Captain.

"You… live… here? All of you?" Veronica twitched in her seat, her smile turning dangerous. "That's funny. Four guys all living under Wynn's roof… and she doesn't even let _me_ come over!" She sounded quite upset.

"It's nothing to get worked up over." I hastily tried to appease her. "We just don't have a place to stay since the Creepers blew up our homes. Wynn's just doing the right thing—"

"For four guys? A likely story!" The blonde accused, getting up from her seat. "I knew something was going on between you and her! She tried to convince me you were more of a brother to her, but now it's clear! Inviting so many guys to stay at her mansion! A mansion that conveniently runs out of beds, forcing the men to share with my beloved Wynn!"

"What!?" I recoiled, but Veronica lunged over the table to grab a handful of my hoodie and pull me across. Floyd and Lenz moved to help while Soul just sniggered in his seat.

The bastard.

"Admit it!" Veronica demanded, her face filling my vision. "You and Wynn have slept together! You probably plied her with Awkward Potions to lower her inhibitions. Then you had your _way_ with her…"

*SMASH*

As if the situation wasn't already tense and nonsensical enough, the latest sound of shattering glass made all of us jump and whip our heads towards the source.

Only to find it was Erin… with her tiny fist balled up and run through a window. Her black hair fell before her face in dark curtains, and, from within, I saw… had her eyes always looked so menacing?

"Erin…?"

Hearing her name, the housekeeper's eyes regained focus. She blinked in confusion before turning to the smashed window her fist was occupying. She contemplated the fist for a second before pulling it out and looking slightly embarrassed. "O-Oops, my hand must have slipped."

Slipped and crashed into a window. Sure.

She must have realized how lame of an excuse that was, for her face lit up and she shuffled away, trying to look as small as possible.

"I-I'll just go… fix the window…" She mumbled before hurrying off in search of glass.

Erin's little distraction proved effective in getting Veronica to let go of me. She was back in her chair, staring at the door Erin had left through. There was a dawning sense of realization on her face as she looked between the door and me. It got to the point where a knowing smile had spread across her face.

"Ahhh. I get it now." She nodded knowingly. "Wynn's playing wingwoman. Very crafty."

As Veronica laughed to herself, all traces of hostility towards me gone, I couldn't find it in myself to care for what she had figured out. I was simply glad she was calm. She was so emotionally draining and extroverted, it was no wonder Wynn needed to use our bunker.

The question was how long could we convince her that Wynn was still at the Palace? The Captain couldn't hide in the Inhouse forever. Right? She couldn't expect us to entertain the blonde ball of energy all throughout the Bounty Day.

…

…RIGHT?

* * *

- **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 10 Steak, 30 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 9 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 21]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 8 Cooked Fish, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 13 Steak, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Shield, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 21 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: Will Cobb and friends pick a guild name better than 'Cobb and Friends'? Will Wynn ever leave the Inhouse to face a flirty blonde? And will Veronica call herself the Golden Penguin before the day is out? Tune in next week for the answers to all these exciting questions.**

 **Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel.**

 **Omake below.**

* * *

 **Omake: Second Place**

The Bounty Day could not have come sooner for Carys.

It had been a weird feeling when a sudden pulse of energy had enveloped her, and the intrusive vision of herself dual wielding her scythe and ender pearls had been strange, but she was pleased to have experienced them. She was pleased just to have something to do.

With Jillian officially in charge, she, a wanted criminal from Ringwood, couldn't reveal herself to the people of Nitebane and had to stay shut inside Lunar Castle. After exploring the grounds and keeping to the shadows, she was starting to feel stir crazy. If only Cobb were there, she could at least get some laughs over putting him through the torture chambers.

The Bounty Day was the next best thing. It finally gave her something to do. Her other Paragons had received similar visions, but the dual wielding was proving the most promising. It allowed her to change up her fighting style in new and creative ways. Even though her scythe was stronger with two hands, she could swap between a sword and potions or a sword and ender pearls depending on the situation.

Baltic had been upset over the requirement of blaze powder to fuel brewing stands, but that was a minor grievance. Shields, tipped arrows, new enchantments. Those demanded her full attention. Any new combat items needed to be committed to memory and mastered. She needed every possible advantage she could get.

The cult's Executives were likely doing the same. She couldn't afford to slack off.

As she was practicing a new move involving a handful of ender pearls and her sword, Kalmarin walked in. Carys had to shield her eyes, however, because the Hacker was, for some reason, shining.

"So this is where you were." Kalmarin commented, lighting up the dark dungeon Carys had deemed her training room. "You know, there are _other_ places you can train without being seen."

"I suppose you would know." Carys countered. "Can't have Nitebane seeing your face when they know what a Hacker looks like."

Kalmarin nodded somberly. He was as under house arrest as Carys. Nitebane knew what those lines over his eyes meant. One glimpse of him would start a panic. Masks were always an option, but Carys preferred her Wither Skeleton mask to any other.

"I'd rather train down here, though." Carys returned to her training. "Higher ceilings and all. Excuse me for a moment."

She pardoned herself as she held the handful of ender pearls before her and threw them all into the air. In the time it took them to hit the ground, she threw a splash potion of regeneration at her feet and readied two of her sword.

The pearls hit the floor consecutively at different points around the Angel. As soon as one made contact, she was teleported over to it. She unleashed a swift slash before warping away to the next location. Another slash, but she was already gone by the time Kal had tracked her.

She warped all around the small dungeon, taking damage from each ender pearl as she went. But she was always fast enough to launch a strike before being teleported away. Plus, her regeneration potion was managing her health without her having to lift a finger.

It was a move that required lightning fast reflexes, both to process one's surroundings after getting warped and to lash out at an enemy before the next ender pearl landed. That level of reaction speed was difficult for a Crafter to manage.

Then again, Carys_Angel was no mere Crafter.

"Haaa." Carys breathed out as the final pearl landed her before Kal. Her blades slashed towards his face, but she stopped them at the last moment, trying to startle him.

He didn't even flinch.

"Impressive." He praised.

Carys smirked. "Impressive enough to make you fight me with your full Hacker powers?"

"Not even close."

"Hmph." She scoffed, sheathing her swords with a flourish. "Well, I suppose having two Hacker kills under my belt will have to sate me."

"Don't sound so disappointed." Kal countered as the Angel sauntered back to the center of the dungeon. "The Hack Clan will have definitely noticed those smoke trails in the sky. What we're experiencing now may just be the calm before the storm."

"Which is why I'm currently sitting on my hands, not preparing myself in the slightest." Carys shot back sarcastically as she withdrew her diamond scythe and twirled it through the air in a series of fierce slashes. She threw the weapon in the air, where it spun like a baton, before launching a flurry of punches and kicks with startling agility and power. She was just in time to catch the falling scythe, her hands finding the smooth handle and unleashing one last slash that impacted the ground and cracked the stone bricks.

"Don't think I'd get full of myself over killing a couple of weaklings." Carys called over her shoulder. "Those two Hackers were just that, drunk off their own power. Thinking themselves invincible. Ha!" She laughed while jabbing with the handle of her scythe. "Their only purpose was to die and to hand us the fate of this Kingdom. And in their death, I've become the first Crafter to slay a—"

"Second."

"Right. The second Crafter to slay a—" Carys froze in her training, her mouth hanging open on her last word and her blood-red eyes widening a fraction.

"Uh—I mean, y-yeah, you're the first to do it." Kal quickly corrected, coughing lightly into his fist and trying to play it off as a slip of the tongue.

"..."

Carys slowly lowered the arm holding her scythe and closed her mouth before turning to her trusted Paragon. "What did you say?"

"I… nothing!" Kalmarin shook his head, arms raised defensively. "It's just… well… rumors tend to… No, no. You are the first Crafter to kill a Hacker." His attempts to sound certain were foiled when his eyes darted to the side for just a fraction of a second.

Carys noticed.

She fixed him with her merciless glare. "I've been standing here, celebrating my triumph over the Hackers, and being the first to make the bold statement of actually having killed one… and you say there's _another_?" Carys demanded.

"N-No, I…" Kalmarin faltered. "It was just a slip of the—"

"What ' _slip of the tongue_ ' can make one word turn my accomplishment _entirely on its head_!?"

The next thing Kalmarin knew, Carys was holding him up by the collar of his coat. She lifted him over to the dungeon wall where she pinned him there.

" _What did you hear_?" She snarled under her breath.

"N-nothing! Really!" He replied, hoping she would just drop it and him.

She didn't.

"If it were 'nothing' you wouldn't have brought it up in the first place and tried to pass it off as a 'slip of the tongue', now answer me!" Carys demanded, shaking him like a limp kitten. "What makes you think I'm the _second_ Crafter to kill a Hacker?"

"Fine! There were rumors!" Kalmarin relented. "Baseless rumors, really! A few of the Paragons went to a bar and… and they were singing praises about Hacker killers, but it wasn't describing Jillian. It was describing a _man_!"

Carys felt her fingers loosen on Kalmarin's coat, and the Hacker fell only to quickly recover by landing on his feet. She backed away from the wall and stared down at her boots, feeling at a loss for words.

Someone else had killed a Hacker first?

"B-but it's just a rumor!" Kalmarin waved his arms as if to dispel the topic. "It's probably one of those old myths they tell to give Crafters hope against the Hackers. Nothing about the story sounded genuine. They called it the 'Legend of the Billionth', after all—"

"Where did this happen?"

"What?"

"In which Kingdom did this happen?" Carys asked urgently. "Where was the Hacker killed?"

"Well… in Daymonte, a village called Halstatt, I think. But it doesn't matter!" Kalmarin tried to reason. "Jillian's taking the credit anyway and she saved a Kingdom through it. Compared to that, one measly village isn't much to get worked up over—where are you going?"

"To find Baltic." Carys stormed out of the dungeon, her scythe at her belt. "I need him to fly me to Halstatt."

"What!? You're kidding!" Kalmarin had to jog to keep up as Carys took the steps two at a time. "What happened to keeping a low profile and staying hidden? Just to investigate a rumor—"

"I need to verify if and when a Hacker was killed." Carys cut off without looking at him. She strode down hallways with a purpose, her crimson eyes scanning the bustling Paragons residing in the castle for any sign of the airship pilot. Her boots clicked against the stone floor in that same familiar rhythm.

*tk tk tk tk*

"But… but what about training?" Kalmarin tried instead. Half of him wished he hadn't brought up the rumor to Carys, but the other half was glad to get it out of the way. If Carys had found out later about the rumored 'Legend of the Billionth' after lording over her triumph for so long, she would've been _livid_.

As she was now, she was… only mildly incensed.

"I can train on the way there." Carys' eyes flashed upon seeing a familiar head of dark blue hair. "Baltic!"

The head of Team Beta turned away from a discussion he was having and looked upon the Angel of Death with a surprised smile. "Carys! I see you've decided to get out of that stuffy dungeon and get some fresh air."

"Yes. And there's no better fresh air than on a flight to Halstatt. Let's go." Carys didn't even bother waiting for a reply, hooking her arm through Baltic's and wrenching him away from his conversation. The two Paragons were too scared of the Angel to be offended by her interruption and wisely backed away.

"Wha… Halstatt?" Baltic questioned as he struggled to keep pace with Carys. She was practically carrying him to the Asmodeus. "Isn't that all the way in Daymonte? Seems out of our way for a breath of fresh air."

"We won't be there long. I just need to check on something."

Baltic didn't miss the expression she was making. It looked like she had just played a game, only to discover that she had been cheated out of her winnings.

Baltic seriously wished some other Paragon knew how to pilot an airship.

* * *

The flight took four days, but upon arriving in Halstatt, Carys was quick to question the locals, who all seemed to have a unique spin on the 'Legend of the Billionth'.

"So, like, he came in on a donkey, you know. And it was as lame as you can imagine."

"He was kind and gentle, with the face of an angel."

"He tried to sell me bottles for emeralds. _Bottles_! But, he _did_ save our butts, so, I guess I forgive him."

"I don't know about any Hacker killer. When I heard about the incoming Griefer army, I bounced. I still can't believe this village is still standing."

"Your face looks sort of familiar… are you some sort of celebrity?"

"Him and this other guy talked about a redstone trap… thing? I didn't understand it then and I don't now, but it killed a good chunk of those asshole Griefers."

"I saw the Hacker with my own eyes! Dark smoke was swirling around him! He had the devil's power, he did!"

"This white-haired woman kept attacking and attacking, but none of her moves did a thing! I was really scared…"

"And then out of nowhere, this guy shows up and throws the Hacker and his underling off the girl! I wish I had someone that reliable, hmhmm~"

"The lightning just kept getting worse and worse. It was almost like the Billionth was controlling it…"

"The Billionth was all like, wham, pow, kastang! He killed those Griefers without breaking a sweat!"

"The Billionth was summoning lightning to strike down the Hacker, but that wasn't working either! So instead…"

"…He gets a Charged Creeper…"

"…And yells **CHARGED CREEPER FLAIL** …"

"LESLIE WASN'T THERE FOR THAT PART! WAS STUCK AT BOTTOM OF WELL! IT SOUND PRETTY EPIC, THOUGH!"

"And the Creeper blows up the Hacker in this insane explosion of lightning and debris…"

"He made the Griefers run away just by tossing the Hacker's Head at them! He didn't even have to raise his sword!"

"It was probably the most epic thing I've ever seen."

"The Billionth's a hero. No other Crafter could have done what he did."

"His name? You know… I can't really remember…"

"His number stood out to me more. A ten-digit Crafter slaying a Hacker. Kind of makes you think you can do anything, yeah?"

"I'm happy enough Halstatt was saved and the Griefers repelled, but to witness history in the making…"

"That Billionth…"

"…he was the first…"

"…the _very_ first…"

"…to slay…"

"…to kill…"

"…to decimate…"

"…to blow up…"

"…to stop…"

"…to end…"

"…a Hacker! Er… miss, are you okay? Your eye seems to be twitching a lot."

"I'm fine." Carys seethed, turning on her heel to stomp back to the airship. After questioning thirty or so of the villagers, she had to accept the facts.

The 'Legend of the Billionth' wasn't just a legend. It was real.

She wasn't the first to kill a Hacker.

She was the _second_.

Just thinking that made her clench her teeth in frustration. How… after all her planning and training, how could someone else beat her to the punch? How could someone else take on a Hacker? Minecraftia was supposed to be full of spineless wimps! Her Paragons were the exception to the rule. They were strong and feared.

And then this… this Billionth shows up out of the blue and kills one without any sort of planning or preparation. From the sound of it, he had only been passing through Halstatt before deciding to help. And for the battlefield to be Halstatt. There was no strategic advantage in saving such a measly village or its weak-willed people.

So why did he do it!?

It made no sense!

And how could he, a ten-digit Crafter, have done something that took _her_ years of research and training to accomplish. She had to bolster her forces. She had to make a plan for ruling Nitebane. She had to research their powers to the letter or else leave fate to chance.

He couldn't just skip all that! And yet he did!

He was outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. Yet he won! He killed a Hacker first! They were already singing his praises! He had thrown her accomplishment into the dirt! What did it matter who was _second_ to kill a Hacker when the Billionth did it first? It was enough to make her blood boil!

There was no way someone of that caliber could exist outside of the Paragons! The Paragons had the strongest—!

…

Hmm…

A smile slowly crept upon Carys' face.

 _Yes, someone like that_ couldn't _exist outside of the Paragons. And shouldn't._

Carys had recruited and trained the most promising Crafters across all of Minecraftia. She took in strong-willed individuals or those with strong hatred towards the Endward Cult and stoked the flames of their strength until they were efficient, cold-blooded killing machines.

So why not do the same for this Billionth?

Carys padded back to the airship, which was receiving quite a few head-turns, before boarding and signaling Baltic to depart. By the time she reached the bridge, they were well in the air.

"So… did you find out what you needed to know?"

"Yes, I did." Carys grinned. "It seems I am not the first Crafter to kill a Hacker. I… cannot pretend that doesn't disappoint me." She mumbled, her grin falling a little before coming back twice as strong. "But the Crafter known as the Billionth deserves that title more."

"The Billionth?" Baltic pronounced the words slowly as if mulling them over. "I've never heard of him."

"Neither have I until now." Carys admitted. "It's interesting how a Crafter of such a high number could accomplish such a feat. To overcome a regeneration Hack through quick thinking and a Charged Creeper. Crude, yet effective." She hummed in approval. "I must meet him."

"I know that look." Baltic muttered while turning the airship Southeast. "That's your 'I want to recruit him' look."

"It's only natural." She shrugged, lounging back in her seat. "Strong individuals seek out other strong individuals. And considering how much the rumors have built him up, I daresay I'd want to try my hand at fighting him." She smirked as she looked out the window.

"I can only imagine what fearsome training that Crafter could be doing as we speak."

* * *

" _Who raided the cake dispenser_!?"

Cobb whirled upon his fellow guild members, his hand violently clicking the 'Cake Button' only for no delicious desserts to be falling into his lap. He looked beside himself with rage.

Floyd, Lenz, and Soul all looked up wide-eyed and guiltily. Three deer caught in the headlights, with frosting coating their faces and cheeks stuffed. A half-eaten cake lay upon the table between them.

Cobb stared back, flexing his fingers as if he was going to strangle one of them. "Don't you _dare_ finish that cake." He hissed warningly.

Soul gulped down the dessert clogging his throat, opened his mouth to say something, and then changed his mind by stuffing another piece of cake into it.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Cobb lunged at them, but he was too slow. Floyd and Lenz had joined in on scarfing the treat and were now forcing it down with buckets of milk.

Floyd leapt over one of the chairs, badly banged his leg, and scampered back to his designated room, albeit with a slight limp. Lenz hopped out of Cobb's reach before scurrying off to his room. Soul simply pulled Cobb's hoodie over his head and tightened it before spinning him around and shoving him into a nearby chair. By the time Cobb had regained his senses, the axe-wielder was closing his room's door.

The cake was gone.

Cobb sobbed exaggeratedly over the finished dessert, dreading the arduous journey he would have to take to get Erin to make him some more. Oh, the woes of being him.

* * *

"I cannot be outdone!" Carys surged to her feet before marching to the loading bay to continue training.

"I need to be in top form if I am to keep up with this Billionth. He won't be interested in joining the Paragons otherwise."

* * *

 **AN: At least she killed two Hackers. Even Cobb hasn't done that.**


	84. Beginners

**AN: Congrats to GeneralIronSword for getting last week's puzzle right. The answer: A candle! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

 **Also, special shoutout to AxeHelix. If it wasn't for him, I don't think I'd be updating as frequently. He keeps me in line, so be sure to thank him for this content.**

 **Puzzle: There are two cars in front of two other cars. There are two cars behind two other cars. There are two cars beside two other cars. How many cars are there?**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I would allow you to shoot while running.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 84

 **Beginners**

[Luis]

I sat in my room, my fingers drumming at a desk with a book opened before me.

The report I was working on should have been finished days ago. It was filled with information about King_Cobb, gleaned from several days of spying. He had a steady source of income through his Silk Touch Shovel, he recently enchanted a yet unknown weapon, and he was friends with Captain Wynn.

He launched an attack on an Endward Cult outpost, which Wing used as cover to extricate vital cult information, and his number was one billion. The last piece of information was more troubling, since it tied together with the 'Legend of the Billionth' being spread around bars.

 _Carys isn't going to take this well._ I thought to myself, remembering how Carys had always stressed the importance of slaying the Hackers herself, with no help from anyone else. She wanted to be the first Crafter to kill a Hacker. She wanted that accomplishment for herself to know and respect.

But Cobb had been quicker. More than that, there was still no word about Nitebane being freed from Griefers. Carys should have struck by now, but the news was taking longer to reach Ringwood than expected. Either there were delays in information passing because the people were hesitant to travel to a Kingdom attacked by Creepers, or, the unthinkable, Carys had lost.

I had to believe it was the first reason. Carys wasn't stupid. She trained for such a fight. She knew their Hacks. She ran it through her head a thousand times. No, she wouldn't fail.

I mean… she _already_ failed at being the first to kill a Hacker, but I wasn't going to throw my life away and point that out to her.

As for Cobb, well…

Who knew what Carys wanted with him. If he could kill a Hacker, maybe we were trying to recruit him. In which case, we needed to find a way to bring the two together.

The report would be the first step. It had everything on Cobb and it would have been finished…

If it didn't need to include Flawwed_Floyd as well.

His number was already known, and Brett had informed Wing about Floyd's reasons for joining the Silver Intent organization. He was good with a sword, fast, and determined. He sounded like an average Paragon member.

But it was also believed that he died. Supposedly, he had been killed by an Endward Cult Lieutenant. Only he survived. _That_ was interesting. Especially since it revealed the identity of another high-ranking Endward Cult member.

Cobb and Floyd. Both of them would have made good Paragons with a little bit more training. I wasn't going to be biased in my report, however. Only the objective facts.

As I was making the finishing touches and planning on what to write for my letter, there was a light knock at the door before Wing crossed the threshold. He looked like I felt: annoyed.

"What happened to spying on Cobb and Floyd?" I asked calmly, even though I was holding back the urge to shout. He didn't have to write reports. He didn't have to phrase bad news carefully. All he had to do was watch, listen, and report. Was that so hard?

"That's what I was doing, but then I saw someone else." He defended. "A Captain who wasn't supposed to be there."

"What's so odd about Iron_Lung showing—"

"It was a _Daymonte_ Captain." He stressed. "Blonde, with good eyesight and aim. Ring any bells?"

It did. That was Velocishot, also known as the 'Golden Chickadee'… or was it the 'Golden Owl'? Anyway, she was bad news. With her 20-20 vision and bow expertise, Wing would've been picked up immediately. He did the smart thing and retreated.

"And yet another powerful Captain Cobb interacts with." I hummed to myself as I jotted some stuff down. "He certainly has connections."

"Whoopee." Wing groused, falling backward on his bed. "Spying on someone more important than me. How enjoyable. But hey, at least I got to enjoy the Bounty Day with only one of my friends instead of all of them in Nitebane."

"…There'll be another Overshadow." I offered, guessing what was really bothering my friend. "This could be more important."

There was a scoff. "Wish I could believe it." He muttered before turning his back to me.

I shot him a sympathetic look, but he wasn't watching me. He was still disappointed over being assigned such a mission. History was being made in Nitebane and he was trapped, Kingdoms away, following the life of some nobody. Little wonder he was so unmotivated.

I let out a weary sigh. "The report is done, more or less. It's got everything about Cobb's traveling companions and friends, skills, and information. Floyd's is a little lacking, but Carys wanted us to focus on Cobb anyway." I turned in my chair. "As soon as we get word Carys won in Nitebane—"

"Of course she won." Wing interrupted without looking at me. "She's Carys_Angel. Nothing can stop her."

There was still respect in his tone, even with the underlying note of petulant dissatisfaction. He didn't have doubts like me.

"—once we get word and know Carys is in Nitebane, we'll send the report and an accompanying letter. Afterwards, we'll… probably make our way back there." It was as lackluster as it sounded, but it was what the Angel wanted. We had to be ready for when the Hackers or cultists retaliated.

I got up from the desk, deciding it best to leave Wing to his sulking, when he suddenly called out.

"Wait."

He got up from his bed, his eyes glaring fiercely at the wall.

"Forget going back to Nitebane. You still need to write that letter?" I nodded, unsure of where he was heading. "Then I want you to write something from me. If Carys wants to know so much about these two, I say we get them to meet in person. Then maybe she'll think twice about stiffing us out of major operations."

* * *

[Cobb]

I think Veronica's real nickname was the 'Golden Hawk' of Daymonte. Why? Because she was patrolling Wynn's mansion like a hawk, impatiently awaiting the Captain's return from the Palace. But Wynn wasn't at the Palace. She was hiding in the Inhouse, with no sign of coming out.

That left the rest of us to try and distract her from searching the outhouse. We owed the Captain, after all, for building a bunker under her home after she let Soul off the hook for burning down the woods.

Lenz was content to praise the Captain for her many feats of archery. She soaked up the praise arrogantly, showing off her prowess by calling shots upon the decorations of Wynn's mansion and then making them with ease. Erin was upset over her firing arrows inside the house and reprimanded her enough to get her to stop, albeit reluctantly.

Soul's distracting was… well…

He had started out okay. And by 'okay' I meant he and Veronica had started hurling insults at each other.

It began with Soul asking Veronica what made her attracted only to women.

"Well, you see, there was this guy I met one day. And he was so pig-headed and underwhelming that it traumatized me. Since then, I've sworn off all men, only seeking romance with women. And no woman is more woman than Wynn. Bleh, tongue twister."

"Seriously? That seems kind of weak." Soul had replied. "What was the guy's name?"

Veronica had smiled. "I think it was Lost_Soul."

Then the shouting had happened, followed by the insults.

"You know, I think there's a word for people who obsess over first loves to the point of breaking into their homes." Soul barked. "They're called _stalkers_."

"Shut up, Shrimp on the Barbie!"

"…What the hell does that even mean?"

"It means your dick is small!"

"Grrrr! At least I _have_ a dick! How are you going to satisfy Wynn without one?"

"I'm not going to launch into a Sex-Ed course with the likes of you, Monsieur Pencil-Prick."

"Oh, suck my dick!"

"How can I? There's nothing there!"

And then their insults reached a level where I couldn't even understand half of them.

"I slept with your wife!"

"I don't have a wife!"

"Well, I'll wait! I'll wait until your honeymoon night, when you are looking lovingly into her eyes, and she's looking lovingly into your eyes, and then I'll burst into the room, punch you in the face, and fuck your wife."

"You stay away from my hypothetical wife!"

"Why should I? You'll only hurt her once she finds out you have nothing to offer with that toothpick you call a penis."

"I am _this_ close to losing it!"

"Are you using your member as measurement?"

Finally, it got to be too much for Soul, who grabbed his axe and lunged at the blonde Captain. I doubted he was mad enough to kill her, but it didn't matter. His momentum was stopped cold as Veronica unloaded three quick arrows into his chest, sending him collapsing onto the table. He growled in protest, but Veronica was quick to leap on top of him and pin him with her weight.

"And that, lady and gentlemen, is why you don't start a fight with the Golden Parakeet." She ruffled Soul's hair just to rub her victory in his face. Lenz clapped lightly at the impressive display of archery, prompting the Captain to perform a theatrical bow.

"He may have started it, but don't act like you didn't egg him on." Floyd said as he frowned at the blonde. "What kind of Captain goes looking for a fight?"

"The kind that likes a good fight." Veronica countered before slowly stepping off of the axe-wielder. "Or the kind that protects its allies. Like Wynn did when she took care of Burke in Halstatt."

Veronica fell back into her seat before glancing around the mansion again. "What's taking her so long, anyway? I wanted to thank her for catching that slime… and for other things."

"Yeah, just keep those other things to yourself. Don't want to corrupt anyone's innocence." Soul grumbled, massaging his chest where the arrows had hit.

Veronica huffed. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about her aid in Halstatt."

"Oh. How interesting." I spoke with a straight face. "What happened in Halstatt?"

As if I didn't already know.

"You haven't heard? I figured you would have been with her." She commented before smiling to herself. "I heard it from the village when I went to pick up Burke. She and her guards defended them from Griefers led by—get this—a Hacker!"

"No!" I gasped in fake surprise while Lenz smiled knowingly. Even Floyd gave an anxious twitch.

"Oh, yes!" Veronica nodded eagerly. "Someone named the Billionth helped her out, but I bet she did most of the work taking out that Hacker and his dastardly Griefers."

Floyd idly rubbed his eyes.

"That certainly sounds like the honorable Captain we all know." I nodded with a small laugh. "Willing to risk her life to protect the people she cares about. We could all learn to be more like her."

"Yeah, she's awesome." Veronica muttered dreamily before shooting me a suspicious look. "Don't admire her _too_ much, though. Everyone knows admiration is a small hop away from sex."

"We're just friends." I explained for what felt like the umpteenth time, much to Erin's relief.

It seemed to satisfy the Captain. "Good. You two just keep being friends. Better yet, she can just be your big sister. Gives me less to worry about."

She _was_ like a big sister. I didn't have to go far to imagine that, what with her teaching me about Minecraftia and letting me live in her mansion.

I noticed Floyd getting up from his chair and walking towards the front door, but Soul was the one to call him out on it.

"Where you going?"

"Out." Floyd called back curtly before pausing. "To see… Cara. We need a fifth guild member, right? I was going to ask her to join."

"Oh, good thinking." Soul nodded. "Wait up, I'll go with you. Wanted to see if Brett's got any new missions for us."

Floyd hesitated before nodding. "Let's just hurry. It'll be dark soon."

"Sure thing." Before the two left, Soul turned in the threshold of the door and flipped off the blonde Captain. "Later, old bird—OW!"

Veronica's arrow had weaved through the closing door to hit Soul in the face; a parting shot for his parting shot. The look of satisfaction on her face could only be called smug.

"Hrm… That's odd." Erin noted to herself as she looked at a chest near the front door. "Did they forget to deliver today's newsbook? Or… is it because everything is shut down?"

"Oh, it's the newsbook you want?" Veronica reached into her backpack and pulled out a neat little book. "Here. Picked it up before I got in. Forgot I even had it."

"Th-Thank you." Erin nodded respectfully before skimming through the news. Her expression didn't bode well. "How awful… some Crafters cornered a cultist."

I raised an eyebrow. "How is that awful?"

"Because he wasn't a cultist." Erin muttered sorrowfully. "They thought he was wearing a black-leather cap, but it was a _grey_ -leather cap at night. He was beaten to death before they realized."

I felt sick to my stomach. Killing someone over the color of a cap? Were people that frightened of the cult?

"There are more cases than that. All from inside Ringwood." Erin sighed as she flipped through the book. "Princess Deo even made a statement—"

"Princess Deo?"

"King Miles' heir." Veronica filled in. "Honestly, I don't even live here and I know that. What were you saying?"

"Deo made a statement denouncing the actions of the cult and calling for them to turn themselves in."

"…And she thinks that'll work?"

"No…" Erin shook her head sadly. "But maybe it gives the people some hope? To see someone up there, not afraid. It gives people courage."

"Ringwood will need more than that." Veronica leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. "Wynn must be feeling the pressure. I hope she's alright."

"She's stronger than you think." I muttered while Erin passed the newsbook to a beckoning Lenz. "She won't let this stop her."

"Oh, I know that!" Veronica shot up from her chair, trying to correct her words. "I'm not saying she's weak or anything. She's strong and proud and disciplined! She's grade-A Captain material! What do I have to worry when I know she'll do the best damn job a Captain can do? You just misheard me is all!"

"You don't have to shout—"

"REDSTONE REPEATERS!"

Lenz had jumped to his feet so fast his glasses had been knocked askew. And in his eyes, I saw an excitement and greed comparable to how Erin looked whenever I suggested accompanying her to the market.

She _really_ loved going to the market.

"Redstone repeaters…?" Veronica questioned while Lenz ran up to me and shoved the newsbook in my face.

"Cobbert! Cobbert! Cobbert! Read! Read! Read!" He chanted, losing all eloquence and reason. "It is the most amazing news for me—er, the guild!"

"All I see is darkness." I mumbled into the book still being shoved in my face. I reached up and grabbed it with both hands before pulling it off my face. Lenz stepped back, trembling with excitement as he watched. He tapped the book repeatedly, urging me to read.

I had never seen him so excited since entering that lab back in Daymonte. My curiosity was peaked enough to give it a glance. I began to read it aloud for the sake of everyone present.

 **[Wealthy Zeppil playboy dies in cliff-jumping accident. Guards say that he missed the water.]**

"Oh, how horrifying!" Erin gasped while Veronica immediately lost interest.

"How is this amazing news?" I turned to the engineer who began frantically shaking his head.

"No, not that! There is more! Skip to the bottom!"

I skimmed through the page before finding what I expected the engineer would be more excited about.

 **[His seven wives…]**

"Seven wives?"

Veronica regained interest only for it to be dashed as I continued to read.

 **[His seven wives are currently selling off his possessions, agreeing to split the emeralds amongst themselves. While most of his enchanted gear, diamond weaponry, and other valuables have been sold, there are still a few things too expensive to have found a buyer.]**

 **[They include the playboy's luxurious mansion, a fabled map to buried treasure, and the playboy's personal airship.]**

"…Airship?"

Lenz nodded frantically. "Airship! A genuine airship! Keep reading!"

 **[A price for the unsold items is still being negotiated between the seven wives in Zeppil. Given the amount of emeralds each one is worth, however, it is unlikely any Crafter would be able to afford it.]**

"A negotiable price! Do you know what this means, Cobbert!?" Lenz was hopping around, his glasses bouncing off his nose, barely clinging to his face.

"You bet I do." I locked eyes with the engineer. "It means polygamy is perfectly legal in Minecraftia."

"Yes, and if we—No!" Lenz suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "Comparators, you are missing the point! Here!"

He wrenched the book from my hand and pointed at the word 'airship'. "A redstone airship is sitting in Zeppil—the literal Kingdom of the Clouds, the birthplace of the airship—just waiting to be purchased. And look!" He reached into his belt and tumbled a handful of emeralds between his fingers. "We have a suitable sum of emeralds to afford a mechanical wonder such as this! An airship for my very own—er, the _guild's_ very own!"

I pretended not to hear that slip up. "How will it help the guild?"

"Airships are a mysterious method of transportation brought forth by Zeppil's fervent studies of Command Blocks." Lenz launched into a historical explanation as if he had memorized it from a textbook. "Their first King, Dinnerbone, one of the first ten Crafters to spawn into Minecraftia, began the art when Jeb, King of Daymonte at the time, presented him with a Command Block as a birthday present. Dinnerbone worked tirelessly, studying and developing the commands that could take a structure of blocks and move it through the air. These became known as airships.

"Once perfected, he made sure to pass the technique onto his heirs, ensuring only Zeppil could produce the glorious technology. Similar to how Exter produces unique weapons, Zeppil produces aviation technology. And both are worth an extraordinary amount of emeralds. But for good reason. An airship can travel in two days what on horseback could take ten! In other words, a Crafter could cross from Exter to Oak Docks, a journey that would normally take two months, in just under two weeks!

"Think about how easy it would be to travel and accept mission! You could be anywhere in the blink of an eye, without having to be impeded by terrain, Griefers, or Mobs. All of the top guilds have at least one airship for just this purpose! Our guild should have one too. Nay, we _need_ one! And do not worry about piloting. I can take on such a joyful—ah, _burdensome_ task. Yes! It is sure to be difficult learning how to pilot one of those glorious marvels of redstone and Command Block innovation. All the possible levers and buttons and pressure plates and, and, and…" Was he frothing at the mouth? "Why, I am dizzy just thinking about it…"

"Sounds like you really want to pilot one of these things." I commented with a nervous laugh, his gushing having freaked me out.

"I have always dreamed of piloting one. Any redstone engineer worth their salt would!" He clasped his hands together, a goofy smile adorning his face. "To be at the helm of such a large redstone machination. Demonstrating the fruits of hard work and innovation. I would be the envy of the college! That would show them calling me four-eyes!"

He was sure excited about possibly owning an airship. Though, his explanation had definitely interested me. The only Kingdom I had traveled to was Daymonte, and I was still reeling from how awesome it was. If airships were as fast as Lenz claimed, how easy would it be to visit other Kingdoms and explore everything they had to offer. New items, new people. And the guild would be able to move about faster too.

Hell, we had already spent a ton of emeralds on the Inhouse. Why not spend a metric fuck-ton more on an airship? What use were banks anyway, right?

It was an investment. Plus, Lenz would lose his mind getting to pilot his dream machine.

"Well, I'm sold." I closed the book, causing Lenz's face to brim full of joy. "I wouldn't mind crossing Kingdoms easier. We'll set off to Zeppil in a few days with as many emeralds as we can carry. I'll have to check with Floyd to see if he's okay with it, but you can be sure I'm all for it."

I flinched in surprise when Lenz's face, once so full of joy, fell to genuine disappointment.

"You are… double checking with Floyd?"

"Well, obviously. He's coming with us." I narrowed my eyes at the engineer. "Is that a problem?"

His disappointment seemingly vanished as the edges of his lips pulled up. "No. No problem at all. It will be a good chance to get to know him."

I felt a pressure lift from my shoulders. "Yeah, I'm sure you two will get along great. He's a really cool guy."

"…I cannot wait." Lenz smiled before awkwardly glancing aside.

Veronica cleared her throat. "Hey, Erin. Why don't you go to the market for a bit and restock on food. I'm sure Wynn would appreciate it."

"B-But I just went sh-shopping yesterday—"

The Captain smiled. "Cobb can go with you."

"We're quite low on everything. We better hurry before it gets dark." I never saw Erin move so fast as she interlocked her arm in mine and, rather forcibly, dragged me out the door and towards the…

"Isn't the market the other way?"

"Y-Yes, well, there's this shortcut I know that passes through this lovely field of flowers…" Erin blushed without losing any of her grip. "T-trust me, it'll be worth it."

I would have if she wasn't pulling me along so fast.

* * *

[Lenz]

My fake smile only lasted until Cobbert was out of sight. After that, it wilted to a depressed frown.

While my greatest desire was to pilot such a machination of advanced redstone technology, I was not upset because Cobbert had not yet approved our guild's acquisition of an airship.

Cobbert refused to go anywhere without Floyd. It was a testament to their friendship, how one worried about the other. Anyone else would have been touched to witness comradeship of such magnitude.

And yet…

"Why the long face, four-eyes?"

I nearly leapt out of my skin over how close Veronica had sounded. Whirling around, I saw the blonde Captain grinning at me with her head tilted almost curiously.

"Pardon me, Captain, but must you call me four-eyes?" I shot back with the smallest hint of annoyance.

"Hmm…" She looked me up and down before noticing my goggles. "Eyes, glasses, _and_ goggles? I'd say you've just been promoted to six-eyes!" She laughed as if she thought herself clever. Little did she know I had heard that comment before, with far less humor and far more malice.

"So, why you look so upset?"

I frowned. "I am not upset."

"That's, like, what _everyone_ says when they're upset." She raised an eyebrow towards me. "You seemed pretty into that nerd talk just a second ago. Then he brought up Floyd and you clammed up quick."

I glanced aside. "Should it really be your concern?"

"No, but Wynn isn't showing up anytime soon. Gotta kill time somehow. Plus, your sour mood means you can't praise me as much. So tell Aunt Veronica what ails ya!"

"Aunt...? No." I shook my head. "While I appreciate your concern, it is my own problem, and I wish to be left alone to deal with—"

"Come oooooon." She complained, grabbing my shoulders and leaning on them. "I even got rid of those two so you could speak your mind. Erin's so thirsty it was pretty easy."

I struggled under her grip. "Please, let go."

She shook her head. "Tell meeeeeeeeeee." She groaned as she slumped to her knees, holding onto my shoulders to keep herself upright. It was getting tougher to stand with her dragging me down.

"This is not how a professional Captain should behave."

"Now you sound like Wynn, which turns me on, just so you know." She smirked before groaning again, losing all support in her legs and instead clinging onto me like some kind of spider monkey. "Tell meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…"

"Hey! Stop! I am going to—"

With a final groan, the world tilted and I was dragged to the floor before being flipped onto my back by a flash of blonde. When I opened my eyes, it was to see the Captain standing above me.

"See how your problems can drag you down?" She asked with a hint of amusement. Maybe the metaphor would have worked better if it was not _her_ who had dragged me down. She offered her hand anyway to pick me up, which I accepted. "So what's up? You not a fan of that Floyd guy?"

Figuring it would be pointless to ignore her and risk her dragging me down again, I let out an irritated sigh. "Cobbert was devastated when he thought Floyd was dead. He cried. He suffered. And he planned to get revenge for it. _Alone_. He has a deep friendship with Floyd. And I have a deep friendship with Cobb. But… I do not know Floyd enough to say I feel comfortable traveling with him."

I looked back at the Captain, who was listening intently. "I would have helped Cobbert if he asked. He did not need to go behind my back with his revenge plot against that outpost. I would not have told anyone. I just…" I threw up my arms. "I thought that after Halstatt, he would see how useful I could be."

Veronica's eyes widened. "Wait… you were at Halstatt? As in, the battle of a thousand Griefers, Halstatt? The same battle Wynn fought, Halstatt? The battle against a Hacker, Halstatt? That Halstatt!?"

Her words brought out a proud smile. "I did not just fight at that battle. I took out two-thirds of their army."

"Damn! No kidding?" She looked at me skeptically. "How'd you do it?"

"I utilized DayCarts' Law of Signs and a piston to devise a large-scale, retractable pitfall trap that was sprung at the moment the Griefers would suffer the maximum losses."

"…I have no idea what you just said."

I rolled my eyes before spreading out my arms. "Big trap." I summarized, to which she nodded in understanding.

"Well, shit, after doing that much I can't imagine why he'd think you weren't dependable."

"He did more, though." I sighed, losing my confidence. "He killed a Hacker."

"Really? So that Billionth Legend stuff is the real deal?" Veronica looked extremely impressed. "I just thought the Hacker got scared off. And Wynn's little brother did that? And when I talked about it—Oh, he was _messing_ with me by feigning ignorance."

I nodded. "Cobbert was beaten and bruised, and yet he dealt the killing blow when anyone else would have thought it impossible. And then there was the Creeper herd." I looked up at the ceiling. "Where others see insurmountable walls, Cobbert just keeps finding ways around them. I wish I could be a quarter as strong as him. I wish I could help, but…"

I glanced at the carpet beneath my feet. "I do not think I can ever measure up."

Veronica snorted, causing my head to shoot up. Did she find my story amusing!?

"Sorry. Not to sound too dismissive, but I don't think you have anything to worry about." She smirked down at me. "Not many Crafters could limit an army like that. You're pretty dependable."

"Then why does he not use me?" I implored. "Why does he not ask me for help? Why does he look to Floyd for advice more than me? Why does he refuse to allow me the chance to demonstrate my use!?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on." Veronica cocked her head to the side, staring at me as if I had grown a second head. "Are you trying to be useful or dependable?"

"What are y—are they not the same thing?"

"Uh, _NO_." She rapped me on the head as if it were empty. "There's a _big_ difference. A sword is useful. A _bow_ is useful. But a comrade is _dependable_. They're not tools assigned one general use. They're individuals with minds off their own."

She shook her head. "You hear anyone ever calling someone 'useful', it usually has a negative connotation. Like if they say, 'Oh, you're useful', it's just them seeing a person as a tool. But if you're called _dependable_ , that means someone trusts you to do anything you set your mind to. Big difference."

I blinked at my hands. "But then… what if Cobbert wants me to be useful, a word that here means a tool, and not dependable, a word that here means trustworthy?"

"Then he's a schmuck, a word which here means a douchebag." Veronica laughed. "If he can't see how dependable you are already, then I say fuck him… unless you're not into that kind of thing."

I ignored her mischievous words in favor of her previous argument. From her phrasing, I definitely wanted to be dependable instead of useful. Back when I was traveling with that group of bullies, I had been neither dependable, nor useful. I was simply dead weight. But now that I was following Cobbert and learning how to help people, I definitely wanted to be someone he could depend upon.

But between Floyd and I, which of us was more dependable and which more useful? Which of us was the better best friend?

I could not help but fear Floyd had the advantage.

"Sheesh, it's like watching a soap opera. Okay, look! You're an archer, yeah?" Veronica inquired, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded, prompting her to continue. "Then tell you what. Let's you and I have an archery duel. Womano a Mano. I could check out your skills and teach you a few of my own. Just to make you feel more dependable."

My eyes widened. "R-really? But… but you are a renowned archer! With skills I have yet to learn!"

"Aw shucks, you flatter me." She waved her arms coyly, but dropped the act quick with a confident smile. "I won't be going easy on you, though. It'll be tough, and all the humiliation and embarrassment will be at your expense. Still want to try me?"

Humiliation? Embarrassment? Those were cruel teachers to be sure. But the idea of getting archery tips from such an experienced Captain…

It would go a long way to making me more dependable.

"Do your worst."

Her evil smile made me shiver.

* * *

The blonde Captain darted around the backyard, setting up some fence posts and bits of red wool. I let out an involuntary gasp when she neared the outhouse, but relaxed once it was clear that she was only setting up a target on it.

"Okay!" She clapped before rubbing her hands together eagerly. "So, before we get started, I'm going to need you to call me Mastah Veronica."

"Er… Master—?"

"No, no, no. Not Master. Mastah! You really got to emphasize the 'h'."

I arched an eyebrow. "And that will make me a better archer?"

"Hey, hey! Who's the teacher here?"

"You are." I confessed with a sigh.

"Wrong! I'm the Mastah!" She pulled a dramatic pose before turning her head towards me. "Now get it right. And throw in a pose too."

"Um… alright?" I angled my body to pull off the same pose, wincing at how foolish I looked before clearing my throat. "Please teach me, Mastah Veronica!"

"That's more like it!" She slapped me on the back, unbalancing my fragile pose and sending me to the dirt. She frowned at how little force she used. "Hmm. Not too sturdy are you? That could be a problem."

I picked myself up quickly, worried I had messed up before training even began. Veronica, however, was as unreadable as ever.

"Okay, so let's see your archery skills at work." She pointed at the targets set up before pulling out her bow. "Try and hit the same targets as me."

"Yes, Mastah." I nodded, already pulling out my own bow and swapping tinted glasses for tinted goggles. I focused my eyes on the ten targets. They weren't too far away, only intended on giving her a grasp of my skills. I awaited her signal, eager to display them.

She pulled back the string, her breath going still as she narrowed her eyes at the targets. I did the same.

When her eyes snapped open, she fired an arrow directly at one of the targets. Before it had even hit, she was already drawing back her second shot. Then the third, and fourth, and fifth.

Her pace was a little faster than mine, but our shots were equally accurate. We both let loose ten arrows, hitting every target dead center.

When it was over, I expected her to be impressed. Instead, I watched as she pointed the arrow a ways over the hedges that separated Wynn's backyard.

"You see that ruined chimney?"

I turned towards the same direction and saw what she meant. Five blocks away was a mansion with a brick chimney. It was missing a few blocks, but it seemed the tenants did not care enough to repair it.

"Yes, Mastah, I see it."

She smiled. "Good eyesight is a plus. But can you hit it from here?"

As soon as she posed her question, she let fly an arrow. It arced through the air as quick as the wind, crossing street after street until finding its mark in the heart of the chimney.

Mine landed beside it not a second later.

"Oho." She nodded, looking mildly impressed. "Not bad. Not bad."

I smiled proudly at her praise, but recoiled when I saw her point her bow to the sky.

"How about this?"

She pulled back an arrow with all her might and let it fly high into the sky. Trails of stars followed in its wake as it contrasted with the clear, blue sky.

I was confused. What had she been aiming for? Did she just want to hit a cloud?

She was smiling about it too, watching the arrow climb higher and higher. I could not figure out what she was aiming for.

The arrow soon began to lose speed. When it reached the pinnacle of its height, it angled downwards and gravity took hold of it. It twisted through the air, gaining speed as it angled down towards…

It hit the outhouse target. Dead center.

My mouth hung open. "How… how did you…?"

"That's called an Arc Shot." She grinned smugly. "I bet that's a _little_ out of your league."

I felt a flash of annoyance at her smug tone and almost attempted to take the shot just to prove her wrong. But there was no way I could make such a shot.

It relied upon angling the arrow properly to account for gravity, wind, the maximum height an arrow could go, and the time at which it would hit the target. With enough trial and error, I could probably line up the correct shot.

But not on the first attempt.

"Arc Shots may seem like gimmicks, but they can be useful in a fight." Mastah Veronica spoke offhandedly, pulling back her string again, but only partly. She launched an arrow with minimal force into the air. It performed a small arc before hitting the dirt a few feet in front of her. "They can be time-delayed projectiles from the sky, or they can be rapid, baby-hops that do little damage, but annoy the heck out of an enemy."

Sounded a lot like Cobbert's bobber technique.

"Arc Shots are great training for your archery." Mastah Veronica continued. "They force you to familiarize with your own assets. Height, speed, force, time on the drawback. These are all things you need to consider when taking an Arc Shot, which is why only experienced archers can make one on the first try." She gazed at the target she had just made. "That shot is about a hundred years worth of experience."

"A hundred years!?" I gasped. "But… but I do not have a hundred years to—"

"You think expert archers just pop out of the dirt like daisies?" She asked with a note of derision. "Hell, no. Everyone has to train. I bet even you had a method of honing your archery."

Well, she was right about that. I had fired arrows at buttons to shift minecart tracks. How many years had I spent doing that?

Enough that it became a daily routine for me.

"Well, not like you have to use them anyway." Mastah Veronica shrugged. "They just help you identify your limits. Knowing how much or how little strength you need to put into your shots. Though I highly recommend practicing it from time to time. Let's move onto the next lesson."

"And what would that be, Mastah Veronica?"

"Alright, first, stop calling me Mastah Veronica."

"What!? But you said—!"

"I'm no longer Mastah Veronica." She backed away from me, twirling her bow. "I am now… Evil Veronica!"

"…Excuse me?"

"We're going to fight." She dropped the charade while rolling her wrist. "This is just some pre-fight role-playing to get us in the mood. Just play along."

"Um…" I wanted to argue, but I was actually learning more about archery so… maybe there was a method to her madness. "Okay… Evil Veronica?"

Evil Veronica wrinkled her nose. "Mmm. Don't sound so awkward. Just be genuine! Pretend I'm a Hacker or cultist trying to kill you."

"But you are not trying to kill me… right?" I added warily.

Evil Veronica displayed a smile full of teeth. "Who knows?"

I gulped nervously to which she responded by facepalming. "Oh, boy. I'm not really going to kill you! I'll just—I don't know—smack you around a bit? Just to give you the incentive not to hold back." I was far from confident and it must have showed on my face. "Ugh, how am I supposed to motivate you?" She frowned to herself, tapping her chin in thought, before turning back to me. "What's your favorite thing in the world?"

"Redstone." I replied instantaneously.

"Aha! That'll work." She grinned. "Just pretend I'm a Hacker hell-bent on burning all the redstone and redstone ore in Minecraftia."

"WHAT!?" I shrieked in horror, forgetting we were just pretending. "No! You cannot!"

"Oh, but I can!" Evil Veronica cackled madly. "As we speak, my Griefers are putting the finishing touches on my 'Redstone Doomsday' Machine! Once activated, all redstone and redstone ore in Minecraftia will be replaced with lava! And the world will no longer face the sloth of automated everything! Mwahahaha!"

"You…" I clenched my fist, imagining a world without redstone. A world without dreams. A world where you had to take the stairs instead of an elevator. "You MONSTER!"

I pulled up my bow and launched an arrow right at Evil Veronica's heart. She dodged it with contemptuous ease.

"Fool!" She bellowed with a mocking smile. "You think that you can challenge I, Velocishot, the most powerful archer in existence? HA!" She raised her own bow and notched an arrow pointed directly at me. "I'll kick your ass, six-eyes!"

* * *

[Floyd]

"Hey, wait up!" Soul called out as he struggled to keep up with me. "Seriously, Floyd, where's the fire?"

"Just wanted to talk to Cara real quick." I called back, which was a half truth. I did want to talk to Cara to offer her a spot in our unnamed guild, but I also wanted to get away from the topic of Hackers that Veronica brought up.

It got tense listening to her talk about Hackers when I was one too. I kept sweating thinking about what would happen if she identified me as one by my marks. Or Cobb or Lenzington, who fought a Hacker in Halstatt and, therefore, knew what one looked like.

Sitting with them at that table, talking and cracking jokes, I couldn't shake that uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Any second, I expected smoke to start pouring from my eyes and revealing myself to everybody. _Hacker_. I was a nervous wreck anytime one of them said the word. Like it was a taboo that would chip away at my control until the dark smoke started billowing.

And then, just when I thought nothing would happen and I could relax, Veronica fanned the flames and spread the smoke by discussing the same Hacker Cobb had killed. I couldn't take it.

How much of that hate would have been directed at me had they known? For them to find out that there was a Hacker in their midst… I couldn't risk it. Cobb and Soul clearly despised them—despised us…

I shielded my eyes from the sun, tracing the dark lines over them. I had always though it make-up or something. But to learn they held such evil powers… I felt diseased.

It felt like a sickness.

 _I can't let them know._ I thought resolutely. _I have to keep it hidden._

Not that I had much control over it to begin with. It only ever came out in desperate situations, and even then not all the time. The one time it worked was against Teal, and it had only lasted thirty seconds at most before my body shut down.

A power like that—No! It wasn't a power. It was a curse. The Hacker curse. Hackers were deadly and dangerous. Crafters feared them for their cruelty. They were rotten to the core.

And, like it or not, I… was one of them.

I was a Hacker.

Would I become like the majority too? Would my behavior gradually change, making me more aggressive? Would the Hack influence me to turn against the others and seek out other Hackers? Or was it _already_ at work?

There was so much I didn't know about the curse and nobody I could talk to about it. I needed… I needed to get the answers from a Hacker. I needed to know how and why they chose a path of chaos and destruction when they could have just lived as regular Crafters.

And, most importantly, I needed to find a way to remove it.

With all the thoughts buzzing around in my head, I quickly got turned around and lost amongst Ringwood's streets. Soul had to drag me back by my arm just to guide me the right way towards the Eastern District.

"I can't help but notice the guy with the word 'Lost' in his name has a better sense of direction." He commented as we left wooden buildings for fields of crops. "Is there something about that blonde Captain that rubbed you the wrong way? Because, let me tell you, I think she's bad news."

"Your opinions have anything to do with her dick comments?" I asked.

"No. I just don't like her." Soul grumbled. "It's not even a lesbian thing! I just don't like her."

"You're probably not the only one. Her ego is boisterous enough to scare most people off. Captain Wynn hiding from her is evidence enough."

"Yeah, I don't see those two hooking up." Soul frowned before glaring at me. "Thanks for having my back when she was insulting my manhood, Floyd!" He pointedly and sarcastically spat.

"Not like I could have disproved her claims." I shrugged with a hint of a smile. "She was fairly bold. I half thought she would have pulled your cargo shorts down."

"She would have lost an eye, then." Soul growled, idly rubbing his chest where Veronica had shot him. "Stupid archer…"

Finally, we managed to reach the Granger Barn. We climbed down the secret ladder behind the hay bales and entered the secret room that made up the Silver Intent headquarters.

"Whoa…" Soul paused as he took another look around the room, a hand on his chest. "I… honestly feel a little spoiled after seeing the bunker Lenz built. This place is a dump by comparison."

Sad to admit, but he was right. The Silver Intent's bunker had a lower ceiling than Lenz's Inhouse and less room to move around in. The beds and potion stands were all squashed together here. No space to relax. Most of the comfort of the bunker was put into the adjacent room, and only because it was like Brett's personal study.

Now, though, Brett wasn't in his study. He was at the brewing stands, busily making potions and weeping as he broke up blaze rods into blaze powder.

"So many blaze rods… wasted… I hate Bounty Days…" Brett muttered under his breath as we approached.

"What are you making?" I asked, looking over his shoulder at the brightly colored potions.

Brett finally took notice of us. "Oh, good, you're back." He nodded to us before remembering my question. "Potions of Healing and Regeneration. The cult's gotten more forward in their attacks so I figured something to heal damage was necessary. If you're looking for Swiftness or Strength, however, I'm afraid I'm all out. Cara took the last of them for her mission."

"Wha—mission?" Soul asked in surprise. "You already sent her out? What about the Bounty Day? Who'd you pair her with?"

"I didn't pair her with anyone." Brett replied while focusing on adding redstone dust to one stand and glowstone dust to another. "There are too many incoming missions to worry about designating teams. Half the Silver Intent is busy helping to rebuild the Kingdom and herd Creepers away. We're spread too thin and need to find more members." Brett pushed off the brewing stands to collect more ingredients. "Besides, she can enjoy the Bounty Day on her own time. Not when we have work to do."

"But we wanted to talk to her about something." Soul scratched his head with a frown.

So much for having Cara join our guild.

But about what Brett had said…

"Does that mean you have missions for us too?"

Brett looked up from his chest, holding up a pair of books. "Indeed I do."

He tossed one of them to Soul and the other to me before returning to his work at the stands.

"The first mission involves cultist activity in Akasha. The Kingdom has had some bad run-ins with the cult, but it seems like their guards are finally cracking down. There have been over a hundred cultist arrests in that Kingdom just this year."

"Whoa, seriously?" Soul looked up from his book and then back down before tearing open the pages eagerly. "Akasha is to the west… and there's been so much cultist activity there? You don't think…"

"That the Western Division is in Akasha." Brett finished with a nod. "It's possible. Akasha has always had reason to pursue and imprison cultists. Though, despite all the arrests, cultists are still cropping up with no end in sight. If the Western Division is there, it would explain all the activity."

"So you want me to investigate it, huh?" Soul frowned at the book. "You think one person can handle that?"

"You'll have to." Brett stressed. "We're stretched thin until we find more members… or allies." A ghost of a smile flitted across his face. "This is just us making due."

"And I have to make due in Zeppil?" I asked, holding up my assigned mission.

"That's right. The Southern Kingdom of Zeppil." Brett explained as he swapped out the freshly made potions. "As you know, it used to be ruled by the cult's Southern Division."

"Yeah." Soul grinned. "Before the badass Angel of Death rinsed them."

I pointedly looked away when he spoke of that lunatic I had thrown into lava. Why had someone so powerful been so upset over a pet pig? Why did she even _have_ a pet pig to begin with!?

"Indeed." Brett nodded. "With the cult vacated, it was the perfect spot to set up a Silver Intent base of operations. It has a few members, but it is still relatively small. Which is a problem, since there are signs of the cult returning there." Brett pointed at the book. "There was an attempted assassination on the Kingdom's rulers. The assassin escaped, but not before witnesses caught a glimpse of his black-leather cap."

"They're bold enough to attack royalty? With witnesses present?" I asked incredulously. "I always thought the cult worked covertly."

"They're growing more daring by the day, emboldened by successful attacks like the one that almost killed this Kingdom. The more attacks that succeed, the more people they win over to their cause." Brett gripped the table like a vice, his fingers digging into the wood. "They need to be thwarted before they amass the forces to wipe us out. We _need_ to stop them. They _can't_ regain a hold in the Kingdoms they've been driven from."

"So that's why you want me to go there." I perused the book with a more focused eye. This was an important mission. One that demanded my full attention as well as one I needed allies for.

Well, Cobb was free at the moment.

"That mission looks tricky." Soul commented while glancing between our books. "Akasha and Zeppil are neighboring Kingdoms, right? Maybe Floyd and I should—"

"If you are suggesting that the two of you form a team to complete both missions, I must advise you to reconsider." Brett turned around, focusing his attention on us instead of the potions. "The longer we wait in responding to threats, the further our enemies will advance. These missions are _both_ priorities and _both_ must be completed simultaneously. No cutting corners."

"But—" Soul tried to argue. "Safety in numbers is—"

" _No. Cutting. Corners._ "

Brett wasn't budging. These were two missions we'd each have to do alone.

Seeing Soul's hesitant expressions, Brett breathed a weary sigh. "I didn't want to have the missions like this. If it were up to me, I would have sent you two with Cara to tackle the Akasha mission and worried about the other ones later. But I just can't." He shook his head, looking tired. "I can't."

"We understand, Brett." I spoke on Soul's behalf, though the axe-wielder looked a little more comfortable with the idea of splitting up. "We'll do you proud on these missions. I promise you."

Brett's mood cheered up a bit at my comforting words. "Thank you, Floyd. I know you'll do a fine job. I have the utmost confidence in you two. Now…"

He gestured to the brewing stands.

"How about some potions for the road?"

* * *

After we stocked up on Healing and Regeneration potions, Brett bid us good luck and we left the same way we came in. We waited until we were in Soul's small living quarters before speaking our minds about the missions.

"This is a load of bull-crap." Soul threw himself on the bed with a frustrated growl. "Why do we have to go alone on these missions? We can handle them both better if we worked as a team."

"Considering how our last mission went, I'm not so sure." Soul simmered down, remembering how we had been crushed and how Void had been killed. "Maybe these missions are more suited to our individual skills. Like Brett thinks your strength will be more useful in Akasha than in Zeppil."

"Tch." That was Soul's way of saying he couldn't argue. "I assume you're going to see if Cobb can tag along?"

I smiled. "Guess I'm easy to read. Yeah, I figure he'd want to come with me anyway, even if I didn't ask him. After the fiasco in Nitebane, it's like he thinks I'm made of glass and can shatter at any moment. Can't say I blame him."

"You can probably expect that nerd for the ride too." Soul commented before laying himself upon the bed. "At least you got a party of three. I hope the nerd can hold his own against cultists."

"I'm sure he's skilled… enough." I added in response to Soul's skeptical glance. Lenz had helped Cobb at Halstatt and, while his swordsmanship was non-existent, his archery was top notch. In that way, he was almost the opposite of Cobb, whose archery was horrible, but swordsmanship was… passable?

Okay, bad example.

"Anyway, I better head back to Wynn's to let Cobb know about the mission we got. I'll leave it up to him to decide whether he wants to come or not. He doesn't have any responsibility to the Silver Intent, after all."

"Yeah, I better look for supplies myself." Soul sat up from his bed while reaching a hand back to sift through his Inventory. "I'm getting low on food. And emeralds…" He sighed sadly.

"Same." I frowned upon checking my belt and backpack. "I'll ask Cobb if he can spare any—he said he'd pay us for being part of his unnamed guild. I'll come back with some tomorrow."

"No thanks." Soul dismissed to my surprise. "I'd rather not laze away and depend on the charity of others. I'll earn my _own_ emeralds to pay for my _own_ food. Unlike Cobb with his magic shovel."

That was Soul for you. Stubborn and proud.

"Just don't starve to death." I joked as I moved to the door. "I'd hate to look for a replacement axe-wielder for the guild."

"Ha! Like anyone could fill my shoes."

And with that, I left Soul's living quarters and made my way back to the Northern District.

* * *

[Lenz]

"Augh!"

A sharp slap came out of nowhere and sent me tumbling into the dirt. My cheek stung and my breath came out ragged, but still I stood up. I could not allow Evil Veronica to defeat me. There was too much at stake.

The blonde witch cackled. "Oh, did that hurt? My apologies. You were so defenseless and open just _standing there_ that I couldn't help myself."

"Help yourself to this, villain!" I exclaimed before pulling up my bow and launching three quick shots at her. They were right on target, but, yet again, Evil Veronica managed to dodge them just by running to the side. She did not slow down, looping around towards my right.

Remembering Wynn's advice at keeping my eyes open, I stared her down, firing two quick shots. At the speed she was going, there was no way she could—

She cut quickly to the left, dodging the arrows by a wide margin.

She darted towards me again, raising her hand to perform another slap. She had made a fatal error, though. She was at point-blank range, right in front of me.

As her hand reared back, I loaded a single arrow and shot as quick as I could. Directly at the center of her body. This time, without a doubt, the shot would—

…Miss entirely as she _again_ cut to the left in a spin move that added centrifugal force to her slap. It connected across my face, sending spittle flying, and forced me to the ground.

 _How!?_ I thought in frustration, clutching my stinging cheek. _How can she keep dodging!? All my shots were right on target!_

"I thought you said you were an archer." Evil Veronica called over in a lofty tone. She was admiring her nails, as if fighting me was beneath her. "If so, then how come your shots keep missing? How come you're just standing around waiting for me to attack?"

"Your mind games will not work on me, Evil Veronica!" I called back as I struggled to my feet. "I refuse to give up. I will _never_ let you destroy all the redstone!"

"Um… you do realize I was just acting, right? I don't really have a redstone doomsday machine."

"Oooh, you are a clever one!" I conceded to my foe. "But I am immune to your distracting words. Nothing will stop me… from stopping you!"

"…Okay, yeah, I think this has gone on too far." Evil Veronica sighed, dropping her haughty attitude as she readied her bow. "Your eyesight and aim is exceptional, but there is a glaring problem with your archery that sets you firmly at the amateur level. Can you tell what it is?"

"…A problem?" I asked in bewilderment. "What are you—?"

"If you can't tell, I'll show you in a way you can understand." Evil Veronica lightly hopped in place while readying an arrow. I saw her eyes flash dangerously as she moved.

She began to encircle me in a fast-paced sprint, keeping a fair distance away. I loaded an arrow to try and hit her, but quickly gasped upon seeing a problem. She was moving so fast, I had to account for her speed and shoot ahead of her in order to land the arrow in time. But that was easier said than done. She was not giving me any time to judge her speed!

She pulled back her bow and let an arrow fly directly at my feet. I was so weary and worn that all my weight was on my legs. With no hope of dodging, I could only watch as the arrow—

…Stuck into the dirt a centimeter before my shoe.

I stared at the arrow with a cold sweat dripping down my face. _She missed? But her archery is legendary! How could she—?_

Another arrow stuck into the dirt before my feet. This time, it stuck a centimeter behind my heel. I turned to look at it, only for a third arrow to stop at the back of my other heel.

Evil Veronica was still circling me, firing off arrow after arrow. All of which stopped short of hitting my feet. Her sprinting and firing did not stop for a second.

More and more arrows rained down at my feet, riddling the grass with the white feathers of the fletching. Yet not a single one hit. I was too tired and too scared to move an inch.

Finally, Evil Veronica stopped at the same spot she had started and returned the bow to her belt with a twirl.

Across from her, I stood on what looked like a bed of criss-crossing arrows.

I could not keep up with her movements. She was too fast—no, it was not just that. It was because, like she had said, there was a fundamental problem with my archery.

It was the reason she could keep dodging my arrows in an open space. It was the reason she could close the distance to slap me. It was the reason she could circle and peg me in with arrows without worrying about hitting me.

"I am too stationary." I realized.

"Bingo." Evil Veronica smiled, walking up to my motionless form. "For archers, distance is everything. We fight close-range combatants on our terms, nailing them from afar with arrow after arrow until they give up or bite the dust. Your aim and eyesight are good, but only when hitting stationary targets. You probably have experience fighting enemies in narrow quarters, but in an open space, it isn't hard to dodge."

I briefly recalled the Griefers in Hlastatt. When I was protecting Solara, I had been shooting them down a narrow street. They only had one direction to come at me from, so my shots all landed. If it were an open space, however, they could have surrounded me and I would have been helpless.

I fell to my knees, brushing aside the arrows littered at my feet. "I… I give up."

"Damn right you give up." Evil Veronica boasted with a grin. "I'm way above you in terms of archery, but you'll get to my level eventually. After a couple hundred years, maybe you'll even get me to break a sweat."

"I can see now how hopeless I was to challenge you." I gripped the grass at my feet. "You have bested me, Evil Veronica. But please…"

"Eh?"

My head shot up with tears dripping down my face. "Please, I beg of you, do not destroy all the redstone! It means so much to the engineers of the world!"

"…For fuck's sake—"

"Please, spare the redstone!" I bowed lowly, my forehead scraping the grass. "Grant me this one request, and I will—Ow!"

I clutched the back of my head as Evil Veronica shot an arrow into it.

"Minecraftia to Six-Eyes!" She exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. "I'm a Captain, not an evil Hacker! There is no redstone doomsday machine! So snap out of it!"

"Uh… I… oh…" My face heated up as I realized how stupid I had sounded. "Oh, Jeb, kill me now…" I whined while hiding my face. Had I really believed that she was… and I even called her Evil Veronica throughout the battle!

Oh, the humiliation!

"And here I thought you really enjoyed role-playing." Evil Ver— _ugh, stupid!_ _Good_ Veronica! _Regular_ Veronica. Veronica! "Maybe we should have agreed on a safe-word or something to let both of us know it was all pretend. Like… 'Broken Arrow'. Something easy to remember like that."

"…Please allow me to apologize for calling you Evil Veronica." I prostrated myself before the Captain. "Also, may we pretend this never happened?"

"Well, you didn't say 'Broken Arrow', so I _know_ it wasn't pretend!" Veronica grinned cheekily. "Oh, man. The guards back in Daymonte are going to laugh their pants off when I tell them this!"

My face fell into my hands as I whined lowly.

"Anyway, back to archery tips." Veronica dusted off her hands before walking up to me and pointing at my feet. "During our 'fight', you never moved unless I smacked you around. You can't do that in a real fight, otherwise you're just asking your enemies to run up and kill you. Remember, you _want_ to fight close-combatants at a distance, since it benefits you and not them."

Again, I recalled fighting those Griefers in Halstatt. I had remained standing in one place. It was because Solara was behind me and I had to protect her, but it also allowed one of them to run up and hit me. If I had moved instead, I would not have gotten hit.

Veronica hopped lightly in the air, darting side to side. "You gotta be light on your feet. Move around a bit. Look for better vantage points or angles or, if you're outnumbered, fall back to a distance you're more comfortable with. Don't just stand there like a dead fish." She jabbed my still form with a finger, just to emphasize her point. "You're not a turret. You're moving artillery."

It was as if a lever had been switched inside my head, lighting up my path. It was so simple, yet I had not seen it.

I had been narrow-sighted, both in my archery and in my field of view. I needed to move around more. Look for spots I could be the best archer I could be. I would not get anywhere just by standing around. I had to _move_!

I was moving artillery!

Before, I had been still, shooting at still targets. Now, I had to be moving, shooting at moving targets.

"Thank you, Captain Veronica—"

"Upupup! I want my title of Mastah again."

"Mastah Veronica. Thank you for your invaluable advice. It has opened my eyes. I am certain it will help make me a better archer." I smiled gratefully. "I do not know how I can thank you."

The Captain smiled indulgently. "You already have. I owed you for Halstatt."

"Hmm?"

"Anyway, enough of your gratitude! Your Mastah wants to see her pupil soar to greater heights. Like a majestic fucking eagle. I want you to try shooting while moving." Veronica advised. "Like I did, but you don't have to go at my pace. Take it slow for now. We'll ramp up if we have time."

"Yes, Mastah Veronica!" I called back enthusiastically before hurrying to a spot and taking out my bow.

Like she had said, I was ready to soar like a majestic eagle!

And after a few minutes of moving around...

"Holy crap, you're slow!"

I was like an eagle all right. Spread-eagled. And wheezing for sweet oxygen. Being weary from the previous fight had nothing to do with it. My stamina was just laughably low.

"This might be a problem…" Veronica noted while sitting beside my exhausted form.

*Gasp* *Pant* *Wheeze*

"Yes, you're right. Your piss-poor conditioning makes your movements sluggish. You probably couldn't swing a sword to save your life, either. Until you build up your stamina, you'll never be able to shoot while moving."

*Pant* *Wheeze* *Gasp*

"Why, yes. I speak winded pretty well."

*Gasp* *Pant*

"Don't let it get you down. It just means you gotta practice. All there is to—"

*CREEEEAK*

There was a creaking noise loud enough to be heard over my gasping. Both Veronica and I turned towards the source, only to spot a flash of white disappearing behind the closing door of the outhouse.

 _Uh-oh._ I thought to myself as my eyes strayed to Veronica, who was, predictably, looking upon the outhouse lustfully.

" _There_ you are~" She breathed out with a loving smile, ignoring me in favor of the ivory-haired Captain hiding in the outhouse.

The blonde got up and took two steps towards the wooden structure before Wynn flung the door open and made a break for the hedges. She probably figured her best bet was scaling them and finding shelter in her neighbors' home.

An arrow cut her off, but Wynn performed a spin move similar to Veronica's to evade without losing any of her speed. Electric blue particles were trailing in her wake, the obvious signs of a Potion of Swiftness.

She weaved between the arrows being fired to impede her, all while Veronica closed the distance with an excited smile. "Wynn! You know running only makes me want you _more_!"

"Why do you think I was hiding?" Wynn called back anxiously. "This is exactly what I knew would happen!"

"That just means you know me so well!" Veronica caught up to Wynn before diving towards her with arms outstretched. "Hug!"

"No hug!" Wynn shot back, throwing a Splash Potion of Leaping at her feet in order to perform a pike jump right over Veronica's embrace. They both touched the ground at precisely the same time before whirling upon each other. Wynn drew out her rapier and Veronica her bow.

It was mesmerizing watching two Captains fight. These were Crafters who had reached a higher level of combat, capable of going toe to toe with one another. They were only fighting over a simple hug, and yet they were going at it as if it were life and death.

Wynn waved her rapier before her to scare Veronica into retreating, but the blonde countered by shooting short Arc Shots that hit Wynn from behind, forcing her forward and into her waiting arms. The ivory-haired Captain gnashed her teeth before ducking beneath closing arms and through the blonde's legs. But Veronica snapped her legs shut, trapping Wynn's ankle. Only for Wynn to sweep across with her free leg and knock her down. The both of them quickly returned to their feet and partook in their dance yet again.

Back and forth. Reversals and moves I was too weak to perform. A blur of white and gold.

Truly a fight for the ages.

"Hug!"

"No!"

"Huuuuug!"

"No, means no!"

"Hug, hug, hug, hug, hug!"

"No, no, no, no, no!"

…

Truly a fight for the ages.

After a brief exchange, the pair of Captains flipped away from each other, both looking slightly winded.

"Come on!" Veronica called out. "Just let me give you one, big ol' hug! One loving squeeze (kissing optional) and we can move on."

"I told you I'm not a lesbian." Wynn countered. "We're just friends and I'm not partaking in anything that will give you false hopes of something more."

"God, that's such a Wynn answer." Veronica sighed dreamily before adopting a mischievous smirk. "You know, I bet your other persona, the _Ivory Skull_ , would loosen up and give me a chance."

"Don't you _dare_ bring up that blasted name!" Wynn seethed.

"Fine. Keep resisting. We both know you can't keep this up. And then you'll be too tired to avoid my snuggles!"

"I'd sooner turn over my Captainship to Cobb!"

"Did someone say my name?" Cobbert interjected, stepping into the backyard with Floyd beside him and Erin cowering behind. "Oh, sweet, Captain Fight! Go for the legs, Wynn!"

"Already planning to!" Wynn darted forward, stopping short right before Veronica to sweep at her legs. The blonde leapt back, displaying the importance of an archer's movement, before firing off three arrows.

"Six-Eyes! Cheer on your Mastah, too! It'll give me strength or some bullshit."

"Oh… uh…" I struggled to think of something suitable. "Avoid the rapier's sharp end!"

"You call that a cheer!? Wynn, let us swap cheerleaders real quick, mine sucks!"

"S-Someone should stop them." Erin shivered from behind Cobbert's back.

"You're right." Cobbert nodded. "Someone _should_ stop them. Not it."

"Not it." Said Floyd.

"Not it." I replied on instinct.

"Not it—gosh darn it!" Erin sort of cursed. To her credit, she at least took a hesitant step towards the fighting Captains. Then she saw the flash of an iron rapier, heard the twang of a bow, and wisely stepped back behind Cobbert. "I-I think we should just let them settle this."

"I like the way you think." Cobbert smiled, eliciting a blush from the housekeeper before we all made our way back inside.

The two Captains barely noticed, keeping all of their attention on one another.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Wow. So you're heading to Zeppil too?" I asked the blue-nette. "What are the odds?"

Brain: _Yeah, it's like our lives are just one poorly written story with intersecting plot points._

 _Hush you._

"Does that mean we are definitely going to Zeppil?" Lenz asked hopefully. "We are going there to acquire an airship for our guild? Is it official?"

I gave Floyd one last searching glance before smiling at his approval. "Yes, it's official. The three of us are going to Zeppil!"

As soon as those words left my mouth, a large pile of food was deposited in our laps, courtesy of Erin.

"N-Now it's a long trip to Zeppil, so I figured I'd stock you boys up with some food to keep your energy up. I have steak, cooked mutton, cooked chicken, apples, and for you, Cobb, the baked potatoes you love so much."

My mouth was watering just looking at the spread. "You're the best Erin!" I gave her a quick hug as thanks, but just as I was about to let go, I felt her go limp in my arms. "Whoa, Erin?"

She had passed out. It must have been her fever again since she was as red-faced as ever. Though she had a goofy smile on her face too.

"Huh, I hope she's okay."

Floyd looked at me balefully. "Cobb, I'm not going to lie… if you don't give her a kiss right now, I'm going to tear my hair out."

"What!?"

"You heard me. I'm literally watching two hopeless cases who don't know what they're doing." Floyd explained to my confusion. "Just give the poor girl a kiss. _Something_."

"I hugged her. A kiss would just be too bold."

"A kiss is the _least_ boldest thing she wants you to do with her, I can tell you that."

"Ugh, fine! I'll kiss her on the forehead! Is that alright?"

Floyd shrugged. "Bit of a cop-out, but sure. Just give her something." He and Lenz proceeded to stock up on the food Erin had prepared, though I could see the both of them sneaking glances at me as I moved towards the housekeeper's forehead.

She was still unconscious, so she wouldn't remember it anyway.

I leaned my face down, right above her brow, and gave her a feather-light kiss for less than a second.

When I leaned back up, it was to the slow clapping of Floyd. "Bravo. Very romantic." He drawled smugly.

"Oh, shut up." I shot back heatedly. "She's been a big help getting us food and emeralds. I really wish she was part of the Beginners."

"…The Beginners?"

"Our guild." I explained as if it were obvious. "I decided to call us the Beginners as a way to get people to join us. They'll be more likely to once they see we're just as inexperienced as everyone else. Anyone can join us, even freshly spawned beginners."

"But I thought our guild name would be something more compelling, like the Redstone Squad."

"…No." I wasn't going to go into the reasons why that was a terrible name. Lenz didn't need to hear such cruel words.

"The name just came to me on my walk with Erin." I explained in order to get the two to see my motives. "We all spawn from the same place, with nothing to go off of but fragmented Normal Sense. Nobody can deny that connection we all share. That at one point or another, we're all beginners. And even after gaining experience and learning, there are still things we're bad at. There are still ways we can lose. Our numbers don't have to define our worth or skill, because we're all still just beginners." I grinned. "That's why we banded together and made a guild out of it!"

That earned a laugh from Floyd and Lenz.

"You know, when you put it like that," Floyd smiled, tracing a hand over his eyes, "I think the name isn't half bad. A good name for people who don't know enough about Minecraftia… or themselves."

"It is better than half bad." Lenz supported proudly. "It is a _wonderful_ name. Perfect for Crafters that can accept their own weaknesses… while striving to prove their strengths."

Clearly the two of them had hidden meanings of their own within their words, but for now, we were all agreed upon our name.

And I was agreed on the name I had given to my newest weapon. Unlike the guild name, however, it required me using Wynn's anvil and a majority of my EXP. But the _Backlash_ was ready. And the first enemy I used it on would be in for a _big_ surprise.

"It's getting pretty late." Floyd got up after packing up all Erin's food. "Mind if I crash here for the night?"

"Yeah, the Inhouse has enough rooms. We'll probably be leaving in a few days, since we need maps and other supplies."

"We should also stockpile our emeralds." Lenz advised. "We should store them in an ender chest, lest we risk getting robbed en route."

"Look at us." I smiled broadly, glancing between my two friends. "We're already sounding like an organized guild. The Beginners are going to be bigger than any of the Big Three."

Floyd smiled. "Watch out Endward Cult."

"And Hackers." Lenz added, to Floyd's slight discomfort.

"Because today is the first day the Beginners put your reign of evil to an end."

It was a goofy speech, one in which I hadn't even realized _I_ was the leader those two opted to follow. But, like it or not, they chose me to lead. They were my World. They trusted their lives to me, and, like Wynn had once said:

' _Are you a special kind of idiot? Or are you making a special effort just for me?_ '

…No wait, that wasn't the quote. Too far back.

Uh…

' _…_ _their lives are in your hands…_ '

Yeah, close enough.

But at the time, sitting around Wynn's kitchen table, with Erin passed out, and two Captains fighting each other in the backyard over a hug, I felt confident enough in saying I was ready to take on the world and protect _my_ World.

The next morning, the shit hit the fan.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 64 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 6 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 5 Cooked Fish, 64 Cooked Chicken, 64 Apples, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 64 Steak, 28 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Shield, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 18 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: Well, _that_ ending wasn't ominous.**

 **So much stuff this Chapter. Veronica teaching Lenz some archery moves, the formation of the Beginners, and the group getting ready to travel to Zeppil. For those of you that have no idea how to track Cobb and company's movements, check out my profile for a deviantart link to the Minecraftia map. It was drawn by a good friend of mine and it helps tell you where everything is.**

 **This also basically concludes the mini Bounty Day Arc. The next Arc will focus on the group traveling to Zeppil, with a few twists and turns along the way. Ideally, I want them to get to Zeppil before Chapter 100. But with my writing pace, who knows if that'll happen. I'm gonna try though.**

 **No Omake this week. Though next Chapter, as promised at the end of this one:**

 **Shit _will_ hit the fan.**

 **This is the start of the shit hitting the fan. Keep your mouths closed, otherwise it'll fly right into your mouths.**

 **...I think I took this metaphor too far.**

 **Uh, uh... LOOK! A distraction!**

 ***Runs away***


	85. Wanted

**AN: I really like this Chapter, just because of how absurd it gets. It's been in planning for a while.**

 **Congrats to Karmia for guessing last week's riddle correctly. The answer: Four cars! (They are arranged in a square.) Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.**

 **(::)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. if I did, I'd add Dessert Biomes.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 85

 **Wanted**

[Cobb]

It was a beautiful day in Minecraftia! The sun was shining, the birds were clucking, and the puffy clouds were chugging across the azure sky.

Also, there was a giant cake.

Yeah. For some reason, I was standing atop a gigantic floating cake. Miles and miles of sugary frosting spanned in every direction and the ground had the springiness of soft, sponge cake. The clouds hovering above would occasionally send down drizzles of milk, presumably to wash down the delectable cake beneath us.

I looked on in awe at the landscape-sized dessert before me. Had I somehow stumbled upon some sort of dessert biome?

I reached down and scooped a handful of frosting and a sample of the cake. I tentatively tasted it and found it to be ten times more delicious than any cake I had ever tasted. It was heavenly and decadent, two qualities in sharp contrast with one another.

I opened my mouth wide to catch the drizzle of warm milk. It washed down the delectable dessert and cleansed my palate in preparation for another generous helping.

However, as I reached down for more, I noticed the surface getting unusually darker. I glanced up and yelped when I saw the once fluffy clouds turn stormy and grey. They spread in volume, blocking out the bright sunlight and casting the cake in an unusually _red_ shadow.

Black bolts of lightning began to descend, the first of which struck close enough to singe my arm. Dark electricity spread atop the surface of the cake, staining the pristine frosting with mold and decay. Maggots and bugs burst forth from within, repulsing me enough to spit up the cake I had previously thought delicious.

"Okay, I get it!" I shouted up to nobody in particular. "I'm asleep! This is a nightmare! I'll never eat cake before bed again! Lesson learned! Just make it stop!"

But apparently my psyche wasn't yet satisfied with teaching me the dangers of late-night snacking.

As if emboldened by my plea to stop, the drizzles of warm milk became downpours of boiling hot blood that formed puddles atop the decaying confectionary. The maggots and bugs were swept over the sides in a massive waterfall of disgusting waste and scum. My feet sank into the moistened frosting like quicksand.

Wind started whipping across the cake like a typhoon, ripping huge tracts of the dessert and shredding them to dust. Cookies as sharp as throwing stars began to pelt from the clouds like hail, riddling the ruined ground that was my foothold and upping the level of peril.

"Geez—my mind is _really_ messed up!"

But even then the storm of horror didn't cease. For then, the stormy clouds above parted slightly to reveal a large, shadowy silhouette. It looked down towards me with blood red eyes filled with such loathing and malevolence that I squeaked in fear.

Those red eyes narrowed dangerously before the silhouette reached up and gathered a bundle of the dark grey clouds between its hands. It compressed them tightly, channeling an insidious aura within its palms to fashion an ebony scythe with a skull around the blade so that the edge erupted from the skull's left eye socket.

"I'm not gothic or broody! I don't listen to heavy metal or punk rock either!" I exclaimed in terror, trembling at the imagery my mind was coming up with. "Seriously! Where does my mind come up with this shit!?"

The evil presence in the clouds mockingly laughed before rearing back. With scythe in hand, it was going to carve up what was left of the cake and me along with it.

When black lightning flashed across the storm clouds, I caught a glimpse of who that presence was.

And then the scythe struck.

* * *

"…Cobb… wake…"

"N-no…" I tossed and turned. "No… the… the cake is… a lie…"

"Wake up!"

I felt someone roughly shake me to my senses before I sprung up out of bed in a cold sweat. I gasped for breath and clutched my head, trembling from head to toe over the nightmare I had just seen.

Never again was I going to eat cake before bed.

I expected to see Floyd or Lenz as the one to wake me up. They were the ones sleeping in the other rooms after all. Instead, however, I was surprised to see Wynn, looking pale and anxious.

"Come on." She whispered urgently, yanking me by my arm and dragging me out of bed. The sudden force caught me by surprise and caused me to fall ungracefully into the carpet. Still, Wynn refused to give me the chance to right myself; she kept dragging me across the carpet, barely sparing me a glance. "The others are awake. We have to get you out of here."

My mind was still sleep-addled and recovering from a traumatic nightmare so there was only one thing I could mumble into the carpet I was being dragged through.

"Whazza…?"

"There's been an influx of news." Wynn cottoned on to my confusion, a testament to how well we understood one another. " _Troubling_ news concerning you and Floyd."

Hearing that, I reached up with my other hand, grabbed Wynn's shoulder, and pulled myself up to a standing position. Wynn didn't slow down in her pace as she exited my bedroom, out into the hallway, and into the main living area of our bunker. As she said, Floyd and Lenz were already awake. They looked tired, pawing at their eyes to remove the residual traces of sleep, but they also looked alert.

Whatever Wynn had to say, it didn't look like it could wait until morning.

"What's going on?" Floyd asked while Wynn drew me towards a table. They gathered around and watched as Wynn withdrew a set of maps from her backpack.

" _This_." Her word was accompanied by the sound of the two maps slapping against the table for all of us to see.

They weren't maps like the kind we used to navigate. They were more like detailed photos, similar to the wanted posters we had seen.

…

Actually, they _were_ wanted posters.

Both for Floyd and me.

"…What—"

"—the—"

"—Hell?"

Floyd, Lenz, and I all questioned in turn what we were looking at. Was this part of the same bad dream? How could we be wanted men? We… we helped people. We were heroes! There had to be some kind of mistake!

I leaned over the posters and nearly bumped my head with Lenz and Floyd. We were all scrutinizing them with a careful eye, trying to make sense of it.

The likenesses were expertly drawn. They weren't just shoddily done. Even though my face looked unflatteringly stupid, I couldn't deny the resemblance. Only someone who saw our faces would know what we looked like.

The names matched us too. King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd. Floyd's offered a bounty of two-hundred emeralds, claiming he was… an Endward Cult Lieutenant!? How was that possible? Floyd hated the cult. They almost killed him in Nitebane. So why would he be suspected of being a Lieutenant? It made no sense!

As for my poster, I let out a whine of distress when I saw my bounty was a _thousand_ emeralds and that I was suspected of being an Executive.

"I don't believe this!" Floyd exclaimed as he picked up the bounty poster and glared at it. "Only two-hundred emeralds? And they write it like I'm Cobb's sidekick or something."

Irritation crossed my mind. "Are you _seriously_ complaining about _that_!? Look at this!" I held up my own poster and shoved it in Floyd's face. "When have I ever looked this stupid? It's like the artist thought I was brain-dead!"

Liver: _Well… Brain isn't the liveliest of—_

Brain: _Zip it. I'm still processing this…_

"How come you're the Executive and I'm the Lieutenant?" Floyd questioned resentfully. "You're worth five times as much, too. You'd think things would be more equal—"

"You two are cultists!?" Lenz shouted with a deep look of betrayal. "After all this time!? I commend your patience for playing the long game, but still—!"

"We're not cultists." I assured Lenz with a wave of my arm before the gravity of the situation finally dawned on me. "Wait! We're not cultists!" I panicked, looking from Floyd—who was also beginning to grasp the severity of the situation—to Wynn who…

My eyes widened fearfully as I turned towards the Captain and waved my arms. "C-Captain, please! You got to believe us, we're not cultists! These posters are lying! We would never—!"

"I _know_ they're false." Wynn cut in, causing me to go quiet. "I've known you long enough to tell you're not a cultist, Executive or otherwise. It would also be counterproductive for you, since you saved my life in Halstatt and thwarted the cult's Creepers here." She turned her gaze towards the blue-nette who stiffened. "While I can't say I know Floyd well enough… he is your friend and I'll trust your judgment if you claim he's innocent."

"He is!" I shouted instantly. "He fought a Lieutenant in Nitebane! He's killed cultists before! He fought against 4Blite! Cara and Soul can attest to that! He's blameless!"

"Then both of these posters are false." Wynn glared at the offending posters with disdain. "Lies and baseless slander, distributed to the Kingdoms on the pretense of upholding justice." She snarled. "Despicable."

My breath hitched. "So… so you're not going to arrest us?"

She huffed. "Of course not! Do you think I'm someone who would abandon a friend just because a piece of paper told me to? Or that I would stab a comrade in the back just to come out wealthier?" She folded her arms. "I am a Captain of Ringwood. I have sworn an oath to uphold justice and punish wicked criminals. And you two," she pointed to the two of us, "are as far away from the definition of 'wicked' as night is from day. Arresting you would be a stain on my honor."

"I…" I blinked back tears before fixing my gaze to the floor. How could I have ever thought she would turn us in? Even if it was for a moment, I felt like trash for doubting her. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. Anyone would jump to conclusions after a bombshell like this." She gestured to the wanted posters before placing her hands on the table before her. "What's more troubling is where these posters are coming from."

"I take it that means these aren't just a prank." Floyd remarked dryly.

"No. They're genuine." Wynn said grimly. "Nitebane issued them just under a week ago. They've since been circulated across Minecraftia's eastern Kingdoms. Daymonte, Oak Docks, and perhaps Jolin. They only reached Ringwood today."

"Hang on. Did you say Nitebane issued them?" Floyd inquired skeptically. "But… but how? It's a ruined Kingdom. Did the Griefers or Hackers—?"

"Neither. Someone has done the unthinkable and ousted the Hackers and Griefers from Nitebane." That elicited surprised gasps from all of us. "Nitebane has officially requested to be acknowledged as a Kingdom again. After centuries of ruin, someone has freed them and intends on returning Nitebane to its former glory. As such—and I won't sugarcoat it—the other Kingdoms will be in a hurry to capture the two of you."

"What!? Why?" What did Nitebane's former glory have to do with us?

"But… but Cobbert is a hero!" Lenz tried to explain. "He… he saved Halstatt from Alec and his Griefers! How could Nitebane or Daymonte forget that? And, through his efforts, Ringwood was spared being overrun by Creepers! To imply that they would turn on him is just absurd!"

"You seem to be misunderstanding how much the populace knows." Wynn informed carefully. "I myself ordered my guards to keep Cobb's victory over Alec a secret to protect him from the Hackers. All anyone knows is that a Crafter known as the 'Billionth' was the one to slay Alec. Nobody would connect that to him unless they researched his number at the Hall of Records. The same goes for the Creeper herd. True, Cobb provided the Creepers' weakness, but he only learned it outside the walls while he and Soul were burning the forest. He and Soul are only out of prison because we blamed the forest fire on the cult. We can't contradict our stories now."

"So then… so then, to the general public, I'm just like any other Crafter."

"Yes. And it's because of your anonymity that Ringwood wouldn't bat an eye over arresting you."

I recoiled. "How does _that_ make sense? Why target us when we've done nothing wrong? Why is Nitebane after us in the first place? Heck, I've never even been to Nitebane!"

"It's because—" Wynn stopped abruptly when she heard a creaking noise coming from above. She quickly withdrew her rapier, shielding me from sight, as she turned to face the elevator from which Crafters entered the Inhouse.

After a few moments of nothing happening, Wynn returned the rapier to her belt and spoke to us in a hurried whisper.

"There isn't much time. All of Ringwood knows about these posters and know that you're in the Kingdom somewhere. Any minute now, I expect a messenger from His Eminence to order me to search for and arrest you two."

"But I thought he was a good guy!" I protested to which Wynn silenced me with a glare.

"He _is_ a good man. Naïve, but a good man. And it's not his fault. You need to understand that in Kingdom politics, _relations are everything_. For centuries, Nitebane has been largely ignored by the Kingdoms because it was deemed unsalvageable. They all turned a blind eye to its crumbling economy and did nothing to aid against the Griefers. Nitebane will not have forgotten that.

"You visited Nitebane with Cara, right Floyd?" The blue-nette nodded. "Did she tell you about the EXP Factories?" Another nod. "I expect the factories will be the first to be returned to full operational capacity. The Kingdom needs exports after all, and EXP is worth its weight in emeralds. The citizens can save on equipment costs by enchanting with Efficiency and Unbreaking while also optimizing resources with Fortune, Silk Touch, and Looting. They can pretty much corner the market in Enchantments.

"The other Kingdoms know this, and will want to establish good trading relations with them. However, Nitebane will be suspicious and untrustworthy after centuries of being ignored, so the other Kingdoms will have to offer them more generous trade deals to build trust… or provide a peace offering, such as apprehending and turning over two wanted criminals."

"Oh…" I realized with a sinking stomach. It wasn't that we were being accused as high-ranking cultists that earned us the attention of the other Kingdoms. It was that Nitebane wanted us arrested, and the other Kingdoms wanted to be in Nitebane's good graces. Whichever Kingdom captured and turned us over to them would be in a favorable position to barter resources and EXP. More so than the other Kingdoms targeted by Nitebane's rancor.

What did the lives of a couple of nameless Crafters matter in comparison to allying with a Kingdom? Floyd and I were just bargaining chips.

"It's another story entirely for Ringwood." As if it couldn't get any worse, Wynn had to open her mouth again. "So soon after a cult attack, the citizens are in a frenzy over even the _slightest_ sign of a black-leather cap. They're irrational and scared, but that makes them more violent."

"So, if presented with two supposed high-ranking Endward Cult members, they'd rip us apart." Floyd filled in, looking pale. "That about sums it up?"

Wynn's silence was telling.

The wanted posters only offered the reward if we were alive. That struck me as odd since I remembered 4Blite's to be _dead_ or alive. It wouldn't matter to Ringwood's citizens, though. They wouldn't even bother trying to take us alive. They despised the cult. We'd be lucky if they didn't burn us at the stake!

"Great. Just great!" Floyd exclaimed while sinking into one of the chairs. "So, what, now they'll be hunting us!? All because of a piece of paper!? This… ugh… this is unbelievable…"

"Why is Nitebane after us though?" I questioned aloud. "I haven't been there at all."

"I'm not sure." Wynn frowned. "An old foe must hold a grudge against you two. Their accusations are baseless, but they know enough that nobody will care, given the position of power Nitebane holds. I won't lie, establishing an EXP trade with Nitebane is tempting. It would do wonders for our current economical situation. It would help us out of the hole set forth by the cult and their Creepers."

"…So then, should we let ourselves be caught?"

Wynn turned to me with a look of shock. "What? No!"

"I'm just saying…" I paused, thinking over my words. "The guards won't kill us if we turn ourselves in. They'll take us to Nitebane so we can figure out what we did to piss them off. And Ringwood establishes good relations." I blinked as I stared back at Wynn. "Isn't that the most favorable case?"

"No—Cobb, you're correct, that _is_ the most favorable case, but there's no telling what Nitebane will do to you." Wynn frowned as she looked me in the eye. "Don't even think about turning yourself in… yet. We need to find out more about Nitebane and whoever took control before considering handing yourselves over."

"Indeed." Lenz chipped in. "They may only want you in Nitebane to publicly execute you themselves. I know you did nothing wrong so there is no reason to believe anything printed on these flimsy wanted posters."

"I don't want to go back to Nitebane." Floyd firmly stated. "I almost died there once. No matter what, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't survive a second time."

Again, Floyd idly touched his eyelids. It was becoming a habit for him whenever he was uncomfortable.

"I don't want to hear any more talk of you turning yourself in." Wynn pressed determinedly. "As a Captain of Ringwood, I am officially advising you to go on the lam. Keep out of the law's clutches and disregard what any official figure says."

I couldn't help but snicker at the irony. "Does that include what you're saying now?"

She replied by softly smacking me across the head. "You know what I mean. From now on, you and Floyd will be considered criminals."

"If that's the case, why aren't we running out of this Kingdom as fast as we can?" The guards would arrest us, but the citizens were at rip-us-open-and-drink-our-blood levels of wanting to kill us, just because they thought us to be cultists.

"You can't run out there right away because I still have stuff to tell you." Wynn returned the wanted posters to her backpack. "You _do_ have to leave though. _Today_. Staying in this bunker might buy you a week, but eventually you'll need food and one of the neighbors will notice Erin, Lenz, or I spending unusually long amounts of time in an outhouse."

Brain: _You could only blame diarrhea so many times._

"Not to mention I'll be considered an accomplice and lose my captainship if you're discovered."

"Got it. We'll pack up quick." I signaled Floyd and Lenz to grab their gear and be back. I already had everything on me. "Can't say I expected this… or that I feel comfortable with this. I'm… a little scared, honestly. But we were going to leave in a day anyway. We're heading towards—"

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd rather you _not_ tell me where it is you're planning to go." Wynn cut me off with a raised hand. "That way, if his Eminence asks me, I can honestly claim ignorance. Though I advise against heading east."

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks." We were heading south to Zeppil so it worked out. Unless of course our wanted posters were there waiting for us.

Gulp.

Five minutes later, Floyd and Lenz were finished packing up. Lenz was quite somber saying goodbye to the Inhouse, though Wynn promised that she and Erin would look after it in our stead.

"His Eminence will order me to search for you guys soon." Wynn sighed, glancing at a clock at her belt. "The Northern, Eastern, and Western toll gates have been repaired and beefed up to deter cultists from exiting or leaving the city. Security there is too tight, so your only chance would be to use ender pearls—"

"Don't got any."

"—or to slip out through the Southern toll gate. It's still under repairs and there aren't many guards." She looked concerned. "Do you have a plan to travel through—"

"We can use these." I assured her, taking out the Potions of Invisibility I had taken off of Hugh the cultist. "We just need to strip off our armor and not hold anything and we should be okay."

"Isn't this the same tactic those cultists used?" Floyd asked with a raised brow. "Not the best way to prove we have nothing to do with them, eh Cobb? Also, eight minutes? It's a long way to the Southern toll."

"We'll make it."

"Wait!" Lenz panicked, seeing the potions in me and Floyd's hands. "You only have two potions! What about me?"

"What about you? You're not a wanted criminal."

"Floyd's right." I nodded to the engineer. "You can just walk about normally. Nobody should have any reason to call you out as our accomplice. We'll stand at your sides so you won't lose us."

"…Very well."

"You probably already know this, but don't kill anyone while running." Wynn advised. "You can run or fight, but when you start killing, people will doubt your innocence more and more."

I nodded. As long as they only tried to capture us, I would have no reason to kill. But the second anyone decided we were better off dead… well, I wouldn't sit idly by.

"And one last thing." Wynn caught my shoulder before I could drink the potion. "Sorry. I know you should be in a hurry, but this is very important.

"Cobb, you know I know you're innocent." Wynn clarified, to which I nodded. "You know that I'm against imprisoning you since I've seen the way you fight for people. I can't express in words how grateful I am to you for Halstatt and stopping the herd.

"I just want you to know, however… that I can't promise I won't come after you."

I was confused by the double negative, but I think I understood the gist of it.

"Like I said, His Eminence will order me to pursue you. Even though I'm grateful for all you've done… I swore an oath: To defend this Kingdom and to pledge my loyalty to His Eminence."

"But Cobbert's innocent—"

"But King Miles doesn't know that!" Wynn stressed. "To him, you are a criminal as well as a way of salvaging what's left of this Kingdom through bartering with Nitebane. You've benefited Ringwood and its people, but I can't deny that King Miles' orders will also benefit Ringwood and its people. Therefore, I can't ignore his orders if he asks me to capture you. I can drag my feet to buy you some time, but other than that my hands are tied.

"Meaning, if a Ringwood citizen was to see Cobb and I, and that same citizen saw me acknowledge Cobb's existence, I would have no choice but to _appear_ as a Captain arresting a dangerous criminal." She fixed me with her amber gaze. "Do you understand?"

I did understand. We were practically brother and sister, but she had her responsibilities to Ringwood to uphold. The Kingdom needed her. She couldn't possibly put my needs ahead of the tens of thousands of citizens entrusting their lives to her. It was the reason I had suggested turning myself in. She was already doing so much to stick her neck out for us. It would just be petty to hold it against her.

"I understand, Wynn. Thank you." I respectfully bowed. "Thank you for everything."

Wynn smiled lightly, even though it was a bit sad. "You better get going. Don't trust anyone either. No telling what new lows people would stoop—"

I abandoned all professionalism as I reached out and hugged the Captain tightly. Some of her long ivory hair got in my face and she stiffened in my embrace, but soon settled by returning the gesture.

"You be careful, okay?" She pleaded, terrified to death for the innocent newb with a target on his back.

"I will." I nodded. "I'll wait 60 seconds and think of you every time I'm about to do something stupid."

She laughed genuinely, though she sounded a little choked up. "I knew I could get you to listen to me."

"Um… not to rush this moment, but I already drank the potion." The invisible Floyd commented with a twinge of panic. "Seven minutes fifty seconds… forty-nine seconds… forty-eight seconds…"

With a final squeeze, I let go of Wy—my big sister—stripped off my armor, and downed my potion. My black-and-white hoodie and jeans vanished into thin air, making me just as non-existent as my archery skills.

One at a time, we all entered the elevator and shot up to the surface. Up there, we were wanted men. I hid my fear well, but the idea of constantly checking my back for signs of being followed or recognized was difficult to accept. Just yesterday we were making plans walking in plain sight. But now…

 _Not the best first day for the Beginners._

* * *

[Wynn]

Not five minutes after Cobb and his friends left, there was a heavy knock at my front door.

I took one glance at the tear-stained face of my housekeeper and knew she would be too distraught over Cobb's unjustified wanted status to reign in her emotions.

"Upstairs." I whispered to her as a second set of knocks assaulted the door. She tremulously nodded before scurrying up the steps and out of sight.

Outside, I caught glimpses of armored guards wearing Ringwood's colors. Swords were at their belts and I didn't have to guess why they were here.

I got up from my seat and walked towards the door, dumping the two wanted posters in the fireplace along the way. I would play ignorant for the moment.

On the third set of knocks, I opened the door quickly and pulled off a passable look of astonishment. "Why, hello there. Is there a reason why so many guards are at my doorstep?"

"Captain Wynn!" One of the guards exclaimed with a salute. The others did the same. "We've been searching all over the plateau for you! You've always been there on time, every day. What have you been doing here all morning?"

"I was expecting a personal meeting with Daymonte's envoy." Not entirely a lie, since the odds Veronica would show up uninvited were one-hundred percent. "Forgive me. I wasn't aware I needed to inform you of my schedule."

"Ah. N-no, no. I wasn't—" The guard wilted under my stern gaze. "I mean… I wasn't implying… forgive me for my rudeness, but His Eminence has an urgent order for you."

"I see. That demands my full attention." I began, trying to bide my time. "Perhaps we can discuss this inside? My housekeeper just made breakfast."

The guards looked at me as if I was some mysterious creature with multiple heads and even I had to wince at how out of character my offer sounded. I would never normally invite twenty guards into my home just so they could inform me of a royal order over breakfast.

"Er… I'm afraid there's no time for that."

"Right. We need to act quickly." Another guard chimed. "His Eminence requests you to help search for the wanted Crafters King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd. He said you were familiar with them."

"Cobb… Cobb…" I tapped my chin, pretending to recall a name that I had already committed to memory. "Ah, that's right! There was a fellow like that. It was so long ago, I had honestly forgotten."

Spencer was among the guards at my doorstep and he seemed shocked. "You forgot him!? How could you—the guy killed a Ha… ghhhhhh…" he cut himself off, remembering not to say a word about it. "He accompanied us to Daymonte!"

"With all the damage of the Creeper herd and the craziness of the Bounty Day, I had a lot on my plate to bother remembering an insignificant Crafter." I winced again at the tone of dismissal in my voice. It was to buy Cobb time. It was to buy Cobb time.

"Well he's not as insignificant a Crafter as you might think." Another guard informed, making me curse at how quickly we were approaching the crux of the order. "He's an Executive of the Endward Cult. That blue-haired guy is his Lieutenant. We heard rumors that he was living here—"

"I can assure you those two criminals are not within this mansion." I shut him down. "Only my housekeeper and I are here. You are welcome to prove me wrong if need be."

I was hoping they would. Wasting their time searching my mansion would work in Cobb's favor.

"We have no reason to doubt you." The guard at the front replied. "His Eminence simply wanted you to lead us in our search for them. We know they're still somewhere in the Kingdom since eyewitnesses saw them yesterday. The toll gates haven't seen them either, but are now on high alert."

"Captain Iron_Lung is leading a search party of fifty and they're going building to building. We thought we'd head towards the Southern toll gate since it's the weakest and in need of the most protection."

"Perhaps." I replied evasively. "It's a sound assumption. However, could they not also ender pearl over the walls? Or burrow underground? We cannot rule out these possibilities."

"You're right ma'am." The front guard nodded respectfully. "But we also can't ignore the weakness of the Southern toll gate. It's the likeliest escape route."

I gnashed my teeth. "You… make an excellent point. Very well, we shall move to the Southern toll gate. Just give me a few minutes to get ready—"

"But you already have your rapier and armor. What more do you need?"

"I… oh, yes, you are right. I could not be more prepared." I cursed my own preparedness. Why couldn't I have dumped everything in a chest!?

"Good. Then we can go, yes?"

"…I can't think of anything else that would otherwise impede me so..." I paused for a few moments longer than usual. "Yes. Let us move with haste."

The guards nodded and moved aside to let me pass and lead them.

I let out a short sigh before breaking into a light jog. It was a steady pace that I could claim preserved my energy when really it would buy Cobb more ti—

*SPLASH*

The feeling of invigoration never felt so damnable. A Splash Potion of Swiftness had been thrown at our feet by one of the guards.

"You seem to have forgotten something after all, Captain." The guard with the splash potion, Ricardo, laughed. "Not to worry. I have enough Potions of Swiftness to go around."

"Very good, Ricardo." I fake cheered while internally I was screaming. "With this, we'll reach the Southern toll gate in no time."

 _…_ _Joy._

* * *

[Cobb]

Even though it was safer for Lenz to appear as inconspicuous as possible, we didn't have the time to dawdle. We whispered to him to pick up the pace when our invisibility timers hit the four minute mark.

The problem was, he was incredibly slow. He was panting in exhaustion and sweating, yet still he kept running. He fully realized we needed to leave Ringwood as quickly as possible. This was aided by the fact that our wanted posters were being pasted on item frames all over buildings and walls. Everyone was abuzz, speaking about Nitebane's latest revival or of the high-ranking cultists worth enough emeralds to buy an airship.

It made for a very tense atmosphere. Floyd and I had to pull Lenz along at one point when his pace got between jog and slog. Through our combined efforts, we made it to the toll gates with just two minutes left to spare.

"Almost there." I whispered to Lenz in an attempt to motivate him. "Just a little further and we're out."

Security there _was_ lighter. There were only three guards covering the large gap made by several Creeper explosions. There were a few wooden stands acting as toll gates, but they wouldn't notice a pair of invisible Crafters slinking by. It was a cinch.

"Oi! Hold up one second!"

Lenz froze after being pointed at by one of the guards in front of the toll gate. This guard had green hair and it was with an internal groan that I recognized him to be mother-fucking _Bitters_! Of all the guards, it just had to be him.

"You there! With the tinted glasses!" He called out again, catching the attention of a few passing Crafters. Bitters approached Lenz with a measured gait. "I remember you. You're friends with that punk, Cobb."

 _Punk?_ I bristled indignantly before realizing it was the _least_ offending thing I'd been accused of all day.

"I guess that makes you a cultist too, huh?" Bitters questioned loudly, causing a bunch of citizens to stare in their direction. The bastard was trying to rile up the crowd.

"Er… I heard the news about Cobb." Lenz began. "I was horrified to discover his connection to the cult. It caught a lot of people who thought they knew him by surprise."

"That so?" Bitters inquired suspiciously. "You've just cast him aside? You're not considering sympathizing with him or believing him to be innocent, right?"

"Not at all." It was hard to tell whether the sweat on his brow was from running or from the nerves at being scrutinized.

I glanced at my arm worriedly. Godamnit, that green-haired asshole was wasting all our time!

Bitters looked Lenz up and down before narrowing his eyes. "Where are you heading?"

Lenz shrugged. "Just out to… mine some redstone." He invented on the spot.

Bitters frowned. "Then how come I don't see an iron pick?"

I panicked at the hole Bitters poked in Lenz's story, but Lenz recovered quickly.

"I was planning on mining the iron for it first." He remained calm. "It is cheaper and more practical, no?"

Bitters narrowed his eyes and hummed to himself. If he was going to come to a conclusion, it had to be now. We only had a minute left on our Invisibility!

"Alright, I see no problem then." Bitters moved aside to let Lenz pass, permitting me and Floyd to breathe again. Lenz remained neutral as he moved to pass the guard.

"Just remember to inform the guards if you see him." Bitters held out an arm to stop the engineer one last time. "Cobb is cultist-leading scum and deserves to rot in a cell for the rest of his life."

Floyd and I ignored the guard's final parting words and kept moving on, eager to pass through those toll gates and escape into the charred remains of the forest.

But Lenz stopped dead in his tracks. "What did you say?"

We whirled around, trying to drag the engineer away, but Bitters had heard and seemed eager to repeat himself.

"I said what I've always been saying since the moment I met him." Bitters clarified with added venom. "Cobb is no good. He feigned incompetence just to make himself look good when really he had cultist knowledge. No wonder he passed those Creepers back at the basin! He studied the things and used that information to herd them towards Ringwood! Nothing but pure evil."

"Ignore him, Lenz." I whispered urgently so that Bitters wouldn't hear. "We have to go, now!"

Our timers only had thirty seconds!

"Perhaps you are right." Lenz conceded to the guard. "Perhaps Cobb _is_ a cultist, masquerading as a Crafter just like you and I."

Lenz clenched his fists, glaring at Bitters with obvious disdain.

"But do keep in mind that a cultist masquerading as a guard was more willing to defend his allies in Halstatt than a guard of your caliber who simply ran away."

…

Brain: _Oooh, Bitters is gonna need a Potion of Healing for that one._

Bitters was fuming over Lenz's words. His face went red with anger and screwed up with fury. "You nerdy…" Bitters reared back a fist to punch Lenz in the face.

*WHACK*

Only for a shield to appear out of nowhere and block it.

"What the… Gah!" Bitters was struck across the chest by a floating iron sword.

Lenz looked on worriedly as the invisibility on Floyd and I wore off, revealing us for all eyes to see.

"…Shit." I mumbled to the sound of alarmed cries, shocked gasps, and angry sputters.

"It's them!"

"They were here all along!?"

"You're right! He looks just as stupid as he does in the poster!"

"Invisibility Potions! I heard the cultists used that to infiltrate the Kingdom!"

"So those two _are_ guilty!"

"Why conceal themselves if they've got nothing to hide?"

I felt the odious glares being directed at us from every witnessing citizen. It was palpable how much they hated us, just because they thought us to be cultists.

"I... forgive me, Cobbert." Lenz apologized, cowering between Floyd and I over the enemies on all sides. "I exposed the two of you-"

"Our invisibility was wearing off anyway." Floyd comforted with a slight nudge to the engineer's side. "And that guard had it coming."

The remaining two guards covering the toll gates were quick to arm themselves and set off fireworks to alert any nearby guards or Captains. They glared at the three of us. "King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd! You two are under suspicion of being high-ranking members of the Endward Cult! And you with the glasses, you're obviously aiding them as an accomplice! All three of you are under arrest!"

Floyd and I quickly put on our armor and readied our weapons. We would have to fight our way through while there were only two guards to worry about. It was only a matter of time before the citizens just mobbed us in an angry frenzy. They were already starting to move in with on-hand weapons.

"Wait!"

A familiar voice called out from the crowd before an ivory-haired blur leapt over heads and skid to a stop between us and the toll gate.

"It's Captain Wynn!" One of the citizens cheered, causing a round of applause to accompany her arrival.

She took it in stride, flipping her hair and withdrawing a rapier from her belt. My heart sank into my stomach. Even with the head-start she gave us, we were too late. She had to arrest us now or else risk her captainship. She couldn't just let us go!

"All of you please stay back." Wynn advised. The citizens followed her order, but the twenty guards she brought with her were surprised to hear that they too had to back away. "These three Crafters are very dangerous and skilled. No doubt they have many deadly tricks up their sleeves that could catch any ordinary Crafter unawares. For your safety, please leave them to an experienced Captain."

I caught Wynn's gaze and saw her nod imperceptibly.

 _Wynn, you beautiful bastard!_ I felt my spirits lift again. She was trying to keep the guards and citizens out of the fight for our benefit.

The guards hesitated, not quite comfortable with leaving their Captain to face three supposedly deadly cultists.

"Surrender yourself, King_Cobb!" Wynn called out in a commanding tone that almost made me drop my weapons. "You have no chance of escape. Captain Iron_Lung will have seen those fireworks and will be here in TEN MINUTES to apprehend you. Even if I cannot defeat you, I only have to keep you indisposed until help arrives."

I caught on to her hidden message. We had ten minutes to escape and then there was nothing more she could do for us. On the one hand, challenging Wynn to a fight was verging suicidal. But with three of us against her and my suspicion that she would be holding back to give us a chance of escape, our odds weren't so bad.

I tilted my head towards Floyd and Lenz who both seemed to understand Wynn's intentions. With a nod, I turned back to face her and mustered up the most evil voice I could think of.

"I'm afraid surrendering is not an option, Captain Wynn_Whispers." It was weird calling her by her full name, but she was doing it with me, so, when in Ringwood… "While I'm aware of how skilled and determined you are, I'm afraid you alone don't stand a chance against the three of us."

Wynn opened her mouth to spit out another line of cheesy dialogue, only for another line of cheesy dialogue to cut her off.

"Who said anything about her being alone?"

The next instant, Floyd, Lenz, and I were all sent sprawling onto our backs with arrows sticking out of our chests. I winced at the projectile, wondering with confusion who could have—

"Oh no…" Lenz breathed as he pointed up towards the rooftop of one building where a blonde archer was twirling her bow idly.

Veronica.

The guards and citizens pointed up to the roof in astonishment as the blonde Captain slid down and landed perfectly beside an agape Wynn.

"V-Veronica… what… excellent timing…" She sputtered with her eyes darting between us and the newly arrived Captain.

"I knew it all along!" Veronica called out as she pointed a finger at me. "I knew these guys were cultists the _second_ I heard that they slept under the same roof as—I mean the second I laid my eyes on these three little turds!"

Wynn blushed beet red, but admirably refused to facepalm.

"Don't worry, Wynn!" Veronica called out supportively, causing the uncertain guards to readily step aside to let two professionals handle things. "With the two of us forming our dream team, we'll capture these pricks and split the reward fifty-fifty! Let's kick some cultist butt!"

"Y-Yes! Let's!" Wynn had no choice but to agree.

...

…I couldn't do it.

"Pftt…"

I couldn't hold it in.

"Pppfffhahahaha!"

I burst out laughing in sheer disbelief at the current situation. Even though it was serious and spelled disaster for me and my friends… it was just too hilarious! Once I started, I couldn't stop. The onlookers thought me bold to laugh in the face of danger or just plain insane, but I didn't care.

To have one Captain pretend to apprehend me only for another Captain to show up thinking it was genuine. Never in a million years would a situation like this ever happen again. And that's what made it funny. Even Floyd found it in himself to chuckle a bit.

Wynn had chosen that moment to facepalm, her rapier hanging loosely at her side. The sight of it just set me off again, causing a more uproarious laugh to tumble free from my lips and unfurl into the sky. I completely lost it, rolling onto my back and just laughing.

"Ahahahahaha!"

"You think you're hot shit, don't you!" Veronica called over angrily, already arming her bow for another shot. "Yuck it up, you little turd. I'll be the one with the last laugh when this is all over."

"I seriously doubt it!" I shouted between laughs, tears in my eyes. Oh God, I couldn't breathe!

"Cobbert, you are making her mad…" Lenz warned in terror, fumbling with his own bow as he watched the blonde Captain simmer. He inched behind Floyd, using him as a shield while Floyd used his shield as a… shield.

With a twang, the Golden Hawk of Daymonte launched an arrow at my face and began the battle.

Ten minutes. Two Captains.

 _Reaaaaaally not a good beginning for the Beginners._

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [ _Sharpness I, Unbreaking I_ ]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 64 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 6 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 5 Cooked Fish, 64 Cooked Chicken, 64 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 64 Steak, 28 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Shield, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 18 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: Captains vs Beginners! Who will win? How will they win? What is the meaning behind Cobb's strange Cake Dream?**

 **And most importantly, who will remove the stick shoved up Bitters' ass!?**

 **Find out next time on My Craft!**

 **For this week's Omake, I couldn't think of something so I scanned my computer for something suitable a wrote a while back and I found _this_ little gem of an interation.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Omake: Mark and Teal

Lieutenant MarkAble was a methodical, attentive, and well-rounded individual. He worked hard to organize the cult's Eastern Division and manage paperwork and certain Crafters.

So, when he learned he would be participating in a mission joined by Teal_Larkspur, he felt the need to set a few ground rules to keep the affectionate woman away from him.

He demanded they sleep in different tents distanced no less than ten meters from each other, and that Teal refrained from touching him for the duration of the mission, unless otherwise asked or when Mark's life was in danger.

Surprisingly, Teal agreed.

But on one condition.

"Kiss me." She declared openly, sporting a rather confident smile. "If you kiss me on the lips, I'll follow all of your other rules to the letter."

Of course, Mark could never muster up the courage for something like that. It would just feed Teal's infatuation with him all the more. And Mark had a feeling that Teal knew that.

But he wasn't about to give up and let her have her way. So, when she asked him to kiss him, he had a hastily formed plan at the ready.

"Very well, Teal." He spoke with a resigned tone, surprising the blue-nette. "Close your eyes and let's just get it over with."

Teal's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really? You will!" She was practically jumping with joy.

"Yes, yes. Just close your eyes before I change my mind."

Immediately, Teal's eyes snapped shut. Her lips were puckered and she was leaning slightly forward, ready to accept Mark's act of affection.

But Mark had other ideas.

Mark kept his breathing controlled as he approached Teal. After testing if her eyes were really shut by waving his hands in front of her face, he quietly raised two digits—his index and middle finger—pressed them together, and curled them so that the knuckles stuck out. He closed his own eyes and raised the knuckles to his mouth, testing the texture. He was certain they would be impossible to discern from a real pair of lips… but just to be safe, he moistened them with a light lick.

 _Perfect._ He thought approvingly.

Again he waved his hand in front of a waiting Teal before slowly pressing his moistened fingers to her mouth. Teal, with eyes still closed, hummed her approval, pushing against the fake lips. When Mark felt her tongue glide across them, he quickly drew back, blushing like crazy.

"Alright, there's your kiss!" He spoke with a cracked voice. "Satisfied?"

Teal's eyes slowly fluttered open and she raised a hand to her lips, running her tongue along them as if to savor the flavor. She eyed Mark seductively, her lips turning up in a smile. "Very~"

And so, Teal kept her word. On the first day, the two Lieutenants rested in separate tents on separate beds and Teal hadn't touched him once.

The second day was much the same.

The third day, Mark woke up in his bed…

And nearly screamed when he felt an extra pair of arms hugging him from behind.

He didn't even need to ask who it was. He already knew. If the strands of blue ponytail trailing beside his head or the fishnet stocking-clad arms and legs wrapped around him weren't enough of a clue, he could always count on Teal_Larkspur to be the only woman in Minecraftia to ever spoon him. He, for some strange reason, being the little spoon to her big spoon.

He could hear her snoozing contentedly behind him, hugging him tenderly like one might an oversized teddy bear.

While it irritated him that she would disregard the rules he set forth (the fact that he cheated his way out of her kiss condition was irrelevant), he had to admit that, with the morning as cold as it was, her presence was quite comforting. Her body was soft and warm against his—

 _No! Bad thoughts!_ He freed a hand to smack himself in the face. _I'm not looking for a relationship!_

He tried to wriggle out from Teal's hold, but it only caused her to stir and eventually wake up.

"Mmmhmhm. I was having a nice dream." She gave an airy giggle as she hugged Mark closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You were in it, buuuut with a lot less clothes~" She whispered the last bit into his ear, enjoying the way he fidgeted.

"Teal!" He groaned, straining to break her loose hold on him. "What happened to our agreement? I gave you your kiss—"

"You gave me two of your fingers." Teal nipped lightly at his neck, causing him to whimper. "You were trying to trick me, you naughty boy~"

"But your eyes were closed! How… how did you—?"

"I peeked~!" She grinned happily while her hands started to roam over his chest. "But enough about that. Let's you and I play a little early morning game." Mark took a sharp intake of breath when one of her hands trailed lower. "Try and escape my grasp. The longer you take, the more _intimate_ these hands get~"

"Couldn't we just play Twenty Questions—Eep!"

It was when Teal's hand began to slip into his pants that he freaked out. He rolled around, Teal hanging on for the ride, as he desperately tried to squirm, wriggle, and worm his way out of her embrace. Teal's giggles turned to full-blown laughter at his fruitless struggles. She looked to be having the time of her life, rolling around the tent with him while her hands occasionally teased lower and lower to guarantee an adorable response.

By the time Mark managed to roll out of the tent and onto the forest floor, he was panting with exhaustion, his face flush with mortification. Teal was panting too, but for other reasons.

"Uh-oh." She sing-songed as her warm body settled over Mark's, her chin resting atop his magenta-haired head and her hand halfway into his pants. "I think lefty wants to meet little MarkAble junior~!"

"Don't you touch him!" Mark shrieked, though he dared not move for fear of her hand brushing up against anything. "Please, Teal, I don't—"

Whatever Mark wanted to say, Teal didn't know. He had stopped so abruptly and his eyes were looking, not at her as she would have wanted, but at a pair of boots not even a meter away from them.

A tough-looking Crafter with his sword planted in the dirt was looking down upon the two Lieutenants, sporting a roguish smirk. Behind him were about fifteen Crafters, all with bows loaded and aimed at the pair.

"Good morning." The Crafter with the sword greeted. "So sorry to interrupt your lovemaking, but my compatriots and I were wondering if you were carrying any valuables with you."

Before Mark could point out the difference between 'lovemaking' and 'non-consensual rape', Teal asked a question of her own.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Ah! But where are my manners?" The apparent leader flourished dramatically. "We, madam, are the Rosewood Knights, here to divest you of your weighty valuables. Diamonds and emeralds, if you are so afflicted." He made it sound like they were performing a charitable service, but it was plain to Mark that they were asking to steal from them.

"I _do_ hope you'll acquiesce peacefully to our requisitioning." The leader nodded to the archers aimed towards them. "The last group we asked… well… let's just say things got a tad _messy_. Horrible tragedy, really. Completely avoidable if they had just listened."

Mark had a pretty good idea what they wanted. And a pretty good idea of what they'd do if they didn't get it.

He tilted his head up to look at Teal, who tilted her head down to look at him. They shared a meaningful look, and, with Teal's pleading puppy dog eyes staring him down, Mark rolled his own and nodded.

Her follow-up smile could only be described as maniacal.

* * *

"Oh, my gosh! She's so fast!" Came a forced voice as Teal raised up the Head of one of the Rosewood Knights. She was throwing her voice off in a poor imitation of the knight's when he was alive.

"And so cool! Ooooh!" Teal deepened her voice even further, raising another knight's Head and shaking it as if it was swooning.

"And so so gorgeous!" She continued in a perfect imitation of the leader knight's voice as she raised his Head up last. "Why oh why can't Mark see what he's missing? What all our archers are missing! Why, it's Teal_Larkspur!"

"Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind." Teal gushed, bowing for the puppet show she was performing with the remains of the slain Rosewood Knights. Killing them had taken all of five minutes, and that was only because Mark had argued that she couldn't bring one of them along as her toy. A shame, but it wasn't like she didn't have other people to occupy her time.

"So, Mark," she turned to her fellow Lieutenant with a seductive lilt in her tone, "where were we~?"

"Leaving." Mark finished for her. "We were leaving."

He had already packed up both tents in the time it took Teal to dispatch her enemies. He prodded the knights' gear with his foot as he passed, picking out several useful potion ingredients along with Heads for quotas and emeralds for expenses.

He was also refusing to look at Teal, likely not wanting to recall what had almost happened had they not been interrupted.

Teal fell into step beside him, skipping lightly while shooting fond glances in Mark's direction. If she did only that for the rest of the journey, he honestly wouldn't mind her company.

But when she got too forward or bored… her teasing would haunt his dreams. Not in a bad way per se, but—

No! He just wanted to be friends with her! Anything more just wouldn't work.

He sighed hoping the Ocean Monument was close.

* * *

 **AN: I enjoy writing these two Lieutenants. Just because they're the bad guys doesn't mean they have to be unentertaining.**


	86. Cobb vs Wynn

**AN: _What!?_ A Chapter being published on an actual Wednesday? What madness is this!?**

 **Anyway, I'm bringing back the weekly updates on Wednesdays. It'll be easier, I think, but the Chapters might be shorter. I want to see if I can progress the plot with less words. We'll see how it goes.**

 **AxeHelix: Oh, and you guys are welcome for me kicking Cobb's ass into such a high gear that he posted TWO Chapters in one week.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add fishing rod grappling hooks.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 86

 **Cobb vs Wynn**

[Floyd]

This was just unfair.

Even with three of us against two of them. More like three on one-and-a-half since Wynn was going easy on us. But despite our numbers advantage, we were losing. _Badly_.

Veronica's shots were precise and deliberate, working to either damage or separate us. An arrow would aim towards one of our sides, forcing us to dodge in one direction. The blonde would then keep shooting to further widen the gap.

Meanwhile, Captain Wynn had no other choice but to capitalize on our separation. The moment Cobb was pushed far enough away from us she rushed in and jabbed at his chest. The strike was purposefully slower so he could evade it, but Veronica followed up with an arrow that weaved beneath Wynn's arm to nail Cobb in the chin, stunning him.

With no way to explain why she would hesitate upon a stunned opponent, Wynn spun around and delivered a swift kick to Cobb's side, sending him flying.

She salvaged it by kicking him _towards_ us so that we could group back up, but she couldn't undo the damage it had inflicted. He was clutching his ribs, coughing for breath.

Running away was out of the question. The watching guards and citizens had taken up on both sides of the street. The half-repaired buildings rose up on the remaining two sides, effectively penning us. The toll gates were within sight, but Wynn and Veronica were standing between us and them.

We would have to subdue the Captains first before even attempting to fight through that crowd to the gates. And we only had a few minutes before Iron_Lung and his backup arrived to finish us off.

Needless to say I wasn't very optimistic about our chances.

"Get behind me!" I warned Cobb and Lenz as three arrows were sent hurtling towards us. I raised my broad shield and heard each projectile hit with a _thunk_. Just like before, however, I didn't take any damage.

 _This Bounty Day shield is amazing._ I thought to myself as I heard more arrows impact the wood. It was like I had mobile cover at my fingertips.

"Okay, so, plan?" I asked behind while taking the brunt of Veronica's attacks. "What do we got?"

"We need to knock them both out." Cobb said, still clutching his side. "I'll take Wynn, you two take Veronica."

 _Oh, sure, give us the Captain_ trying _to capture us._

"Why did you have to laugh at her?" Lenz asked while cowering behind both Cobb and I. "My archery cannot compete with hers! She is a Captain!"

"We can't waste time saying what we can't do!" Cobb snapped, arming himself with a sword. "We _have_ to get out of here! Now!"

He was right. More and more arrows beat against my shield, both forming a constant cacophony of urgency and beating away at its durability. But what could the three of us do against two Captains?

…

Actually…

…There was _one_ thing I could do.

My hands ghosted over my eyes.

Thirty seconds of power. If I could just harness it—

No!

No, I couldn't use it.

Not only would it make the others wary, it would only paint me as a bigger threat to the populace. I had to keep it bottled away.

"Perhaps…" Lenz glanced between the shield in my arms and the tall outer wall in front of us. He swapped his glasses out for his goggles in the process and adopted a contemplative look. "Yes… yes, I think I have an escape plan! A way of working around those angry citizens."

"That's more like it!" Cobb smiled supportively. "So what do we do?"

"First we must incapacitate our willing and unwilling pursuers." He whispered under his breath. "Then we… Arc Shot!"

 _Arc Shot?_ I thought bemusedly before feeling something strike my arm.

I glanced back to see an arrow lodged into it. _But how'd she get past the shield?_

My answer came in the form of several arrows being arced over the shield before angling towards us. I quickly raised the shield above my head. I succeeded in blocking the latest strikes, but cursed upon realizing I had exposed my front.

Wynn shot forward, sweeping at my exposed legs with her rapier. I was helpless to stop her, but found myself surprised when Lenz of all people ducked low beneath the shield before thrusting both arms out in a weak shove. It caught Wynn by surprise too, but she let it make contact and even jumped back to give the impression that his shove had a lot more power to it. She flipped in the air to recover and eyed Lenz warily.

His moment of glory was short lived when Veronica shot around Wynn's left, her bow notched with arrows. "Moving artillery, six-eyes! Remember?" She taunted before launching a volley of them at the engineer.

Lenz paled, only to yelp when he was yanked back by Cobb's fishing rod and away from harm. I dove aside from the arrows that pelted the ground.

After Lenz was safe, Cobb brandished his fishing rod with an eager smile. "No better time to test this out." He whispered before rushing towards Wynn. She bent low, narrowing her eyes at the tool, while Veronica settled for aiming her bow at him.

She had to give up her shot, however, when Lenz fired an arrow of his own at her. Then, as if remembering a lesson, he sidestepped parallel to Veronica, keeping her on her toes.

"Moving artillery, indeed!" He shot back with a determined glower, causing Veronica to smirk dangerously.

"Challenging the Mastah at her own game? Bring it on, six-eyes!" She mocked before circling him at a faster pace.

And straight into my shield. "AH! The Mastah is wounded!" I clotheslined the distracted Captain, causing her to crash into the ground. She skidded away, her momentum carrying her past me.

Despite skidding away in that state, the Captain was able to fire off an arrow that sunk into my calf. I leaned on my other leg and hopped about, wincing at the damage.

 _Well, these are the matchups Cobb was going for._ I thought to myself with a grimace. He was off facing Wynn and we were left with the more dangerous one.

Hopefully Wynn would take a dive and free Cobb up to help us.

* * *

[Cobb]

"So you seek to challenge me, criminal?" Wynn asked aloud so that the onlookers could hear her.

"You could always move aside." I suggested, already knowing she wouldn't be allowed but figuring it was for the crowd's benefit. "Just let us pass and nobody gets hurt."

"And throw away my pride as Ringwood's Captain? I think not." Wynn countered with raised rapier. "If you want to get away it's only going to be over my broken body."

She was really getting into her acting. Either that or she was just spouting every dramatic cliché she could think of.

She was right about one thing. I'd have to defeat her if I wanted to get away.

"Prepare yourself!" Wynn suddenly shouted before darting forward. Instead of swapping out my fishing rod, I tried the dual-wielding thing. One arm held my sword while the other held my fishing rod.

Maybe it was a bit of a low blow to use my newest weapon against her of all people… but maybe that made it all the more fitting. It would give her something to seethe over in my absence. For some reason, I figured it would be a comfort.

She struck with her rapier, but at half-speed. Even so, I had difficulty deflecting it with my sword. She spun with the deflection, swiping high at my neck. Too high. I barely had to duck to dodge it. She was going easy on me. I didn't have a clue how much she was holding back to help us.

But someone noticed.

"Wynn! Quit playing around and hit him already!" Veronica called from afar before I felt an arrow strike me in the knee.

I stumbled off balance and Wynn's eyes widened as she had no other choice but to pierce me with her rapier. As the thin metal blade neared my torso, ready to strike the leather tunic dyed in her Kingdom's colors, I brought my fishing rod forward and tilted it so that the handle was pointing out. Then I swung it at her shoulder.

Her rapier ignored the armor's protection and cut deep. The handle of my fishing rod impacted her shoulder with a meaty thud.

I gave up a step. She gave up twenty.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she found herself being knocked back—without intending to—further than any regular strike would have caused. The force of it upon her upper shoulder lifted her a foot off the ground before she settled back down on both feet and skidded with the landing.

She ran a hand over her shoulder and checked her Health before shooting a Wynn-like glare my way. "What was that?"

" _That_ was my newest weapon." I explained with a smile while showing off my fishing rod. My newly _enchanted_ fishing rod. "What you just felt was the _Backlash_!"

Her eyebrow twitched. "The what?"

"The Backlash!" I exclaimed while waving the thing around. "You know, backlash! Like the recoil. The counterattack. The retaliation! It's a great name!"

"You enchanted your _fishing rod_?" Wynn asked testily. It was harder to tell whether it was an act or not. No doubt she was reminded of the bobbering from our last fight. "You could have enchanted your sword or your armor… and you chose _that_!?"

"I thought about it when I got back." I explained while staring at the tool in my hand. "I debated whether to dump my EXP into my armor or into a better weapon. Then it hit me." I raised my gaze to look at Wynn. "Instead of wasting levels enchanting what I'm mediocre with, I should try playing to my strengths."

She frowned. "You seem to put a lot of confidence into that—ow!"

"Bobber." I cut her off with a small smirk, reeling in the bobber of my rod. Wynn's face looked livid over being cut off in that way. And it wasn't an act.

I was really playing with fire.

"The Backlash isn't your average fishing rod!" I warned, brandishing the tool threateningly. "It's an extraordinary fishing rod—the only one of its kind! It has max tiers of Knockback, Unbreaking, AND Luck of the Sea! Which means it can be used to fight AND fish! It's the ultimate all-purpose weapon!"

"You can already fish with it, you moron!" Wynn yelled with indignant rage. "Don't make it sound like you've discovered some alternative funct—Ow!"

"Bobber."

"Stop tha—Ow! Nggggghhh!" Her anger reached a boiling point, causing her reason to evaporate and for her to momentarily forget that this wasn't an actual fight.

In hindsight, provoking the person trying to help us _may_ have been pretty stupid. But I was getting into the role!

Wynn darted forward in a zigzag, this time at her top, potion-enhanced speed. The sunlight reflecting off her weapon made it appear as a bolt of lightning.

 _Uh-oh._

I briefly caught sight of her snarling face before feeling something tear into my shoulder with the force of an iron golem. I opened my mouth to cry out in agony only to have a knee rammed into instead. She repaid the Knockback from my fishing rod in spades by sending my body rolling across the dirt and crashing into one of the newly made-buildings.

 _Everything hurts…_ I groaned as I rolled onto my stomach and shoveled in some baked potatoes to refill my Hunger and Health.

Outside the Cobb-sized hole I left in the building, I saw Wynn blinking sheepishly over her lapse in restraint. She probably would have said 'Oops' if not for it tipping off the crowd.

Speaking of which, the crowd was cheering her latest attack. "Yeah! Go, Captain Wynn!"

"What a strike… I felt that all the way from here!"

"Don't even worry about catching him, Miss Whispers! Nobody would fault you for killing a cultist!"

"He has the nerve to wear Ringwood's colors when fighting a Captain? Put him in his place!"

I glanced down to the green leather tunic over my clothes. It made sense that they would get angry over that, particularly the guards. Wynn would be going ballistic. A cultist's colors were black, not green.

I slowly picked myself up and hissed when I moved my left arm. Something was definitely torn or broken after her latest attack. It would heal once my Health regenerated, but until then I'd have to stick with good ol' righty.

I brandished my fishing rod and flicked it forward, casting the line towards the Captain. She dodged it by leaping back, knowing the crowd wouldn't believe her getting caught by such an obvious attack.

So really, all my fishing rod grandstanding did was earn me a torn shoulder.

I reeled in my wasted cast. I hobbled out of the ruined building, wincing at the slightest jostle of my arm, and stood before the Captain. Was she still angry? Or would she go easy on me again to give me an opportunity? I wasn't going to bobber her again unless I was a safe distance away to avoid the fallout.

"I see you're still standing." She said.

I understood that to mean, "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to lose my temper."

"That really hurt. Ow."

I hoped she understood that to mean, "That really hurt. Ow."

She shrugged indifferently, but on the inside she was probably apologizing. There wasn't much time for interpreting. I had to give her an excuse to stay out of the battle for good so she wouldn't have to pursue us. That meant dealing an attack that she couldn't recover from.

The Backlash would work. One solid blow with the handle and she'd be launched by the Knockback. I just needed to aim away from the exit and hope Lenz and the others finished up on their end.

But first, to let Wynn know what I intended to do.

"Your reputation pales in comparison to your skills, Captain." I called across, beginning with a compliment. "I see now that I'll have to resort to my ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE in order to defeat you."

"Your ultimate technique?" Wynn questioned, taking a half-step back. "And you think this technique of yours will be able to stop me?"

"I'm confident that, if this hits, you'll be _unable to pursue us_!" Hint. Hint. Wink. Wink.

"Ah, interesting." Wynn got into a stance, sporting a haughty smirk that I _desperately_ hoped meant she would let my attack hit. "You must have a lot of confidence in this mysterious technique of yours. Come then. Try and strike me with your special move. Just know," her amber eyes flared, "if you miss, it's all over."

She could say that again.

* * *

[Lenz]

 _Moving artillery. Moving artillery._ I chanted to myself as I pushed past my physical limits and hobbled away slowly from several arrows. My stamina was truly garbage for me to be winded by a few minutes of fighting.

 _Moving artillery—EEE!_ I stopped short as an arrow shot across my path, followed by another one catching my unprotected shoulder. It shaved off three Hearts of Health and made me consider investing in armor should we manage to escape.

"I've got you now, six-eyes!" Veronica exclaimed triumphantly as she shot forward do deal the finishing blow. Floyd, armed with both his shield and sword, jumped in the way to impede her, but only succeeded in making himself a target of the blonde's barrage.

Floyd was at a severe disadvantage. Veronica's bow had an Infinity Enchantment, meaning her ammunition was only limited to the bow's durability. The shield, on the other hand, acted just like any Minecraftia tool. Finite durability and all.

Ten arrows stuck into the shield before it broke completely, falling apart in the blue-haired Crafter's hands. Floyd barely had time to curse before Veronica sunk three quick arrows in the gaps in his armor. Floyd only managed to evade a fourth shot before succumbing to his knees.

Veronica vaulted off of Floyd's shoulder like a springboard and somersaulted towards me with a fierce intensity to her eyes. She fired three shots in mid-air and I had to turn and flee as fast as my low stamina permitted. The shots barely missed, striking the road where my feet had been.

She was herding me towards the building. Every time I tried to dodge left or right, an arrow would shoot across to stop and force me to run a straight line to the building. I felt like herded cattle.

"Run, six-eyes, run!" Veronica laughed over the volley of her shots.

When I finally reached the wooden wall of the building, I whirled around and ducked as an arrow nearly caught my forehead. I was sweating profusely and panting like a dog. Two arrows impacted the wood on either side of me, subtly letting me know that escape was futile.

Seeing I was trapped, Veronica leisurely moved toward me, looking as fresh as she had started. She was not even winded.

I was helpless against her speed and accuracy.

"Not gonna fight back?" She taunted with a twirl of her bow. "Why not try shooting me? Or is your Inventory full of broken arrows?"

She knew full well why I couldn't hit her. Like she said, my shots could only hit enemies coming right at me. I was too stationary. She would just sidestep out of the way like she always had.

Veronica's smile fell a bit before regaining its arrogance. "Boy, I didn't even break a sweat beating the pair of you. My arrows are undamaged too. Not a broken arrow among them."

Why was she even wasting time taunting me? Should she not have been rendering me unconscious so she could assist Wynn against Cobbert? Her words were accomplishing nothing.

Veronica let out a slight sigh, her eyebrow twitching slightly, before she fired an arrow that only grazed my left cheek.

"Oh, shoot, I missed." She spoke loudly while inspecting her bow. "Did my bow malfunction or was the arrow's fletching bent? Almost like it was a _broken arrow_!"

What was she talking about? Arrows could not break. That was the third time she said that phrase too.

 _Broken Arrow…?_

My eyes widened as I felt something stir within my memory. The previous day of archery training with Mastah Veronica.

' _Maybe we should have agreed on a safe-word or something to let both of us know it was all pretend. Like… 'Broken Arrow'. Something easy to remember like that._ '

Could it be…?

"Ugh, I'm starting to feel like a _broken arrow_ saying this." She groaned before hissing under her breath, "Broken arrow, broken arrow, _BROKEN ARROW_!"

It was all pretend.

She…

She was helping us too?

"Broken Arrow… Mastah Veronica…?" I whispered hesitantly to which her eyes brightened in response.

Her smile was quick to follow. "Now give up you bastard of a cultist. Before I get serious!" A laugh slipped free of her lips. "Don't think I don't know about your Redstone Doomsday Machine! My Kingdom would be ruined if you were to perfect something like that!"

The watching crowd murmured to each other in confusion, wondering what the blonde Captain was talking about, but I had understood perfectly.

The hopelessness gripping my heart upon facing such an insurmountable opponent evaporated like mist. This was not Veronica the Captain. This was Veronica the Mastah, helping her pupil escape.

I raised my bow and, knowing these shots would hit, fired both of them straight at her knees.

"Agh!" She squawked in surprise, falling onto her side and clutching her legs. Her bow tumbled out of her hands. "I've fallen and I can't get up!"

The crowd was in an uproar over what just happened. Most of them had been more focused with Wynn's fight, thinking Veronica had already finished hers, and were confused as to how the once proud Captain was now rolling on the street with two arrows sticking out of her knees. They had not seen her take those hits.

I did not wait for her to recover. I caught my breath and clung desperately to it as I once more dashed past her to where Floyd was recovering.

"That's for helping with Halstatt." I heard Veronica whisper as I passed her prone form. "Don't get caught now, fucking eagle."

I looked back at her, trying to express my gratitude with a glance, but she was already rolling around again as if in unendurable agony. "My kneecaps! Not my lovely kneecaps!" She moaned.

As I approached the recovering blue-haired Crafter, I immediately noticed his astonished face.

"Holy… you beat her on your own!?" He asked, sounding impressed. "How? That Captain was fast!"

"Later." I waved off before pulling out some TNT which caused Floyd to flinch in fear. "Help me rig these up!"

"Sure…" He paled when he saw how much TNT in my Inventory. "We, uh, we're not blowing up the wall are we?"

"Do not be ridiculous."

"Good."

"We are going to blow ourselves up and over that wall."

Now why did that turn Floyd's frown upside-down?

"Oh, not to worry. I have done it before."

His grimace still refused to diminish.

"It is scientifically tested!"

His glower only doubled in power.

* * *

[Cobb]

 _Good!_ I thought happily as I glanced out of the corner of my eye. _They took care of Veronica and are making Lenz's escape plan. All I got to do is finish this._

"Prepare yourself, Captain!" I announced, withdrawing my fishing rod. Her eyes widened and were darting towards my left, but I took it to mean she was ready.

"Ultimate tech—Gah!" I cried out as something tackled my left side, forcing me to kiss the street. I turned and gasped at who had done it. "Bitters!"

"I got him, Captain!" The green-haired asshole called out victoriously. He was already raising his sword, with murder in his eyes.

In that moment, I realized his petty grudge was more than it seemed. After repeatedly being one-upped by me, after weeks of being frustrated by the praise I had earned, he was fed up. He was tired of me. He no longer cared for the bounty or for any alliance brought about by turning me over to Nitebane.

Right then and there, he wanted me dead. And this would be his only excuse for getting away with it.

"Bitters stop!" Wynn called out, rushing forward with rapier in hand. "Think of Nitebane—"

"You're too soft with him, Captain!" Bitters called out while the crowd cried out in support. They were all for him killing me and were even egging him on. "You've _always_ been too soft with him! You're not even fit to be called a Captain!"

Bitters' slash shaved away a quarter of my Health, but his insult towards Wynn demanded more of my animosity. That was my big sister he was talking about! She was ten times the Captain he would _ever_ be!

I shifted to the right, grasping my fishing rod, and wiggled it free. I pushed myself up to free more room, ignoring the second slash to my head that shattered my iron helmet.

"No more of this cultist cursing us with his existence!" Bitters gloated as he raised his sword for one last strike.

Raising his sword also raised his hold on my body. Just enough to allow me to flip my fishing rod in a reverse grip, like Soul, and whip the handle across Bitters' torso.

Backlash lived up to its name, sending Bitters sailing up into the air by the Knockback. He flew up ten meters, his arms waving around in bewilderment. "Wha… how did—?"

My hook followed after him, fastening itself in his clothes. As soon as it did, I spun to my feet, yanking the line along with me. Bitters' body jerked back down as he was pulled toward me and I brought out the Backlash's handle for one last Knockback.

Wynn was right in front of me, rapier held defensively, and with worry no longer etched onto her face.

I flashed the Captain a grateful smile before Bitters fell before my vision. As if in slow motion, my handle was magnetically drawn to his infuriating face.

 _Oh, crap! I need a name for this move! Something epic! Something that won't sound stupid! Uh, uh, uh…_

" **Paddle Ball!** " I shouted when Backlash connected with his face, activating the Knockback, and sending him crashing into Wynn.

 _…_ _Oh, God! What did I just call it!?_

The pair of them bounced off the street.

 _That's the lamest attack name ever!_

They crashed into a wall, somehow with Wynn twisting herself so that Bitters took the brunt of the impact. The breath was driven out of him before he slid to the ground unconscious and tangled up with Wynn.

 _No! Take it back! Do over! Do over! I can come up with something better!_

Half the crowd was shocked at my attack and how it had incapacitated a Captain. "Impossible! Wynn lost? And Velocishot too! Just how strong are these cultists!?"

Meanwhile the other half were snickering at my damnable attack name.

"Paddle Ball? What, was Table Tennis taken?"

"Shut up!" I pointed Backlash accusingly, silencing the hecklers. My face was burning with humiliation as I jogged over to Floyd and Lenz.

 _Stupid… Stupid!_ I kept hitting my forehead with my fist. _Stupid!_

The image had just come to me when I yanked Bitters back and hit him again. Like a ball tied to a rubber band. It just seemed fitting.

Ha. More like fitting me firmly in the Hall of Losers!

I heard a cackle of laughter emanating from Veronica's prone form as she pointed a finger at me. "Paddle Ball!? Ahahaha! Oh God, that's rich!" She openly laughed.

"Give me a break! It was a last minute choice!" This was some kind of cosmic punishment for laughing at her earlier.

"Oh, Notch, it hurts!" Veronica cried with tears in her eyes. "I can't bre-hee-hee-heath!"

Ah, screw it. Epic names would have to wait.

I ran up to Floyd and Lenz, the former barely containing his snickers at my name, and observed what they were working on. They had rigged up a bunch of TNT to explode. Like a launching pad.

"Just what kind of crazy plan are they thinking!?" I shouted worriedly before hearing a louder shout drown me out.

"WYNN!" Captain Iron_Lung bellowed, arriving on the scene with a small battalion of guards behind him. "HOW COULD YOU LET THAT STRING-BEAN GET THE BETTER OF YOU!?"

"No time to waste!" Lenz cried out urgently. "Give me a sword! We are going to block this explosion and ride it out of here!"

That sounded dangerous and unlikely to work. Yet I wordlessly handed Lenz my iron sword and held my golden one before the TNT defensively.

"This better work!" Floyd prayed as he held his own iron sword.

Lenz flicked the lever, activating the redstone and TNT and scaring the advancing guards into stopping.

"It's gonna blow!" Someone cried out.

*KA-BOOM*

The force of the explosion was jarring and I felt my arm pop out of its socket, but I was still alive. Floyd and Lenz were the same, though the explosion caused Lenz to lose his grip on my blade… and caused my golden one to finally break. The golden fragments fell to the street below as our trajectory carried us over the tall wall. We all clung to each other with our free hands, the Beginners refusing to get separated.

We only just barely grazed the cobblestone wall, which was probably by Lenz's design since we didn't have a method of landing. Floyd and I threw out a hand and grasped the wall's edge while Lenz clung to our legs, flailing his lower limbs to adhere to the cobblestone.

With a bit of effort, we managed to pull ourselves up onto the wall, only to see a problem.

How were we supposed to get down?

We had no water. Lenz had no slime blocks. We had no Feather Falling enchanted gear. No cobwebs. Nothing!

"So… now what?" I asked my two companions who were still giddy from having escaped the Captains and angry Crafters below. I watched their smiles slowly fade as comprehension dawned on them. We were high up, stuck on a cobblestone wall, with no method of getting down.

"Um… we—uh… hmm."

"We could… ah… no, no that would kill us. Er…"

Things quickly got worse when the guards below started to shoot arrows at us. We couldn't just sit up there, within sight, and expect them to give up. We were still Ringwood's problem until we got off the wall.

"Damn it! We have to jump!"

"What!?" Lenz exclaimed in terror. Why was he scared of this!? He blew himself up with TNT just fine! "From this height? We would be squashed like bugs!"

"What other choice do we have?" I shouted desperately, already looking down for whichever tree was the tallest.

I paused when I spotted a green-haired Crafter sidle up to the wall below. The Crafter had a bucket of water in hand and was looking up at me. My eyes widened as the Crafter offered a small wave.

"There has to be another way!" Lenz cried out, too preoccupied with dodging the arrows to see what I was seeing. Floyd pulled me out of the way, taking one of the arrows to the arm.

I watched as the Crafter below poured the water along the cobblestone wall. They offered another wave to me while pointing to the water.

"Who… who is that?" I couldn't see far enough to note the name. But Lenz's eyesight could. I quickly turned to him. "Lenz who's that down there?"

"The Crafters trying to kill us!"

"No! On _this_ side of the wall!" I grabbed the engineer and pointed his face down.

"What are you—Ah! Where did that water come from?"

"That's what I'm saying! That Crafter down there—" I glanced back down, only to find that the green-haired Crafter had vanished, leaving behind the water. "Where did he—?"

"If there's water, we JUMP!" Floyd shouted, grabbing us in his arms and leaping off. We plummeted down the length of the wall and watched as the ground came up to meet us. But our acceleration stopped upon landing in the cushion of water.

The three of us floated in the puddle before I scooped the source with my bucket in case we ever needed it again. I checked the charred woods around us for any sign of the green-haired Crafter, but he was gone.

"Get up." Floyd pulled me to my feet. "Help me lift Lenz. The guy's too slow to outrun the guards on his own."

"I agree. Please carry me." Lenz pleaded while munching on some food. Floyd and I did the same to recover our stamina.

Once we were ready, we lifted him between us and sprinted south into the charred woods. Mt. Mur towered in the distance and I could hear guards shouting behind with plans to hunt us down.

But we had done it.

The Beginners had escaped Ringwood.

"So…" Floyd quirked an amused eyebrow. "Paddle Ball?"

"…Not one word."

* * *

[Wynn]

 _Good luck, Cobb._ I thought while guards and citizens shouted amongst themselves to pursue him. They were discordant and disorganized. The confusion would buy Cobb a decent headstart. _I've done all I could._

Several of Iron_Lungs' guards came over to help me and Bitters to our feet. I pretended to be more injured than I actually was by covering my Health Meter with my arm and faking a limp. Bitters, however, wasn't pretending. He was unconscious, having taken most of the damage when I _accidentally_ flipped us so that he hit the wall.

The guards lifted us up and took us to a nearby building to recover. There were beds set up inside for us to recover upon. Veronica was already in there, moaning about her busted kneecaps and how she would never walk again.

When I was set down beside her bed, Veronica winked at me before moaning even louder. "Ugh… it hurts so much… I think I need a Potion of Healing… Ow…"

The guards watching us were keen to comply. "We'll be right back with them. Just hang on a little longer."

They hurriedly rushed out of the building, leaving us Captains and an unconscious Bitters to ourselves.

"So," Veronica began by tilting her head towards me. "You let them go too?" She wasn't moaning anymore and was instead sporting a knowing grin.

I scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about. Cobb just got the better of me."

"Okay, now I _know_ you let them go." She laughed. "The Wynn I know would never admit to someone getting the better of her. Not in a million years."

I frowned as I looked to the side, but ultimately sighed. "Fine. I take it you let them escape as well?"

"Of course!" Veronica waved. "You think I couldn't dodge arrows coming straight for me? Or how about purposefully running into that guy's shield? I'm ditzy, but I'm not brain-dead."

"And what about when you shot Cobb and his friends?" I realized with a scowl. "Or when you gave me an opening I _had_ to take?"

"Well I had to play the part." Veronica shrugged indifferently. "Otherwise the crowd would have suspected something." She smiled. "All things considered, I think I did pretty well. You and six-eyes certainly believed it. And the look on your face when I showed up," she chuckled to herself, "oh boy, priceless." She laughed to herself.

"I actually thought you were there to ruin everything." I spoke with barely restrained fury.

"I know! Priceless!"

I groaned to myself, ignoring how Veronica laughed at my expense. Her timely arrival had worried me. I thought Cobb and the others wouldn't make it out. She could have at least tipped me off!

"So why did you do it?" I asked the blonde, who suddenly stopped laughing. "Why did you trust them to be innocent?"

Veronica pondered for a moment before shrugging. "I owed them for Halstatt. And I guess that little six-eyes grew on me. Much like how Cobb grew on you." I looked away, hoping Veronica wouldn't notice my fond smile. "I hope he makes a name for himself as an archer. The grey, six-eyed eagle taught the ways of the bow by his Mastah, the Golden Hawk of Daymonte. That's something I'd like to hear."

Veronica turned to me and noticed the worry in my eyes. "Hey, don't worry about them. We gave them the chance to escape. The toughest part is over."

"Who are you kidding?" I answered back dejectedly. "Where are they going to go? The other Kingdoms' Captains will be hunting them. The toughest part isn't over." I bunched my knees and leaned my chin on them. Veronica's mirth died upon realizing the same thing.

"It only gets worse from here."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 60 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 6 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 2 Cooked Fish, 64 Cooked Chicken, 64 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 20]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 64 TNT, 7 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 62 Steak, 17 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Shield, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 18 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: So the Beginners got away to see another day. Onward to Zeppil! With no ominous futures on the horizon!**

 **The whole fight between the Captains and the Beginners doesn't really have the same stakes as, say, a battle with a Hacker. Especially since it's effectively a mock battle. The only concern was Veronica, who I revealed was helping them anyway.**

 **The main point was Cobb's new weapon: The Backlash. It's his traditional fishing rod enchanted with Knockback, Luck of the Sea, and Unbreaking. He'll need it too until he locates a sword to replace the broken and lost ones.**

 **And who was the mysterious green-haired Crafter that poured the water at the base of the wall? Given how few characters have green hair, I suspect most of you can figure it out.**

 **Omake below. Leave a fav, follow, and review.**

* * *

Omake: A Chat with Ember

Lieutenant 4Blite thought himself a calm and collected individual. His subordinates often whispered in secret of his cold-blooded personality, claiming ice ran through his veins. And it was true he could kill a Crafter without batting an eye, whether foe or friend.

Yet, having been called to appear before Executive Ember_Waves to discuss the results of his Creeper Herd plan, he couldn't help but feel anxious. The fabled ice running through his veins was now chilling him so bad he was shivering. He was nervous just standing before the door to her chambers, knowing the Executive wouldn't be pleased.

He had claimed his plan would wipe Ringwood off the map. It had not. And worse, Spring and Parker had escaped to inform her of his refusal to accept their blatant failure. Combined, he felt the issue would result in consequences. Ember might even be tempted to kill him.

His diamond axe was ready at his belt should things turn out that way. As exceptional as she was with her diamond rapier, he figured he could at least power through her attacks enough to escape. But only if things turned out bad.

He took a deep breath to salvage what was left of his courage and steel himself for the eventual confrontation. Looking somewhat dignified, he pushed open the door.

"Ah, 4Blite." Ember looked up from her desk with a small smile. She tucked her orange locks behind an ear and beckoned me into the room. "Come in, come in. I was just finishing up."

4Blite didn't drop his guard. He knew how deadly she could be. Her and Sdrawkcab were masters of false facades. That smile didn't relax him one bit.

He watched her scribble down notes with a wary eye. Edging forward, he noticed that the rest of her chambers were completely dark. Only she and the desk were illuminated by an overhead lamp. The current hideout was underground so light was rather limited, but she chose to keep most of the room shrouded in darkness.

4Blite gulped as he stepped up to the desk, only to nearly trip on a chair. He didn't see it in the darkness.

"Watch your step." Ember warned five seconds too late. She closed her book with an air of finality before fixing her attention solely on the Lieutenant across from her. "Sit."

4Blite paused for a moment, debating how much vulnerable he would be sitting than standing, before obeying. He folded the hands in his lap, making sure one hand rested on his axe handle in an otherwise neutral position.

Ember seemed content to observe 4Blite in the stretching silence. Her piercing light-blue eyes drilled into 4Blite, filling him with the sensation that he was being read like a book.

That was Ember's specialty. Something she called 'Soul-Gazing'.

It was the closest thing to a Hack any normal Crafter could achieve. She was so familiar with social ticks and expressions that she taught herself how to read people simply by observing them. She could detect falsities and lies just by the sound of someone's voice or the tiny movements of their eyes. It was frighteningly accurate.

One time, she had gathered the entire Northern Division in one giant room and asked them all to explain their reasons for joining the Endward Cult and where their loyalty lay. One by one, she went down the group, wasting an entire day hearing them all out. She used her Soul-Gaze on each and every one.

When it was over, she had picked out several of the cultists and asked them to accompany her into the next room. She had been polite and charming in her request, and everyone was fawning over her beauty. The handpicked cultists obeyed without much thought.

Two minutes after closing the door, Ember walked back out carrying the Heads of those handpicked cultists who, as it turned out, were all spies sent by various Kingdoms to infiltrate the cult. Their backpacks were filled with gear and orders no ordinary cultist would have possessed.

Her Soul-Gaze was just that good at detecting deception and uncovering truths. Everything about a person was laid bare before her piercing light-blue orbs. If you ever wanted to lie to her, you would have to write it down and leave it in her mailbox without her glimpsing you. Just one glimpse would tip her off.

The other two Executives had impressive skills of their own. It was why the Founder had chosen them as Executives so long ago. And in that time, they had polished their skills to perfection.

So with Ember observing him, 4Blite knew that there was no point lying to her. It would only make things worse.

"So," Ember began after finishing her gaze, "first, I would appreciate it if your hand _wasn't_ resting on your axe." 4Blite instantly let go as if the handle had burned him. "Good. And second, I would like to discuss your recent attack on Ringwood. There have been a few complications I would like to address."

4Blite remained silent, awaiting the Executive's judgment.

"When you first told me about your Creeper Herd," Ember began, leaning back in her seat, "I admit I was intrigued. You researched one of the deadliest Mobs in Minecraftia—a Mob capable of instilling terror in even the most seasoned of veterans—and discovered their aversion to cats. You then presented your findings in a demonstration that won both myself and many of your subordinates to support whatever plan you had conceived."

Ember rested her chin on her hand, closing her eyes as if thinking back. "You requested resources and manpower to gather cats and push Creepers across Minecraftia towards Ringwood. You claimed you could—oh, what were the words again?" She tapped herself on the forehead mockingly. "What were your words? 4Blite?"

The Lieutenant's throat was dry, but he clearly stated, "I claimed I could crush Ringwood with the explosive Mobs' aid. I said they would be helpless to stop it."

"Ah, that's right. You did." Ember smiled before her eyes cracked open. "But life has a funny way of proving us wrong, doesn't it?"

"…I—"

"Your Creeper Herd lacked the size you promised." Ember interrupted, watching 4Blite squirm. "Not only that, it was released from the valley earlier than expected. I have been told it was _your_ decision to do so. Is that true?"

"I—"

"I see." Ember cut him off, already privy to the truth after observing him. "You wouldn't jeopardize your chance to prove your competence in our cult by jumping the gun too early. Something must have forced your hand, no?"

"It was—"

"I see. An intruder." She hummed to herself, filling in the blanks just from the Lieutenant's stutters. "One that infiltrated our outpost without you present. Where were you during all this? I see. Herding Creepers, naturally. Were you aware we had to abandon that outpost once its location was revealed? Of course you were. You'd be aware of anything that would upset me and ruin your chances of becoming an Executive."

"The fault there lies with my subordinates, not me!" 4Blite cried out, desperate to get a word in. "They couldn't defend their posts. The intruder broke in without being stopped. I assumed he saw my plans for the herd—"

"The plans you had lying around in an unguarded room?" Ember posed which shut 4Blite up. "I see. A more prudent Lieutenant of mine would have simply destroyed the evidence of such plans, no?"

4Blite grit his teeth. Ember knew he _hated_ being compared to her other Lieutenant. Her smarter, cleverer Lieutenant whom she had nothing but praise for. It made his blood boil.

"So, after your plans were exposed and the outpost infiltrated in your absence, you opted to unleash the herd early. Meaning it had not yet reached a size where it could decimate Ringwood and its population. Is that about right? I see."

"I had no choice." He defended.

"Of course you didn't." Ember hummed. "The element of surprise was a deciding factor in your plan. Otherwise, the people of Ringwood could have prepared with moats of lava and insurmountable ditches. What other choice did you have than to attack? That was a rhetorical question." She added as if he had even answered her.

"Despite your premature ejaculation," Ember smirked at her wording, "your Creeper Herd still had the potential to destroy Ringwood. The Mobs would have flooded through the walls and doomed the inhabitants to starvation. Yet, the secret of your Creeper gathering was leaked to Ringwood. Fires broke out in the valley to block advancing Mobs. In a matter of days, the herd was pushed back by cats and burned, sparing Ringwood from oblivion." She narrowed her eyes at him. " _How did this happen_?"

This time, she made no move to fill in the blanks. She wanted to hear 4Blite's defense from his lips, not hers.

Realizing he needed to forcibly calm down just to save face, he closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. His veins were full of ice. His veins were full of ice. Cold blood ran underneath his skin. Calming blood. He controlled his own emotions. He shaped his own tranquility.

When he was ready, he slowly opened his eyes. "It was Spring_Fever and Parallel_Parker." He explained carefully. "They unwittingly revealed the importance of the cats to their enemies. If they had been more furtive and cautious, such knowledge would not have fallen into their hands."

"Their story paints a different picture." Ember said bluntly, causing 4Blite to stiffen. "While they admit it was their fault the knowledge was revealed, they claimed you tried to kill them for making a simple mistake."

"They revealed our entire operation." 4Blite growled in outrage. "They let those Crafters know—"

"Then why did you not focus your attention on those Crafters?" Ember cut him off again. "Why did you try and kill two cultists loyal to our cause? They came to me for protection from you. I had to reassign them to the other subdivision and assure them you would not. Why, instead, did you not devote such ferocity into silencing the two Crafters? Were they too much for you to handle?"

"One of them was the Billionth!"

Ember's breath caught in her throat. Her light-blue eyes widened, boring further into 4Blite's as if to seek out any deception. " _What did you say_?"

"The Billionth was there." 4Blite repeated, knowing he had something concrete to defend himself with. "He was the one to set the fires. He was the one to find out about the Creepers. He was countering the herd every step of the way."

Ember narrowed her eyes. "Spring and Parker had no knowledge of any Billionth. They aren't privy to the importance of the ten-digit Crafter, but they should have informed me of his name. They only recalled that one of them was invisible…"

"That was the Billionth." 4Blite urged. "I engaged him in combat to try and—"

"You did _what_?" Ember's eyes narrowed dangerously, causing 4Blite to pause. "I thought we warned you and the other Lieutenants to _stay away_ from the Billionth and to _not_ kill him. What part of that wasn't clear?"

"I didn't kill him." 4Blite amended. "I engaged him while he was invisible—I had no idea who he was. Once I realized, I stopped attacking him and attempted to capture him to bring to you."

"I don't recall ordering you to kidnap King_Cobb." Ember replied coldly. "I told you to _avoid_ him at all costs. All the Lieutenants were ordered to avoid him at all costs until we're fully prepared. He is both an unknown danger and a potential windfall of good fortune; A risk we don't need to confront at the moment. Getting in his way will only spell your doom and _killing_ him will ruin our chances of locating the Founder. It was all in the book. The Founder himself warned us of his power. It's no wonder the Creeper Herd failed…"

"So then you admit there was nothing I could do?" 4Blite posed to the Executive with a triumphant smirk. "If it was destined to fail against the Billionth, what more could I have done?"

Ember begrudgingly conceded his point. Against a foe that frightened their Founder, she couldn't fault him for retreating. In fact, given how much he accomplished when faced with the Billionth, he did better than expected.

"...Your confrontation with the Billionth changes nothing. But until I say otherwise, he is _off limits_. Now is a crucial time to uncover his motives. Trying to kill him will undoubtedly cause him to lash out. We must tread carefully. Fortunately, I have all the pieces in place to do so."

4Blite didn't know what she meant, but it seemed like he was getting off the hook.

"As for you, 4Blite," Ember pointed at him before smiling. "While your Creeper Herd was, admittedly, half-baked, it succeeded in damaging Ringwood. The Heads recovered by our cultists in the Kingdom _more_ than make up for the deficit caused by your subdivision. Furthermore, many Crafters on the fence about joining us have been won over by the scale of your herd. Cultist recruitment is at an all-time high and our ranks are swelling as we speak."

The news was like a breath of fresh air. They were all small victories, but, at this point, he would accept them. Anything that allowed him to stand out in Ember's eyes. And if their ranks were swelling…

"I can read your expression, 4Blite." She rolled her eyes. "And you are correct. At this rate, we should have gained enough new cultists to rebuild the Southern Division."

"And can I—"

"Appointing Executives is a decision made by all existing Executives. I must discuss it with Sdraw and Abyssmal." 4Blite closed his mouth and internally cursed. "But rest assured. Your contribution to our cause will not be forgotten. And, as a reward for your hard work, I will see about requesting a more powerful weapon for you." Her eyes strayed to the diamond axe at his belt. "I believe Tinker should have something appropriate."

"Thank you, Ember." 4Blite bowed gratefully. This was better than he had hoped. Not only was he forgiven, but he was also being rewarded with a powerful new weapon. And his contributions were already helping him rise above that _other_ Lieutenant. Where was _her_ Creeper Herd? Where was _her_ contribution?

Soon, he would be Ember's favorite. He would be the Executive of the Southern Division.

And he… would have a heaping slice of the Founder's power when all was said and done.

He wished he could have kidnapped the Billionth just to interrogate him alone. He would have happily extracted the Founder's location from him without Ember finding out. Then he would have met her _precious_ Founder. So what if the guy meant the world to her. His power meant the world to him. The power to destroy Nitebane. The power mentioned in that book. That was what he wanted. What he _always_ wanted since joining the blasted cult.

It was a small miracle he had kept such desires a secret from Ember's Soul-Gaze. It was buried so deep she couldn't see it.

He knew he couldn't just let him go, though. That King_Cobb played dumb, but he just _had_ to know where the Founder was. Currently, he was wanted and accused of being an Executive—an idea Ember found laughable—and was probably on the run. Ember had been angered by the news of Nitebane's recovery, though. Her light-blue eyes looked deadly whenever she read about the cult's birthplace being rejuvenated by someone other than her cult.

Nitebane wanted the Billionth enough to post a thousand emerald bounty, but 4Blite had to find him first. To force the Founder's whereabouts out of him. Ember's orders be damned, that power was worth the risk!

Already, 4Blite was getting up to leave his Executive's chambers, having been given permission to go. As he opened the door, however, he heard Ember give one last warning.

"Don't get any ideas about pursuing Cobb." Ember spoke in a chilling tone. "Nobody wants to see the Founder more than me, so nobody in this cult will reunite with the Founder before me. The Billionth has that knowledge, and it is only that knowledge that is keeping me from killing him. If I find out you're chasing him—and I _will_ find out—then I'll come after you."

Her expression darkened. "I swear to our Founder, we will find out how long a Crafter can take before losing all reason. You will be subjected to every torture imaginable until I am satisfied you are too broken to defy my will—or anyone else's—ever again." Her darkened expression melted into a benign smile. "So, again, avoid the Billionth like your life depends on it. Got it?"

All signs of 4Blite's elation just got blasted to smithereens. He didn't dare turn around out of fear of setting Ember off. He swore he could feel her diamond rapier tapping at his neck even though she was still in her seat. He was walking a razor's edge here and he knew he had to postpone his plans of pursuing the Billionth.

"…Got it." He croaked fearfully.

"Good. That'll be all, Lieutenant." Ember cheerfully waved him off. "Keep up the good work."

* * *

 **AN: The cultist version of getting chewed out by your boss.**


	87. Group Dynamic

**AN: It's not Thursday yet!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd try and write adventure plots for Telltale.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 87

 **Group Dynamic**

[Cobb]

Even after escaping Ringwood, we were further pursued by several ambitious guard patrols that hunted us through those charred woods for miles. I never realized how _annoyingly_ dedicated the guards were at their jobs. And unlike Griefers, they were actually well-trained, making them a greater pain that we couldn't fight out of fear of killing them.

When our stamina began to dwindle, Lenz, carried between Floyd and I like a sack of dirt, suggested a tactic he used when first avoiding pursuing Griefers: Burying oneself. Pretty self-explanatory. Just pry open the nearest patch of dirt, dig down, and cover. Simple.

While it was more of a nighttime tactic since any brain-dead moron would notice a random patch of dirt in a field of grass, it worked for us because of a certain tool of mine that could pry up grass blocks. With my golden shovel, we covered our dug holes with grass and waited in silence as the guards trampled past us. In a few moments, their footfalls died out. We were safe.

Using the light of one of my torches, my friends and I looked over the map I got from Brett. It still showed the area between Ringwood and Mt. Mur. We talked back and forth about figuring the best route to take.

"Going around the mountain will take longer. Let's go right through."

"You mean with that railway we used to escape Carys?"

"Railway?" Lenz perked up. "As in a redstone railway?"

"We'd have to find it first." Floyd continued as if Lenz hadn't said anything. "Were there any noticeable landmarks by it?"

"It was somewhere between tree and tree."

"Fantastic…"

"Why is that fantastic? He has only narrowed it down to anywhere in this forest!"

"That's why I said it _sarcastically_."

"…Oh."

"Anyway, we need to avoid the guards at all times. So we either travel at night or underground. We can use Cobb's clock to alternate."

"We could also just ender pearl."

"Ender pearl…?"

"Yeah, I used it before." I explained, remembering how I got to that Endward Cult outpost. "We can throw them to gain some distance. In fact, if we throw them off the top of Mt. Mur, I bet we can reach near the Origin Zone."

"You want to stop by the Origin Zone?"

"Is that wise?"

"Sure! Who's gonna turn us in, Helena? The only Crafters we'll have to worry about are fresh spawns. Plus, I want to show her Herobrine's latest book." I held up Advanced Mob-Slaying. "I wouldn't mind making a copy for her."

"We would require paper and leather for that. And then an ink sac and a feather."

"Don't forget about a hundred ender pearls."

"Ah, yes, that too. We are still getting an airship, though. Right?"

"Yes, Lenz. We're still getting the airship."

"...I want the airship."

We weren't very prepared. We had food, thanks to Erin, but the whole wanted thing had been sprung on us out of nowhere. We didn't have the time to grab ender pearls or maps. We almost died on the wall without a bucket of water. Lenz wasn't wearing any armor. Did we even have a compass? Maybe Lenz or Floyd did. Notch knows I had a load of crap in my Inventory. Why and how did I still have an oak wood door!?

How were we going to reach Zeppil like this?

"We need more supplies." I reasoned to the others. "We can't just wander South with the hopes of stumbling upon Zeppil." Even though the same tactic had worked for Ringwood, that was only because it was so close to the Origin and stood out from the woods. "We need to resupply at a village or a—"

"Jolin."

"What?"

"Jolin." Lenz repeated, looking between us. "The Jungle Kingdom. I have a pen pal there studying Jungle Temples. We can resupply there and then move on to Zeppil."

"This isn't another excuse to fawn over redstone, is it?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement."

"But Wynn warned us that Jolin might have our wanted posters." I pointed out. "What if we get caught?"

"The two of you will just have to conceal yourselves and rely on me." Lenz commented with a bit of pride. "I can get us supplies while also selling grass blocks for emeralds. We need to stock up for the airship anyway and a village will not have the proper auction houses."

"Bah, you're right." I conceded. Without an exact idea of where to go, we could wander well out of our way. Maps. Emeralds. Supplies. If we wanted to reach Zeppil, we would first need to stop in Jolin. "We'll have to go in and out quick though. The shorter we stay the better."

"Alright, good, we have a plan." Floyd said. "Origin Zone. Jolin. Zeppil. In that order. Any questions?" Lenz tentatively raised his end. "Yes, Lenz?"

The engineer pointed down at the map. "Why are there two white blips?"

All of our eyes darted to the map where, just as he said, there was more than one white blip. And it was steadily moving towards our white blip.

"Someone else must have the same map…" I began before realization hit me. "Oh!"

The others looked perplexed, but I quickly dug out the ceiling of dirt to let fresh sunlight in. Then, poking my head up, I looked around and spotted the Crafter I had been expecting. "Soul, hey!"

The axe-wielder whipped around before looking down at me. "Oh, gross, it's some sort of giant deformed gopher."

"Haha. You have no soul." I deadpanned humorlessly as I hoisted myself out of the hole, followed by a surprised Floyd.

"Soul? What… how… I thought you already left for Akasha."

"I did." Soul replied. "Until I saw a set of wanted posters. Figured you could use an ally since half of Minecraftia is trying to catch you." He held up the copy of my map where I saw our two white blips nearly on top of one another. "Lucky thing Cobb still had that map. Otherwise I never would have found you."

"Hold on." Lenz dragged himself out of the hole last, but regarded Soul warily. "How do we know you are not here to apprehend us?"

Soul scoffed. "Believe me, nerd, if I was here to apprehend you, you'd already be apprehended."

"Well, if you were really here to apprehend us, you'd be detained." I countered smugly.

"Well, neither of us are apprehended nor detained so that can only mean I'm not here for the bounty." Soul reasoned in a way that made us all pause for thought.

…

"I suppose that makes sense…"

"Oh, give it a rest. Soul wouldn't rat us out. He knows we're not cultists." Floyd defended before adding, "Right?"

"No. As tempting as having a bathtub full of emeralds is, I'm pretty sure you three aren't cultists." He narrowed his eyes at Lenz as if he still wasn't too sure about him. "Anyway, I figured I'd come with you to Zeppil to keep you all from getting arrested."

"But what about your mission in Akasha?" Floyd asked. "Brett said—"

"Brett says a lot of things that I don't listen to. There's no way he would be okay sending you to Zeppil on your own—" Lenz and I coughed pointedly. "—with only the aid of two limp noodles, when you're a wanted man. But if I come with, we can handle _both_ our missions, no sweat."

I tried to ignore the limp noodle jab, but I couldn't help but pinch my arm and frown over the lack of muscle tone. Perhaps I was forever doomed to be a limp noodle. How did Endermen live with it?

"You're sure you want to come with us?" Floyd asked. "I mean, we're wanted criminals. There's no reason for you to get wrapped up in that—"

"I'm not going to abandon a guild the second things get tough." Soul argued back with folded arms. "I'm the type of guy who sticks with you through thick and thin. And with things as thick as they are now, you'll need all the help you can get."

Floyd smiled. "Thanks, Soul. Really. You're… well… you're a good friend."

"Well, it's like the old saying goes, if you can't trust a friend to go on the lam with you, then what kind of friend are they?" The axe-wielder smirked before turning his attention to me. "So, Zeppil, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. We're going there for Floyd's mission and also to pick up an airship. But first, we agreed to stop in Jolin." I clapped the axe-wielder on the shoulder in an overly friendly way. "Got any ender pearls by chance?"

"No."

"Oh." I deflated, letting my arm fall off him. "That was pretty much what we needed. You would have been our hero if you had them with you like any seasoned Crafter would."

"Hey, I don't see any ender pearls on you, either." Soul shot back, glancing at my belt. "What's your excuse?"

"Not a seasoned Crafter." I explained with a shrug. "More of a lightly peppered Crafter, really."

"Just because I don't have ender pearls doesn't make me a newb!" Soul defended with a hint of anger.

"He's right, Cobb." Floyd chimed in with a small smirk. It was fun messing with Soul like this. "Soul is a seasoned Crafter all right. Why, just look at how salty he's being!"

"I'm not salty! Shut up!" The axe-wielder growled.

"Oh, you're right, Floyd. The salt is practically springing off of him."

"On second thought, maybe I _will_ turn you assholes over for the emeralds." Soul hissed. "Maybe buy some new friends."

"Man, I never thought a Crafter could _have_ so much salt."

"Why are we talking about seasonings?" Lenz questioned in bewilderment. "Is this another social thing?"

"OKAY, smart-asses and smarter-asses!" Soul accused, losing his temper. "You want to see salty? You want to see fucking salty!? I'll show you fucking salty! We need pearls to travel far anyway, right? Tonight, I bet I can gather more ender pearls than all three of you chuckle-heads _combined_!"

"Must we make a competition of this?" Lenz reasoned carefully. "We are still being hunted down and cooperation is the best—"

"You're on, axe-twirler!" I accepted, my competitive nature shining through. "They'll cut down on our travel time. Whoever gathers the most ender pearls by tomorrow morning wins exclusive bragging rights!"

"Fine by me." Floyd nodded before withdrawing his sword. "And if there's an Enderman too tough for either of you to handle, just give me a call and I'll come to your rescue." He spoke smugly.

"And give you an extra point?" Soul scoffed. "Fat chance! Just don't cry too badly when you lose."

"I was about to say the same to you." Floyd shot back before he marched into the woods with Soul close behind. They were eager to hunt for Endermen as soon as the sun went down.

I was about to follow, when I paused to look back. "Hey, Lenz, you coming?"

Lenz looked a bit out of place as he rubbed his shoulder before nodding. "I will catch up. Do not worry." He spoke with a sad smile. "Do not let me slow you down."

Seeing that he was okay, I followed after Floyd and Soul, oblivious to the dejected engineer dragging himself along in our wake.

* * *

[Lenz]

I did not like our new traveling companions.

As if becoming wanted fugitives was not bad enough, now I had to endure the company of two meat-headed Crafters and their corrupting influence on the only Crafter I could call a comrade. Honestly, ender pearl contests? It reminded me of the bullies that escorted me during my first weeks of Minecraftia. Throwing their weight around, having meaningless games when our lives were on the line, disregarding me as another expendable nerd…

…

I did not want to be just an expendable nerd again. I had already proven my usefulness—my dependability—to Cobbert. I had shown him I could fight. That I could be strong.

But that meant nothing to Floyd and Soul. To them, showing strength was simply a prerequisite of being a Crafter rather than the hurdle I viewed it as. They were strong all the time. They could wield swords and axes whereas I could barely run a mile without losing my breath.

Looking at them engaging in their meat-headed competitions, it was clear they found no struggle in doing what I desperately sought for ever since day one. They could joke and laugh without a care in the world, even as wanted criminals, because they had the strength to overcome it.

I wanted that strength.

I wanted to be able to laugh the situation off and forget the severity of it all.

I wanted to be able to talk to them without worry of sounding uncomfortable or awkward.

But… but I was scared.

I was a wanted criminal.

I… was a wanted criminal. Every day of my life from now on would be a struggle to evade capture. The guards that used to instill me with a sense of security would now be hunting us day and night. How could I possibly be prepared for that? I was not strong like the others! Like Cobbert or Floyd or Soul! My victory over Veronica had been staged! Any other Captain would have pinned us to a wall!

My survival now rested in the hands of these three companions. And already they were distancing themselves away from me. I glanced down at my bow and paled. How was I supposed to hunt Endermen like the rest of them when my arrows—the only combat skill I possessed—would not work on the teleporting Mobs. What would they think when, come tomorrow morning, their arms would be laden with pearls and I would be the only one empty-handed.

How useless would I look compared to them?

And how much longer would it take for them to distance themselves from me entirely and lose all interest in keeping me around?

I looked up to where Cobbert was happily laughing with the blue-haired one.

If he already had a best friend, then what did he need me for?

I clenched my fist over my bow. Repeaters, I was weak compared to them.

I needed to get stronger. Strong enough to stand beside Cobbert as an equal.

* * *

[Floyd]

Nighttime came pretty quickly, allowing us to hunt for Endermen. Cobb had said we needed a lot of pearls to make it over Mt. Mur, so I was quick to search for the tall Mobs.

But finding them wasn't so easy. Cobb's Advanced Mob-Slaying book told us everything we needed to know about the Mobs… except where to find them. I went through seven Zombies, eight Skeletons, seven Spiders, and five Creepers before finally finding one Enderman.

Herobrine's knowledge also proved helpful in killing the Mob. I just hit it once before hiding under a tree with low leaves. The Enderman flailed its arms at me, but couldn't reach due to its freakish height. It futilely tried to teleport around every time I hit it, but eventually I landed the finishing blow and was rewarded with one fine ender pearl.

"Only thirty-nine more to go." I sighed, realizing the amount of effort one pearl took to find. I stashed it away in my backpack before resuming my search. Soul and Cobb weren't going to beat me!

…And the other one too, I guess.

Come to think of it, I didn't really know much about Lenzington. Just that he loved redstone and hated contractions. He was also something of an archer if his performance against Veronica was any indication. He had admitted she had thrown the fight, but still he was a good archer.

"I just feel silly carrying this around, though." I spoke to myself when I withdrew the bow I hadn't used in so long. Its durability was fairly high—since I didn't have many arrows—and it didn't really make sense why I had been holding it for so long. Wouldn't it make more sense for Lenz to have it? He had arrows and was a pretty good shot. Meanwhile, I had dabbled in archery—better at it than Cobb or Soul—but it wasn't really something to fall back on. I stuck with a sword and—

I traced a hand over my eye.

Well, I was going to stick with a sword.

It was kind of simple, but hey, lots of people had only a single method of combat. Soul had his axe, Lenz had his bow, and Wynn had her rapier. There was nothing wrong with just using a sword.

And I was getting better with it, too.

I heard moans and groans coming from my left and I quickly held my sword defensively. Three Zombies hobbled out of the forest, fixing their soulless eyes on me.

I rushed in low and sliced at the first Mob's torso, sending it crashing into another. I then deflected a scratch and unleashed a flurry of blows upon the undead horror. It burst into rotten flesh and much more useful EXP, which floated into my arm.

More levels meant better enchantments. That's what I needed. Both for my armor and my weapons. The upgrades would go a long way towards trumping the more fearsome cultists.

Like Teal.

I shivered while dispatching another Zombie. The memories of that night flooding back into me.

I had been helpless back there. Forced to watch as that psychotic Lieutenant crushed the life out of Cara and Soul. I _hated_ feeling that way! It was just like back when Silent died. Just recalling her face split into that sick, euphoric smile made me… made me—

I blinked back wisps of smoke as I put on a tremendous burst of speed, launching into the final Zombie like a torpedo.

"Wha…? NO!" I cried out in alarm as I fell to my knees, holding my shaking arms in front of me. The Hacker smoke was swirling around them and past my knees. I hadn't been trying to activate it! I _never_ wanted to use it again! So why was it going off at the worst possible time?

"Crap…" I cursed as I tried to shut it off. "Turn off. Turn _off_!" I waved my arms around and concentrated on… I don't know, _something_! I was still in the dark about how to stop or start it and moments like these weren't helping.

Did I have to calm down? Did I have to think about something specific? Was it activated with a word? By emotion? By some random time of the month!? I had no idea!

After a few moments of panicking and futilely trying to end things, however, the smoke abruptly vanished and I flopped onto the ground, exhausted.

No, it was worse than exhausted. Everything felt numb. I couldn't even turn my neck so that I wasn't eating grass. It was just like in Nitebane. Less than a minute of using my Hack shut down my entire body.

Which really sucked when I was in a forest at night. And hey, my voice had attracted more Zombies. I sure was nice tuckering myself out so they could enjoy a late-night snack chalk full of blue-haired vitamins!

 _Thanks a lot Hacker Powers!_ I bitterly thought while struggled to lift a finger. _I can always count on you to ruin me!_

The Mobs marched closer and closer until they were standing right above me. I tried to thrash or move anything, but was only rewarded with a slight twitch of my pinky.

The first Zombie to reach me raked across my back with its arm. My armor took a good chunk of the damage, but it still hurt. It raised another arm to attack, only for an arrow to catch it in the neck.

"Repeaters! Floyd, get up!" Lenz warned as three more arrows forced the Zombies to back off. His footsteps sounded close and I let out a sigh of relief that my life wasn't in immediate danger anymore.

A few more arrows later and the Zombies were dead. Lenz tentatively absorbed the EXP, but wrinkled his nose at the rotten flesh.

Fair enough. Only Cobb was desperate enough to choke that down.

Lenz hurried over to my side and looked me over, much to my concern. "What is wrong? Your arm is… your Health is barely touched and you are not afflicted by any potion effects." He raised his tinted glasses to scrutinize me further. "Why were you just lying here?"

"I wasn't." I defended while my mind desperately sought for a reasonable explanation. He couldn't know about my Hack. "I… I froze, I guess." That was the best I could come up with. "My body just locked up."

Lenz frowned as he looked down upon me. "Well, the danger is gone now. There are no nearby Mobs from what I can see."

"Good." I spoke into the grass.

"…"

"…"

"So… you will get up then?"

"Yeah, definitely." I paused before adding. "The grass just… smells really nice. I just want to get a good whiff of it." I inhaled deeply, causing the engineer to raise an eyebrow.

"Ah… hm." He finished lamely before taking a step away from me. It was a good thing we were past the first impression point. Otherwise I would have come across as some blue-haired weirdo.

 _A weirdo with finicky Hacker powers._ I internally cursed as feeling finally crept into my arm. Enough so that I could prop myself off the grass and flash the engineer a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"You would have done the same for me. Right?" He added with a twinge of doubt that offended me. Of course I would have saved him. Cobb and I had carried him when he was too winded to run, hadn't we?

"I thought I already had." I countered coolly, to which Lenz frowned.

"Then I will be sure to assist you further in turn." The engineer stood up straighter, tightening the hold on his bow. "I will not be the Beginners' dead weight, I assure you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" My eye twitched as I massaged feeling into my other arm.

"Nothing offensive." He waved his arm to diffuse my simmering agitation. "Just that… well… I do not wish to be this guild's burden anymore. I will carry myself proudly and strive to assist Cobbert however I can. I will not simply lay about—I mean, ah, f-forget I said that."

My eyes narrowed even further at his slip-up. "I wasn't 'laying about', alright? I was just… I… Bah, it doesn't matter what I was doing!"

"That was just a slip of the tongue!" Lenz waved his arms with wide eyes. "Really, I did not mean to say—"

"Nothing offensive, _Lenzington_ ," I spoke harshly, feeling insulted, "but I've been assisting Cobb _long_ before you came along. So trust me when I say I can handle myself."

"Clearly you cannot…" Lenz mumbled under his breath, not realizing I could hear him.

Feeling a fresh wave of indignation, I reached into my backpack and shoved an item into his tinted-glasses-wearing face. "Just look. An ender pearl. I killed an Enderman by myself along with a bunch of other Mobs. I'm not a burden on Cobb."

"I never said you were!"

"That's not what your slip-up implied."

Lenz shook his head. "I was not—"

"Do you even have any ender pearls?" I asked, internally cringing at the low blow. I knew full well he wouldn't have killed an Enderman since they were impervious to arrows, but it was his fault for starting something he couldn't finish. "Or will the rest of us have to go out of our way to share some with you."

That did it. Lenz's face heated up in anger. "Speaking of going out of my way and sharing resources," Lenz hissed coldly through clenched teeth, "the arrows I wasted rescuing your frozen, locked-up self." I bristled at his word choice. "I am not getting those back. Maybe next time you will fight from a distance so that the Mobs will not _frighten_ you."

…That son of a—

The engineer turned on his heel and stormed away while also looking like he was fleeing potential retaliation.

His words had gotten under my skin, though; Just as mine had gotten under his. Saying I was frightened? That was the old me. I had been a guy that fled from his friend's killer. But I wasn't that same person anymore. How dare he assume I hadn't changed? I had risked my life to protect my friends! I wasn't the same weakling I was before!

I was shaking, I was so mad. So much so that I actually whipped out my bow, aimed at the engineer's retreating back, and… and…

*TWANG*

*THUNK*

Lenz gasped as the arrow impacted the tree just to his left. He whirled on me, his expression unreadable behind those tinted glasses. My hand was still shaking, anxious for him to respond in some way. The shot wouldn't have killed him if it had hit, but I couldn't deny I attacked him.

He raised his hand and worked the arrow out of the bark before storing it in his backpack with the rest of his ammunition. "Hmph. Cannot even land a straight shot."

I glowered at the engineer's parting shot as he backed away, careful not to turn his back towards me.

Once he was gone, I glared down at the bow clenched tightly in my hands. I'd show him. He wasn't the only one who could use a bow. I just needed a little practice and I could make all the straight shots I wanted.

 _I'm not a frightened boy anymore._ I thought to myself, turning in the opposite direction of the engineer.

 _I'm not going to be a burden._ I thought determinedly as I looked for more Endermen.

 _And I'm not going to be burdened by this stupid Hack, either!_ I internally spat as I dug a finger into the dark lines over my eyes. _I'll get stronger than it! So much so that I won't even need it anymore!_

I could expand my arsenal. Bows, splash potions, flint and steel, TNT. Mastering them all would be the best way to prepare for those cultists. Screw the Hacks. I could kill monsters without becoming one.

I needed to get stronger. Strong enough to stand against anyone.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 2 Ender Pearls, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 56 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 18 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 10]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Ender Pearl, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 5 Bones, 6 Gunpowder, 16 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 64 Cooked Chicken, 61 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 16 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 22]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 64 TNT, 7 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 60 Steak, 8 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Shield, 3 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 15 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 35]

* * *

 **AN: I just want to clarify that neither Floyd nor Lenz are jerks. Lenz just subconsciously voiced his insecurities and Floyd took it the wrong way. Much like how real life arguments take place. Though each of them is more similar in their motivations than you think.**

 **Also, Soul's tagging along because otherwise the group would get mauled by Polar Bears or something. It would just spring on them too, with little warning. Just - bam - Polar Bears.**

 **The Omake below _miiiight_ be M-rated? I dunno. If you're not eighteen, don't read it.**

 **Review, fav, follow, be a boyscout/girlscout/hooplahscout. Whatever.**

* * *

Omake: Teal and Mark

After several days of travel, Mark and Teal had reached Minecraftia's woodland forest, just west of the Cadboro Bridge. The Ocean Monument was still a few days away, but they would first have to make boats. There were no islands in between so the voyage would be long and wearisome. That meant Teal would be ten times more likely to throw herself onto his own boat and capsize the both of them just for some affectionate cuddles.

He didn't want that.

But he also didn't want Teal playing hide-and-seek in the middle of the woods!

"Teal!" Mark called out from atop a giant mushroom known to sprout in the woodland forest. "Teal, this isn't funny! Come on out!"

"Maaaaaark~!" A feminine voice echoed from deep within the woods. "Come find me, Maaaaark~!"

"…Do I have to?" Mark groaned to himself.

"Yes, you dooooo~!"

Mark frowned as he dropped to the forest floor and trekked in the direction of Teal's voice.

"Where oh where could I be hiding~?" Her sing-song voice rang out, putting Mark's nerves on edge. He wasn't afraid of her attacking him. He was afraid she would glomp him from behind and do unspeakable things to him. Things that would weaken his position on their friends-only relationship.

He didn't want to think about how soft she felt. Nor did he want to remember how she made him feel back in that tent. He didn't want any of that.

…

Well, maybe a little—No!

He slapped himself across the face. He couldn't let her tempt him. They were Lieutenants! They had no time for romantic relationships.

Come to think of it, just who was leading their subdivisions in their absence? Knowing Abyssmal, he would just have given them all a short vacation, and if any of them asked where Lieutenants Mark and Teal were…

…the one-eyed bastard would smile knowingly and say they were on their honeymoon!

Mark hated how his Executive always assumed he and Teal were a couple. They weren't! He had explained it multiple times.

"Maaaaaaaark~!" Teal called out again. "I see your thinking face. It's sooooo adorable. It makes me want to just _pounce_ on you."

There was a rustling from behind and Mark immediately responded by whipping out a Splash Potion of Slowness and hurling it towards the noise. The bottle smashed against an innocuous tree, wasting its contents on nothing.

"Looks like you missed me~" The voice called out, sounding all around him. "Am I making you… _nervous_ ~?" Teal giggled suggestively.

"Very!"He called out, unable to keep his voice from cracking. This made Teal laugh even more. "Seriously, Teal. Don't you dare glomp me!"

"But I'm having such fun." Her voice dropped low, suddenly concerned. "Am I hurting you by doing this? I wouldn't want that."

"No, you're not hurting me." Mark admitted, his cheeks dusted red. "But it's making me uncomfortable. So just… just please come out, okay? Slowly." He added. "And in plain view. No sneaking up or anything."

"Siiiiiiiiigh. You're no fun." Teal whined.

There was a rustling to his left and Mark instantly turned towards it, splash potion at the ready. He should have known Teal wouldn't show herself in front of him.

"Look out!"

Mark whipped his head around, confused by Teal's warning since it wasn't coming from the rustling bushes. If Teal wasn't in front of him though, then who was?

His question was answered when a Splash Potion of Harming crashed into his face, taking out three hearts of Health. Mark fell back and tried to clear his vision as the Witch advanced from the bushes. Two more Witches and a Skeleton accompanied her, and soon a volley of projectiles were hurled at the Lieutenant.

He narrowly dodged the arrow, but was forced to take the splash potions of Poison and Weakness thrown at him. Acting fast, the alchemist withdrew a bucket of milk and downed it quick, nullifying all detrimental potion effects on him. Then, he withdrew a Splash Potion of Regeneration II and chucked it at his feet to fix his Health.

Three more Skeletons emerged from his right, however, and shot several more arrows at him. But before the Lieutenant could dodge, he let out a surprised yelp as something darted forth, sweeping the Lieutenant off his feet in a gentle hold, before whisking him away from the enemy fire.

Teal smiled down at the Lieutenant in her arms. He held on tightly as she bridal carried him in a flurry of movement, her blue hair fluttering in the rush of wind. Only when Teal was behind the cover of a thick tree away from the Mobs did she dare put Mark down.

And once she was sure he was safe, her vibrant blue eyes darkened to glare at the Mobs that dared to attack her love. She cracked her knuckles, counting her opponents. Three Witches and four Skeletons. Not as entertaining as Crafters, but she'd manage.

Her eyes widened when she felt something splash against her back, followed by an exhilarating rush of energy and strength. She grinned at the alchemist who had just thrown splash potions of Strength and Swiftness at her. They were hardly necessary, but knowing Mark cared made her feel all warm inside. "Thanks, hot-stuff~!"

"I'm only trying to speed things along." Mark dismissed, unable to look at Teal's flirtatious grin without blushing. "Make it quick."

"Consider it done!" She cheered, falling into a sprinting position before darting forth in a blue blur and a rush of wind.

The Skeletons and Witches could hardly keep up. The blue-nette darted and weaved between them, occasionally lashing out with a well-timed kick or punch that sent the Mobs reeling. Their heads spun and arrows and splash potions were flung in every direction in the hopes of hitting her. It was futile, though. Teal could dodge projectiles in her sleep, even without the potions aiding her. It only took her a minute to finish them all off.

"Done!" Teal tittered as she suddenly came to a stop before Mark, startling him slightly. She was beaming proudly, however, and fishing for praise. "Wasn't I amazing?"

"Yes, you were. Very amazing." Mark nodded to the Lieutenant before glancing around for any other Mobs. It wasn't long until night, and even though Teal could have taken hundreds of Mobs, he didn't want her to take any unnecessary risks. Just one stealthy Creeper was all it took. "We should make our boats fast and set up camp on the outskirts. No sense in us sleeping in a Mob-infested forest. We should probably make back-up boats just in case ours break while at sea."

Mark took a step towards a tree, intending to craft the needed boats, only for Teal to suddenly dart in front of him, barring his path. She had a pout on her face. "Uh… Teal?"

"I was kind of hoping for more praise than just 'Very amazing'." Teal argued, mirroring Mark's movements to keep his path barred. "A head-pat at the very least."

"What are you, a dog?" Mark shot back, causing Teal to quirk an eyebrow. "Your hide-and-seek game brought the Mobs here to begin with. Don't make that face! You know I'm right."

Teal's pout deepened before she suddenly glanced away, looking hurt and vulnerable. "I'm sorry, Mark. All I wanted was to have fun with my favorite person in the whole wide world." She made an exaggerated sniffle and her eyes misted with tears. "You're right, though. I was being too selfish." She covered her eyes and sobbed softly into them.

"Forget it, Teal. I'm not buying your sob story." Mark replied, looking unimpressed.

Teal cursed to herself and lowered her hands. Her crocodile tears were gone in an instant. "Drat. Plan B, then." She announced before rummaging in her backpack.

"Plan B? What's thaaaaaaaa…"

Mark's words were suddenly slow and drawn out as Teal wore her prized light blue leather cap. The slowness radius emanating from it engulfed Mark completely, making his movements painfully slow.

Teal, wearing the cap, was immune to the effects. "I'm sorry, Mark." Teal apologized, looking far from remorseful as she circled the Lieutenant helpless to her mercies. "I really wanted something more than praise." She grinned as she hugged his sluggish form from behind, pressing herself against his back and nestling her chin into the crook of his neck. "I wanted something I could wrap my lips around~"

"Fuuuuuuuuuu…" Mark hissed slowly as his hand made its way to seemingly push Teal away from him. The action was so slow it was laughable.

"What's that, Mark?" Teal cupped a hand to her ear mockingly. "You want me to ravish you?"

"—uuuuuuuuuck…"

"Hmhmm. Well, if you insist~"

Teal watched him lustfully, nibbling on his neck. She reached a hand under his shirt and ran it over his chest. With his movements slowed by that damned cap, there was little he could do to resist.

Still, Mark's hands reached towards his back.

Teal eventually released Mark only to swing around him and link her arms around his neck. "I just want one." She promised as her vibrant blue eyes locked with Mark's. "Just a small one…" She leaned forward, her eyes lidded. Her breathing got heavy, but her advance never faltered. She moved to capture his lips with hers.

Mark finally reached his back, or, more specifically, his backpack.

He took out the golden deep-sea diving armor specifically designed to explore Ocean Monuments. The helmet and chestplate with Depth Strider, Respiration, and Aqua Affinity Enchantments were quickly equipped, giving the Lieutenant his mobility back. Teal's mysterious leather cap's radius had effects similar to water. It only made sense they could be countered by Depth Strider.

With his mobility restored, Mark raised his hands and grabbed Teal by her forehead and chin, stopping her formidable kissy face in its tracks. Teal's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing with determination as she pushed harder while yanking Mark's head forward by her linked arms.

"No… kiss… for you…" Mark gritted out as he peeled Teal off of him long enough to put the rest of the deep-sea diving armor on and stumble away from the blue-haired temptress. She made a grab for him only to receive a splash Potion of Slowness to the face. "See how _you_ like it!" He shouted back, both in defiance and exasperation.

He hobbled further into the forest with Teal slowly in hot pursuit. Emphasis on hot.

"Come on, Mark~!" She called out in amusement. "Just one kiss! Followed by one sex, if you're feeling adventurous."

"Keep away from me!"

* * *

 **AN: Seems pretty tame, honestly.**


	88. Trip

**AN: Short Chapter. I'm pretty busy this week.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Potions of Paralysis.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 88

 **Trip**

[Cobb]

"Okay, show what you got." I called out to my friends as dawn broke.

The night had been long and the Endermen lethal, but we were all still alive. Floyd and Lenz looked a bit drowsy and scuffled (the latter still under the effects of a Potion of Night Vision), but Soul was grinning smugly, giving me the impression that he had found the most pearls. Most of them had had a head start on me, since I needed to make a new sword first. A stone one.

In hindsight, hunting for pearls when we should have been sleeping seemed pretty stupid. But I couldn't deny we needed the pearls more than bed rest. Floyd had the only bed anyway.

"Soul, you want to go first?" I asked. "Since you're practically vibrating with smug glee?"

"Oh, no." Soul smirked arrogantly. "Saving the best for last. Let's see how _you_ did first."

Was having loads of pearls worth listening to him brag all day? It was still a toss-up.

"Well, I managed to scrape together six." I held out my hand to display my modest find. "Considering how terrifying I thought those things were before, collecting this many is a huge step. And I owe it all to Herobrine's tips and tricks!" I held out Advanced Mob-Slaying in my other hand and patted it fondly.

"Are you already making excuses for when you lose?" Soul asked, to which I replied with a scowl. "I'm impressed by how prepared you are. What about you, Floyd?"

"Eight." He showed off proudly while stifling a yawn. "It wasn't difficult. Anyone that could swing a sword could manage this much." He emphasized rather loudly.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "Endermen are still a tough Mob to locate and kill. I used a sword and only managed six."

"What? No, no, that's not—I'm saying if you were using a bow, then—" Floyd struggled for the right words while Lenz sported a contemptuous smirk.

"But bows don't work on Endermen." My eyes widened as I realized what I was saying. "Oh, crap, Lenz! I totally forgot! You can only use a bow, right? I didn't realize… I shouldn't have sent you looking for pearls on your own. My bad."

"Perish the thought." Lenz waved off my apology. "Though since you have brought it up, I must confess I was unable to collect a single pearl."

Soul looked a little annoyed and Floyd looked more pleased than upset. However his expression turned full upset when Lenz rummaged in his backpack.

"However, I figured I could assist in gathering other needed supplies." He held out his hands, showing off a bounty! Sugar cane for paper. Leather for books. Feathers.

"Whoa, where did you get all this stuff?" Soul asked, stepping up to the engineer who preened slightly.

"I located cows and chickens in a small valley near here." He gestured vaguely east. "My Inventory was full, so I left the raw meat. As for the sugar cane, I found it growing beside a stream, so I took the liberty of harvesting and replanting them throughout the night."

"You did all that?" I questioned incredulously, to which the engineer nodded. "Nice going! This is exactly what we need to make copies of books. Isn't that great, Floyd?"

The blue-haired Crafter was giving a rather forced smile. " _Wonderful._ " Floyd hissed through his teeth. "But we were looking for ender pearls, right? That was the objective? And I collected—"

"Well, we needed this stuff too." I defended, stopping Floyd's argument in its tracks. "Besides, Lenz couldn't fight Endermen. Doesn't make much sense asking him to do the impossible."

"…"

"Thank you, Cobbert." Lenz nodded gratefully. "I am relieved to hear I was not a burden towards the group." Floyd abruptly turned on his heel away from Lenz, all but shoving the pearls he had gathered into my arms.

"Hey, you can't act salty yet!" Soul accused a fuming Floyd. "You still have to feel the bumpy texture of my victory as I rub it in your faces. Read 'em and weep! _Fifteen_ pearls! More than all of you combined, just like I said! _Now_ you can be salty."

"What I don't get," Floyd called out, raising a hand in the air and pointing it at Lenz, "is how you were able to kill all those animals when you're supposedly low on arrows?"

Lenz shrugged. "I am a versatile Crafter capable of many subtle methods of slaying livestock."

"Yeah? Then what did you use?"

"Explosives."

I did a double take. "Excuse me?"

Lenz flinched, unprepared for my demanding tone. "W-well they were all gathered in the valley… arrows were limited… rigging up TNT was the best method of killing them all without wasting my most valuable resource."

"Lenz, we're being _hunted_." I stressed to the engineer. "If Ringwood guards are out here searching for us, don't you think they'd investigate disturbances? Like say—"

"—A metric fuck-ton of TNT going off." Soul finished, glaring disapprovingly at the engineer. "That wasn't very smart. How long ago did you set that off?"

"N-no, wait a moment…" Lenz held up his hands, struggling under the accusations. "I… I got the supplies we needed, right? I did good… no?"

"More like alerted everyone to our position." Floyd shot back. "Rookie mistake."

"I… I…" Lenz looked to me, his voice head shaking slightly. "I did not know—"

"You should have used your arrows." I reprimanded before shaking my head. "Ugh… it doesn't matter. We need to bury ourselves quick before—"

"I would have had arrows if it was not for _him_!" Lenz interrupted suddenly, pointing an accusatory finger in Floyd's direction. It was like a malediction.

"Oh, so now you're blaming _me_ for your mistakes?" Floyd shot back with folded arms. "Real mature."

"What is wrong with you two?" Soul voiced my thoughts perfectly. Where was all the animosity coming from?

"It is the truth. I would have had enough arrows if I did not have to waste them saving _him_." Lenz practically spat out towards Floyd. "He was frozen in fear. Go ahead and ask him."

"Guys, keep it down!" I hissed under my breath. "We're not safe—"

"I wasn't frozen in fear, Lenzington!" Floyd defended, his voice growing in volume as he got up in Lenz's face. "And are you listening, Cobb? Apparently my life isn't worth the arrows he wastes saving it! Remind him what a life costs."

"Awfully hypocritical when you yourself shot an arrow at me when my back was turned!" Lenz didn't back down, glaring through his tinted glasses at the blue-nette. "Perhaps _you_ are the one in need of a reminder of what a life is worth!?"

"That arrow didn't touch you and you know it!"

"More like you could not hit a—!"

"Hey! They're over here!" A loud, unfamiliar voice called out.

 _Uh-oh…_

The four of us whirled around, spotting a single green-capped guard beckoning his buddies over. At least twelve of them altogether. Whether they were drawn by Lenz's explosions or the vocal argument, I had no idea. What I did know, however, was that we either had to stand and fight or run like scared little babies.

"Run!"

"Fight!"

Both those words were shouted at exactly the same time. Lenz and I started running away from the guards while Floyd and Soul ran towards them. We both stopped at the same time and glanced at each other.

"What do you mean fight/run!?" We both shouted at the same time, just before the guards attacked.

In all the confusion, Floyd and Soul took a few painful hits before entering full combat mode.

"Don't kill them!" I called out, though it was in warning to Floyd and Soul. Casualties would only make proving our innocence harder.

"Easier said than done!" Soul complained, bringing up his shield to block two sword strikes. "There's no wanted poster asking for me alive!"

 _I guess we have to fight, now._ I internally resigned myself, bringing out my stone sword. I was about to rush in, only for Lenz to grab my shoulder, stopping me. "Not the time for a conversation, Lenz."

"I need flint!" He hissed, holding out his hand. "For arrows. Any flint at all?"

Recalling at least twelve flints in my backpack, I hastily brought them out and handed them over. However, with Lenz's backpack full to the brim, he couldn't hold onto them and they skittered onto the ground.

"Comparators!" He cursed, stooping down while setting his crafting table. He moved to scoop them up, only to yelp as I kicked him out of the way of a splash Potion of Slowness.

The potion got me, though. Everything felt sluggish as I tried to bring up a hasty defense to the three guards that had broken from the initial group. They all had iron gear, save for the green-dyed leather caps, and were well equipped.

Meanwhile, I had a stone sword.

I tried to swing my sword at the first guard, but it was at half-speed. The guard had no trouble ducking under it before leaping up with a knee to the chin, followed by a slash across my chest. My tunic held strong, but my Health took more blows as the other two guards joined in attacking me. I could do little to evade with everything moving so damn slow!

"Not so tough without your Creepers to do your dirty work, are you?" One of the guards taunted with relish just before cracking his fist across my face. The world spun as I fell to my knees, but not before I wielded Backlash with my other hand and snagged someone far away.

"Soul! Tag-in!" I cried out with a pull.

"What the—Hey!" Soul squawked in surprise as he was pulled away from his fight and into mine. Yet, without missing a beat, he swung his axe in mid-air, slamming into one unsuspecting guard's armor and sending him crashing into a tree. Hopefully he would stay down, lest Soul kill him.

"L-Lenz!" I coughed out, trying to get back to my feet. The engineer was nowhere to be seen, though his crafting table was still where he placed it.

I didn't get long to catch my breath before a second splash Potion was hurled toward me. I caught it full in the face and then collapsed weak as a kitten.

"The Executive's down!" The potion-chucking guard exclaimed triumphantly. "He's down! The worst threat is neutralized!"

"The worst threat is standing right over here, assholes!" Soul shouted as if offended.

The Slowness-Weakness combo. I hated it ever since that Witch used it on me. Now I was paralyzed until the effects wore off. So the guards really were trying to take us alive, despite what the cult did to Ringwood.

"Get the Lieutenant next!" One of the guards engaging Floyd called out. I could only watch as Floyd struck a mighty blow against one guard, only for two more to gang up on him from behind. Soul had used a Potion of Strength in a desperate effort to even the odds against _five_ guards. But even as he slashed wildly, there were two guards hanging back with bows, firing at him every so often.

It was too much.

The potion-chucking guard left my prone form and crept towards Floyd's exposed back as he dealt with three guards. "Floyd, behind you!" I warned as the guard raised a splash potion in each hand…

Only to drop both on himself when an arrow struck the back of his knee. The two effects did to him what he did to me, paralyzing the guard.

My eyes darted towards where the arrow was shot from, only to glimpse a flash of dark-grey hair vanishing behind a tree. A second later, a drawn bow poked out and fired an arrow at one of Soul's adversaries. Three more followed up, forcing two guards to retreat when their Health got so low.

"Sniper!" One of the archers on the guards' side shouted in warning before aiming towards Lenz's position. The arrow flew, but Lenz was already behind a different tree, huffing and puffing. Even then, he needn't have dodged. The distance was too much for the guards' level of archery. But Lenz's, on the other hand…

"I can't hit him!" One of the guards cursed as he adjusted his bow to ignore the engineer. "He's too far! No archer could make a shot like tha—Gah!"

As if spitting on his claims, an arrow struck the guard right in the face.

"No shot is too far for the Gray Eagle!" Lenz boasted in between gasps for air as he moved to a new vantage point. "All of you are in my sights!"

 _Gray Eagle?_ I thought, wondering where that nickname came from.

With the archers unable to match Lenz's skill, they had to take cover behind some trees and target Floyd instead. Meanwhile, Lenz directed his fire at the three guards still attacking Soul. When one of them raised their arm to strike, an arrow would lodge itself in their shoulders or legs, throwing them off.

Soul's eyebrows lifted at the assistance the first time around and he smirked the second time. By the third, he attacked fully expecting Lenz's arrows to impede his opponent long enough to deliver a strength-infused axe-swing to the chest. The unlucky guard on the receiving end of that swing found himself flat on the ground clutching his chest as if it was caved in.

Yeah, he probably wasn't getting back up.

"Hate to pull a Teal on you guys, but you can't follow us." I heard Soul grunt before I heard an audible crack, followed by an agonized scream. I saw Soul leaning over a recently downed guard… whose leg _definitely_ wasn't supposed to bend that way.

"Oh my God! Soul, that's messed up!" I called from my position on the ground.

"He's not dead, so shut up!" Soul called back, fighting the last guard. "And how long are you going to lay there like a dead fish? Get off your ass!"

"I can't! The potion effects are still going!"

"For how much longer?"

"I don't know! My body is blocking my arm!"

"Cobbert! I… *wheeze* …I am… helping!" Lenz called out as he left his cover in the trees and hobbled over to me, clutching a stitch in his side. A winded, red face behind tinted goggles.

"What? No! Stay in the trees! You're doing a good job shooting!"

"I… I cannot…" He huffed and puffed. "Out of… arrows… n-not enough sticks…"

While he struggled to catch his breath, Floyd skidded to a stop on the other side of me. He was covered with arrows, but seemed to be hanging in there thanks to a Potion of Regeneration. The three guards he was fighting were advancing.

"Why weren't you shooting at the guards I was fighting?" Floyd called over his shoulder, sounding agitated. "Fine with letting me die?"

"The guards… want you… *wheeze* …and Cobbert alive." Lenz protested over my prone form. "Soul was… more at… risk…"

"Oh, a likely answer." Floyd rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, the two archers, having Lenz in their line of sight for the first time, were taking aim at him.

"Uh, guys?" I tried to direct their focus. "Fight's still going on. And I'm currently one with the grass right now."

"Quickly. Arrows, Floyd." Lenz demanded, holding his hand out to the blue-nette. "My archery is the only thing that can save us."

Floyd's eyes narrowed at the order before he did the unexpected and sheathed his sword in favor of his bow.

"You're not the only one who can shoot."

…

 _WHAT!?_

"Floyd, are you nuts!?" I shouted angrily at the Crafter. "Now's not the time to practice! Give the better archer the arrows!"

Floyd made no sign of hearing me as he drew back an arrow and launched it towards the advancing guards. It only grazed one of their chestplates.

"Floyd!" I groaned, desperately trying to move my paralyzed body.

"Wait, I can get this!" Floyd tried again, this time forcing a guard to leap to the side. "Almost got it…"

"Repeaters, Floyd, follow your leader's orders!" Lenz protested, trying to snatch the arrows from Floyd's belt. Floyd clung to them fiercely.

"No, I can do this!" He argued through clenched teeth, even as the enemy guards shot his back with arrows. "I can surpass it!"

"Surpass _WHAT_!?"

As the two wrestled with the arrows, Floyd whipped him around right into the path of several shots. The engineer cried out as his unarmored flesh was pierced with a handful of arrows. He fell to his knees and whimpered in pain, but still he refused to let go of the arrows.

Whatever thoughts had been going through Floyd's mind seemed to be smacked out of him upon seeing Lenz's injured self. He let go of the arrows as if they were burning him and clutched at his eyes. "No… not now…!" He whispered, falling to his knees. "Not now, not now…"

"Floyd!? What's wrong!?" I called out, cursing my own inability to move. Was he injured? "Lenz! Get up! Run!" The engineer looked too injured to hear me, much less use the arrows clutched tightly in his hands.

The guards, thinking they had us on the ropes, advanced with swords drawn. They were moving towards my friends and I felt anger bubble through me. "Don't touch them!" I snarled as I struggled to move my muscles.

I would kill them if they did anything.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Soul shouted after dispatching his final guard. He ran towards us to help, but had to raise his shield to block the incoming arrows. "Oi! Forget about those nerds and fight me!" The desperation in his tone spoke of his limited options. He wouldn't make it.

"I swear I'll kill you all if one of them dies." I warned and meant it. Was that really my voice sounding so unforgiving? It caught the guards by surprise too, making them pause as goosebumps crawled up their skin. "The second one of their Heads roll," I spoke chillingly, glaring up at the guards "I won't be responsible for what I'll do next."

Wynn wouldn't forgive me, but I didn't care. My World was at stake.

Brain: _Oh, shit. Cobb's about to go full ham on these guys._

Stomach: _Quick! Heart, Liver! Remind him about compassion and… and… not murdering people! Junk like that!_

Heart: _I can't! Something's… something's blocking me!_

Blood: ... _them all. Kill them all._

Brain: … _The hell is that?_

Blood: _Do it, Cobb. As soon as they kill Lenz, slaughter them all. They deserve it._

Brain: _Hey! Get out of here you bloodthirsty creep! You are_ not _welcome in Cobb's body! Bladder, get the fire hose. Or the water spritzer, I'm easy._

I felt the blood pounding in my ear and saw my vision go red as one of the guards raised his sword to stab Lenz. I needed to move! Now!

Just before the sword fell, something dropped faster from the treetops above. Water. Flowing water fell from the trees and covered us and the guards, making us all sputter for breath. The water cascaded across the ground, spreading out in a strong current that carried us away.

The flowing water, oddly enough, was strategically placed so that the guards were swept in one direction and us the other. I blinked in confusion as the water cooled my rage and brought my vision back to normal. My friends were all still alive.

Above, I heard a rustling of tree leaves followed by someone darting across the top from where the water had been placed. I caught a flash of green hair though.

"H-Hey!" I called out, despite the green-haired Crafter being nearly out of sight. He was wearing a green jacket, making it harder to locate him amongst the foliage. The next instant, he was gone.

But the mysterious Crafter could wait. The water he poured on us had put up enough space between us and the guards that Soul could get to us. With Lenz unconscious, Floyd having a panic attack, and me paralyzed, Soul had to bunch us all together just to protect us from the remaining guards.

We weren't the only prone Crafters though. The potion-chucking guard was still paralyzed and had been carried to us by the flowing water. His belt was filled with potions of various colors.

That gave me an idea.

"Soul, that guard's belt!" I pointed at it with my darting eyes. "Find a Strength and Swiftness potion for me and I can get back in the fight."

"I'm a little busy!" Soul complained as he raised his shield to cover Lenz from getting killed by an arrow while also throwing his body in the way of one aimed at Floyd. "Urgh. Search him yourself." He took out his last remaining Potion of Strength and practically jammed the glass neck down my throat. Urgency or not, he could have been more gentle.

Drinking the Potion of Strength, I felt it balance the effects of the Potion of Weakness, meaning I only had the Slowness effect to worry about. It was a relief to move again and I slowly crawled over to the paralyzed guard to search for the electric blue brew.

"Hey! Keep away from my potions, cultist!" Paralyzed, the guard moved the only thing he could—his mouth—and mustered all his defiance towards me. "And take off that tunic! You have no right to wear our col-mpph!"

I held a hand over his mouth, silencing him. "Unless your next words tell me where I can get a Potion of Swiftness, keep your trap shut." Behind me, I heard Soul grunt as he brought up his shield to deflect a guard's sword.

"Floyd… snap out of it!" Soul hissed to Floyd who was still clutching his head and breathing heavily. "Whatever episode you're having, it can't be worse than the current episode we're having!"

Soul's shield shattered after taking one too many hits and he had to choose whether to block with his axe the strike aimed at Floyd or the strike aimed at Lenz.

But Floyd took away that decision by regaining enough sense to tackle the guard attacking Lenz. After being freed up from defending, Soul refocused his attention on offense.

Meanwhile, I reached around the paralyzed guard's back and picked out the correct Potion of Swiftness. I slowly brought it to my lips and drank it, feeling it cancel the effects of the Potion of Slowness.

Back to normal and pissed at being taken out for most of the fight, I wielded Backlash and hurled the bobber at one of the archers, snagging him by his chestplate.

"… *Grumble* … Paddle Ball." I muttered under my breath as I pulled the archer towards me only to bat him back with the Knockback Enchantment. He crashed into the other archer, disabling them both for a bit.

I took the opportunity to run up and try my hand at knocking somebody out. I had never intentionally done it before, but how hard could it be? Just hit them in the head enough until they passed out, right?

Using the handle of my sword, I bonked the two archers on the skull. They yelped in pain, but didn't go unconscious like in the movies. They also looked pretty mad.

"Um… hang on…" I bashed them harder this time, hoping it would work. Instead they just fell into the ground, clutching their skulls and dropping their weapons.

This was getting awkward. "For the love of—sleep, already!"

Bonk!

"…Maybe I'm not doing it hard enough…?"

Bonk! Bonk!

"Please, no more…" One of them cried out piteously.

"Have mercy…"

Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

"Okay, there we go." I nodded in satisfaction, pretending it hadn't taken me a dozen tries to actually knock them out. The two archers had looks of hopelessness on their unconscious faces as well as a couple of egg-sized bumps on their heads… and maybe a mild concussion or two. But hey, they were still alive.

Floyd and Soul had much better success knocking out their opponents. By the time I hurried back to them, all the guards were unconscious and in a pile. For added measure, Soul had even searched the guard with the potions and splashed them all with the Slowness-Weakness combo to further disable them. He also took the liberty of looting their immobile bodies for arrows, potions, and armor for Lenz.

Speaking of Lenz, the engineer was still unconscious with arrows sticking out of him. Soul splashed him with a Potion of Healing from one of the guards, but he still didn't wake up.

"Guess we're carrying this one." Soul shrugged before reaching down and hefting the light engineer with one arm. "We better clear out before these guys' backup shows up. It's bright enough that I don't think any Mobs will find them first."

I nodded to his reasoning while Floyd just glanced away with clenched fists. I caught him shooting glances at Lenz, though.

I needed to talk with them both about why they argued in the middle of a fight.

But first, we had to put some distance between us and any remaining guard patrols. Soul marched out first, keeping his pace relatively quick considering he had someone over his shoulder. Floyd went next, though he kept a fair distance from the axe-wielder while clutching at his eyes like he always did when he was nervous.

And lastly, I…

I glanced back at the guards… and then to the flowing water coming off one of the trees.

 _That makes twice that the mysterious green-haired Crafter saved our lives._ I thought before checking the surrounding trees more carefully. _And twice that he's run away. Either he was keeping track of us or he followed the sounds of combat and shouting._

 _Only question now is who is he?_

 _And… why ally yourself with wanted criminals against guards?_

It didn't make much sense.

Well, maybe if we got into trouble again, he'd show himself long enough to answer me those questions.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 14 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 57 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 4 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 10]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 5 Bones, 6 Gunpowder, 16 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 64 Cooked Chicken, 50 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 61 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 59 Steak, 14 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe {Weak}, 15 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Green_ ], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 50 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 12 Steak, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 36]

* * *

 **AN: It's weird having a short chapter for a change. Reminds me of the early days of this story when the Chapters were short and there was little to talk about.**

 **The mysterious green-haired Crafter strikes again, saving Cobb and the Beginners from getting kidnapped or killed or both. And the guards are suprisingly good at their jobs. Unlike Griefers, they're actually trained and are smart enough to utilize potions, bows, and the greatest weapon of all... Teamwork! Even though the Beginners are individually skilled, their teamwork is still a bit all over the place, which was the main point of this Chapter. They also can't kill any of the guards... unless of course they threaten Cobb's friends and make his Blood start boiling.**

 **Half of them prefer fight over flight, two of them are competing with one another, and Cobb's commands are more like suggestions to the Beginners. So naturally, they'd have trouble in a fight. It also showed that, without Soul there, the Beginners _would_ have been captured.**

 **At least they have their Ender Pearls now.**

 **Fav. Follow. Review. Drop an OC. Have a nice week.**


	89. The Best Man

**AN: No, this Chapter has nothing to do with marriage.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd... eh...

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 89

 **The Best Man**

[Cobb]

The buzzing fury bouncing around my skull had little to do with the guards we put further and further behind us. True, I had lost my cool when things looked particularly bad, but now that I was calmed down, I could fully realize what led to that situation in the first place.

Surprisingly, the blame didn't lie with the guards. They were only doing their jobs and I had already figured they would.

No. The real problem lay with the blue and grey-haired Crafters ahead of me. And once we were a reasonable distance away and safe beneath the shade of several tall trees, I let my anger show.

"What the fuck was that back there?"

The question came from Soul, but it adequately summed up what I was thinking. One moment we were turning the tide of the battle, the next Floyd and Lenz were getting into a hissy-fit over arrows. And Lenz came out worse, still unconscious.

Floyd remained silent, fists clenched, as he stared at the ground. That wasn't a good sign since it meant he had no reasonable explanation to offer.

"Floyd!" Soul snapped, lowering the unconscious engineer to the forest floor so he could reprimand Floyd unburdened. "Don't just stand there like you don't owe us an explanation." He paused only to add after a moment, "Did you freeze again?"

"…I didn't—No." Floyd bit back with a sigh. "No, I didn't freeze."

"Then why did you just break down after Lenz got shot?"

"…"

Soul was prepared to lay into him some more, but I stopped him. "Wait for Lenz to wake up first." I narrowed my eyes towards the blue-nette. "I want them both to hear what I have to say."

Soul paused to glance at the downed engineer before nodding in agreement. He then walked over and stooped down beside Lenz with a red splash potion in hand. Something for Lenz's Health. He was unexpectedly good with first aid—

I watched as he smashed the splash potion into Lenz's face, bits of glass skittering over his clothing. Lenz's body jerked from the force.

…Nevermind.

Well, methods aside, the potion was doing its job. I stooped down on the engineer's other side and watched as the Hearts on his arm filled back up. His Hunger was low, but it wasn't like we could cram food down his—

"No, Soul," I snatched the steak clenched in his fist, "we can't cram food down his throat. That's not how unconscious people eat."

"Well then why isn't he waking up?" Soul asked, checking the engineer over. "His Health is full. Shouldn't that mean he's fully healed?"

"Maybe damage to the mind takes longer to heal." I suggested. "He did take an arrow to the head. And without any armor to lessen the damage."

"Then it's time to fix that." Soul rummaged in his backpack for a second before pulling out the armor he scavenged from the guards we fought. A full set of iron minus a helmet, which was substituted by a green-dyed leather cap. The uniform of Ringwoods' guards.

I helped Soul put the armor on Lenz, figuring it was high time he suited up, and stepped back to see how he looked.

It was… different. Lenz never wore armor, being an engineer first, a warrior second. It looked a little out of place on him, but it wasn't meant to look good. It was meant to protect him.

Floyd didn't bother to help with the armor, but I did see him occasionally glance to Lenz, his brow creased with worry. No doubt he felt responsible for his current condition.

As he should.

Soul even deposited the arrows he scrounged from the guards into Lenz's Inventory. It made sense. He was our best archer. If anyone should have them, it should be him. Which made Floyd's stubborn reluctance all the more confusing.

It was noon when Lenz finally stirred back to consciousness. He clutched at his head and lifted his tinted glasses while we all crowded around him. Then, all of a sudden, he shot to his feet, arms waving wildly.

"What happened? Where am I? The guards… the—why am I wearing armor?" He clutched at his chest in confusion before waving his arms once more. "Have we been captured!?"

Soul walked up behind the engineer and firmly pinned his flailing arms to his side before lifting him off the ground. The action confused Lenz, stopping his freak-out before it could worsen and allowing us to answer his questions.

"We got away. You got knocked out. Nobody died. We're safe." I explained, nearly in order of the questions he shot out. But with him and Floyd both listening, I could move on to the bigger concern.

"I… I got knocked out…" Lenz muttered in confusion before suddenly growing dejected. "I got knocked out… I was useless…" Soul deposited him back on the ground and moved to stand beside Floyd. The movement was noticed by the engineer, who instantly scowled to the blue-haired Crafter. " _You_ did this! You ruined my one chance at proving myself!"

"Me!?" Floyd cried out indignantly, causing my eye to twitch at the expected argument. "I was doing fine with the arrows until you butted in! Right, Soul?"

The axe-wielder just shook his head. "All I saw were the two of you fighting each other instead of the guards. If you ask me, you were both being stupid."

"That's not—"

"Cobbert, tell him that—"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone went silent at my exclamation as their eyes, wide and shocked, darted to me. But given what happened, I felt justified in ranting at them.

"Enough of the bickering! What am I your mother or something, trying to keep everyone in line? I don't know what's gotten into you two, but arguing about it _in the middle of a life-or-death fight_ is just suicidal!"

I was mad. Mad at the both of them. The whole time leading up to this rant, I had debated whether to come off as disappointed or nonchalant to get my message across, but that plan had disintegrated when they started going after each other's throats not ten seconds after Lenz woke up. This was just ridiculous.

"Floyd!" I snapped my attention to the blue-nette who stiffened slightly. "Why did you refuse to give Lenz arrows when he already proved how efficient an archer he was!? His long-range sniping was disrupting the guards and supporting us from a safe distance! What possessed you to fight him over the arrows to the point of throwing him—a non-combatant—into the line of fire!?"

Floyd made several gaping motions, but was unable to make anything in the form of a reasonable defense.

"Nothing?" I asked testily. "You have _nothing_ to say?" More silence was his answer and I suddenly turned to Lenz instead. "And what about you?"

"M-me?"

"Whenever you made a mistake, no matter how small, you immediately turned the blame on Floyd! And when you couldn't turn the blame on him, you changed the subject into something he _could_ be blamed for! Just now, as soon as you woke up, you blamed him! Yeah, it is his fault for hoarding the arrows, but you fought him over it too! Why is that!?"

Lenz's mouth was just as agape as he failed to come up with an answer. His head was quivering slightly and even though I couldn't see his eyes behind those glasses, I could tell his pupils were dilated in shame.

"Nothing from you either?" I asked, unimpressed by their behavior. "I noticed you didn't cover Floyd as much with your arrows as you did Soul. And I noticed that you," I shot Floyd a glare, "just fell to your knees when Lenz got downed. Either of you want to say anything about that?"

I was getting sick of hearing nothing coming from either of them. Again, they chose to remain silent. Only when their lives were on the line and they were trying to outdo one another did they feel like talking.

"Nothing." I concluded with disappointment that made the two of them lower their heads. "No explanation to how we nearly died. That's comforting." I said sarcastically. "Way to make me confident it won't ever happen again."

"…It won't." Floyd muttered causing me to round on him.

"I wish I could believe that. I really do." I glanced to the both of them. "Either of you could have handled that situation a hundred times better. But instead, like Soul said, you were too busy fighting one another. I just…" I made a choking motion with my hands as I struggled to come up with the right words. "Gah!" I finally grunted out as I threw my arms up.

"…Um… what was—?"

"Bah!" I eloquently interrupted as I threw my arms up again and tromped away from them.

"Cobbert, please wa—"

"Aghbahgah!" I finished while waving my arms wildly, not caring to listen to them now. They had their chance and they missed it. If they wanted to talk to me again, they'd have to clean up whatever crap was eating at them.

I had enough to worry about being a wanted man without my friends trying to get themselves killed!

* * *

[Floyd]

I had never seen Cobb so mad since the cookie incident. The fact that he, of all people, was storming away made me realize how fed up he was over our arguments. I knew it was pointless to try and explain myself without waiting for him to cool off first.

That didn't stop Lenzington, though.

"Cobbert, wait!" The engineer pleaded as he followed the agitated Crafter deeper into the forest. Soul and I made no move to stop either of them. So long as Cobb had his map, Soul could always find him.

"…So?" I glanced up at the question and frowned. "You feel like saying anything, now?"

"Not really, no."

With nothing better to do, I laid out my Inventory on the ground before me and sifted through it. I was hoping to look preoccupied so Soul wouldn't grill me for answers, but the bastard saw right through it. I was trying to show interest in ladders when he sat across from me.

"Come on, Floyd." He urged wearily. "It's me. Soul. Your buddy. The guy who's seen the same shit as you. Nothing you say is going to make me turn on you."

"I know that." I gritted out while running a hand over my iron pickaxe. Of course I knew Soul could be a confidant. I even trusted him a little bit more than Cobb when it came to private stuff. But I didn't feel it necessary for him to know what was on my mind.

I kept my attention on looking through my Inventory, refusing to look the axe-wielder in the eye. Out of sight, out of mind, right?"

"…If you're still having problems freezing up—"

I crushed an ink sac in my grip.

"—get it. You don't want to talk about it." He continued. "But if what happened to Silent happens again to either Cobb or—"

I slammed a chunk of cobblestone into the ground, silencing him.

" _I didn't freeze up_." I growled lowly. "I only stopped because I was holding back—"

"…What?"

"…" I turned my attention back to my Inventory, glaring at some flint.

Soul leaned in. "You were holding back what?"

 _My Hacker powers._

"Nothing—or… myself." I threw out hastily, causing Soul to back off.

"Yourself?"

"Yeah…" I went along with it, even though it was the issue I was struggling with. "I… I don't want Lenzington to be the only archer we have."

"Why not? I've seen him shoot. The guy was good. He made beating up those guards a lot easier, let me tell you."

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Well, what if Lenz wasn't there?" I posed, glancing up from my items. "What if he was busy somewhere else, and you needed someone to take the shot. Doesn't it make sense to have as many archers as we can?"

"So, what? You're saying you stubbornly clung to the bow to try and outdo a professional archer?" Soul looked skeptical. "I feel like you need more time for that."

"In case you haven't noticed, time isn't something we have an abundance of. We're being hunted for reasons we don't even know. The Endward Cult is getting stronger. We need to prepare ourselves for whatever comes after us as soon as we can. And that means learning any style of combat we can think of." I picked up some flint and sticks, only to curse at the lack of feathers. "Do you have any arrows on you?"

"Uh, no. I gave them to the archer. Kind of like how you should have." I ignored his words and prepared to hunt some chickens. "Look, I understand the need to ready ourselves and prepare, but there's no shame in leaving archery to Lenz. It's what he does best. He shoots. I swing. Cobb… Cobb does whatever the fuck he does, I don't really know sometimes. But whatever it is, nobody does it better than him!"

"I don't care what he does best." I shook my head. "To beat the cultists, _we_ need to be the best. Period."

If I could be the best man, I wouldn't have to worry about those Hacker powers showing themselves. I would surpass them with hard work and practice. Two things that engineer could never match with his twig-like stamina.

I wasn't being competitive in the slightest.

Honest.

Soul sighed. "No wonder you didn't feel like telling Cobb all this. He probably would have…" Soul trailed off as his head jerked to the left.

He heard it too. A rustling of leaves.

I gathered up the rest of my Inventory and armed myself with weakened Iron Sword. "Think it's those guards again?" I whispered, tilting my head towards the rustling bushes.

"I think we're about to find out." Soul narrowed his eyes and pulled his arm back, ready to let his axe fly. I prepared for the worst.

My muscles deflated as, the next moment, a white dog emerged from the underbrush, padding towards us.

"Just a dog." I sighed in relief, already lowering my weapon. "I swear, this forest is making me jumpy. Soul?"

The axe-wielder didn't lower his guard. "Pick your weapon back up." He hissed. "That's a _dog_ , not a wolf. See the collar?" He pointed out the green collar around the animal's neck. "That means it's tamed. Which means its owner isn't far behind."

Realizing the danger, my sword was back up in an instant. The dog tilted its head questioningly, but I was no longer fooled. "You think it's the guards'? The collar matches their colors."

"No… no he would've been part of the fight, in that case." Soul reasoned, backing up a few steps. "I say we lose it in the woods."

"Sounds good." I was already turning around when my eyes zeroed in on something. "Whoa, wait, wait! There's two more."

Soul tilted his head and hummed at the sight of two more dogs sporting the same green collars. They were eyeing us hungrily.

Just when I thought I had their numbers pegged, five more dogs emerged from behind trees and leaves, baring their fangs. Then another ten slinked in behind the first. More and more of them on the way.

And they all looked ready to attack.

* * *

[Lenz]

"Cobbert, I am sorry!" I called out while trying to reach the irate Crafter. My pleadings only made him lengthen his pace.

Comparators, armor was heavy. Even if their intentions were benign, the iron weighing me down turned a struggling jog into a sluggish slog. It also reminded me of my inadequacies. Cobbert and the others weathered armor with no complaint. They were able to fight with it.

An archer like me could not.

After running out of breath in half the time as usual, I tore the armor off so I could breathe without the confining metal cutting into my lungs. The leather cap was light, so I kept that, but everything else fell to the ground with a heavy thud before I began to replenish my Hunger with steak. Cobbert was already out of sight, lost amongst the trees.

 _Repeaters!_ I internally cursed. _Repeaters and comparators, Floyd! This is all_ your _fault!_

I mentally hurled every redstone profanity I could think of at the blue-haired idiot for what he did. Everything had been going fine until he selfishly hogged the arrows to himself. He ruined my chance at proving my worth. Now Cobbert would never trust me again.

The only consolation was that he dragged himself down in the process, but that only meant Soul was now in the lead for most dependable Beginner. Floyd and I were tied for last place.

I had to do better next time. I would fight twice as hard at the next altercation, outshining both Floyd _and_ Soul, and cement my worth as the most trusted Beginner. Or at the very least, begin to build Cobbert's trust back up.

And with the arsenal of arrows now in my… arsenal… I would be able to do just that. Not a single arrow would be wasted!

 _But first, I need a way to ensure Floyd does not interfere again._ I drummed my fingertips together in contemplation. _He obviously wishes to regain his position as Cobbert's best friend. I bet he is already scheming on how to make me look bad. Well if he thinks I will simply sit around and let him—_

*TWANG*

"Eh?" I blinked in confusion as an arrow nicked my cheek only to sink into a tree to my left. I followed the trail back and took a step back when I saw a Skeleton hidden beneath the shade of a tree.

It fired another arrow that I dodged by crouching suddenly, an action that made my knees creak. I took out my bow and loosed three arrows right into the Mob, proving which of us was the better marksman.

However, instead of dying in a puff of smoke, the Skeleton remained standing after taking all three arrows to the ribcage.

"Wha… how is it still standing?" I questioned before the Skeleton stepped completely out of the shadows. I paled at the sight before me.

The Skeleton was wearing the iron armor I had carelessly chucked away. It had no trouble lugging around the additional weight, and in fact seemed delighted to have the additional protection. It passed between the trees' shade—keeping out of the sun—as it neared me.

We both exchanged more arrows, but it took less damage with the armor protecting it. Seeing the disadvantage, I followed Veronica's words of wisdom and channeled my inner moving artillery by strategically retreating to safer cover.

I heard an arrow impact the tree with a dull _thunk_ before I allowed myself to peek around the edge, arrow ready. Its head was the only part unprotected. So that was what I needed to aim for.

After the latest shot I jumped out, arrow pulled back, and prepared to shoot it right into the Skeleton's eye socket.

Only to lower my bow as something else got to it first.

*Arf!*

The Skeleton's eye sockets widened in terror as three dogs surrounded and dove at it, sending the skeletal monster into the ground where it proceeded to thrash about. The dogs were wild and snarling as they sunk their teeth in between the gaps in the armor. Jaws clamped down on boney arms, forcing the Skeleton to drop its bow from the pain.

I watched with morbid fascination—the same type you get when watching a colony of ants team up against a scorpion—as the dogs quite literally ripped the Mob apart. Anytime the Skeleton's thrashing displaced an animal, it would just dive right back in without pause.

I could almost hear Mastah Veronica telling me, 'See, six-eyes? _That's_ why archers keep their distance. Perfect metaphor, bam, right there.'

A lot of good that armor did. It only seemed to prolong the Skeleton's suffering. When the dogs finally killed it, they fought over the two bones it dropped, taking whatever opportunity they could to gnaw on the canine treat. The iron armor lay forgotten.

"Um…"

It was barely a whisper, but it caused all three dogs to tilt their heads towards me. It was as if they only just noticed I was there. They started snarling, hackles raised.

"Not sure why I did not just sneak away…" I shrugged nervously as I backed away.

Two of the dogs had green collars, but one of them had a brown collar. I saw it narrow its eyes at me, as if studying me, before it let out a series of sharp barks to its two fellows.

 _Is that one the leader? The alpha?_ I thought as I raised my bow, determined to defend myself if they attacked me like that Skeleton.

Instead, at the brown-collared dog's urging, the other two dogs calmed down. Their fur relaxed, their teeth were hidden behind their closed mouths, and they chose to ignore me in favor of the bones they were slobbering over.

I blinked in confusion at their behavior only to suffer a miniature heart attack when fifteen more dogs bounded toward the brown-collared one—or Alpha—from the trees behind me. One or two of them even slipped between my legs in their haste to fight over the last remaining bone (the Alpha staking his claim to the other).

The tamed dogs—and they had to be tamed dogs with the colored collars—all bounced about, diving for the last remaining bone while the Alpha watched indulgently. They must have belonged to somebody, but… who could require _eighteen_ dogs?

And why had they seemed hostile at first? Most dogs did not anger unless provoked. But these dogs were hostile after merely making eye contact, only to relax after getting a good look at me.

I rolled these thoughts around my head before I finally put two and two together.

What if they were trained to look for someone specific? Like, say, someone with a bounty on their heads.

 _Cobbert…_

It was a theory—could dogs even be trained to do that?—but there was a way to verify.

I cleared my throat and gauged the dogs' reactions. "Cobbert!" I shouted.

The dogs paused for a second to inspect the noise before doing the dog equivalent of shrugging and returning to their all-important battle of the bone.

"Um… Cobb…?" I tentatively tried again, using the Crafter's more familiar name.

That got a bigger reaction as the Alpha dog's ears angled towards me like twin satellite dishes. A few of the other dogs paid me more mind, ignoring the bone.

"King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd." I tried for a third time and watched as all the dogs growled in unison, acknowledging the names they were probably trained to recognize. Or maybe it was the faces from the wanted posters that were drilled into them. Either way, it meant that whoever owned these dogs was after Cobbert and the other one.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a loud howl echoed through the trees. The drawn-out cry reverberated through my bones before the Alpha dog responded with a howl of his own.

And then more howls sounded. From all over the forest. Representing not one, not two, but at least ten different Alpha's, presumably leading a pack of twenty or more, just like the one before me.

The Alpha barked out some orders before the whole pack took off east, following the initial howl. That was the direction Soul and the other one were in. And it looked and sounded like they were soon to face a pack of ferocious dogs.

They were facing imminent danger. Time was of the essence. There was only one thing to do!

Go get Cobbert so he could witness how dependable I am at rescuing everybody from hounds!

Foolproof plan!

It was not like the other one and Soul were in any _immediate_ danger, right?

They would be fine.

* * *

[Soul]

"We are NOT fine!"

"Why are you saying that!?"

"I don't know, but it's true! GAH! Bad Fido! Butts are not for biting!"

"Run faster! Crap, my sword broke!"

"That's what you get for not taking better care of wow shit my axe just broke too. Ha. We're fucked."

* * *

[Cobb]

"Why did these things just attack me?" I questioned aloud to the four slain dogs surrounding me. "I didn't even kick any of them or deny them rotten flesh. Just—Bam—hostile."

Their EXP sunk into my arm and I sheathed my sword as I regarded the vanishing smoke from each of the green-collared dogs. Hopefully this wouldn't be another Carys_Angel situation where the dogs belonged to one of the fiercest Crafters in existence.

 _Don't think I can handle a second psycho bitch._

* * *

[Carys]

"Baltic, the brewing stands aren't working for some reason and I need some Healing Potions." I stated as I climbed up the ladder into the bridge.

"Ah, that's because of the Bounty Day." He explained at the airship controls. "You need blaze powder to—Whaa!"

I smashed my fist through a window.

Don't even know why. Had nothing to do with the potions. Just—Bam—strong wave of anger. It startled the hell out of Baltic, but other than that was really random.

Maybe someone was talking shit about me somewhere?

"Anyway, blaze powder. Good to know." I pulled my fist out of the hole I had made, trying to ignore the tense awkwardness and the pilot clutching at his heart.

* * *

[Cobb]

Pig-favoring, cult-killing leader of the Paragons aside, the dogs up and attacking me was pretty suspicious. As was the dozen or so howls that shortly followed, coming from far behind.

…The same direction my friends were in.

"Whyyyyyyy..." I groaned into my hands before glancing at my map. According to the blips, Soul (along with Floyd and Lenz, hopefully) were to the northeast, heading south at a pace fast enough to be considered sprinting. So Lenz was either being carried or not with them at all. Either way, they wouldn't be sprinting if they weren't being chased by something. If I went straight east, I would catch up with them.

I memorized the path before returning the map to my backpack and taking off. Given the howls echoing through the forest, I had a pretty good idea of what was chasing them.

I just didn't know why.

* * *

[Floyd]

"This… wasn't a great plan."

"It works for cats so I assumed it would work for us too." Soul replied defensively. "Besides, I didn't see you coming up with anything when your sword broke on Balto's body."

"…You're naming every single one of these dogs, aren't you?"

"Only the persistent ones." He clarified.

"Only the persistent ones." I repeated in disbelief as I looked down at the hundred-dog pack swelling with ferocious canines. They all looked pretty persistent from where we were standing. Even then, more dogs were coming from the forest, drawn by the howls of the handful of brown-collared ones and the rapid barks of the green-collared ones.

We were stuck in a tree, by the way.

Soul had had the brilliant idea of channeling his inner cat by scaling the branches of a tall tree. Through the combination of ladders and teamwork, we were able to perch ourselves high out of those dogs' reach.

But now we were kind of stuck. The dogs were all barking and howling, pressing their bodies and paws against the tree, occasionally jumping in a pathetic attempt to reach us. And we could do little but watch and pray Cobb paid enough attention to his map to see where we were and that we needed help.

I didn't feel like waiting around, though. "No flint and steel. No arrows. Our weapons broke." I ticked off the options as I looked through my Inventory. "How do we get out of this?"

"You don't."

From below, a horse galloped into view before slowing to a trot. Sitting astride was a well-armored Crafter with short, wild, dark-blond hair and a face that looked anything but friendly. He wasn't a guard if the lack of a green-dyed leather cap was any indication.

He wore khaki hike pants and shirt, with a brown leather jacket over it. A brown leather belt and khaki colored canvas backpack. The name above his head read Hunderprest.

He had a diamond sword and an assortment of potions at his belt. Triumphant green eyes watched the pair of us trapped in our tree. Tied around his mouth was a navy green bandana. He tugged at in order to speak, revealing a clean, shaved face.

"The idea is that my hounds keep you right where I want you so that I can collect you easier."

"Your hounds?" Soul questioned, though it was fairly obvious. The dogs below parted for Hunderprest and his steed and he, in turn, tossed bits of meat and bones to reward his pack. Though there was far too many for one Crafter to tame.

"Just who are you?" I called down as the mysterious Crafter dismounted his horse. "What do you want with us?"

He smoothly patted his horse's back before turning his attention up our tree.

"My name is Hunderprest." He called up politely. "And I'm here for your bounty."

* * *

[Carys]

It wasn't long before Nitebane was in our sights. Those skyscrapers stood out for miles. Even more so now that the citizens were rebuilding them. For centuries, they had been broken; suspended off the ground to avoid the belligerent nuisances Griefers tended to be. But, as we approached the once ruined Kingdom, it was clear Jillian was doing her job well.

From one of the Asmodeus' many windows, I watched as small pockets of Crafters plowed farmland and dug small trenches for fresh water to flow. I saw Crafters bustling in and out of the newly operational EXP Factories, their arms overflowing with enchanted books and bottles of EXP. Those would go a long way in fixing Nitebane's economy. The domed roof of the Center for Planar Trade was getting repaired right alongside the skyscrapers and homes Crafters were moving back into.

Jillian had really lit a fire under their asses.

And speaking of fire, occasionally I would spot ones burning from the streets. They weren't the out of control varieties typically caused by Griefers, though. No, they looked more like the kind incensed citizens made whenever they found a leftover Griefer that needed to be 'taken care of'.

 _My_ kind of Kingdom. And it pretty much was.

The Crafters below all spotted the Asmodeus with its black sails and dark wood and recognized it immediately as the airship Jillian first arrived upon. They waved or saluted up at it, thinking Jillian, their passionate savior, was on board.

Their savior _was_ on board, but they didn't need to know the finer details of who saved whom.

In a few moments, Baltic docked the airship atop Lunar Castle. I was able to slip out quickly so as not to be seen by any observing citizens while Baltic took his time. I fully intended to return to the seclusion of the dungeons where I could train and practice some new combat moves without interruption. I would have anyway, but hearing about the Billionth had lit a new, competitive fire within me. It was like preparing for Overshadow all over again. I had a goal in sight and I planned to find that Billionth and win him over to the Paragons. A Crafter at the same Hacker-slaying level as me would be invaluable.

There was also the manner of preparing my next move against the cult. And _Cobb_ , once Wing and Luis' report got back.

When I reached the dungeons, however, I spotted Kalmarin and Z7 leaning against one of the cells. Z7 was sat cross-legged, her long purple hair covering her face and pooling in her lap. Kal, however, had his arms folded and looked conflicted. And it didn't seem to be directed at Z7.

The Jibberwoman raised her hand to point in my direction. "Zmtvo." She uttered in her garbled language. It was one of the more common words she referred to me as.

Kal followed her finger and unfolded his arms, pushing off the cell as he moved to greet me. "Carys. Any word on that rumor or…?" He trailed off, but I understood the gist of it.

"It's genuine." I verified and almost smirked at how Kal looked tense. I was taking the news better than he expected. "The Billionth killed a Hacker first. Nothing else to say about it."

Z7 didn't seem to care about our topic. She was paying more attention to a speck on the stone floor.

"It's hard to believe." Kal shook his head. "No guild to go by. No other alias. And yet for a ten-digit to do it—"

"Does it frighten you?" I asked, genuinely curious. "To hear there's someone out there that can kill Hackers. Someone besides me." Someone he wasn't allied to.

He shook his head. "From the rumors, I bet it was Alec. He was always chomping at the bit. Wanted to be better than a Level 1. Thought himself invincible just because of his Hack so the Clan had to banish him. He probably attacked Daymonte's villages looking for a way to get the Clan to take him back. If he was as reckless as I remember him, it's no wonder he caught the ire and attention of Crafters like… well… like this Billionth, I guess."

"Reckless? I thought all Hackers were like that."

"Some more than others." He offered noncommittally, taking a moment to trace the lines over his eyes. "I'm not worried, though. The Billionth sounds like the old heroic type, from back in the days where Crafters stood for truth and justice. He killed Alec because he was causing problems, not because he was a Hacker. I bet I could get along with him."

My lips tilted at those words. "Well, I'm pleased to hear that, because that might just be the case. The Billionth could be an asset to the Paragons."

"You thinking about recruiting him?"

"I'm more than thinking about it."

"…You're going to fight him, though. Right?" He asked.

"Just to see what he's capable of." I explained with no small amount of excitement. To face a worthy opponent on my level. Those Hackers had been a disappointment, after all—

"And you're going to be completely unbiased while judging him?" Kal questioned skeptically. "No animosity whatsoever towards the Crafter who killed a Hacker first? No competitive spirit of any kind? Really?"

"So what is it the two of you are doing here?" I changed the subject. Why did I have to explain myself to him, anyway? Two warriors had every right to compete against one another in a test of wills. I wouldn't be denied the chance to face a challenging opponent and lose myself in the throes of battle.

As clumsy as my method of diverting the conversation was, it made Kal pause and glance behind him to Z7. "Well… we may have had a situation while you were gone."

I raised an eyebrow. "Hackers? Cultists?"

"Neither—at least, we don't think so." Kal jerked his neck down the hallway of cells, signaling me to follow.

Instead, I took the lead while Kal and Z7 took up positions on either side. The Jibberwoman's hair dragged along the floor and her bare-feet moved silently in contrast to my sharp footsteps.

*tk tk tk tk*

"So what was this 'situation'?" I asked seriously, not wanting to brandy words or for him to sugarcoat things. Kal proceeded to launch into an explanation.

"It happened yesterday. Jillian was in the throne room, asking how progress was going throughout the Kingdom. I was at her side, as per your orders, in case any Hackers or cultists reared their heads. There were a few other Paragons as well. Most of them can verify my story."

"Most of them?"

"Some are still knocked out. I'll get to that part." He explained before continuing. "Anyway, Jillian was just asking about the EXP Factories when this woman bursts through the front doors waving a sword around and holding some explosives." Kal paused in his explanation, adopting a contemplative look. "Her eyes were fixed straight upon the throne. She was only looking at Jillian: her target. She ran forward in a reckless charge. The Paragons that went to block her were struck down and knocked out. She wasn't a Griefer—with swordsmanship like that—but she certainly had the explosives of one."

"Uriv rm svi vbvh." Z7 commented in her own way. It sounded like she was praising the unknown assailant. We turned a corner in the hallway of cells, heading deeper in.

"Anyway, I stepped forward and kept the assailant from reaching Jillian. We exchanged blows, and she hurled a string of curses at Jillian before I forced her back. She darted around, placing TNT everywhere and using Swiftness and Leaping potions on herself. I wasn't quick enough to grab her and I almost had to resort to my Hack just to prevent her from blowing the place to smithereens."

"But you didn't." I filled in. "And the throne room is still in perfect condition last I checked. So what happened?"

In response, Kal pointed to Z7, who only tilted her head.

"Just as the assailant was about to ignite the TNT, Z7 appeared behind her with twin daggers at her throat. The remaining Paragons wrenched the flint and steel from her tight grip and escorted her down here."

"Why didn't you kill her?" I asked, perplexed by the need to imprison the assailant.

"Z7 almost did. But Jillian said not to. It had something to do with what the assailant was cursing her for, but she wanted to wait until you got back. So you could see her for yourself."

I frowned at that, but conceded Jillian's point. If she felt the assailant was worth more alive than dead, I would see for myself. There was always the possibility that she was a cultist, come to assassinate Jillian. If so, the would-be assassin might have some information worth our time.

Rounding another corner, we came across Perry with his face pressed against the cell bars, looking in. He saw us approach out of the corner of his eye and quickly backed away. "Ma'am." He nodded respectfully.

As we walked in front of the cell, I got a pretty good look at the assailant. Young-looking face with signs of sleep-deprivation. Curly and long dark-brown hair. Gray sleeveless shirt over a black tank top. She had her knees bunched up with her arms wrapped around them as she sat in the darkest corner of her cell.

Her grayish green eyes looked dead as they regarded me. And the name above her head…

"Is it my time to die yet?" Asked attila_akrasia uncaringly.

"Maybe." I replied, my interest piqued. "Maybe not."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 14 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 57 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 4 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 17]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 5 Bones, 6 Gunpowder, 16 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 62 Cooked Chicken, 50 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 61 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 57 Steak,  1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Green_ ], 59 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 15 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 10 Steak, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 36]

* * *

 **AN: I took advice from my Beta and decided to just put the omake content in the Chapter since Carys is doing stuff too. I'm sure _some_ of you might remember Attila, back when Floyd was visiting Nitebane. If you don't, refer to chapters 65-68.**

 **Cobb and the Beginners are having trouble on their end too. Hunderprest is an OC submitted by TheShadowOfZama. I hope I captured his personality and appearance well in the five-or-so lines I devoted to him.**

 **Will Floyd and Soul escape Hunder and his hounds? Will Cobb find out who the mysterious green-haired Crafter is? Will Lenz get over his inferiority complex? And will I publish the next Chapter on Wednesday!?**

 **...**

 **I dunno.**

 **Next Chapter, I'll try answering questions in the reviews if you guys have any.**


	90. Shuffle

**AN: Hey, hey, hey. This is one of those rare instances where I comment on the reviews, just to prove that I actually look through them.**

 **Shaded Azure : ...You always store a megaphone in your pants? Also, I don't know what you're talking about. The mysterious green-haired Crafter could be anyone. (9_9) Anyone at all. (6_6) Aaaaanyone! \\(9_6)/**

 **One Eye Demon : I discovered the meme that is Moon Moon for the first time thanks to you. God bless.**

 **Truepiggy : Well, Attila's been going through a rough time.**

 **cobbforlife : Thanks for the praise. I'm honestly still amazed people follow this story.**

 **51-13.64 : Why am I so inconsistent in updating? Hmm. I don't know. Probably because I'm balancing school, work, and life along with a story closely approaching 100 Chapters.**

 **Laner13 : Glad to hear it. Though you should thank AxeHelix for convincing me of changing the format.**

 **TheShadowOfZama : Thanks for pointing out my grammar errors. I fixed them (mostly). The dogs are just named after famous dogs. There are a few more in this Chapter.**

 **Ari-Dexel13 : I needed a bounty hunter OC to make things more interesting.**

 **Ramsay : Paws-trating? I can't help you with that. May the Minecraft Gods have mercy on your poor, punning soul. Also, yeah, I can't wait for the Carys reaction too.**

 **RaptorianMage : No, those are actual hungry wolves following him. Geez, you read the whole thing in a few days? I wonder if people skip this story just because of its crazy length. Carys is a complicated character, but she is one of my favorites, along with Teal, Cobb, Mark, Lenz, Wynn... aaaaaand Erin, a little.**

 **GamerHD2158 : HOW!? How can you ship Royal Whispers!? They are practically brother and sister! Why can't the guy and the girl just be good friends? Why do they immediately have to be a couple? If Wynn was a guy, I guarantee less people would be shipping them... though I can't account for that obscure 5%.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Iron Boats.

Beta: AxeHelix

* * *

Chapter 90

 **Shuffle**

[Carys]

"Is it my time to die yet?"

"Maybe." I replied, my interest piqued. "Maybe not."

The girl in the cell wrinkled her nose. "I'm not interested in a 'maybe not', so unless you're here to kill me, quit ogling and leave me alone."

"Normally, we _would_ have killed you. Assassins with explosives tend to warrant that kind of response." I said. "But Jillian said to spare you, so, here we are."

"Ah, right, Jillian." Attila tilted her head up to look at the ceiling, her head thudding against the stone wall. "Jillian, the savior of Nitebane!" She practically spat.

"You have a problem with that?" Kalmarin spoke up, eyeing the assailant carefully. "She saved a lot of innocent lives."

"Some might argue she didn't save _enough_." She snarled, her eyes narrowing coldly.

A silence smothered the room as I gazed upon the assailant carefully. Her eyes… they had the ghost of a fierce flame to them, but it looked like something had snuffed it out recently.

"Why did you attack Jillian?" I asked, wanting to get right to the point.

Attila bunched her legs closer and nestled her chin into her knees.

"Because someone has to be held responsible."

My eyebrow twitched. Was she…?

"Responsible for saving this Kingdom?" Perry burst out righteously as he walked right up to the bars and clamped a hand over them. "Responsible for killing two Hackers? Responsible for—!"

"Here's a better question." Attila lifted her face as her grayish green eyes zeroed in to my left. "Why is a Hacker guarding the woman that killed two of his own?"

Kal stiffened at the accusation and I raised a brow. So she knew about the dark lines. She knew how to identify a Hacker.

"Well?" She asked again, a self-satisfied smirk adorning her face. "Is it in-fighting? Or maybe some convoluted manipulation to make people think Hacker rule is gone? Either way, I'm guessing it's something you wouldn't want to tell the citizens of Nitebane." She laughed harshly. "If they heard their _glorious_ savior was working with a Hacker… well… they might think twice about following her."

"Are you blackmailing—in your position!?" Perry shouted indignantly as he withdrew a bow and aimed it between the bars. Attila looked unbothered by it. She even stood up, a manic look on her face.

"Go ahead and do it! I'm tired of sitting in this dungeon anyway! I came here to kill the woman on the throne, and if I get out of here, that's exactly what I'll do!"

"Carys, just say the word and I'll finish it." Perry hissed from my right. "Just give the order… this crazy girl is begging for it."

"Lower the bow, Perry." I rolled my eyes at the tediousness. "I still have some questions I want to ask."

Perry hesitated, the bowstring straining from the tension, before he reluctantly obeyed. He glared at Attila as he stepped back, but she only had eyes for me.

"I take it you're the one with the highest authority?" She asked as she turned her body to face mine. "With all the questions you're asking, you must at least be higher up than Hacker, anger issues, and Miss Assassin over there." I smirked at her nicknames for Kal, Perry, and Z7.

"You could say that." I offered noncommittally. "But what about you? Kal tells me you almost blew up the throne room with your slippery moves and TNT. A Griefer wouldn't have that level of skill, but a cultist, on the other hand…" I trailed off meaningfully.

"I was a cultist." She explained after a moment of silence. " _Was_. But I gave that up. Haven't been one for a long time."

"Then what are you?"

"None of your business. Why do you have authority over a Hacker? Why is he even _here_?"

"None of _your_ business." I replied a tad testily. This was getting us nowhere. "Who are you?"

She spread out her arms and wore a humorless smile. "Why, I'm attila_akrasia—"

"Don't be smart. Tell me who you are, or—"

"You'll kill me?" She scoffed.

"No." I countered, knowing that was exactly what she wanted. Nobody willingly breaks into a heavily guarded throne room and rigs explosives everywhere with the intent of getting out alive. She antagonized Perry in the same way she was trying to antagonize me. "But we have ways of keeping you alive—not only as long as possible, but also as _painfully_ as possible."

As I let the message sink in, I watched as Attila's skin paled and a cold sweat began to form. If need be, we could keep her breathing with a Paralysis Potion combo and a Healing and Regeneration combo. She would eventually suffer the pangs of hunger and take damage, but so long as we kept healing her with potions, she would endure it all. We used the same method when extracting information from cultists. The only way she would die is if we _allowed_ it.

"I'm going to ask one more time and I better get a real answer." I demanded with narrowed eyes. "If you aren't a cultist or a Griefer, then _who are you_?"

* * *

[Floyd]

"My name is Hunderprest." He called up politely. "And I'm here for your bounty."

" _Our_ bounty?" Soul questioned skeptically as he looked down at the bounty hunter and his pack of dogs. "They couldn't have made a wanted poster for me _that_ quickly. I only attacked those guards earlier today. You sure you aren't mixing me up with a noodle-armed vegetable? Or… starch?" He turned to me. "Is corn a starch?"

I shrugged.

"My hounds wouldn't make a mistake like that." Hunderprest stated with an iota of pride. He knelt down and petted one of the brown-collared ones affectionately. "I've trained these dogs to seek out Crafters on wanted posters. So if they say you two are King_Cobb and Flawwed _Floyd," all the dogs growled at the mention of those names, "then I—"

He paused, his finger held up pedantically. The bandana covering his lower face lengthened; his mouth left hanging open on his last word as he gazed at us—or more specifically Soul. The ex-axe-wielder stepped forward to the edge of the tree leaves, showing off how different he looked from King_Cobb.

Hunderprest blinked owlishly before reaching in his backpack in a flurry of movement and whipping out a wanted poster. He looked from it to Soul, then back to it. Then back to Soul. Then to his dogs.

"You mutts!" He pointed a finger up at Soul. "That guy has brown hair like Cobb's, but the guy we're looking for has green eyes, not red! _Green_! Like the color of the hundreds of emeralds he's worth! Red and green are like opposing colors. How can you mix them up? Honestly, it's like you dogs are colorbli—" He paused before adding in a small voice, "Oh, right."

"Is this guy serious?" Soul asked me, to which I nodded.

"Yeah, I feel more threatened by Lenz than him."

"Please pay attention up there." He called up, bringing us back to the present situation. "You two are surrounded by my hounds and there's no escape. Flawwed_Floyd." He pointed to me. "Give yourself up and tell me where King_Cobb is and I'll turn a blind eye to the fake Cobb beside you."

I frowned. "No deal."

"Yeah, take your hundred-and-one Dalmatian rejects and get lost." Soul chimed in, causing the dogs below to growl angrily.

"I wouldn't insult them like that." Hunderprest warned with folded arms. "Colorblindness aside, they're pretty intelligent. They get that from me. And vicious. Also from me. You don't come down willingly and I can't guarantee your friend won't get torn to shreds."

"Oh yeah?" Soul taunted, despite the lack of his trusty axe. "Well what are they gonna do? I'm up here and they're down there."

In reply, the bounty hunter pulled out a bow.

"…Fuck."

"Look, I'm just here for the bounty." Hunderprest tried to appeal to us again. "Usually they ask just for the Heads, but this one _specifically_ demands you alive. Otherwise I wouldn't be bothering with negotiations." He pulled back an arrow and aimed it at us. In response, Soul stacked up wooden planks for cover. "Just come down and tell me where Cobb is and the cheeky one can live."

"What makes you think I know where Cobb is?"

"Because you're his sidekick."

"Wha—No! I'm not his damn sidekick!" I seethed. Just because I was the supposed Lieutenant and he was the supposed Executive—

"Hey!" Came an unfamiliar voice from the woods. "Hey, guys! I see the criminals up ahead!"

I turned to Soul, the two of us silently sharing the same question while Hunderprest tilted his head towards the approaching voices, an irritated look on his face. The next instant, the twelve guards we fought earlier today emerged from the bushes, pointing up at us with swords at the ready.

They noticed the dogs later.

"What… how are there so many—who do these dogs belong to?" One of the guards asked in awe.

"Gentlemen." Hunderprest nodded stiffly in greeting.

"What? Who are… wait…" One of the guards leaned forward to regard the bounty hunter more closely before gasping. "It's… it's… it's Hunderprest."

A few of his fellow guards gasped in recognition of the name.

"The wild gentleman of the Berserkers? The tamer of one-thousand hounds?" One of the guards muttered breathlessly. "What's _he_ doing out here?"

"What else?" One of the guards pointed to our tree. "He's after another juicy bounty dangled in front of his face."

"While I appreciate the metaphor linking me to my beloved hounds," Hunderprest said, "I confess myself wounded by such words. Bounty hunting puts emeralds in the pockets and bread on the table, thank you very much."

"Then let us thank _you_ , bounty hunter, for cornering these criminals." The leader guard nodded his thanks. "We can take it from here if you wish to hunt down the other two."

Hunderprest didn't move. "Forgive me. It sounded like you actually expect me to hand these two over to you when my dogs have done all the work."

The guards tensed up, but the leader held firm. "That's right. They're within Ringwood's territory and thus are within our Kingdom's jurisdiction."

I knew enough to tell where this was going. "Soul..." I hissed to the ex-axe-wielder. "We're getting out of here while they're distracted."

"How? We're surrounded by Old Yellers and Scooby Doos."

"…How many ender pearls did you say you had?"

"I trapped these criminals fair and square." Hunderprest challenged, aiming his bow at the guards and causing the hundreds of dogs flanking him to snarl threateningly. The guards bunched up together, weighing their options.

"Well… let us pay you for it." The leader guard tried instead. "Bring them in to Ringwood and we'll pay you what they're worth. That way, you won't have to transport them to Nite—"

"Come with you to your Kingdom where I'm surrounded and outnumbered by guards?" Hunderprest posed skeptically. "Where I won't get anything for my troubles? Pay me up front and I'll happily hand them to you."

"We don't have two-hundred emeralds on us!"

"Then you won't be getting Floyd." The bounty hunter stated firmly. "You can take the cheeky one, though. He's worthless." One of the guards opened his mouth to protest. "Or you can keep back-talking me until I lose my patience and sic my dogs on you." The guard shut his mouth instantly.

Soul wordlessly handed me an ender pearl while he gripped another in his hand. He reared back an arm and I followed suit. "Where are we aiming?"

"There." I gestured to the base of Mt. Mur and hoped we had similar throw distance.

One of the dogs below, seeing our pearls, barked in warning.

"What's tha—No!" Hunderprest reacted on instinct, firing an arrow up at the tree. The projectile caught me in the leg just as I was about to throw the pearl, causing my aim to get thrown off significantly.

The pearls flew off and I could only stare in horror as they went in two completely different directions.

Soul responded quickly, grabbing me by my sweater and shoving half his ender pearls in my hands. "I'll wait by the base of the mountain. Come find me as soon as you la—"

His voice cut off as he teleported instantly, leaving behind a few purple wisps. The next moment, I felt a rush of movement, like traveling a great distance in a fraction of a second, as I too teleported elsewhere. It was a disorienting experience and I quickly got to me knees, trying to regain my bearings. No dogs were surrounding me and I was sat upon the forest floor.

But I was separated from Soul.

And he had the map.

 _Well, at least it can't get any worse._

"Cobbert?" A voice came from some nearby bushes. "Is that you—oh, it is _you_." Lenzington spoke disdainfully as he looked me over. I was just as underwhelmed as him.

 _It got worse…_

* * *

[Carys]

"I'm…"

Her voice, despite being faint, echoed through the nearly vacant dungeon so that we had no trouble hearing it.

Attila clenched her fists and glared at me. It didn't have much impact, given all the other glares I weathered in the past. "I… I was in charge of one of the skyscraper communities." She gritted out.

"Bullshit." Perry called out. "If she was part of one of those communities, she would've been thanking y— _Jillian_ on bended knee! She's obviously—"

"Perry, if I wanted your opinion, I would have asked it." I dismissed harshly, causing the Paragon to falter. "I was hoping you would have caught on that, among the four of us, _you're_ the one with the least right to be here for this. So now I'm officially telling you to _get the hell out of here and let us work_. Is that clear?"

His mouth gaped at my harsh dismissal, but he downright blanched when Z7 leaned forward a bit, a single eye peering at him from between a curtain of hair. She fingered her daggers meaningfully, causing the Paragon to choke on his spit.

"I… yes, ma'am. Forgive me for my—"

"Go."

He shut his mouth and quickly walked away. He kept his gaze to the floor as he passed Z7, rounded a corner, and left us.

"So," I turned back to Attila and gestured for her to continue. "You were a leader of one of the skyscraper communities. Which one?"

Her face twisted in grief and anger. "The one that was blown up and burnt to hell."

Ah. So that was it. Jillian and Baltic had mentioned that one of the communities had signs of fire and explosive damage. None of its inhabitants had been found, so it was believed to be destroyed by Griefers. And now the leader of the place shows up…

"Who did it?" Kal asked sympathetically.

Attila snapped. "I don't want your pity, _Hacker_! It was people like you that ruined Nitebane for all of us in the first place."

Kal looked away guiltily. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry."

"It's not worth anything." She spat.

"Seeing as how you're not piling further blame on him, I'm guessing the Hackers and Griefers weren't responsible for your community going up in smoke." Attila glared at how callously I had phrased it, but I wasn't going to walk on eggshells for this girl. "So who did it? Who burned the place to the ground?"

"…The Endward Cult." Attila uttered the name with such loathing and I latched onto it. "Teal_Larkspur… that damned psycho… she ordered them all to be killed. My people… my friends… Kate…"

I took note of the name. Teal_Larkspur. If she ordered the cultists, there was a good chance she was a Lieutenant, and that alone was worth all the questions we had asked Attila.

The way she talked about her friend, though. _Kate_. I shifted uncomfortably as I tried to smother the feeling. An old memory. I coughed loudly and just like that, the cumbersome feeling was gone.

"So the cult killed your people and destroyed your community." I summed up before tilting my head. "I still don't see how that would make you go after Jillian, though. She didn't do anything."

At once, Attila's eyes flared to life and she lunged at the cell bars, gripping them tightly. Z7 and Kal made to intervene, but realized I was safely out of her reach. Instead, Attila screamed at me.

"That's exactly why!" She shouted, rattling against the bars. "She didn't do anything! She saved everyone, but them! The people who mattered the most to me!" She pushed off the bars and gripped at her hair, looking demented. "For years I kept that community alive! Every day was a struggle, but I always hoped something would change! That there was a point to all that suffering!"

Attila lashed out, kicking at the iron bars and causing them to clang loudly. The pain in her foot only made her voice louder.

"But they died! They all died! And then, not two weeks later, we're all saved by some random woman that answered our prayers! Better late than fucking never!" She laughed dryly, verging on insane. "What about _my_ prayers!? What about the prayers of my people!? Their deaths are her fault! Because she was too late!"

"Is that what you were yelling at Jillian?" I guessed, unperturbed by her outburst. "You were screaming that it was 'all her fault'?"

"Yes!" She breathed heavily, her face red from all the yelling, as she stumbled back into the wall and slid to her butt. "Yes… she was too late to save them. Too late to save all the Crafters that died to those Hackers and Griefers and Cultists—not just mine. Everyone else may praise her for it—call her a savior—but that just means they forgot just how much this Kingdom lost. She doesn't deserve the throne."

As Attila's face fell to the ground and she panted from the exertion of her outburst, I watched her, carefully sizing her up. The fire had momentarily been rekindled in her eyes only to be drowned out by pathetic tears.

This wasn't the girl that had piqued my interest.

I breathed out a sigh before turning my head towards Z7. "Close the door after me."

The assassin understood my meaning and nodded while Kalmarin just looked perplexed. "What are you do—Carys!"

I ignored him as I walked over to the iron door leading into the cell and clicked the lever to open it. Attila's head shot up and she wiped away the fresh signs of tears before getting to her feet, looking tense.

I entered the cell and Z7 clicked it shut behind me. Kal tried to follow after, but Z7 barred his path.

The cell was roomy enough, considering it was meant to house prisoners. Perhaps it was originally meant for two, not that there was the luxury of any beds to tell.

I stood across from Attila and reached into my backpack to withdraw my Sharpness V Iron Sword. I hadn't used it since getting my scythe, but it seemed suitable enough for what I had planned. The shimmering metal reflected the torchlight onto Attila's face.

Attila's eyes darted to the sword, but she didn't seem afraid. She had nothing on her, having been stripped of her Inventory prior to entering the cell, so she should have been at least a little scared of the armed foe before her. Instead she looked resigned, knowing this was the final page of her life. She had nothing left to live for.

I raised the sword in the air.

Attila clenched her eyes shut.

I tossed the sword at her feet.

"Pick it up." I ordered, even as her eyes snapped open at the sound of clattering metal on stone.

She looked down at the sword and then back up to me. "Why?"

"Because you still want to live." I said simply.

She narrowed her eyes and made to sit back down, leaving the sword untouched. "You're wrong. If you aren't going to kill me then just—"

"You were right, though." I interrupted as I leaned against the cell bars. "The person who saved this Kingdom doesn't deserve the throne."

Attila looked confused at my comment before looking absolutely baffled at my next utterance.

"Which is why I put Jillian in charge."

Kalmarin looked on worriedly. "Carys!" He hissed. "What are you saying? We can't be—"

I ignored him in favor of the girl in the cell with disbelief all over her face. "What… what are you talking about?"

"Tell me," I uttered, reaching into my backpack for something before holding it in front of my face. "Being ex-cultist, does _this_ look familiar?"

Judging by Attila's shocked gasp, she indeed recognized the Wither Skeleton mask of the Angel of Death.

"Carys!" Kalmarin hissed, trying to push Z7 out of the way. The assassin, however, kept true to her duties, keeping the Hacker at bay. "Carys! Stop! There's no point to—!"

"You're… you're…" Attila swayed on the spot, clutching the wall for support before falling to her knees. "The Paragons… the…" Her eyes darted to the Hacker and I saw the truth dawn on her. "Him and… and Jillian too. You're all Paragons…"

"That's right." I offered a dangerous smile as I put the mask away and watched her hands inch closer to that iron sword. "I'm the one that killed the Hackers. I'm the one that organized all of this. And _I'm_ the one," I leaned forward a bit, "who was too late to save your community."

Attila grabbed the sword and lunged for me with murder in her eyes.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 14 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 57 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 4 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 17]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 7 Ender Pearls, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 5 Bones, 6 Gunpowder, 16 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 62 Cooked Chicken, 50 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 61 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 57 Steak,  1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Green_ ], 59 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 6 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 14 Oak Wood Planks, 10 Steak, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 36]

* * *

 **AN: More a Carys chapter than a Cobb Chapter. Hell, Cobb wasn't even in this one, as you can plainly tell by the lack of fishing rods or internal organ monologues. Though really, I feel the Carys stuff is more interesting with Attila. Meh, who knows.**

 **Short Chapter. Been sick this week. Not because I've been playing Mario Odyssey. Honest.**

 **:I**

 **( _So many Moons... so little time._ )**


	91. The Strength We Draw

**AN: Finals coming up means Chapters take a backseat. This Chapter also took a while to sort out. The perspectives bounce around, but I think the humor is still there.**

 **Saw the new Minecraft update with dolphins and tridents. What will they think up next?**

 **Also, the Chapter title took me a while to come up with. All things considered, I think it fits everyone's perspective's pretty well... mostly.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add blood.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 91

 **The Strength We Draw**

[Cobb]

I was being hunted.

I ducked low in the underbrush and kept still as a pack of eight dogs ran past. One of them was brown-collared and took a moment to pause and sniff the air, almost as if it sensed my presence, before it took off in a different direction with its green-collared fellows.

I waited until the sound of their paws died out before daring to slip from my hiding spot. That was the third time I had nearly been spotted since looking for the others and the sun was beginning to set. I took out my map to check how close the others were and had to stifle a groan after seeing the white blip moving further and further away.

 _If I knew things would have turned out like this, I never would have stormed off._ I thought to myself as I debated what to do.

Blood: **_Kill them all…_**

Heart: _No. That doesn't help anyone._

Blood: **_Does too…_**

Heart: _No! Why is—look, you're new here, I get it, but you can't command all of Cobb's actions._

Blood: **_Uh-huh…_**

Heart: _As the latest member of the Council of Internal Organs, your voice—_

Brain: _An admittedly menacing voice._

Heart: _—and your opinions are on equal footing with the rest of us._

Blood: **_Right. Right…_**

Heart: _When we come to a decision, it's only after we've all had a say. Even if we are figments of his head._

Blood: **_I got it…_**

Heart: _Great. Now that you've calmed down, we'll listen to what you have to say._

Blood: **_Okey-dokey…_**

Heart: _…_

Blood: **_Kill them all…_**

Heart: _For God's sake—_

Blood: **_Wait. Uh… You didn't let me finish. Kill them all… in a calm, controlled way that, uh, promotes unity… or… something…_**

Heart: _That doesn't sound reasonable or comforting._

Blood: **_Nothing is more reasonable than dog genocide. British Pet Massacre. Look it up…_**

Liver: _But… but… I don't want to kill all the puppies…_

Blood: **_Well, you need to break a few puppies to make a puppy omelet. I think…?_**

Brain: _Seriously, are you guys hearing his voice? It's like he's gargling gravel._

Liver: _I don't like him. He's t-t-terrifying._

Brain: _Hmmm. Blood. Keep frightening Liver and I think we'll get along juuuuuuust fine._

Blood: **_I will do anything to fit in…_**

Stomach: _I'm hungry._

Lungs: _*Sigh*_

Bladder: _Yeah, I could go for some food._

I quickly munched on some rotten flesh.

Stomach: _NO! Not that! Ugh! I meant real food! Bleagh!_

The latest addition to my ever-growing roster of internal organ voices was a bit… violent. He sounded like a crazed serial killer and didn't _that_ just paint my mind as the picture of good health.

But that was a problem for later. Preferably to be dealt by a psychiatrist rather than a pack of hunting dogs. They had attacked me without warning and it was obvious that they were chasing the others further and further away from me.

But I couldn't just kill all the dogs.

Blood: **_Yes you can…_**

There were too many to fight. And I couldn't keep searching for Floyd, Soul, and Lenz when it was nearly dark. I'd have to deal with dogs _and_ Mobs.

So there was only one thing to do.

Dig a hole. Bury myself. And wait until morning.

…Then again… I _did_ have a lot of dirt. And a door.

 _Hmm…_

* * *

[Lenz]

"We shouldn't be sitting here."

I looked up from the torch illuminating the tiny underground cavern we were using for shelter. It was safer than braving the night with all those wolves out there.

The only problem was my current companion.

"There's a bounty hunter after Cobb and we're just sitting on our hands. We should be out there looking for him." Floyd argued as he paced around the torch.

I shook my head at the thought. "I want to find him too. But it is dark, we do not have a map to track him, and the hunter—Hunderprest, was it?—and his dogs are searching for wanted criminals."

"So we should just wait around? Is that it?"

"I know enough to say we should not be running around in the dark." I explained carefully. "We would be doing more harm than good."

Floyd relented at my reasoning, falling onto his butt and letting out a frustrated huff. "Even if you're right, it _feels_ like we're just doing nothing."

"Then let us try something constructive." I got to my feet and nibbled on some steak as I walked the length of the cave. It had been carved into the side of Mt. Mur, but the entrance was narrower than the rest. Easy to conceal with leaves picked up by my wire cutters.

"So... any reason you carry shears around?"

" _Wire cutters_." I stressed in annoyance. "And yes, actually. They are useful in disabling tripwire traps. A common staple for any BRTK."

"BRTK?"

"Basic Redstone Travel Kit, obviously."

"Obviously." Floyd rolled his eyes, but caught something on the ceiling's cave. "Hey, look." He pointed up and I followed to where the torchlight danced along the stone surface. "Iron Ore. I can use that."

The blue-haired Crafter withdrew an Iron Pickaxe from his backpack and laid out some cobblestone to nerdpole. While he busied himself with gathering iron, I covered the cave in torches. The two of us would be there for a while and I did not want Mobs to spawn on top of us.

Bits of iron ore and cobblestone rained down as Floyd chipped away at the ceiling. I glanced up to see if he was nearly done, only to feel a cold droplet hit my cheek. I brought my hand up and felt the moisture on my face as a few more dripped onto my glasses.

Looking up, I saw the culprit. The ceiling Floyd was digging at was leaking water.

My eyes widened. "Floyd, wait—!"

Too late.

He chipped at another chunk of ore and opened up a source of water that quickly cascaded down. It crashed atop his head and encompassed his nerdpole, causing him to slip and crash into the ground. I was swept aside as the water flooded the cave floor, carrying with it all the torches I had painstaking set up.

Darkness smothered us like a blanket, making it impossible to see. And with the cold, damp water splashing the floor and causing us to splutter about, it made everything more miserable. It pushed me over the edge.

"Why did you fail to notice the water droplets?" I accused to the surrounding darkness. "Now we are as blind as the bats that used to call this place home!"

"It was an honest mistake." Floyd countered from somewhere to my left. "Now quit whining and help me find the torches."

"We cannot place torches with all the water flowing around! Use that walnut you call a brain!"

"Walnut—? Listen here, nerd. I need to see where the water is flowing to stop it. And what ever would I need to see in the dark? Hmm, let me think. Ah, that's right. A damn light!"

"Well I do not have a redstone lamp, so I cannot help you!"

"What else is new?"

I froze at those words and narrowed my eyes towards the direction of them. "…Excuse me?"

"You haven't been a help since you got here!" Floyd argued, and I heard a few approaching splashes. "We wouldn't be separated from Cobb and Soul if you hadn't started this whole thing in the first—"

"If _I_ had not?" I questioned indignantly. "You mean if _you_ had not taken the arrows for yourself! Your selfish desire to show me up is what disgusted Cobbert enough for him to abandon us! If not for you, perhaps we could have dealt with Hunderprest as a team instead of separately."

"I had to!" Floyd shouted so close it made my ears ring. I felt something bump into me and realized with a painful wince for it to be Floyd. "You were being an arrogant asshole claiming bow superiority. Someone had to take you down a peg. Someone had to show you that the rest of us can shoot arrows just fine!"

"Arrows and Redstone are all I am good at!" I shoved back, startling the blue-haired Crafter into silence. "So forgive me if I take pride in the few things I contribute to this group! I am not like you or Soul! I am not overflowing with physical prowess! I am only an engineer trying to cope with all this adventure!"

The water was seeping into my shoes and pants, weighing me down.

"I am not physically strong like you, Floyd. I cannot wield an axe or a sword like Soul or Cobbert. That stuff… that is all out of my depth. I went to college before all this, for Jeb's sake!" I slapped a hand to my forehead before holding out two fingers. "The two things I can do. Archery and Redstone. And you have been trying to take away even that. When will it be enough? When can I keep something only I can do?"

"Wait, what? No, no, no! That's not what I was doing at all." I was getting used to the darkness and could see him frantically waving his arms in denial. "I never meant to make you feel worthless, I just… I just wanted to broaden my horizons. I wanted to do more."

"You never had to." I shook my head, hoping his eyes could see it through the darkness. "Cobbert accepts that he cannot use a bow. And he accepts that he can never understand redstone because he has me to explain it for him."

This time Floyd shook his head. "I'm not Cobb, though. I'm not satisfied letting others cover for me. I don't just want the solutions to the homework; I want to know how to solve them myself."

"But that is flawed. Everyone is better than others at things." I tilted my head. "Even _you_ must have something that only you can do."

"I—well…" He traced a hand over his eyes and turned away. "No. No, I… I don't have anything like that." He clenched his fists. "But even if I did, I wouldn't want to rely on that one thing I'm judg—I'm good at. I'd want to learn everything I can. I'd want to use it to survive. To become stronger."

 _Huh? That does not sound right._ "What are you talking about? You _already_ are strong. You fought well against those guards and Cobbert thinks—"

"Cobb didn't see me with Silent. Or Teal." He added darkly. "I was taken apart. People died…"

"…I am sorry." I offered quietly. "I did not know that—"

"That I wasn't as strong as you thought?"

I blinked, struggling for the right words. Comparators I was bad at this. "I… you and Soul just seemed so confident and stalwart. I never thought you weak. Stupid, sure. Selfish, like you would not believe. But never weak." I confessed, much to the blue-nette's annoyance. "Between you two and Cobbert I… I felt out of place in the presence of such strong Crafters; the nerd that should feel lucky to be included."

Floyd let out a sigh. "Lenz, I didn't really mean anything negative when I called you a nerd. Take one look at the Beginners. We're ALL nerds. You're just nerdy in a smart way." He offered a smile. "I can't think of any place you'd fit in better."

"Bar the N.E.R.D.S.?"

"…I don't know what that is."

I kicked at some water, ignoring how my legs were thoroughly soaked. "So… you do not think Cobbert will abandon me?"

"What? No! Definitely not." He dismissed readily. "Where did that even come from?"

"I…" I hesitated. "I have been in a group before. A large one. Full of meatheads whom I depended on for survival. They were… less than kind, but they kept me around and I figured such treatment was par for the course." I adjusted my glasses. "I greatly prefer my arrangement with Cobbert and the Beginners. I never feel like I am being abused. I… my voice and suggestions are heard. I am learning—no, _craving_ to be of assistance. For others as well as Cobbert. I have saved lives and pushed past what a meager college student could accomplish. And every day I find myself wondering if I could do it all again, but better." I took in a breath after my long-winded diatribe and fixed my tinted gaze towards an attentive Floyd. "I do not want to lose that."

"You won't have to. Cobb isn't going to abandon anyone."

"But…" I hesitated once again, finding it tough to voice my greatest fear. "But… I worry he only brought me with him to… to…"

"To what?"

"To replace you."

Floyd took a step back. Even in the darkness, it was hard to miss his look of shock. Cobbert had picked me up only after Floyd left. What if I was just the backup friend? I forced my gaze down, wondering how he would take it.

He laughed.

"Cobb? Replace me? Pft…" He let loose another laugh before stepping forward and groping around in the darkness for me. Once he caught my head, he rubbed his fist into it.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed fearfully as I clutched at my head. "Are you trying to squash my head flat so my brains dribble out my ears!?"

"What!? No, it's called a noogie!"

"I thought you were reasonable enough to listen to my fears in an unbiased way, but clearly this act of aggression—"

"A noogie is a form of endearment." He interjected, lifting the fist from my head. "It's what meatheads like me do to someone when they're talking nonsense. Cobb never replaced me. He was worried sick when he thought I was dead, and he would've been worried sick if it was you, or Soul, or Erin, or any of his friends."

"So then… he will not turn on me if I become useless?"

"No. He won't." Floyd clarified, easing my worries. "But if he does, Soul and I will kick his ass and make him take you back."

"That is—ZOMBIE!"

I quickly pulled out my bow and shot the spawned Mob behind Floyd, twice. Then Floyd spun and bashed the Zombie upside the head with his pickaxe before dealing the final blow.

"Maybe we should continue this conversation in an illuminated cave."

"But… we do not have the space for torches."

Floyd thought for a moment before smiling. "I got an idea. And a use for a door I've been holding onto for the longest time."

The blue-nette placed down a furnace and deposited the gathered iron ore and a wooden door as fuel. The furnace roared to life, casting a warm glow in the previously pitch black cave. Floyd and I were quick to patch up the flowing water, and soon the cave floor was dry again.

The furnace died out quick, however. Doors being an unreliable heat source. Floyd hastily poked some sticks into the furnace to keep it going, but that was even worse fuel. "Ugh, I need more stuff to burn. Any luck with those torches?"

"No, but now that it is dry, I can use my own torches." I placed a redstone torch down and connected it to several repeaters spanning in different directions. When the furnace finally died out, the cave was left cast in an eerie red glow, as if dyed red.

"It's dim, but it beats stumbling around in the dark." Floyd complimented while placing down his Crafting Table and making what little iron ingots he could smelt into a new sword.

"...Are you sure Cobbert will not abandon us? He seemed pretty mad before."

"That was only because he realized he was stuck with two Crafters that didn't like each other." Floyd defended, flashing me a small smile. "But that was then. I bet we can prove him wrong next time we see him."

I smiled. "I would like that."

And so, the two of us passed the night away, sitting around a campfire made of redstone and trading tales of our pasts.

As friends.

* * *

[Cobb]

"Yeah, that's it you little fucks. Bark at that dirt shack." I whispered under my breath as I peeked out of my hole. The cool night air passed over my head.

In front of me was a hastily constructed dirt shack—Crap Shack 2.0—with a simple door attached to it. Other than that it was empty and dark; No windows or torches to light it up. It cost all of my dirt, but it was doing its job well.

The green-collared dogs had stumbled upon the dirt shack and had howled to alert their fellows. What had initially been five dogs had snowballed into thirty. And they were all sniffing at the thing, rubbing their noses and faces along it.

"That's right. Keep sniffing it. It's a suspicious dirt shack and merits your full attention." I murmured as I watched them fruitlessly paw at the door. They didn't have the thumbs to open it.

Little did they know, I had a layer under the dirt shack floor made up of six TNT along with a small tunnel connecting it to my hole. I readied my flint and steel as more and more dogs gathered around.

"Yeah… keep checking out that shack." I nodded and sunk into my hole when the number of dogs reached fifty.

I carefully crept through my tunnel to the TNT and lit the two nearest blocks before turning and sprinting back the way I came. Behind, I heard the hiss of primed TNT and braced myself for the explosion.

*KABOOM*

There were several whines and whimpers from the poor hounds as the TNT went off, demolishing the masterpiece of architectural brilliance that took me all of thirty seconds to erect. I peeked my head up just in time to see the bodies of most of the dogs go up in smoke. One or two of the brown-collared ones were still alive and were struggling to their paws.

I leapt out and buried my sword in them before they could recover.

Blood: **_Yesssss… Let the hatred flow through you like a…_**

Heart: _Cut it out._

Blood: **_Ah. You make a good point. You should cut out one of the dogs' hearts next time…_**

Heart: _That isn't what I meant!_

"Well… TNT's gone." I said as I kicked aside some dirt torn up from the blasts. If I had more, I could have re-used the Trojan-Crap Shack plan.

Menacing howls echoed through the night and more dogs were probably incoming. I slid back into my hole and carefully concealed it so the dogs wouldn't find me. I sat in silence, ears perked, as I waited for the threat to pass.

Multiple paws drummed above as the dogs quickly responded to their fallen comrades. I heard more howls—sad ones—followed by angry barks. How could I gauge the emotions of dogs? I don't know, it wasn't like they were having a doggie funeral up there. It was just sort of a 'what would I do' scenario. I would be just as sad and angry if my friends were blown up.

And for all I knew, they could have been.

 _I got to find those guys._

I waited a few moments longer, wondering what was keeping the dogs around so long. Surely they would have moved on to another part of the woods if they were looking for us. So why stick around? Did they know I was there?

The faint sound of growling caught my attention. It sounded close. I pressed an ear to the dirt ceiling hoping to hear, it better. I figured one of the dogs was right on top of me. Maybe I could quickly pop up and kill it without being noticed.

The growling got closer, but it wasn't coming from above. It was coming from behind.

I slowly turned around and spotted the brown-collared dog the guttural growls were coming from. Its eyes were narrowed, its lips drawn back in a snarl.

Ah. The tunnel connecting me to the TNT. I forgot that the explosion it caused would expose my hiding spot for all to see and now it was biting me in the ass. The dog. The dog was biting me in the ass. And not in the affectionate I-wuv-you way.

"YEOW!" I exclaimed, wrenching my bottom around as the animal kept digging its teeth into me. It was official. I hated dogs. Man's best friend my ass!

 _Ow, my ass!_

As I struggled with the mutt, a series of sharp barks echoed down the tunnel it had come from. I saw dozens of dogs pouring in, white fur coming towards me, punctuated by angry snarls and growls.

Thinking fast, I busted the dirt ceiling and hoisted myself out of the hole I dug myself into just before the dogs reached my spot. However, my relief was short-lived as the fifty or so dogs left above pounced on me, forcing me to the ground.

"Gah! Get off!" I hissed as I lashed out with my blade. I managed to bat three of the dogs aside before they got smart and bit my wrist. My sword tumbled to the ground, lost amongst the sea of white fur bearing down on me.

There were a few sharp bites and the dogs took it in turn to jump on my face or gut with all their weight, but I realized with a start that they weren't killing me. Even though they easily could have.

Despite the number of their fellow dogs I killed, they wanted me alive.

For what, I didn't know. And I didn't want to find out.

I brought my arms up and tried to push the dogs aside while searching for my sword, but one of the brown-collared dogs barked some orders and I soon found myself face-first with three green-collared dogs as they launched themselves at me.

"Bwah! Get off me already!" Every time I shoved their muzzles away, three more dogs would take their place. Some biting, others just head-butting me into submission. I could barely breathe or move amongst the tangled mass of moving fur.

Four brown-collared dogs watched from afar, howling into the night sky for backup. I rolled onto my side and kept low as I tried to crawl away. The tide of dogs followed along, never giving me a moment of rest.

"Ugh… help me mysterious green-haired Crafter!" I tried.

…

Nothing.

"Oh come on!"

As if hearing my prayer, a flash of green leapt from tree to tree and a cascade of water was poured over me and the writhing mass of dogs. The animals whimpered and shivered as the water swept them and me aside. Some dogs backed away while others dried themselves off by shaking their fur, splattering water everywhere.

I scrabbled around on hands and knees before finding my sword and used it to cut past the small amount of dogs obstructing me.

"Thanks mysterious green-haired Crafter!" I shouted to the trees, despite knowing the Crafter would already be gone. Whoever he was, he liked to help by pouring water.

I struggled to my feet and took off in a random direction as the brown-collared dogs barked frantically. More howls split the night sky and I could almost feel the hounds snapping at my heels.

Also, that one dog was still chomping my ass.

"Off!" I demanded, jabbing at the mutt taking a mouthful of my rear. One of the jabs caught it in the eye and it whimpered before letting go. I would have felt bad if my butt didn't already feel worse.

Animal cruelty could bite my ass.

* * *

[Carys]

Attila grabbed the sword and lunged for me with murder in her eyes.

Not at all surprised by this sequence of events, I brought up a forearm, blocking her arm—and by extension the sword—from gouging my eyes out.

"You…!" She started to scream only to be silenced by a palm strike to the lower jaw. Her teeth clacked together painfully as she was pushed to the back of the cell, but she recovered fast.

And recklessly.

She ran back at me, a roaring inferno burning in her eyes, as she reared back a fist. I moved to catch it, but was surprised by a feint before she spun on the spot, the sword poised to decapitate. I ducked quickly and allowed the blade to pass over, rattling against the cell bars at my back. Kalmarin watched on anxiously—probably more for Attila than me—while Z7 followed the fight with a dull expression.

"Why didn't you come sooner!?" Attila screeched before I jabbed her in the gut with my elbow. It was a low blow, and it caused the girl to buckle, but I wasn't one to miss an opportunity. I grabbed hold of the bars behind me and pushed up and off of them to deal a devastating kick to her chin. She was lifted into the air by the force, her face brushing against the ceiling, before gravity set in and sent her crashing to the unforgiving floor.

"My people…" Attila whimpered into the floor as she slowly picked herself up. "My community needed you then… but you didn't show up until after they died…" She glared at me fiercely. "Why!? Why didn't you come sooner!?"

I remained silent as I regarded the girl. She was panting heavily and missing a few Hearts, but the fire in her eyes had yet to die out.

"Well?" She asked after a while. "Say something! Don't you feel responsible for them!?"

I narrowed my blood-red glare. "Why would I feel responsible for a community of weaklings I had no business caring for?" Attila's head snapped up. "If they died, it's because they couldn't evolve. Because they were dependent on anyone but themselves. Because they relied too heavily on you." I smirked cruelly. "Only to be let down."

"RAAAAGH!"

She flung the sword at me and I tilted my head to dodge it. But the blade bounced off the cell bars and spun in the air where Attila had already jumped to catch it. She aimed for a heavy, overhead swing that would have hurt considerably if I hadn't been ready for it.

But, being me, I _was_ ready for it. My hands moved fast and seized her wrists, matching all the strength behind the strike with my own. The blade was suspended between our faces for a moment before I gave a sharp twist.

She hissed in pain, but refused to let go until something _snapped_. The sword slipped free of her broken wrist and clattered to the floor before I pulled Attila by her seized hands, spinning around and smashing her face and body into the cell bars. She let out a gasp of pain and tried to struggle free, only to freeze as my knee brushed against hers.

"This is reality." I whispered to her, pressing her face further against the bars while pulling back on her seized wrists. "You couldn't win against me, just like you couldn't stand up to those Hackers. Your community—How many years did you spend caring for them? Worrying about them? Babying them? When instead you could have been preparing like me. Training. Researching. Gaining allies. Planning for what came after. You think I did all this on a fucking whim? Foolish girl." I spat, throwing her across the cell where she rolled into the back wall.

"It took time! Resources! Information! I enacted Overshadow when it was convenient for _me_! When I was certain I would win and the Hackers would be dead at my feet. And you whine and blame me because my arrival wasn't convenient for you? For your weak community? Please."

Attila shifted slightly, her hair obscuring her eyes but doing little to obstruct her sobs. Gods, she was sniveling like a baby. It was making me rethink the offer I was about to give her.

"You're… right…" She choked out between sobs. "I… I couldn't protect them… and just-just… blamed you, because I-I… I didn't want to blame me." She lifted herself up, but her tears pooled around her hands. "I… I couldn't save any of them. They meant everything to me… and I—"

"You lost them because you were weak." I cut her off, causing her to flinch. "Because this world takes and takes from you until there's nothing left. And unless you become strong enough to _keep_ what's yours and _take_ in return… you'll die."

I learned that a long time ago.

"H-How…?"

"Hm?"

"How did you do it?" She asked, looking up with a burning desire to know. "Killing Hackers. Destroying the Cult's Southern Division. How did you become so strong?"

My eyes glazed over, adopting that thousand-yard-stare reserved for when I remembered what it was like so many years ago. Everything I endured…

"It's no great secret." I spoke softly, though my voice carried throughout the cell for everyone to hear. "You just lose everything you ever care for… until you have nothing left to lose—when even death starts to look appealing. Only then, when there's no pointless baggage or connections weighing you down, can you fight unfettered. With no fear. With no hesitation. With no weakness. When there's nothing to live for, but life… and _revenge_."

Z7 nodded respectfully at my words and Kal furrowed his brow, but made no attempt to argue. Attila listened to my words with rapt attention, drawing something from them.

A brief memory flashed through my mind… a woman putting on a brave face… myself, bawling my eyes out. It _sickened_ me, and I was quick to expunge the recollection.

"Strength comes when you can fight with the recklessness of one with nothing left to lose." I summarized, regaining my senses. I was there, standing in the cell.

But not _that_ cell.

"Now… what to do with you." I drawled, nudging my boot underneath my discarded sword before kicking it up into my hand. Attila looked up at me as I approached, and I could see the unease in her eyes. She had no idea what was about to happen.

"You're already on the right track to becoming strong." I cocked my head, resting a hand on my hip. "You've lost it all… most people can't live past the pain, the loss. And I bet you want to die in the quickest way possible." I held out my sword and pointed it at the girl. Her eyes were focused on the blade in firm determination.

"But getting yourself killed," I continued with a shake of the head, "you'd just be doing the cult's job for them. Is that what you want? To do those killers a favor? Or how about the Hackers and Griefers? I bet they'd be satisfied hearing they wrecked your life enough to make you kill yourself."

Attila's eyes darted slightly, as if coming to a realization, before they narrowed fiercely. And burning behind her grayish-green eyes with twice the intensity was an overpowering thirst for vengeance. The kind I liked to see in all my Paragons.

And I knew I had her then.

"So here are your choices, because I can't let you know my identity as the Angel of Death." I explained. I thrust the sword forward, but stopped short of her face. She didn't even flinch. "You can either choose to die, and I'll honor your final request, or…" I flipped the sword around so that the handle was facing her. "You can join me—join the Paragons—and help ensure that the Cultists, Hackers, and Griefers regret ever crossing us _just before they die_." I saw the glint in her eyes and smirked. It seemed almost pointless to ask, even as I pushed the handle of the sword further toward her.

"Interested?"

A brief moment of silence. The girl licked her lips slightly. I waited patiently for her answer. Ready to kill or welcome. Though I knew which option she was leaning towards.

Attila took hold of the sword—and her future—with both hands.

My smirk widened. "Welcome to the Paragons."

* * *

[Floyd]

"I _had_ to leave it behind. It was weighing me down."

I shook my head in disbelief as we traipsed around the sunlit forest. "Iron armor isn't that heavy."

"For everyone else, sure. But my engineer physique was not made for such a burden." Lenz defended while adjusting the leather cap still atop his head. "Not like leather. Leather is light."

"And about as resilient as wet tissue paper." I countered.

We had been trading combat tips all throughout the night. Little ways to improve ourselves. It was eye-opening to hear it from someone else, especially from someone as observant as Lenz. We had been discussing an exchange of lessons—he would teach me how to shoot a bow and I would teach him how to run without falling to the ground in exhaustion like an anemic dog—when the topic of armor came up.

"You need something with more oomph."

"Oomph?"

"Yeah. Oomph! I've heard of chainmail armor. It's supposedly light, but it has the same resilience as gold."

"Chainmail is impossible to craft though." Lenz hummed to himself. "I would need to trade a Testificate for it."

"Well we'll find you some in Jolin. They must have a place for it. Maybe even get you some Enchantments."

"I am looking forward to it." He smiled, only to pause. "But not as much as I am looking forward to piloting an airship!"

That was another thing. He _really_ wanted that airship.

All in all, Lenz was a better guy than I gave him credit for. The whole feud we had going was just a big, stupid misunderstanding. And now, without the fear of Cobb abandoning him if another archer took his place, he was more than happy to teach me what he knew and share some of his arrows.

But I was more than happy to turn them down, figuring he could put them to better use than a rookie archer like me. At least until I learned better.

We were just about to discuss the potential of the Bounty Day's tipped arrows when a loud howl cut through the air. It sounded far off, but was answered by several dogs.

"Hunderprest's hounds…" I angled my head to try and pinpoint the sound.

"You think they found Cobbert? Or Soul?" Lenz asked, looking worried. He had every right to be. Those dogs only howled when they had something worth showing the rest of them. And a Crafter worth a thousand emeralds was high on their list.

"I guess we'll find out." I pointed in the direction I thought I heard the howls and Lenz and I took off.

Hopefully, we would find him before Hunderprest did.

* * *

[Cobb]

Why did it feel like trouble followed me around like a pack of vicious dogs?

Brain: _Those_ are _actual vicious dogs dum-dum._

Oh, right.

The dogs were belligerent. I had been running all night, avoiding the dogs at every turn. Sometimes I barely had enough time to catch my breath, swallow some food, and gain my bearings before they were upon me again.

Sometimes Mobs got in the way and I sort of hoped they would keep the dogs busy. But no. The dogs swarmed the monsters and killed them with practiced ease. Funny enough, the dogs even went after the Mobs attacking me. Some Skeletons learned that the hard way when they shot at me only for the dogs to literally tear them apart. Same with Creepers, Spiders, and Zombies. If they tried to kill me, the dogs would intervene.

And now that the sun was up, they were having less trouble pursuing me. Just when I thought they were all behind me, a pack of twenty would cut me off, forcing me to go a different way. Then, more of them would run at my sides, keeping me in a straight path. I couldn't even double back with the dogs snapping at my heels.

But they didn't attack me. They just kept spurring me on with snarls and howls and gnashing canines. On and on. Through bushes and past trees. All the way until I found myself in a large clearing against the side of Mt. Mur. A steep, rocky slope barred my path and the dogs all spread out to surround me.

I wiped the sweat off my brow and hastily gobbled some more food as I regarded the dogs surrounding me. "Okay…" I panted out, beyond exhausted. "You got me here… now what?"

The dogs growled in reply. They were certainly intelligent, and it was obvious they had been herding me here. And that they wanted me alive.

 _Sounds like something a bounty hunter would do._

The thought barely crossed my mind before I felt the ground give way beneath me. I let out a startled yelp as I found the gravel I had stood upon give way to a gaping pitfall. It was the same gravel trap Lenz had used at the Battle of Halstatt. Only this time, _I_ was on the receiving end of it.

I fell to the ground like a sack of bricks, groaning. I coughed out a bit of dust and shakily got to my knees just in time for something to splash against my back.

"Son of a bitch…" I cursed as I felt my body slowing down. Splash Potion of Slowness. Shortly followed by a Splash Potion of Weakness. I was able to turn my head just before my body became paralyzed and I spotted the Crafter that hit me. Wild, dark-blond hair. Sitting atop a horse. Looking pleased at his latest catch.

"Now _that's_ what I call the catch-of-the-day!" Hunderprest boasted.

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 14 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 49 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 55 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 18]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 7 Ender Pearls, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 4 Iron Ore, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 5 Bones, 6 Gunpowder, 16 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 62 Cooked Chicken, 46 Apples, 3 Wool,  1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 24]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 61 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 55 Steak,  1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Green_ ], 56 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 6 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 14 Oak Wood Planks, 10 Steak, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 36]

* * *

 **AN: Nearing 200 Favs and Follows. This story is currently in the top 10 of the favorited Minecraft genre fanfics.** **Now if only I could get that movie deal...**

 **Anyway, Floyd and Lenz reconcile and learn about each other for the first time. Soul is completely absent. Cobb is running, running, and more running. And Carys is being a badass, as is par for the course. Though I do enjoy hinting at her past.**

 **And Hunderprest is doing what a Bounty Hunter is supposed to do: Hunting you down for your bounty. Him and his dogs are tenacious, alright.**

 **Leave a fav, follow, or review... or else!**

 **Nah, I'm just kidding... or am I!?**

 **No, I'm not...**

 **Ok, bye.**


	92. Blue, Magenta, Teal, and Gray

**AN: Well, this Chapter has the word 'Teal' in the title, so it'll probably get twice as many views.**

 **OVER 200 FAVS! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?**

 **Thank you all for keeping up with this story! Holy moly, this is just unbelievable! Your devotion keeps me writing.**

 **I feel like I really hit it out of the park with this Chapter. The humor just flowed into me. (Probably because you had two weeks to write it ya dumb-dumb.) Who said that!?**

 **Anyway, Christmas break helps too. I intend to work, play Mario Odyssey, work, play Last of Us Multiplayer - because that's just a fun time - and maybe play this new game called Player Unknown Battlegrounds or 'pug-guh' as I prefer to call it because it annoys my friend. :P**

 **But what am I doing talking about my life? You're here to read about Cobb's life. So please enjoy the Chapter.**

* * *

I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd do something about keeping Net Neutrality. Otherwise, Fanfiction might fall.

Beta: Myself

* * *

Chapter 92

 **Blue, Magenta, Teal, and Gray**

[Shallows of Cerulean Ocean]

Mark looked out across the Cerulean Ocean with a feeling of trepidation. From his position on the shore, he could just barely make out the structure of the Ocean Monument. He stood upon the wide, sandy shallows of the shore, his feet comfortably wet, as he surveyed the scene. The water got deeper and deeper as the land mass declined as a steady slope before dropping completely into the watery abyss below.

The Lieutenant sighed, wishing he was doing paperwork instead.

"So that's the Ocean Monument, huh?" Teal tittered as she raised a hand to her forehead, looking out towards the ocean. She grinned as she nudged his shoulder, pointing to the Cadboro Bridge to the South. "Makes you nostalgic, right? All those good memories on that bridge?"

Despite the context, Mark couldn't help but smile wryly. "I seem to recall most of those memories happening _off_ the bridge." Teal smiled cheekily. "But yes, I remember them. We're not here to stroll through memory lane, though."

"Hmhmm, so serious~" Teal purred before Mark took a full step away and placed his boat down. She was about to do the same, but Mark stopped her. "What? You wanna ride tandem? Because I'd be down with that."

He shook his head. "I'm the one with the deep-sea diving gear; I'll go by myself." She opened her mouth to protest, but Mark was prepared. "What are you going to do against the Guardians underwater?"

"What are _you_ gonna do against the Guardians with those limp—yet sexy—arms?" She shot back, giving his forearm a light squeeze.

"I don't actually have to fight them." He reasoned. "We only need a sponge. There should be a chamber full of them somewhere in there. It's just a matter of picking the right chamber."

"And if those Guardians see you first?" She asked with worry before shaking her head. "Why not just give me the diving gear? Let me go. What's the harm in that?"

He frowned. "The harm, Teal_Larkspur, is that the second I take off this gear, you'll pop on that mystical leather cap of yours, freeze me in place, and French kiss me until you run out of oxygen!"

"…What's the harm in that?"

"That." He deadpanned. "That's the harm in that. Now if you're done flirting, let's get this over with." He patted the golden deep-sea diving armor encompassing him and strapped two Potions of Water Breathing to his belt. "Be on standby with a boat, just in case I need an emergency evac." He advised the blue-haired woman just before pushing off the shore and clambering into his vessel. He sailed forward, cutting through the water as he approached the sea-green, pyramidal structure.

Teal watched, her fists clenched in worry, as Mark stopped short of the monument before drinking one of his Water Breathing Potions and dropping off the side of his vessel. His head disappeared beneath the surface and Teal waited in tense silence, praying a Guardian didn't kill her beloved.

If it did, she would raze the ocean itself.

* * *

[Cobb]

I hated the Paralysis Potion combo. Not being able to move sucked.

"Up we go." The blond-haired bounty hunter hefted me over one shoulder before tossing me out of his redstone pit-trap. I got a face full of dirt, but was helpless to wipe it away, what with me being paralyzed and all.

Even if I could move, though, his dogs were all over me. Gods, how many did he have? They were still streaming in from the trees from what I could tell.

The bounty hunter, Hunderprest, climbed up after me. He had a proud smile on his face as he rolled me onto my side. "You gave my dogs quite the chase. Take solace in knowing you were caught by the best."

"I'd rather not to have been caught." I said with a frown. "Plus, I wouldn't say you did much. It was your dogs that—"

"My dogs, my trap, my plan. Ergo, my win." He defended easily. "Though, do I detect sour grapes in your tone? Come now, you didn't think you could evade your pursuers forever, did you? Especially so close to Ringwood after the Creeper incident—"

"I'm not a cultist!" I shouted, half in exasperation. "Not an Executive either. Someone framed me."

"I'd say 'that's what they all say'," he paused, "but then _that's_ what _we_ say whenever they say what they all say."

"…What?"

"I don't believe you."

"Oh."

"Nor do I care, honestly." He shrugged one shoulder while tossing some meat to his dogs. They tore into it ravenously. "Emeralds are emeralds. And whoever wants you alive is willing to pay a fortune. Oh, I can see it now." His eyes sparkled with a dreamy gaze. "Diamond gear, Nitebane Enchantments, high-quality potions…" He paused when a few of the brown-collared dogs growled. "Food, of course. Can't forget about you guys, can I?" The dogs went back to eating. "And I'll _still_ have some left over for the guild."

"But you'd be dooming an innocent man." I tried again, hoping to appeal to his humanity. "Would you truly be able to live with yourself?"

"Yes."

"…Ah."

Blood: **_See, this is why we kill people…_**

Heart: _Hey, no. No! Bad blood. Very bad blood! Killing is bad._

Blood: **_*growl*_**

"Anyway, let's see how innocent you _really_ are." Hunderprest knelt down behind me and I felt him rummage around my backpack. "I have to strip you anyway…"

"Hey! No stripping!" I protested as I desperately tried to move. But the Paralysis effect had a few more minutes left.

"Let's see…" He mumbled as he pulled stuff out of my backpack and belt. "A fishing rod…? Backlash? Odd thing to enchant. A single stick. A single stick? Really?"

"I was gonna use it for torches get off my back."

"Hmm. Ender Pearls. Lot of food. Some books. A _lot_ of emeralds. A couple of—oh!"

He went silent and I wondered what he found.

"A couple of what?" I asked, trying to remember what else I had in my pack.

"Hmm." Hunderprest drummed his fingers on my backpack. "Well, you can forget about your feigning innocence gambit. With contraband like this, I'm gonna have to confiscate your entire Inventory. Emeralds and all."

"What!?" I exclaimed as he already began to strip my armor. "What contraband are you talking about? I'm not holding any—" A thought struck me hard and I narrowed my eyes. "You… you're just making stuff up so you have an excuse to take my Silk Touch shovel, aren't you?"

He froze. "Silk Touch shovel, you say?"

The next instant, he was rummaging back in my backpack, practically ripping apart the materials and chucking items aside before he withdrew what he was looking for.

"This catch just got twice as profitable!" He laughed, his eyes glittering with greed. "Thanks for bringing it to my attention!"

Heart: _I take it back. This bounty hunter has no right taking our stuff. We should kill him._

Blood: **_Yessss… let the hatred flooooow through your—_**

Heart: _Just kill him a little bit._

Blood: **_It's a start…_**

As I watched the bounty hunter gush over the shovel and his loyal dogs wag their tails in enthusiasm, I cursed him for stealing from me. Those emeralds had been obtained through that golden shovel. And that golden shovel had been given to me by Cosmic. He had no right to take it. He had no right to make up some bullcrap about me carrying contraband, just to secure _my_ emeralds and shovel. I knew my Inventory better than anyone. Nothing in it was illegal.

He was just lying for money. Taking me to other liars for money.

"Hey, Hunderprest!" I spat. "You think you're smart, but you won't be collecting any bounty anytime soon. Nitebane is pretty far. You thinking of carrying me all the way there?" I asked contemptuously. "Good luck. I'll eat twice as much just to weigh you down."

"I do consider myself clever." Hunderprest defended, taking more of my Inventory. "And the journey to Nitebane won't be long. My dogs and I took an airship here. It's docked at a nearby village. After we depart, I expect we'll be in Nitebane in a matter of days."

Shit. That was bad. I'd never see the others again after getting whisked away to—

…Wait, the others!

"What did you do to my friends?" I asked urgently, startling the bounty hunter. "I know your dogs were chasing them. What did you do?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Alas, I know not. I had the blue-haired one and your look-alike cornered before they ender pearled away. My dogs only found you, though, and that's good enough for me. I'm not one to hunt minnows when I've already bagged a whale."

So they were alive. And he wasn't going after them. Good for them, not so good for me. "You're making a mistake, I tell you! They… Nitebane won't give you any bounty!" I invented wildly. "Just let me go and… and you can keep the shovel and emeralds. That's already a fortune by itself. Please."

"To the victor go the spoils. And I feel like spoiling myself." He answered cruelly as he lifted me up and threw me over his horse.

My backpack, belt, and armor had been completely stripped and placed in some odd, ornate, black chest with an eyeball on the front. Whenever he opened it, purple particles would spring forth, similar to the kind Endermen gave off. He kept the Silk Touch Shovel at his belt, taunting me with it. He didn't bother picking the chest back up though.

"Now, onward my hounds!" Hunderprest declared as he mounted his steed. "A wealth of emeralds and meat shall be our reward!"

His dogs all howled in agreement, running beside their master as his steed galloped into the trees.

 _…Relaxing jaunt from Point A to Point B? Hahaha! Nope! Just throw a Hunder and one damnations at me! Fuck you, universe! I hope you spill hot sauce on your favorite suit!_

* * *

[Floyd]

"See anything?"

Lenz nodded with a hum, his tinted goggles observing a point further than my vision could reach. We were stationed atop a tall tree, surveying the forest from a decent vantage point.

"The hounds are all moving in one direction." He said. "Comparators, there are quite a few of them."

"Is Hunderprest with them?"

"Not that I can… hold on…" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing behind those goggles. "He is there… with Cobbert!"

Well, wasn't that just a kick to the face? Cobb must have had over a hundred dogs chasing him. And now that Hunderprest had him, he wasn't wasting any time delivering him out of here.

"I do not see Soul with them." Lenz shook his head. "And Cobbert is unusually still for a captive. I suspect he has been afflicted with Slowness and Weakness Potions."

"So then we're on our own." I summed up nicely, already drawing my sword. "You've fought outnumbered battles in Halstatt, right?" I asked the engineer. "Any ideas on how to outsmart these dogs?"

"As well as secure Cobbert's safety?" The engineer weighed some TNT in his hand, his mind already fast at work. "I may have some machinations in mind. And I am still an unknown as far as Hunderprest is concerned. But I need time to set everything up." He wrung his hands desperately. "It was so much easier in Halstatt when we had time, but on such short notice—"

"I can buy you time."

I watched with mild amusement as his eyebrows lifted. "You can? How?"

"You'll see." I replied enigmatically. "I can stop those dogs for a few minutes at best. You just make sure to hold up your end. Is there anything else you need?"

Lenz lifted his goggles and looked at me worryingly, no doubt guessing what my plan to stall them was. Thankfully, however, he didn't bother bringing it up. He knew we didn't have time to argue. We had to act now while Hunderprest was still within sight.

"Based on what I remember from your Inventory…" Lenz ticked off his fingers. "Your bow. Your pickaxe. The iron ore. String. Your furnace. Both Potions of Regeneration. And as many ender pearls as you can spare."

I nodded at his commands, handing over everything save two of my seven pearls which I would _absolutely_ need to catch up to Hunderprest.

"You sure your plan will work?"

"I am sure my machinations will work." He replied, purposefully avoiding my question, before reaching into his Inventory to trade something back. Emeralds—a lot of them—along with a few books and some other items. "My Inventory would have been filled otherwise and… the emeralds might help with your stalling plan."

Yeah, he definitely knew what I had in mind. I wished I could say the same, but I had no idea what his crazy redstone head had concocted.

Maybe if I knew him better, I would know.

"Good luck." We both wished before ender pearling towards different spots. Lenz went ahead of Hunderprest's path of travel.

I went straight for Hunderprest.

* * *

[Cobb]

Just a little longer… I thought to myself as I watched the two timers on my arm tick away. The effects had almost expired and movement was already coming back to my limbs. Just a little longer and I would roll off the horse and make a desperate bid for—

"Down the hatch." Hunderprest drawled as he emptied two potions into my mouth. I was caught off guard and tried to cough it back up, but Hunderprest forced my mouth shut, making me swallow it all.

The two timers on my arm quickly reset back to full. It was even longer, in fact, because they weren't splash potions.

"Argh!" I grumbled in frustration, wishing I could kick the bounty hunter. How cruel could a guy get?

"Get used to it. There'll be more potions where that came from—" A warning bark from one of Hunderprest's dogs caused the bounty hunter to pull back on his horse. It slowed to a trot before stopping completely with all the dogs surrounding him in a defensive formation.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of blue and panicked. "Floyd! What are you—no! Get out of here! I'll be fine!"

"Yeah, I can see that." Floyd called back sarcastically from atop a tree. He must have ender pearled recently since I saw him kick an Endermite off the side where it impacted the ground and disintegrated in a puff of smoke. "Hand him over, Hunderprest."

"Well, since you asked so nicely…" The bounty hunter mocked, lifting me up by the scruff of my hoodie and jostling me. "I'll have to reply with the trite and true classic, 'if you want him, come and get him'."

* * *

[Lenz]

Time was of the essence.

My aim and far-sight proved invaluable in getting ahead of Floyd and the bounty hunter. Based on his dog pack's movements through the woods, I was able to accurately glean their route. They would pass through a patch of woods not unlike any other.

The important part was trapping it in a way that made it appear like any other.

I wracked my brain for every lesson on redstone taught at the college and laid out my Inventory on the ground. Footnotes. Facts. Lessons. Mechanics. Private advice. Experience. I drew forth on all of it in an effort to build the perfect traps.

Wooden buttons… wooden buttons would be the start. They were the simplest redstone device to craft; a plank of wood each. Having four in my possession saved me what little preparation I would have to take, but that was not the main focus of them.

Wooden buttons could be triggered by pressing them, _or_ by hitting them with an arrow. A useful function for an archer like myself; it was practically designed to suit me.

Crafting table down, I hastily scooped up my cobblestone and Floyd's bow and added a dab of redstone to craft a [DISPENSER], giving me two. That was all I could afford without mining more cobblestone, but I could not tarry to long.

I grabbed both dispensers and surveyed the scene, looking for proper vantage points like Veronica taught me.

After a few moments, my eyes lighted on two spots concealed by leaves and forked branches. I carefully climbed up each one, triple-checking the proper angles, before placing a dispenser down. The wooden buttons were placed on the side at an angle I could see from afar with my exceptional eyesight.

Once that was done, I took out some of my precious arrows and weighed them between my hands. I only had fifty-six of them, and every shot needed to count. In the end, I settled for ten per dispenser, adding an extra one in for testing, before dropping from the trees.

With the dispenser's set up, I looked at the trees from both the side Hunderprest would come from and the side I would be waiting. The trees concealed the dispenser's well enough on Hunder's side, but on my side I could easily spot the buttons.

I proved as much by shooting each one, dead-center. The buttons did as they should, activating the dispensers and shooting arrows from both sides. I made note of the spots the arrows landed and gathered them up to conserve ammunition.

 _Dispenser Trap._ I thought to myself. _Set._

* * *

[Floyd]

 _I just need to stall._ I thought to myself, as I hopped from treetop to treetop. His dogs tracked my movements closely, breaking off into small packs to follow while Hunderprest fired arrows at me. One of them nicked my shoulder, but I was quick to take cover behind some leaves.

"Come out, Floyd. You're only making things more tiresome for me." The bounty hunter called out. "It's time to join your Executive."

"I already told you, I'm not an Executive!" Cobb protested from atop the horse. "I have nothing to do with the Endward Cult! I mean, yeah, I may have killed their greatest enemy by mistake, but that's no reason to—"

"Quiet." Hunderprest forced Cobb's head down before aiming his bow up towards me. "You didn't just show up to hop around and hide, did you? I know you don't have any cultists waiting in ambush. My hounds haven't detected a single person nearby other than you. So I have to wonder why you would purposefully stand in my way."

"To get my friend back, what else?" I called down before realizing I had to step up my distraction. Running and hiding wouldn't keep his attention forever. He already had a thousand emerald bounty in his hands, so he wouldn't work for a two-hundred emerald one if it wasn't within reach.

I had already planned for this, though.

So, with slight hesitation, I readied my sword and jumped down to fight his dogs.

* * *

[Lenz]

"Alright. Good start. What else can I make…?" I thought aloud as my eyes roved over my remaining materials. My goggles were firmly fixed over my face and my brain was working overtime.

My eyes flashed upon Floyd's furnace. I set it down and filled it with iron ore and fuel. While that was busy cooking, I hurried over to a tree and broke it apart with Floyd's pickaxe. It was not the proper tool, sure, but I did not want to waste time and resources on an axe.

The broken logs were made into planks by the time the iron ingots were done cooking. I turned half the planks into sticks and strung them together with the planks and ingots to make [TRIPWIRE HOOKS]. My Jolin pen pal had written me about them after discovering them in a Jungle Temple. Strung together with string, the tripwires worked like pressure plates once someone or something passed over them. They would send out a signal and activate whatever was attached to it.

Like sixty-one blocks of TNT.

Figuring to save wiring up this trap for last, I began to mine out a small cavern under a layer of grass. As luck would have it, there was already an existing cavern underneath that I only had to expand upon and hook up with redstone. I settled upon making several pockets of TNT with one big pocket that would consist of the majority of explosives. The string for the tripwire was laid out furthest for the largest pocket of TNT. I only hoped that the dogs would be far ahead of Hunderprest and Cobb, otherwise the explosion would kill them.

The tripwires were hidden at the base of two trees, the string carefully spread along the forest floor. As a precaution, I held off attaching the string to the tripwire until I was absolutely ready. Tripwires and pressure plates were always dangerous work; one misstep could trigger the whole thing.

For the smaller pockets of TNT, I settled for using wooden buttons. I could trigger them from afar with my bow without having to waste more string.

It cost me every speck of TNT I had… but this was an emergency.

 _Tripwire traps._ I nodded, confidence growing. _Set._

* * *

[Floyd]

I gasped for breath right after dispatching another handful of dogs. The beasts were persistent and endless. I wished Soul was there to contribute his strength, but I was on my own.

I whipped out my iron sword and slashed at the nearest hound with Crit Aura. The white stars erupted from my blade, causing massive damage and killing it in one hit.

But there were more.

So many more.

While I was focused on the front, the dogs barked orders and three of them circled around me before diving at my exposed flank. With a creaking snap, my iron chestplate broke on their fangs, leaving me vulnerable.

I felt paws and teeth rake against my side before I lashed out on reflex, ending two more dogs. But it seemed that every time I turned, a dog would pounce in my blind spot. My Hearts were getting lower and lower and I regretted handing both of my Potions of Regeneration to Lenz. If he didn't make use of them in his plans, it would have all been for nothing!

It was when a particular ambitious dog pounced on me from behind that I fell to the ground. My sword clattered from my numb hands and I struggled to right myself. Next thing I knew, several dozen furry bodies had dog-piled me, pinning my body to the forest floor.

I struggled to free a hand, but already I noticed a set of footsteps drawing nearer. I rolled amidst the dogs, freeing one hand to frantically search my backpack for a weapon. Something to hit them with.

My fingers touched something smooth and I instantly whipped it across the nearest dog's face. It was a brown-collared dog and it caught my weapon in its teeth. Its eyes were narrowed and it was growling.

But then it abruptly changed demeanor. Its eyes went docile and its tail started wagging as it gnawed happily on the item between its teeth.

 _What the…?_

I looked at the item in my hand and realized it was a bone.

The dog was happily gnawing on the bone, all traces of hostility gone.

 _…Really?_

Similarly, all the other dogs had calmed down. They were still piled on top of me, but their eyes were glued to the bone in my hands.

"No! Bad dogs!" Hunderprest chastised from nearby. He wagged his finger at the hounds, but not all of them paid attention. "I'll buy you all the bones you want after we get the bounty off these two. Now stop getting distracted and—"

Hunderprest choked on his words when I whipped out all the bones in my backpack and started chucking them in random directions. It worked like a charm. All the dogs covering me scrabbled after the bones like moths drawn to flame. I kicked the stragglers off of me and finally located my fallen blade.

Hunderprest swapped out his bow for a sword and lunged at me. I brought up my blade to counter and we briefly tested our strengths against one another. We were fairly even.

"What kind of stupid name is 'Hunderprest' anyway?" I taunted as our blades scraped against one another.

"The kind you get when you're stuck in the Void for a long time, you insensitive ass!" He kicked at my leg, breaking my stance, and disengaging long enough to pull out a Splash Potion of some kind. Remembering Cobb's paralyzed state, I dove wildly to the side, avoiding the potion by a few inches. "And what about him?" He hiked a thumb towards Cobb. "Who names themselves after a vegetable? And adding a King to that? How pretentious can one be?"

"Just because I'm paralyzed doesn't mean I'm deaf!" Cobb shouted from the horse before he added, "Floyd. Kick him for me, would you?"

Instantly, my leg struck out and connected with the bounty hunter's shin. He hopped around, biting back a curse, before holding his sword out before him. "Hounds. Attack!"

I paled upon realizing that the dogs preoccupied with bones had returned their attention to me. Before I could mount any kind of defense, they all piled on top of me, sealing my movements and covering me in furry darkness.

 _That's all I got, Lenz._

* * *

[Lenz]

 _What else… what else could be useful…_

I hummed in thought, thinking the situation over. From what Floyd had said, Hunderprest's dogs were organized and efficient hunters. They had a line of communications, a chain of command, and followed their master's orders to the letter.

…

But if they could not _hear_ their master's orders…

I snapped my fingers. "Noise trap."

I gathered up some planks and redstone—I had to go back to the trees and break apart my blocks of redstone to have enough—and molded them together to make [NOTE BLOCKS]. Eight of them.

Note blocks could play sounds when hit with a redstone pulse. The note and instrument depended on how they were strung and what block they were placed on. I knew some artistic types back at the college who could compose musical masterpieces from them, but I had never gotten too deep into that level of study. At best, I could probably adjust the blocks to play a collection of discordant sounds.

A noise trap.

I looked upon the surrounding forest once more and found two suitable spots on both sides. Just like with the dispensers, the spots were obscured by low leaves and trees but would be perfectly visible from my vantage point.

I hooked up some wooden buttons for long-distance activation to a clock circuit: Repeaters and redstone strung together in a loop. Then, I attached four note blocks to each. When activated, the redstone pulse would loop and activate the note blocks again and again. Forever replaying the tones of inharmonious drivel that would have musicians hanging their heads in shame.

The noise would be ear-bleedingly bad—more so for the dogs considering their heightened sense of hearing. They would be too busy whining in distress to listen to their master's orders, let alone each other.

Combined with all the other traps, it was safe to say that the hounds were going to have a bad time. Animal Rights activists would sue me, but it was necessary to save my comrades.

Speaking of which, Floyd was probably at his limit by now. I gathered my Inventory off the ground, picked up my furnace and crafting table, carefully connected the tripwires with the length of string, and scurried up my designated vantage point.

My bow had thirty-six arrows with which I could fire. And for additional firepower, I crafted one of Floyd's ingots with one of my flint to make a flint and steel.

Everything was set. I filled up on food to replenish what had been lost working and kept my eyes glued to the string of the tripwire to make sure no pesky Mobs stepped on it and ruined everything. The three ender pearls and Floyd's Potions of Regeneration were hanging at my belt.

 _They are still alive._ I kept telling myself, gripping my hands to stop the shaking. _They have the bounty. He will keep them alive. You just need to save them._

Their fates were in my shaking hands. Most of the traps would only activate if I shot them. This was all on me. Nothing would happen without my action… except maybe the tripwire. But that was more of a last resort. I could trigger it early if need be.

"Be smart, Lenzington. Moving artillery. Moving artillery." I whispered to myself as I heard howls approaching from in front. "Show those mutts how the Gray Eagle fights."

* * *

[Cobb]

I let out an aggravated sigh as I watched the paralyzed Floyd hefted onto the horse beside me. His Inventory had been stripped and Hunderprest had placed another one of those weird black chests to deposit the items into.

He looked beside himself with glee.

"Oh, this _must_ be my lucky day!" He gave a high-pitched laugh as he tumbled a large amount of emeralds between his fingers, courtesy of Floyd's Inventory.

Although… I thought _Lenz_ was the one holding the emeralds…

"With this and the little extra I'm getting from blue-hair," he patted Soul's back, "I might actually be able to make early retirement." He laughed at his own joke while I just grimaced in humiliation. Was this how we were going to be beaten? Paralyzed and strapped to the back of a horse? No!

I glared at the wild-haired man. Hunderprest. He wasn't so tough. It was his dogs that were the problem. They were coordinated and cut off every possible escape route before overwhelming us with their numbers. Without them, he would be powerless to stop us.

I turned to Floyd and whispered so that the bounty hunter couldn't hear us. "Where are the others? Are they nearby?"

"Lenz is." He whispered back. "As for Soul… we got separated. Have you checked your map? He has one too, right?"

I jerked my head. "He took the map, and my Inventory, and my emeralds, and my shovel." I hissed with growing rage. "He put them in a black chest. He doesn't take it with him, though."

"Black chest…" Floyd mumbled to himself while Hunderprest mounted his steed and proceeded to continue moving through the woods. "Sounds like an Ender Chest. Like the kind they use at banks. It's basically security storage where only the person depositing the items is allowed to take them out. The Inventory of an Ender Chest is different for each person and can transfer to any other Ender Chest."

"I don't think I understand."

He rolled his eyes. "Is _now_ really the best time to be asking these questions? Can it wait until after we're not captured?"

I opened my mouth to argue that, since we were paralyzed and without a plan, we had nothing better to do. But instead, Hunderprest interjected.

"Ender Chests have the same Inventory for a specific Crafter. For instance, if I place three Ender Chests down and stock the first one with apples, I can check the second and third one to discover they too are filled with apples. But!" He raised a finger dramatically. "If another Crafter were to check the chests, they would find them to be empty until they placed something inside. In other words, as of now, both of your Inventories are in a chest only _I_ can access."

"Wait, so we can't just get the items ourselves?"

"Afraid not." He said without sounding sorry at all. "What's yours is mine, now."

"And…" I trailed off, much to the bounty hunter's confusion. "Aren't you going to finish with, 'what's mine is yours'?"

"Didn't I already say that?"

"No, you said what's yours is mine."

"But I never gave you permission to take my stuff."

"What—no, I… wait, you're confusing me." I tried to clutch my head, but found I couldn't with my paralyzed limbs. "What's mine is yours."

"Correct." He nodded.

"So then what's yours is mine, right?"

"No. _Mine_ is mine. You get nothing."

Brain: _Alright, but then Who's on first, What's on second, and I Don't Know's on third!_

Blood: **_I demand aspirin…_**

Bladder: _I got adult and baby variety. Which one you want?_

Blood: **_…Baby, please…_**

After my eloquent conversation with Hunder, I turned to my fellow captive. "I think you somehow mixed up the word 'rescue' with the definition of 'getting captured'."

"Don't worry." He muttered under his breath when Hunder wasn't looking. "There's a plan."

I raised an eyebrow. "Getting captured was part of the plan?"

"I stalled for time." He hissed through his teeth. "Whatever happens next is up to Lenz."

That… worried me a little. Lenzington did well in Halstatt with his gravel trap—he even fought a couple of Griefers off. But he had time to prepare, then. A lot more than he did now. Could he really free us and take out all the dogs on his own?

"Well, if nothing else, I'm glad you two are finally working together." I said, causing Floyd's eyes to close. "No matter what, we'll find a way out of this."

"No you won't." The bounty hunter dismissed, having overheard my last words.

"Do you mind?" I shot him a look and he looked only mildly offended as he spurred his horse on faster.

Only to stop when his dogs started barking sharply.

"Whoa, hold up." He pulled back on his horse's reins so that it slowed to a trot. His dogs were feverishly sniffing the air, tilting their heads in every direction. "What do you guys smell?"

*Bark* *Bark*

"I think they smell bark." I started to smile before getting kicked in the side. "Oof!"

"Shut it." He threatened before turning his attention back to his dogs. "You smell a Crafter, don't you?" One of the brown-collared dogs barked in what I could only assume was assent. "Can you find out where? It could be that fake Cobb from before."

The dogs began to spread out to sniff the air when all of a sudden an arrow came shooting out from somewhere to the right. It barely missed Hunder's horse and instead struck a dog in the tail. It yelped in pain, causing the other dogs to growl towards the direction it had come from with raised hackles.

Hunder waved his arm towards the right. "Go check it out. Kill whoever—" He was cut off by a yelp as another arrow came from the left this time, driving into a different dog's paw.

Looking at where the arrow had come from, I was confused. Was that Lenz? How could he fire arrows from both directions?

To make matters even more confusing, two more arrows came pelting towards us from the _front_. Both of them struck Hunder's horse, causing it to buck wildly and dislodge all three of us in a mess of limbs.

Hunder spat out a lock of his hair and picked himself off the ground, bow at the ready. He fired off two random shots towards the front, but it was clear they wouldn't hit. He had no idea where the shooters were hiding.

"What is this…?" Hunder looked a little nervous as he pointed his bow to the left and the right. His dogs were growling and taking up defensive positions, but they still had yet to locate anyone. "How many Crafters are out there?"

His dogs barked an answer, but another arrow flew out from the right.

"What?" He questioned, taking cover from the right side by lowering himself beside his horse. "There _can't_ be one scent; we're getting fired from three angles. Check again—AGH!" He clutched his arm when an arrow sank into it from the front, followed by two more which he narrowly evaded by crawling around his steed. "Just go after them!"

The dogs rushed into action, splitting up into four groups. One going to the front, one to the left, one to the right, and one hanging back to defend their master and his quarry.

"Floyd." I whispered to my fellow captive from our positions on the ground. "Is this really Lenz's doing?"

"Unless he somehow befriended some archers in the woods, I can't see how it could be." Floyd desperately tried to move his arms, but the paralysis was still in effect. Mine had a lower counter, but it still prevented me from moving.

Though Hunder wasn't in a position to reapply the effects.

Suddenly, a new mystery added to the tense atmosphere. From the left, a loud and annoying mix of notes started playing in a loop. Their tone went from high to low and were grating on the ears. The same thing started on the right side not five seconds later.

"The heck is that—No!" Hunder surged to his feet when he saw his dogs start to clamp down on their ears with their heads bowed low. Our distress at the sound was nothing compared to theirs. They let out piteous whines and stopped their fruitless searching just to shut the sound out. "Stop! My hounds! They can't take this noise!"

The ranks broke with only the brown-collared dogs able to stand up to the sound, and even then not by much. But things took a new turn when arrows started hitting specific spots in the crowd of dogs. A few died, but then a _bunch_ more died when the ground suddenly exploded shortly after.

Hunder's head jarred to where the explosion had gone off. "An ambush… all dogs separate! We're surrounded! Flee into the woods! NOW!"

But his voice went unheard. The cacophony of sounds drowned out his orders and prevented his dogs from barking any themselves. More arrows flew from the front and the sides, hitting specific spots that would then explode a few seconds later. Then, from the front, I saw a spark of fire from the trees.

"Over there!" Hunder shouted, apparently having noticed it too. "Hounds, attack! ATTACK!" He shouted loudly, but his dogs didn't hear any of it.

Flaming arrows started to rein down from the front, setting dogs ablaze upon impact. The smoldering bodies scampered in blind agony trying to put themselves out and scaring more of the dogs in the process. Soon, the dogs were in frenzy panic mode, running around or covering their ears as they attempted to understand where they were being attacked from, what was going on, and what they could do to make the pain stop.

Holy shit, was this actually Lenz?

* * *

[Lenz]

"Moving artillery." I spoke to myself, aligning an arrow to the fire making short work of my hiding spot. I fired a few more into the mess of dogs, setting more and more of them ablaze and creating a nice bit of chaos. "Moving artillery…"

I also shot at the buttons on the explosives and the side dispensers, confusing the enemy to where my location was. I saw Cobbert, Floyd, and the bounty hunter below, a fair distance away from the largest trap. The bounty hunter pointed to the tree slowly burning away, but his dogs were too preoccupied with the noise to hear his orders.

And even if they did, I quickly took out an ender pearl and threw it to a different hiding spot. I took damage upon teleporting, but it was minimal compared with what I was doing to the dogs below. And if I took too much damage, I always had Floyd's Potions of Regeneration on hand.

"Keep moving…" I chanted to myself as I set a new fire and aligned my arrows up to it. "Keep attacking. Find new vantage points. Fight on _your_ terms. Moving artillery…"

* * *

[Cobb]

"How is he doing this…?" I spoke aloud before suddenly being wrenched to my knees by a panicking Hunderprest.

"This is your doing isn't it!?" He accused. I was just about to ask him if he was a moron considering I couldn't move a muscle when he continued on. "Your cultists are doing this, aren't they!? Tell them to stop! _Now_!"

He jostled me slightly, but I narrowed my eyes in response. "I gave you the chance to walk away without me. Now it's up to my cultists to decide what to do with you." I was lying out my ass, but it was clear a terrified bounty hunter was much easier to defeat. "Though maybe I can convince them to spare you and your dogs if you release us now."

He gnashed his teeth and threw me back down. "Forget it! HOUNDS!" He howled so loudly that it drew every dog's eye. "Fight through the noise! Fight through the fire! And kill our attackers!" He pointed towards the burning tree where fiery projectiles were raining down. "THERE! Start there!"

His dogs howled their assent as they collected themselves and surged towards the burning tree. It was clear the amount of pain the noise was inflicting upon them, but still they marched on.

As the dogs closed in on the tree, I noticed a flash of gray hair poking through the flames, followed by an ender pearl being thrown across to another tree.

"WAIT!" Hunderprest and the dogs saw it. "Follow that pearl!"

The dogs quickly turned and followed where the pearl was thrown, but Lenz must have made a mistake. I gasped as the engineer found himself caught between the leaves of a tree. To make things worse, an Endermite spawned from his latest teleport and was slowly biting him to death.

"AHA!" Hunderprest shouted in triumph as he raised his bow and fired two quick shots. The first one missed, but the second one hit Lenz as he desperately burned away at the leaves to free himself and kill the Endermite.

It worked in part. The Endermite flailed around from the fire, and Lenz burned away the trapping leaves, only to burn himself in the process. He rolled out of the tree, frantically trying to pat himself out. All while the dogs closed in on him.

"Lenz! Run!" I called out needlessly. If it wasn't already obvious before that his life was in peril…

If only the paralysis effects would run out. There was only thirty seconds left on it.

Finally, Lenz put himself out and hobbled shakily to his feet. Seeing the incoming angry dogs, Lenz did what Lenz could never do and ran. He drank a potion of some kind, but it wasn't one of Swiftness. And he didn't run in the opposite direction of the dogs! If anything, he was running diagonally towards a different spot entirely.

"Cobbert! Floyd!" He shouted to the sky as he sprinted with all his might. "Brace yourselves!"

Brace ourselves? For what? And how could we brace ourselves if we couldn't move?

At least for five more seconds.

Lenz performed a little hop as if he was jumping over something and then threw an ender pearl into a far away tree. One of the dogs closest to him caught its foot on something for a second before another dog jumped at and bit his ankle, tripping him up. The other dogs were about to pounce when the engineer teleported away, the dog previously tearing into his ankle blinking in confusion.

Then a massive explosion ripped the ground apart.

The dogs closest to the earth-shattering blast were all consumed, dying in an instant. Blocks of primed TNT went sailing in every direction, blowing up trees and dirt and more dogs and making a mess of debris and EXP.

The explosions went on for a little bit, throwing Floyd, Hunder, and I onto our backs. A few stray dogs shared the same fate, either dying or getting injured in the process. The chaotic sounds coming from both sides cut off abruptly when the TNT shot off in every direction.

In the aftermath of the explosions, the Paralysis had left me. I could finally move my body and tested it by twitching all of my fingers. Floyd had been hit later than me, so he was still paralyzed.

Hunderprest was just staring at where his dogs had been.

"H-How… no…" He muttered to himself, eyes fixed straight ahead.

I thought about jumping him then and there, but then I noticed a moan neither mine nor Floyd's.

Zombies.

It wasn't night time, but they must have spawned from a cave or something and were drawn by the explosions. The leaves shielded them from the sun as they slowly crept towards us.

I could have gotten to my feet and fought them, but I had a better idea.

"Hey, Hunderprest." I called out, startling the bounty hunter to turn and notice the Mobs. "Your investment is about to get gobbled up. You okay with all your dogs being dead for nothing?"

"Damnit!" Hunder cursed, scowling at me for the line about his dogs but knowing I was right. He ran over and struck out against the Zombie before it could hit me.

Then I threw out a hand and grabbed his weapon before throwing all my weight at his legs. He let out a surprised shout before we both found ourselves wrestling on the ground.

"I want my Inventory back, you jerk!" I spat as I wrenched the sword to the side, both of our hands clutched tightly around it.

"You killed my dogs, you bastard!" He cried. Actually cried. His grief summoned new strength as he sank a fist into my gut.

I winced, but pulled harder at the blade, realizing he was only holding it with one hand. I felt a finger slip, then two, then three, until finally I wrenched it free.

I was rewarded by a swift kick to the face, followed by his fingers flying to my neck. "This is your fault!" He screamed, tightening his choking grip. "You did this!"

"You did it to yourself!" I choked out before slamming the handle of the sword into his face. He stumbled back and that was when Floyd pulled him completely off of me. The blue-nette was finally free of his paralysis and wasted no time showing it by throwing Hunderprest into the dirt.

The bounty hunter coughed painfully and made to stand, only to be met with the business end of a sword. I panted for breath and fixed him with a hard stare.

"Give us our Inventories back. _Now_."

While he looked at the sword nervously, Floyd turned around and waved over to Lenz who was moving with a slight limp. His glasses were back on and he looked banged up, but another Potion of Regeneration fixed him back to normal. He had a tired smile and nodded to Floyd.

"Plan worked." He commented needlessly. "Your distraction was much appreciated. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Floyd reached out and the two shook hands before swapping back Inventories so that the items were back in the proper owner's hands.

"Impossible…" Hunderprest breathed out, glancing to Lenz with astonishment. "It was… it was only _him_? He was the attacker!?"

"Yeah, he was." Floyd slapped Lenz on the back, causing the engineer to slump to the ground, more out of nerves than exhaustion. "Oh… uh… sorry."

"But… but how?"

"Because he's a badass. That's how." I said.

I genuinely wanted to know how he did it too, but that could wait.

Hunder looked at what was left of his dogs. About fifteen of them, and they were all pretty weakened. Even still, they whined in defiance, shakily standing against the ones threatening their master. They would fight to the death if they had to.

"Call off your dogs and give us our Inventories." I repeated, pressing my blade closer to his neck. I wanted my Backlash back. He and his dogs tried to kill Lenz, and probably Soul too at one point. While I wasn't ready to forgive that, as he was now, he was harmless. And he lost enough.

I couldn't kill someone like that.

He scoffed in defiance. "And then what, hm? You'll kill me and the rest of my dogs, right? That's what you cultists do, right? No one lives, right?"

"Enough things have died today." I reasoned. "Unless you want to join them, give us back our stuff."

 _Please, just buy the bluff. I can't kill you after everything that happened to your dogs. I couldn't live with myself if I did._

Blood: **_I could live with it…_**

 _Shut it._

He shook his head. "Who's to say you won't kill me anyway? I'm only safe so long as I'm the only one who can access my Ender Chest. Kill me and you'll never get it back."

"But I'll get _this_ back!" I snatched my golden shovel from his belt as well as the other things he took from us but kept on his person. "And this is all I need to make everything back." I couldn't kill him. I couldn't kill him. I couldn't kill him. "If I kill you, though, your remaining dogs become my dogs under the laws of ownership. They'll obey their brothers' and master's killer, and you will lose out on everything you could possibly earn from this day forward. Is that what you want? For everything to be for nothing?"

My words were having an effect on him, and he shakily directed his gaze towards his last, weakened dogs. I could tell he was thinking more for their sake than for his own. Whatever he felt for those dogs, they were precious to him.

It made me feel like a dick for what happened to most of them.

"You… you promise to let us go?" He croaked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yeah." I nodded, taking the sword off his neck. "I promise. You have my word."

Floyd and Lenz watched tensely as the weakened dogs got closer and closer, only for Hunderprest to stop them with a whistle.

"No more." He whispered.

* * *

Lenz went off to gather whatever redstone he could salvage from his traps while Floyd and I stood beside Hunderprest as he fished inside the Ender Chest for our stuff. His remaining fifteen dogs sat off to the side, docile, as they licked their wounds.

When we had everything back (I caught the bounty hunter trying to sneak off with a few emeralds), we poured over our map to see where Soul was. He was near Mt. Mur, heading in our direction. He could track us with his map, but he probably heard the explosions and figured it could only be us.

Lenz returned, looking upset. Apparently the final TNT he rigged up had destroyed the other redstone traps he made. With most of the structures destroyed, he could only really salvage a handful of arrows and redstone. He apparently exhausted a lot of resources to save us. There was only one thing I could think of to lighten his mood.

"You're flying an airship."

He brightened immediately, rubbing his hands together in delight at the thought of piloting his dream. I would see to it that he did. He earned it after saving our bacon.

With everything sorted, the three of us backed away from Hunderprest and his remaining dogs. I threw him a handful of emeralds and some steak as a form of apology—as a silent message that I _really_ wished this hadn't have happened—but he didn't acknowledge it in the slightest.

I hoped we would never see him again.

After a few moments of walking, making sure Hunderprest was well behind us, Lenz went into an explanation on how he set up all the traps. It was long-winded and complex with words almost like a different language, but Floyd and I listened to every word. Floyd was even able to ask questions, entertaining the engineer's studious mind.

I kept my eyes on the map, tracking where Soul was, and smiled when I saw how close he was getting.

Then, without much surprise, the axe-wielder emerged from the trees. "Hey, you guys are all together. I was worried I'd have to run all over searching for you."

"Where the hell were you!?" I instantly shouted, my words echoing to some degree by my friends.

"Whoa, hostile." He backed off a bit before whipping out his weapon. "I was busy making a new axe." He swung the iron weapon in reply. I wasn't even aware he broke his old axe. "Felt practically naked without it."

"An axe?" Lenz asked with a hint of derision. " _An axe_? That is all you have been doing? This whole time—"

"I went mining too." He showed off some coal, cobblestone, and iron ingots. "I didn't have a choice. It was dark, and I had to use an Invisibility Potion to lose those dogs. I tried waiting by the mountain, but those dogs could smell me or something. So I decided to mine until daybreak." His stomach picked that moment to growl noisily and he fell to his knees. "Also, I ran out of food and couldn't catch anything. I tried eating my Entry Pass, but it was denied entry into my stomach. Please feed me."

Floyd hastily stuffed him with chicken while we went into detail about what we had to endure while he was off mining. His eyes got particularly wide when we described the chaos Lenz's traps wrought.

"Damn, he really did that? Shit. Remind me not to piss you off." He spoke to Lenz who shuffled in place, unused to the praise but feeling proud all the same. "So that bounty hunter won't be chasing us anymore?"

"I don't think he's in a position to." Floyd said. I could tell he was recalling the weary remnants of Hunder's forces. It was safe to say he wouldn't try anything.

"Which means all that's really in our way is what's been in our way from the beginning." I huffed, looking up to the towering Mt. Mur. We wasted a whole day and were exhausted. I needed sleep. They needed sleep. I just wanted to sink my face into a bed!

"Guess it's back to hunting for ender pearls." Floyd sighed, adjusting his armor. "Lenz, you can come with me, if you want."

Lenz blinked in surprise before nodding. "That sounds fine, thanks."

"Whoa, since when have you two been friendly?" Soul asked.

"Since Lenz saved our lives."

"Yeah, guess that'll do it." He nodded to himself before reaching into his backpack. "Lucky for you sorry shits, I wasn't just mining all of last night."

"…No way." I muttered in surprise at what he was holding.

Seventeen more ender pearls.

"Yeah, look in awe, losers. Your boy Soul gets shit _done_! Beating his own records like he beats down bad guys."

"Barring the bad guy that tried to capture us, you mean."

"…Don't ruin my moment, Lenz."

"Wha—you ruined _my_ moment first! My redstone saved the day!"

"Let's just agree that we're _all_ dependable Beginners." I interjected, not wanting another pointless fight that could otherwise be resolved in under sixty seconds.

"But I wanted more praise…" Lenz simpered.

"Lenz… what more do you want us to say. You saved our lives. We're here thanks to you. You're the best damn archer and engineer hybrid in the world." I steadily ramped up the praise to overblown levels. "We want to throw you a parade. We love you. We want to be you. We want to bear your children. We want to petition a National Holiday for you called 'Badass Archer Day'. You can tell me to stop at any time." I added.

Lenz rubbed his chin in thought. "…Go on."

I groaned before Soul slapped my wrist. "What, no Axe-Wielder Appreciation Day?"

For the love of sleep! "You're both awesome, alright! Christ, be a little humble."

We all laughed as we put Hunderprest and his efforts behind us…

Unaware of the _next_ thrilling adventure at the top of Mt. Mur.

* * *

[Shallows of Cerulean Ocean]

Several minutes later, Teal was hunched over in the sandy shallows, playing imaginary tic-tac-toe by herself when she spotted a head of magenta hair breaking the water's surface.

She surged to her feet like a coiled spring. "Mark!" She sang in delight, overjoyed that her beloved was safe and sound.

And look! Mark was so happy to see her, he was screaming.

"TEEEAAAL!"

…Actually… no, yeah, no, that was actual screaming.

"THEY BROKE THE BOAT!" He shouted, louder than before as he swam wildly towards her, his sexy arms moving as fast as they could to break through the waves.

Behind him were a dozen incensed Guardians shooting laser beams at him, followed by an Elder Guardian—a super-sized Guardian with milky grey skin, spines as long as a Crafter and sharper than diamond, and an eye that could fire a mega-laser beam that could hit you with Mining Fatigue.

And none of them looked all too pleased with having their sponges stolen.

"EVAC!" Mark screamed as the Elder Guardian's beam nearly grazed him. "EVAC, TEAL! EVAC!"

Seeing her man in trouble, Teal sprung into action. She threw her boat into the water and pushed off the shallows with all her strength, propelling the vessel a good twenty feet from the shore before furiously paddling towards Mark.

The magenta-haired Lieutenant kept thrashing against the waves in his efforts to out-swim the Guardians. The diving gear was helping him move through the water, but was doing little to shield him from the damaging beams.

When one of the beams hit Mark in the side, causing him to cry out, Teal's expression darkened and she rowed with double the speed. Her boat carved through the waves like a chainsaw, her movements sharp and deliberate with strength rippling off her body.

She slowed down only when he was near. "Teal! Teal…" Mark gasped as he caught the edge of the vessel. He gasped for breath clutching the side of the boat like a lifeline, but held up what he had come for. "I got… the sponge… so let's—Teal?"

The blue-haired Lieutenant had only paused to give Mark a once over before diving into the water and swimming furiously towards her beloved's attackers. The first Guardian she faced, she punched it in the eye, sending it floundering through the air before crashing back into the sea.

"Teal! Leave them! I'm fine!" He tried to assuage her, but the woman wasn't listening. Those Mobs had hurt her man. She wouldn't be satisfied until they were all lumps of lifeless items. "Goddamnit…" Mark hoisted himself into the boat before drinking some milk to alleviate the Mining Fatigue. Then he started paddling towards his pursuers.

Teal was lost in the fighting. When one of the Guardians swam up to hit her, she dove beneath the water. The Mob was momentarily confused before the blue-haired woman emerged from below like a shark, grabbing the Mob from between its spines. It thrashed around, but Teal was quick to toss it into the air just before spiking it into the Elder Guardian like a volleyball.

"Keep your beams away from my Mark!" She shouted while backhanding another Guardian. She grabbed two more by their tails and swung them around like nunchucks before skipping them across the water.

The other Guardians swarmed the enraged Lieutenant, thinking they had a chance with their numbers and the water to freely move around in. They weren't wrong; Teal's mobility and close combat skills were hindered by constantly having to tread water.

But, as the old saying went, 'Nether hath no fury like a woman when her man is threatened.'

"Grah!" She shouted as she grappled a Guardian and repeatedly bashed its eyeball in, regardless of the spines damaging her Health. "Chase my man, will you? Well, I'll teach you better…"

"Teal, disengage!" Mark shouted as he passed the Guardians in the boat equivalent of a drive-by, tossing out Splash Potions of Harming in an effort to thin them out. "We got what we came for, so let's go!"

Teal suddenly froze, looking up from her brutal beat-down to blush and tilt her head cutely. "Oh, Mark~! Seeing you so worried about me. You'll make my heart swell with such sweet words~!"

"Take off those rose-tinted goggles you blue-haired idiot! This is NOT a romantic moment!"

"Oh, I can feel it burst~!" She clutched her chest and swooned theatrically, sinking into the water.

The Guardians dove down after her, but after a brief moment, only Teal came back up to surface. She whipped her soaked hair out of her eyes, grinning happily at Mark before she suddenly noticed a ghostly image of a Guardian flicker across her vision, followed by the draining effects of Miner's Fatigue.

She whirled around and came face to eyeball with the Elder Guardian just before it fired a point-blank yellow beam into her chest. She let out a cry of pain, her body skipping across the water from the impact. The shot had taken six Hearts out of her and she was barely able to keep her head above the water.

The Elder Guardian pressed its advantage, swimming towards the injured Lieutenant and affixing her with its gaze. It began charging its laser, the beam tracking Teal as a solid purple before slowly changing to yellow. Teal considered diving, but realized she would never out-swim the master of the seas.

Just when it was about to fire, Mark brought his boat forward, shielding Teal from the beam with his own body. At the same time, he chucked a Splash Potion of Healing II behind him to restore her Health. When the beam hit, the alchemist was knocked clear off the boat and over Teal's head before splashing into the ocean.

Teal's vision narrowed with a blackening rage as she turned to face the Elder Guardian. She swiftly swam up to Mark's boat, boarded it, and rowed towards the boss Mob with grim determination.

It charged its laser once more, but Teal was faster in the boat. She brought the vessel right alongside it before leaping out and grabbing the Mob with both hands. The eyeball kept its focus on her so that she was effectively hanging onto the thing's eyeball. Not the best way to avoid its beam.

Teal, however, was livid; her face set in a deep, displeased frown. She reared back a fist, her cruel eyes devoid of mirth, and she sank it into the beast's eyeball. Right over its pupil.

It let out a ghostly wail, flailing about in agony and extending its spines to try and dislodge the eyesore. Teal held firm, though. Through the wild thrashing, the spines spearing her hands, and the laser beam that struck her in the unprotected gut, she hung on… and drove her fist further in.

The Mob's shouts grew more agonized, its efforts to throw her off getting wilder still. It dove under the water, figuring drowning her was the best option.

Teal held her breath, hugging the Mob more tightly as she gained the leverage to drive her fist even deeper. Her fury was of one mind. For hurting Mark, she would rip this thing's eye out.

The Guardian was charging up another beam, Teal could feel it. Taking two of those could kill an unarmored Crafter, which she was. But still she refused to let go. _I can kill it first._ She thought to herself, sinking her fist further in. _I can kill it before it fires._

So distracted was she, she failed to notice the Splash Potion of Healing thrown at her back by the recovered Mark.

The beam fired, but Teal took it in stride. She looked in surprise as Mark swam behind the Guardian and hit it with _three_ Splash Potions. Weakness. Slowness. Poison. The Elder Guardian screamed in agony as it felt like its insides were burning up, but it stopped its wild thrashings, going limp from the Paralysis combo.

With the Mob preoccupied and Mark nearby, Teal forgot everything else and swam up to embrace him in a tender hug. Mark tried to pry her off, pointing to the Elder Guardian and then to her arm, but Teal ignored him in favor of nuzzling into his neck.

Then she started taking damage from lack of Oxygen.

Her eyes shot open and her hands flew to her throat as she freaked out. Mark, under the effects of the Respiration Enchantment of the diving gear, had the oxygen to breathe out an exasperated sigh before rummaging in his backpack for two more Splash Potions.

He smashed the first one—Water Breathing—into Teal to have her regain her calm. Her flailing subsided and her eyes relaxed once she got a few lung-fulls of air. Then she went back to hugging him as if nothing had happened. Mark leveled a far-off stare in some random direction, giving Teal her moment, before pushing her away and hitting her with the second potion—Strength.

She cocked her head in confusion, tapping her arm where the Strength tattoo was showing; silently asking him why. In response, he pointed down to the seafloor where the injured, poisoned, and paralyzed Elder Guardian now lay.

Teal grinned eagerly, nodding in understanding, before performing a loop-de-loop dive towards the weakened Mob.

To its credit, the thing extended its spines and prepped its laser, hoping to scare Teal off.

Teal smirked cruelly and cracked her knuckles.

The barrage of fists that followed ensured the Mob's last moments were agonizing. Mark stood on standby with Potions of Regeneration and Healing when Teal had to take a break from all the spine damage it cost her per strike.

But eventually, her final fist connected, slaying the master of the seas. It dropped a dry sponge, prismarine crystals, and raw fish. Teal gathered up the trophies and turned to Mark, hiking her thumb up towards the surface. Mark got the message clear enough and the duo swam up to where they left their boat.

Magenta and blue hair broke the surface with both wiping the seawater-soaked hair from their eyes.

"Well," Teal spoke in a rush of air, "that was a thing."

Mark shook his head. "That _thing_ could have been avoided if you just—"

"If I just forgot about you getting hurt?" She finished with a quizzical expression. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"You almost died." Mark muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Teal cupped a hand to her ear, leaning forward with a wide smile. "Do I hear some mutual affection there? Does Mark genuinely care for me as I do him? Because I don't remember it being my Birthday today~"

Mark scowled. "Ugh, you're impossible."

"Actually, I'm quite easy." She shrugged with a flirty smile. "If you'll have me, that is~"

Teal giggled to herself as Mark turned around to hide his blush. He chose to remain silent, though, as he struggled to clamber into the boat. Teal took it upon herself to sneak up behind him and give him a boost. And if her hands happened to grope him during the contact, then hey, they had minds of their own.

Despite the groping, Mark reached out a hand to help pull Teal into the vessel. "Guess we get to ride tandem after all." He commented before starting to row to shore.

"Isn't it romantic~?" She sighed dreamily. "What a way to end our mission…"

"Soaking wet and nearly dead. Super."

"Oh, don't be like that." She chastised with a light bop on the arm. "You were pretty heroic taking that beam for me. I would have fallen for you right then and there if I wasn't already head-over-heels." She chuckled to herself at Mark's blushing before holding up her trophy. "So what does Abyssmal want with a sponge, anyway?"

"It's not what _he_ wants with the sponge." Mark took out his own and contemplated it for a moment. "It's what our _Founder_ wanted with it that matters. The book he left asked for this and a Nether Star." He glanced out to the Ocean Monument growing further and further away. "Considering what we have to fight to get these items, I'm betting it's a test of some kind. See if we're truly worthy of the power he was spouting about."

"Oooh. I like the sound of that." Teal vibrated with excitement, rocking the boat. "So it's a good thing we fought that Guardian instead of just sneaking in to grab a sponge, yeah? Nothing worthier than that! We aced that challenge!"

"Hmm." Mark hummed in assent, glancing at the sponge still in Teal's possession. "Keep yours as a trophy. You never know when having an extra might come in handy." Mark sighed as he put more effort into rowing, trying to ignore Teal's fingers playing with his hair.

"Now let's just hope the other Divisions can figure out how to spawn a Wither."

* * *

 **Inventory (Cobb):** 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [ _Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [ _Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III_ ], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 14 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 40 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 55 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [ _Dyed Green, Unbreaking I_ ], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 40 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 18]

 **Inventory (Floyd):** 1 Iron Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Iron Sword, 3 Iron Ingots, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 6 Gunpowder, 10 Ink Sacs, 28 Cooked Chicken, 40 Apples, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots {Weak}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 25]

 **Inventory (Lenz):** 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 9 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 20 Redstone, 1 Hopper, 5 Pistons, 21 Cobblestone, 25 Dirt, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 50 Steak,  1 Leather Cap [ _Dyed Green_ ], 13 Arrows, 20 Wooden Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

 **Inventory (Soul):** 1 Iron Axe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Stone Pickaxe {Weak}, 17 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 5 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 10 Coal, 7 Oak Wood Planks, 9 Emeralds, 21 Iron Ingots, 30 Cooked Chicken, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 38]

* * *

 **AN: What exciting adventure awaits our heroes? What are the Endward Cult's plans? Why don't Mark and Teal have a ship name!? Really people, I thought you'd be on top of that! You came up with ship names for every other couple under the sun _except_ these two? What the hell? Is it because it's too easy? It's because it's too easy.**

 **I swear, this fanbase is a fickle mistress...**

 **Whatever. Review, I guess. Bye.**


End file.
